American Express MRCC. A detailed explanation on why it is a MUST HAVE and important Tips.

[asura]

Some background:
I've joined the Amex ecosystem in February 2024.
Points that may have helped me in getting it:

• Multiple credit cards of multiple banks (>10) with decent limits (ranging between ~50k and 3L+)
• Decent CIBIL (Ranges 750-775 always)
• Never missed a single due date on any card.
• A fair mix of CCs, Personal loan, Consumer Durable loan.
• Serviceable location (Hyderabad)

Most Important Requirement to not get rejected: (Tip-1)
Although, there are other requirements of Salary, residence, serviceable location, not many know about a specific requirement that people get to know only after getting rejected.
Your Residential address that you give while filling the online form with AMEX and that on your AADHAR must be the same.
Usually, there are several people who work in metropolitan cities but have their hometown as AADHAR address or few do not change AADHAR addresses when they frequently shift, these people should take extra care.
Almost every other bank card gets approved if the present AADHAR address and residential address are different, they would just verify your residential location during video call with the help of GPS.
But Amex rejects the application if the AADHAR address does not match the residential address that you give while filling the form. To avoid rejection, change your Aadhar address.
Rest of the process is as usual.

MSP of AMEX MRCC:
2000 MR points in a month:

1. 1000 MR points: Perform 4 transactions of minimum ₹1500 each (it can be ANY transaction).
2. 1000 MR points: Cumulative spend in a CALENDAR month should be minimum ₹20,000. The first 6000 can be counted in this 20,000. So you can do remaining 14,000.

Tip-2: Not everybody holding the card knows this. The above two tasks have to be performed in the CALENDAR month, not your billing cycle.

Also, you get your usual reward points on the above transactions as well.

Calculation of points:
1. For every ₹50, you get 1 MR point, so for the above 20,000 spend per month, you get 400 MR points.
2. 2000 MR points as discussed previously.
3. Total would be 2400 MR points per month. Which would be 28,800 MR points per year.

Redemption:
You can redeem them for 18karat or 24karat Gold Collection (just name of the package of vouchers) which offer several vouchers like Amazon, Flipkart etc(worth ₹8000), Tanishq (worth ₹9000), Taj voucher (worth ₹14,000)- anyone of these for 24,000 points, you have similar collection for 18,000 points.
Apart from the usual points, there is also a provision for Reward Multiplier using the Amex GYFTR portal when brand vouchers are purchased. Accelerated rewards of 2X would be added. Check the link https://www.gyftr.com/amexrewardmultiplier/

Places where you can spend: Best thing about AMEX is that it doesn't discriminate among types of spends (except fuel, direct utility and govt bill payments- byspassing this will be also explained below)- you won't be awarded reward points for these transactions but they would be counted for monthly milestone spends and spending requirement for renewal fee waiver.

1. Limited offline presence. But famous places like Dmart, reliance, few petrol bunks, most of the branded showrooms accept this card. I've also made a purchase yesterday at a famous Jewellery shop (without any extra charge).
2. Online: mostly all platforms and websites.
Tip-3:
3. You can pay rent or education fee on few platforms. Amex doesn't impose any extra rate % as other banks where it is generally 1-1.5% example: HDFC, SBI, ICICI etc where you don't even get any reward points. But Amex charges you NIL and also gives usual reward points.
4. You can pay NPS and other govt related bills. This part won't be rewarded but can be used to complete monthly milestones, which will be counted (both in 4 x ₹1500 and ₹20,000 category milestones)
5. A subpoint of points 1&2: you can purchase Amazon Pay vouchers from GYFTR portal (for this there is a limit of 10k per month but varies according to users) to pay your utility bills. This way you get the benefit of Reward Multiplier (2X) as well and can complete the monthly milestones quickly.

Considering all these aspects, this is now a must have card if you have natural spends above 2 Lakh in a year, which most credit card users do.
The renewal fee is also waived off if you spend 1.5 Lakh in a year and if your spends are between 90k-1,49,999 then you get a renewal fee waiver of 50%.
So, if you have yearly spends of ₹1.5 Lakh, this is a no brainer. You'll virtually make the card LTF by spending 1.5 lakh on this card every yr, which is also highly rewarding.

Entering the Amex ecosystem is an important step to understand the whole game of miles and hotel points (Marriott Bonvoy).

The new design of this card is a cherry on the top.

