American Express Promotion: Bonus Points for Additional Cards

There is a new American Express bonus points offer for certain cardholders: you can receive bonus points by adding up to two additional cardholders to your account.

This promotion is currently available for personal cards (a separate, targeted offer covers Employee Cards on some business cards, see below) and runs until October 30, 2025. Since some additional cards have no fees, this offer can be very advantageous if the additional cardholders make the most of the accelerated points earn rates.

So you can give an extra card to your spouse, a relative or a teenager aged 13+.

American Express Promotion: Bonus Points for Additional Cards - carte supplémentaire amex

American Express Bonus Points – Eligible Cards

Here’s a summary of the products targeted and eligible for this promotion, which is different from the last promotion, which dated back to February 2025.

For example, for the American Express Cobalt^® Card offer, you earn 5 bonus points/$1 in card purchases, up to a maximum of 10,000 points. So you need to spend $2,000 (10,000 points divided by 5 points/$1) to earn the full amount of bonus points from the offer.

Card	Bonus points	Terms and conditions for the first 3 months of membership with additional card	Additional card fee
American Express Cobalt^® Card	Up to 10,000 Bonus Membership Rewards points	Earn 5 bonus points/$1 in card purchases	$0
Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card	Up to 10,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points	Earn 5 bonus points/$1 in card purchases	$0
American Express^® ^{Aeroplan^®*} Card	1,000 Bonus Aeroplan points	No	$50 (paid card)
American Express^® Aeroplan^®* Reserve Card	Up to 25,000 bonus Aeroplan points	Earn 5 bonus points/$1 in card purchases	$199 (paid card)
American Express^® Aeroplan^®* Reserve Card	Up to 5,000 bonus Aeroplan points	Earn 5 Bonus Points/$1 in card purchases	$0 (free card)
American Express ^Platinum Card^®	Up to 30,000 bonus Membership Rewards points	Earn 5 bonus points/$1 in card purchases	$250 (paid Platinum card)
American Express Platinum Card^® – Gold Card with additional rewards	Up to 10,000 bonus Membership Rewards points	Earn 5 bonus points/$1 in card purchases	$0 (free Gold Rewards Card)
American Express^® Gold Rewards Card	Up to 10,000 Bonus Membership Rewards points	Earn 5 bonus points/$1 in card purchases	$0 (first additional card), $50 for subsequent cards
American Express^® Green Card	Up to 3,000 bonus Membership Rewards points	Earn 5 bonus points/$1 in card purchases	$0
SimplyCash^® Card from American Express	Statement credit of $25	$500 minimum spending on card	$0
SimplyCash^® Preferred Card from American Express	Statement credit of $50	Minimum $1,000 spending on card	$0

Our credit card selection
Credit card	Annual fee	Welcome offer
American Express Cobalt^® Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$191.88	Welcome offerGet 1,250 points after $750 in purchases per month for 12 months Up to 15,000 points Get 1,250 points after $750 in purchases per month for 12 months	Apply NowCompare
American Express^® Aeroplan^®* Reserve Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$599	Welcome offerAfter $7,500 in 3 months Up to 85,000 points After $7,500 in 3 months	Apply NowCompare
American Express Platinum Card^® Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$799	Welcome offerAfter $10,000 in 3 months Up to 100,000 points After $10,000 in 3 months	Apply NowCompare
Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$120	Welcome offerAfter $3,000 in 3 months Up to 70,000 points After $3,000 in 3 months	Apply NowCompare
American Express^® Gold Rewards Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$250	Welcome offerAfter $12,000 in 12 months Up to 60,000 points After $12,000 in 12 months	Apply NowCompare
SimplyCash^® Card from American Express Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$0	Welcome offerAfter $2,000 in 3 months Up to $100 cash back After $2,000 in 3 months	Apply NowCompare

American Express Bonus Points – Is It Worth It?

If you were already planning to add an authorized user to your card, or if the additional card has no cost, the answer is obvious. Where there is a cost, you need to weigh the value you can get from the bonus points against the price of acquiring them.

