On June 30, 2026, American Express switched on a feature a lot of people have wanted for years: the ability to spend Membership Rewards points without leaving the checkout screen. Pick Apple Pay, pick your Amex card, tap Use Rewards, and part or all of the purchase gets covered by points.
It is genuinely convenient. It is also one of the weaker ways to spend Membership Rewards points — Amex prices them at 0.7 cents apiece here, so 10,000 points buys $70. Below is how to actually use it, plus the math that tells you whether to tap that button or leave it alone.
What the Feature Actually Does
“Use Rewards” is Amex’s Pay with Points program wired directly into the Apple Pay sheet. When you check out, you choose how many points to apply. Amex converts them at 0.7 cents each and applies the value as a statement credit — the merchant still gets paid in full, and your card still shows the charge, with the credit landing afterward.
Two limits matter before you go looking for it:
- Online and in-app only. It works for web checkouts and app purchases on iPhone and iPad. Amex has not enabled it for tap-to-pay at a physical register, so don’t expect it at the grocery store terminal.
- Eligible Membership Rewards cards only. Consumer and business cards that earn Membership Rewards — Platinum, Gold, Green, Business Gold, Business Platinum and similar — are in scope. Cash-back cards like Blue Cash Preferred earn Reward Dollars, not Membership Rewards, so they’re not part of this.
How to Turn It On, Step by Step
There’s no enrollment toggle buried in your account settings. If your card qualifies, the option simply appears. Here’s the flow:
- Make sure your Membership Rewards–earning Amex card is added to Apple Wallet on your iPhone or iPad.
- Shop in Safari or an app that accepts Apple Pay, and select Apple Pay at checkout.
- In the payment sheet, tap your card name and select the eligible Amex card if it isn’t already the default.
- Tap Use Rewards. You’ll see your available points and their dollar value.
- Enter how much you want to cover — the full purchase or a slice of it.
- Confirm with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.
If “Use Rewards” never appears, the usual culprits are a non-Membership Rewards card, an in-store terminal instead of an online checkout, or a card that simply hasn’t been included in the rollout yet. Amex’s own Apple Pay support page and the Amex app are the places to confirm your specific product.
The 0.7¢ Problem, in Dollars
Here’s how the Apple Pay rate stacks up against the other exits for Membership Rewards points:
| Redemption method | Value per point | What 50,000 points gets you |
|---|---|---|
| Statement credit (charge on your bill) | 0.6¢ | $300 |
| Apple Pay “Use Rewards” | 0.7¢ | $350 |
| Amazon “Shop with Points” checkout | 0.7¢ | $350 |
| Gift cards | 0.5¢–1.0¢ | $250–$500 |
| Flights booked at Amex Travel | 1.0¢ | $500 |
| Business Platinum 35% airline bonus | ~1.54¢ effective | ~$770 |
| Airline/hotel transfer partners (TPG June 2026 valuation) | ~2.0¢ | ~$1,000 |
So Apple Pay beats the plain statement credit by about 17%, ties Amazon, and loses badly to travel. The gap isn’t a rounding error.
Worked example: a $210 pair of headphones
Covering it entirely with points costs 30,000 points (30,000 × $0.007 = $210).
- Those same 30,000 points transferred to a partner airline are worth roughly $600 at TPG’s 2-cent valuation.
- Booked as a flight through Amex Travel at 1 cent, they’d be worth $300.
- Spent in Apple Pay, they’re worth $210.
Tapping “Use Rewards” here quietly costs you up to $390 in alternative value. You didn’t save $210 — you sold $600 of currency for $210 in a moment of convenience.
Worked example: the small-balance case
Now flip it. You have 4,200 orphan points on a card you’re closing, and no realistic path to a transfer redemption. Transfer partners generally require enough points to reach a full award, so 4,200 points is worth exactly nothing in that world. Through Apple Pay they’re worth $29.40 — instantly, on a purchase you were making anyway. That’s a clean win over letting them evaporate.
When Tapping “Use Rewards” Is Defensible
- You’re closing or downgrading the card. Membership Rewards points disappear when the last MR-earning card in your account closes. Cashing out at 0.7¢ beats zero.
- Your balance is too small to transfer. Odd leftover amounts have no travel use.
- You genuinely don’t travel. If the 2-cent valuation describes a redemption you’ll never make, it’s not real money to you. Compare against 1¢ Amex Travel flights and gift cards instead.
- There’s a targeted bonus running. Amex has historically sweetened Pay-with-Points at Amazon with limited-time discounts. If a similar offer lands for Apple Pay, the math changes — check the Offers tab in your Amex app before assuming.
When to Leave It Alone
Skip it if you’re building toward an award flight or hotel stay, if you’re carrying a balance (points at 0.7¢ won’t outrun Amex’s interest rate — pay the bill, don’t decorate it), or if you’re only doing it to make a bill look smaller this month. And be aware of the refund quirk: on point-funded purchases, a return typically refunds cash to your card rather than restoring your points. If you want the points back instead, you generally have to call Amex after the refund posts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I still earn points on a purchase I pay for with points?
The portion covered by points is a statement credit, not new spend, so treat it as non-earning. That’s an extra hidden cost on a Gold or Platinum card at a bonus category — a 4x dining purchase paid entirely in points forfeits the multiplier it would have generated.
Can I use this at a store register with tap-to-pay?
Not currently. Amex enabled “Use Rewards” for online and in-app Apple Pay checkouts on iPhone and iPad. In-store contactless transactions weren’t included at launch.
Is there a minimum number of points?
Amex hasn’t published a public minimum for the Apple Pay flow, and you can cover part of a purchase rather than all of it. The Apple Pay sheet will show you exactly what your balance is worth before you confirm.
Is 0.7 cents better than the old statement credit option?
Yes — the traditional “pay for a charge on your bill” redemption runs 0.6 cents per point, so Apple Pay is roughly a 17% improvement. It’s still the low end of the Membership Rewards spectrum, just no longer the floor.
The Bottom Line
“Use Rewards” in Apple Pay is a real upgrade in convenience and a modest upgrade over the worst redemption Amex offers. Treat it as a cleanup tool, not a default: use it for orphan balances, closing accounts, and points you’d otherwise never spend. If you have a travel goal, keep your thumb off that button — the same points are worth roughly three times as much on the other side of a transfer.
WalletWisp is informational only and not financial advice. Rates, card eligibility and program terms change — confirm details with American Express before redeeming.