You may DM me for the current working referral link. You'd get extra MR points and Deck of playing cards from AMEX.
Note: All 4 of my friends' applications got accepted following the above process and using my referral link.
Alternatively, you can use the latest link pasted in the About section.

 

[Kanishk115]

All Rent payment platforms do charge around 1-1.5% that's now the industry standard.
Amex are accepted in a few, surprisingly for a lesser charge compared to Rupay cards.
DM to know about AMEX accepting platforms. I think sharing it in the open wouldn't be in the best interest.

Hey, can you please DM me too as I'm not able to send a message to you. This would be of great help. Thank you in advance!

 

[metal_heart]

BTW, what proof did you submit for the current address?

Dont recall now.
Could be Voter ID, as that's the only govt ID proof I have. Rest is IGL & Electricity bill, which I guess they don't acknowledge.

 

[asura]

Dont recall now.
Could be Voter ID, as that's the only govt ID proof I have. Rest is IGL & Electricity bill, which I guess they don't acknowledge.

That's what! It is very rare to have a voter ID in the residential place (especially those who stay there temporarily) most of them have it in their hometown. And Amex accepts only govt ID proofs, out of which changing the aadhar address is easier compared to other govt IDs.

 

[asura]

Even continental hospital in Hyderabad which is very big and has tie ups with big mncs denied amex.

That's right, I was unable to use it at the KIMS hospital as well. Bill was north of 3 lakhs and they did not accept Amex. Had to use other cards for it.
Similar situation at the 10 Downing street pub, where I was unable to make a huge payment using Amex. I have insisted very strongly to try it in the swiping machine, surprisingly they did but it did not get processed.

 

[sousnake]

That's right, I was unable to use it at the KIMS hospital as well. Bill was north of 3 lakhs and they did not accept Amex. Had to use other cards for it.
Similar situation at the 10 Downing street pub, where I was unable to make a huge payment using Amex. I have insisted very strongly to try it in the swiping machine, surprisingly they did but it did not get processed.

That's the problem with Amex. Offline acceptance is a problem.

 

[lonegaruda]

Everyone knows the application/platform and most folks here have the Amex cards.
The above mentioned conditions are also clearly mentioned on the website.
I don't see anything serious contributed by you here except pushing referral link.
Anyone can provide that link, if you want one let me know.

 

[asura]

Not everybody does. I've been replying to numerous msgs regarding various aspects. So, thanks for spending time on my thread.
Go rant somewhere else. I don't understand which dream world you are living in. Although Amex is pretty accessible now, the credit card community has just started expanding in India and there is huge gap for Amex cards.
PS: I can see that you've contributed a lot. Oh wait.

 

[credit.cards]

Amex MRCC has good reward structure, but in my opinion, one needs to put extra effort to get those rewards. Amex cards are ideal for high spenders and intends to redeem them on travel and leisure.

For a normal person having about 20K to 25K of monthly expenses including glossaries, utilities, online shopping and fuel, I believe combination of SBI Cashback and Tata Neu Infinity is more than sufficient. On the Tata Neu one can get 10% neu coins on big basket and 5% coins on utilities and SBI cashback for all other online purchase including Amazon pay vouchers etc. Without much effort, one can get decent 5% return with these two cards.

 

[peregrine0falcon]

Just to add another weird example towards the Amex application

I had 26+ rejections in last quarter of 2023 (I applied to many cards of one bank cause I was too free, got rejected for every card). Applied for BOB premier ltf and got it in the jan 2024 with 50k limit, 1 day later applied for Amex platinum and they approved it and delivered within 24hours of application with limit of 4+ lacs.

Edit: I was a student and getting 35K as stipend

 

[asura]

Applied for Amex platinum and they approved it and delivered within 24hours of application with limit of 4+ lacs.

Edit: I was a student and getting 35K as stipend

Lucky you.
Is it platinum travel or platinum reserve?

 

[Chets79]

Some background:
I've joined the Amex ecosystem in February 2024.
Points that may have helped me in getting it:

• Multiple credit cards of multiple banks (>10) with decent limits (ranging between ~50k and 3L+)
• Decent CIBIL (Ranges 750-775 always)
• Never missed a single due date on any card.
• A fair mix of CCs, Personal loan, Consumer Durable loan.
• Serviceable location (Hyderabad)

Most Important Requirement to not get rejected: (Tip-1)
Although, there are other requirements of Salary, residence, serviceable location, not many know about a specific requirement that people get to know only after getting rejected.
Your Residential address that you give while filling the online form with AMEX and that on your AADHAR must be the same.
Usually, there are several people who work in metropolitan cities but have their hometown as AADHAR address or few do not change AADHAR addresses when they frequently shift, these people should take extra care.
Almost every other bank card gets approved if the present AADHAR address and residential address are different, they would just verify your residential location during video call with the help of GPS.
But Amex rejects the application if the AADHAR address does not match the residential address that you give while filling the form. To avoid rejection, change your Aadhar address.
Rest of the process is as usual.