For example, you may have had the idea of adding your daughter to your American Express^® Aeroplan^®* Reserve Card so that she can benefit from the first free checked bag on Air Canada flights when she takes her solo trip to Japan next spring.

While you’re at it, add an additional paying American Express^® Aeroplan^®* Reserve Card and collect up to 25,000 Aeroplan points, thanks to this bonus points promotion from American Express!

Since we give an Aeroplan point a value of 2¢ or more, it’s like paying $199 to have a value of at least $500 (25,000 Aeroplan points X $0.02).

Another great offer is the American Express Cobalt^® Card, since you can get up to 20,000 Membership Rewards points free of charge if you add two cards.

Both authorized holders will need to spend a minimum of $2,000 in three months each to unlock the full 20,000 points, but you’ll also earn base points in addition to bonus points.

Especially if those expenses are in 5X category (groceries, restaurants and bars), where you can earn up to 40,000 Membership Rewards points with this bonus points offer from American Express at no extra charge.

Person	Base points	Bonus points
Additional card no. 1 with an expense of $2,000	$2,000 x 5 = 10 000	$2,000 x 5 bonus points = $10,000
Additional card no. 2 with an expense of $2,000	$2,000 x 5 = 10 000	$2,000 x 5 bonus points = $10,000
Total	40,000 points

American Express Bonus Points – Our Tip with the American Express Cobalt Card

Are you thinking of taking out an American Express Cobalt^® Card for your household? Now is the perfect time to do so.

Indeed, you could strategically spread your spending across all three cards (the primary cardholder plus two supplementary cards) to unlock both the welcome bonus and this American Express bonus points promotion! With three people working towards the same goal, it becomes even easier!

The best approach is to start by concentrating spending on additional cards before moving on to the card of the family’s main cardholder.

1,250 points for each month you spend more than $750 in the first year;
20,000 bonus points for 2 additional cards if you spend over $4,000 in 3 months (or $1,334 per month);
20,000 basis points in 5X gain categories;
= over 88,000 points in total (worth $1,496 according to our semi-annual valuation).

MONTHS	PURCHASES	5X CATEGORY	BONUS	TOTAL
1	$1,334	6,670 points	6,670 points + 1,250 points	14,590 points
2	$1,334	6,670 points	6,670 points + 1,250 points	14,590 points
3	$1,334	6,670 points	6,670 points + 1,250 points	14,590 points
4	$750	3,750 points	1,250 points	5,000 points
5	$750	3,750 points	1,250 points	5,000 points
6	$750	3,750 points	1,250 points	5,000 points
7	$750	3,750 points	1,250 points	5,000 points
8	$750	3,750 points	1,250 points	5,000 points
9	$750	3,750 points	1,250 points	5,000 points
10	$750	3,750 points	1,250 points	5,000 points
11	$750	3,750 points	1,250 points	5,000 points
12	$750	3,750 points	1,250 points	5,000 points
Total	$10,752	53,760 points	30,000 points	88,760 points

Compare

American Express Cobalt^® Card

American Express Amex Membership Rewards

Annual fee: $191.88
Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$255Total$255Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.: $255
Welcome offerGet 1,250 points after $750 in purchases per month for 12 months: Up to 15,000 points

The American Express Cobalt^® Card is a versatile American Express card, whether you want points for travel or cash back.

American Express Cobalt^® Card welcome offer

The welcome bonus is paid out monthly over your first 12 months. You earn 1,250 Membership Rewards points for each monthly billing period in which you charge $750 in net purchases to your card, in any category (1X, 2X, 3X or 5X). That adds up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points over the year, a welcome offer valued at $255.

Earning the full bonus means $9,000 in net purchases spread across 12 monthly billing periods. This offer rewards steady monthly spending rather than one large purchase.

You can use these points as statement credits on everyday or travel purchases, at the same rate either way: 1,000 points = $10.

You can also transfer them to Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways and Qatar Airways), Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors. With the full welcome bonus, that is a choice between:

15,000 Aeroplan points
15,000 Avios points
15,000 Flying Blue Miles
18,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

American Express Cobalt^® Card benefits

Here is what the card gives you, starting with the benefits cardholders use most.