MSP of AMEX MRCC:
2000 MR points in a month:

1. 1000 MR points: Perform 4 transactions of minimum ₹1500 each (it can be ANY transaction).
2. 1000 MR points: Cumulative spend in a CALENDAR month should be minimum ₹20,000. The first 6000 can be counted in this 20,000. So you can do remaining 14,000.

Tip-2: Not everybody holding the card knows this. The above two tasks have to be performed in the CALENDAR month, not your billing cycle.

Also, you get your usual reward points on the above transactions as well.

Calculation of points:
1. For every ₹50, you get 1 MR point, so for the above 20,000 spend per month, you get 400 MR points.
2. 2000 MR points as discussed previously.
3. Total would be 2400 MR points per month. Which would be 28,800 MR points per year.

Redemption:
You can redeem them for 18karat or 24karat Gold Collection (just name of the package of vouchers) which offer several vouchers like Amazon, Flipkart etc(worth ₹8000), Tanishq (worth ₹9000), Taj voucher (worth ₹14,000)- anyone of these for 24,000 points, you have similar collection for 18,000 points.
Apart from the usual points, there is also a provision for Reward Multiplier using the Amex GYFTR portal when brand vouchers are purchased. Accelerated rewards of 2X would be added. Check the link https://www.gyftr.com/amexrewardmultiplier/

Places where you can spend: Best thing about AMEX is that it doesn't discriminate among types of spends (except fuel, direct utility and govt bill payments- byspassing this will be also explained below)- you won't be awarded reward points for these transactions but they would be counted for monthly milestone spends.

1. Limited offline presence. But famous places like Dmart, reliance, few petrol bunks, most of the branded showrooms accept this card. I've also made a purchase yesterday at a famous Jewellery shop (without any extra charge).
2. Online: mostly all platforms and websites.
Tip-3:
3. You can pay rent or education fee on few platforms. Amex doesn't impose any extra rate % as other banks where it is generally 1-1.5% example: HDFC, SBI, ICICI etc where you don't even get any reward points. But Amex charges you NIL and also gives usual reward points.
4. You can pay NPS and other govt related bills. This part won't be rewarded but can be used to complete monthly milestones, which will be counted (both in 4 x ₹1500 and ₹20,000 category milestones)
5. A subpoint of points 1&2: you can purchase Amazon Pay vouchers from GYFTR portal (for this there is a limit of 10k per month but varies according to users) to pay your utility bills. This way you get the benefit of Reward Multiplier (2X) as well and can complete the monthly milestones quickly.

Considering all these aspects, this is now a must have card if you have natural spends above 2 Lakh in a year, which most credit card users do.
The renewal fee is also waived off if you spend 1.5 Lakh in a year and if your spends are between 90k-1,49,999 the you get a renewal fee waiver of 50%.
So, if you have yearly spends of ₹1.5 Lakh, this is a no brainer. You'll virtually make the card LTF by spending 1.5 lakh on this card every yr, which is also highly rewarding.

Entering the Amex ecosystem is an important step to understand the whole game of miles and hotel points (Marriott Bonvoy).

The new design of this card is a cherry on the top.

You may DM me for the current working referral link. You'd get extra MR points and Deck of playing cards from AMEX and an Amazon/Flipkart gift voucher from me after successful referral.
Alternatively, you can use the latest link pasted in the About section.

There are better credit cards within Amex which gives lounge access, better reward points after achieving certain milestones. After 13 years of relationship with Amex finally I have cancelled my membership because they don’t want loyal customers.

 

[EternallyHopeful]

Thanx for this detailed post. Some of what you've mentioned here may have been detailed on Amex website, but I, for one, got to know some new things in your post.

 

[asura]

Thanx for this detailed post. Some of what you've mentioned here may have been detailed on Amex website, but I, for one, got to know some new things in your post.

Thanks for writing this. Much appreciated.

 

[asura]

There are better credit cards within Amex which gives lounge access, better reward points after achieving certain milestones. After 13 years of relationship with Amex finally I have cancelled my membership because they don’t want loyal customers.

Amex Platinum travel is better if spends range about 4lakh.
But for spends about 1.5-2.4 lakh, MRCC is still the better one, as we also get a 100% fee waiver here. For someone wanting to enter the Amex ecosystem, I would still suggest getting an MRCC first, to completely understand what is what. Coming to Lounges, there are pretty much available with many other bank cards. So, lounge access might not be something that people are looking for in a new card these days.
I cannot comment on loyalty as of now due to my brief experience. But 13yrs is a very long period. Hope you have found a good alternative.

 

[helloworld]

Amex MRCC has good reward structure, but in my opinion, one needs to put extra effort to get those rewards. Amex cards are ideal for high spenders and intends to redeem them on travel and leisure.

For a normal person having about 20K to 25K of monthly expenses including glossaries, utilities, online shopping and fuel, I believe combination of SBI Cashback and Tata Neu Infinity is more than sufficient. On the Tata Neu one can get 10% neu coins on big basket and 5% coins on utilities and SBI cashback for all other online purchase including Amazon pay vouchers etc. Without much effort, one can get decent 5% return with these two cards.

Thread 'AMEX MRCC vs Gold vs Travel vs Reserve'

Aug 19, 2024

Update 03-Sep: FYF offer not applicable on referral links too and also MRCC has full fee (probably up-to 22 Oct), do check and apply

Category	MRCC	Gold Charge	Plat. Travel	Plat. Reserve
Joining Fee (with referral + GST)	1180	₹1,180	4130	₹11,800
Joining Benefits (with referral)	2000+4000 MR (on spending ₹15,000)	6000 MR (on spending ₹15,000)	12000 MR (on spending...

• helloworld
• Replies: 32
• Forum: American Express

• 
• 

if amex accepts in your locality with single card (ex. mrcc) you can get up-to 5% on all-mixed-spends.

 

[peregrine0falcon]

Lucky you.
Is it platinum travel or platinum reserve?

Travel. (3 more words)

 

[tachniki]

Is it worth using Amex just for paying Income Tax? I can pay smaller amount every month to achieve 1.5K x 4 + 14000K per month. Will it be worth using beyond achieving 2.4 L per year? Need about 5 to 6 L per year.


Will it get flagged by Amex as misuse? Anyone else done it?

 

[MrMonkey]

Is it worth using Amex just for paying Income Tax? I can pay smaller amount every month to achieve 1.5K x 4 + 14000K per month. Will it be worth using beyond achieving 2.4 L per year? Need about 5 to 6 L per year.


Will it get flagged by Amex as misuse? Anyone else done it?

Tax txns doesn't earn regular points but can be used to reach milestones. For 6L yearly spends, spend 4L on Platinum Travel card and remaining on MRCC

 

[helloworld]

Is it worth using Amex just for paying Income Tax? I can pay smaller amount every month to achieve 1.5K x 4 + 14000K per month. Will it be worth using beyond achieving 2.4 L per year? Need about 5 to 6 L per year.

Check #35.

Will it get flagged by Amex as misuse? Anyone else done it?

Possible, every card issuer wants their card to be used everywhere. once in a while use some other places to avoid misuse.

 

[asura]

Is it worth using Amex just for paying Income Tax? I can pay smaller amount every month to achieve 1.5K x 4 + 14000K per month. Will it be worth using beyond achieving 2.4 L per year? Need about 5 to 6 L per year.


Will it get flagged by Amex as misuse? Anyone else done it?

Simple:
1. MRCC recommended for upto 2.4 lakh spends that too distributed evenly throughout the yr. ₹20,000 per month and minimum 4x₹1500 transactions.
2. Platinum travel is recommended for spends above this, and upto 4 lakh only. After exhausting these limits you may use other normal cashback cards like SBI cashback ,Swiggy HDFC etc.

Looks like the combination of MRCC and Platinum travel Best serves your purpose. You may do this:
1. Till 1.5 lakh, you may use MRCC to make it next yr free. (See that you distribute these spends over 8 months 8×20k.
2. Parallely or after 1.5lakh spend on MRCC, you may use Platinum Travel to reach 4 lakh milestone. Good thing on PT is that you can do huge transactions at any point of time in the yr to reach the milestone.

Hopefully, the above gives you a decent idea on how you can plan the spends. Better plan can be made for you if exact spending pattern is available.

About the misuse part, try using it online for subscriptions and purchasing of brand vouchers from GYFTR once in a while. This would largely take care of it.