5X points on eligible eats and drinks in Canada: groceries, restaurants and bars, and home food delivery. A spend cap applies.
3X points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada.
2X points on eligible gas, public transit and ride sharing purchases in Canada.
1 additional point on eligible hotel and car rental bookings made through American Express Travel Online.
1X point per dollar on everything else, with no category restrictions.
Points that hold the same value either way: 1,000 points = $10 as a statement credit, or a 1:1 transfer to several airline and hotel loyalty programs.
No minimum income requirement, as with every American Express Canada card.
Additional cards at no extra cost: the first and every other supplementary card is $0.
The Hotel Collection: a room upgrade when available, 12pm check-in and late check-out when available, and up to $100 USD in hotel credit on amenities charged to the room for a stay of two or more consecutive nights, booked through American Express Travel.
Front Of The Line^® presale and reserved tickets for concerts and theatre performances, plus offers and events curated for cardmembers through Amex Experiences.
A soft credit check before you apply: you can see whether you will be approved with no impact to your credit score. This applies to American Express personal card applications.

The 5X categories and where they apply

The 5X rate is the reason most people carry this card. In Canada it covers three kinds of merchants:

Groceries: Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, Safeway, Whole Foods.
Restaurants and bars: sit-down meals, takeout and drinks.
Home food delivery.
Convenience stores (Couche-Tard, 7-Eleven): not part of 5X, 1 point per dollar.

The 2X rate covers gas stations such as Esso, Shell and Petro-Canada, along with public transit and ride sharing.

With the American Express Cobalt^® Card, you earn between 1 and 5 points per dollar:

Category	Points per dollar
Grocery (Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, etc.)	5
Home food delivery	5
Restaurants and bars	5
Convenience stores	1
Streaming services	3
Service station	2
Transport	2
Travel	1
Other	1

That works out to a 1 to 5% return on those purchases. For example, if you spend $1,000 per month across groceries, restaurants and food delivery, you earn $50 back per month, or $600 per year from that category alone. Transfer the points to a program such as Aeroplan instead and the return can be higher.

You can also stack these categories with the hundreds of stores that offer 5x points.

American Express Cobalt^® Card insurance coverage

The card comes with a broad insurance package. The amounts below are the coverage limits; conditions, age limits and exclusions are set out in the certificate of insurance linked in the Insurance section above.

Travel insurance

Emergency medical: up to $5,000,000 for the first 15 days of a trip.
Travel accident: accidental death and dismemberment of up to $250,000 for you, your spouse and dependent children under age 23 when travelling on a common carrier (plane, train, bus or ship) and the tickets are charged to your card. Supplementary cardholders and their families are covered too.
Flight delay: up to $500 for necessary hotel, meal and sundry expenses bought within 48 hours when you are delayed or denied boarding for four hours or more and no other transportation is available. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and delayed baggage coverage.
Delayed baggage: up to $500 for essential clothing and sundries bought within four days when your outbound luggage is delayed six hours or more. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and flight delay coverage.
Lost or stolen baggage: up to $500 per occurrence for all insured persons combined, for checked or carry-on baggage and personal effects in transit, when the airline tickets are charged to your card. Within that limit, jewellery is capped at $300 per occurrence and golf clubs, including golf bags, at $250 per occurrence.
Hotel and motel burglary: up to $500 against the loss of most personal items if your hotel or motel is burglarized, when the stay is charged to your card.

Rental car insurance

Theft and damage coverage is included for a rental car with an MSRP, for its model year, of up to $85,000 excluding all taxes, for rentals of up to 48 days. To use it, decline the Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) or any similar option from the rental company and charge the full rental to your card. There is no cost for this coverage, and it replaces the daily insurance the rental company charges, usually $16 to $23 per day.

Mobile device insurance

Your device is covered for up to $1,000 per occurrence when it is charged to the card, for up to two years from the date of purchase. The payout is based on the depreciated value of the device, which falls by 2% of the purchase price for every completed month, less a 10% deductible. Theft and accidental damage coverage starts on the 91st day after purchase, because the first 90 days are covered by purchase protection.

Purchase protection and extended warranty

Eligible items charged to your card are insured against accidental physical damage or theft for 90 days from the purchase date, up to $1,000 per occurrence for all items combined. The card also extends the original manufacturer’s warranty by up to one additional year on eligible items, with indemnification limited to $10,000 per insured item and $25,000 per Cardmember per policy year for all items combined.

American Express Cobalt^® Card fees

Card fee: $15.99 per month, which equals $191.88 per year, for residents outside Quebec. Quebec residents are billed $191.88 per year.
Additional cards: $0.
Purchase interest rate: 21.99%.
Cash advance interest rate: 21.99%.
Foreign transaction fee: 2.5%.
Minimum income required: none.

Because the fee is billed monthly rather than in one annual charge, you can stop and restart the cost in step with how much you are actually using the card.

Legal

American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information, click the Apply Now link. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, we may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment.

Annual fee

Primary card$191.88

Additional card$0

Annual income required

Individual$0

Household$0

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

5xRestaurants
5xGroceries
3xStreaming
2xTransit
2xGas
1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,675

2nd Year Value$799

Transfer partners

AeroplanAirline
British Airways ClubAirline
Cathay Asia MilesAirline
Etihad GuestAirline
Flying BlueAirline
Hilton HonorsHotel
Marriott BonvoyHotel

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days

Travel medical (55-64)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days

Delayed BaggageUp to $500

Lost BaggageUp to $500

Flight DelayUp to $500

Hotel BurglaryUp to $500

Travel AccidentUp to $250,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionUp to $1,000 / 90 days

Extended Warranty+1 years

Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000 / 2 years

Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $85,000 / 48 days

Business Cards: Bonus Points for Employee Cards

American Express is also running a targeted offer for business cardholders. You need to add an Employee Card to your account between September 3 and October 29, 2026. The employee then has 3 months from card approval to reach the spending threshold. Bonus points go to the Basic Cardmember by March 15, 2027.

American Express Employee Card bonus points, September 3 to October 29, 2026 (targeted offer)
Business card	Employee Card added (annual fee)	Bonus points per card	Spend required (first 3 months)	Maximum bonus (3 cards)
Business Platinum Card from American Express	Business Platinum ($250)	35,000 Membership Rewards points	$7,000	105,000 Membership Rewards points
Business Platinum Card from American Express	Business Gold ($0)	10,000 Membership Rewards points	$2,000	Any combination, 3 cards total
American Express Business Gold Rewards Card	Business Gold Rewards ($50)	15,000 Membership Rewards points	$3,000	45,000 Membership Rewards points
American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card	Aeroplan Business Reserve ($199)	25,000 Aeroplan points	$5,000	75,000 Aeroplan points
American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card	No Fee version ($0)	5,000 Aeroplan points	$1,000	Any combination, 3 cards total
Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card	Marriott Bonvoy Business ($50)	15,000 Marriott Bonvoy points	$3,000	45,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

Targeted offer: it only applies to cardholders who received it directly from American Express, by email or another channel. It may not show up in your account, and you must apply for the Employee Card named in the offer you received.
Three cards maximum: the bonus applies to the first 3 Employee Cards added during the offer period, in any combination. The maximum requires 3 fee-paying cards, each meeting its spending threshold.
Fee increase ahead: as of January 12, 2027, the Aeroplan Business Reserve Employee Card fee rises from $199 to $249 a year, and its No Fee version is renamed the Expense Card, at $25 a year. On personal accounts, the No Fee versions of the additional Aeroplan and Aeroplan Reserve Cards become Companion Cards at $25 a year on the same date.

Bottom Line

The current American Express Bonus Points promotion will reward those who add additional cardholders to their account until October 30, 2025. So there’s plenty of time to add your two authorized users and plan your spending strategy for the next three months.

If you don’t already have the American Express Cobalt^® Card in your wallet, now is the time to earn extra points.

Information on the promotion can be found on this American Express bonus points page.