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⚠ Information changes frequently. Welcome bonuses, earning rates, transfer ratios, and annual fees shown on this page are based on publicly available information at the time of writing and are subject to change without notice. Promotional offers are time-limited and may not be available when you apply. Card issuers run bonus promotions periodically — current offers may be higher or lower than the standard figures shown. Always verify current terms directly with the card issuer before applying. Meilenguru is not a financial adviser. This page is for informational purposes only.
American Express

The engine — flexible currency

Amex Membership Rewards —
your flexible reserve

Swiss Amex cards, transfer partners, and the golden rules of keeping your points flexible until the right award appears.

Updated 14 October 2026

Miles & More Flying Blue Amex MR The Benchmark ✦ Referral Codes →

This page covers Amex Membership Rewards strategy — transfer ratios, timing, and which programme to send points to. Looking for a specific card's welcome bonus, fee, and verdict instead? See our Amex Platinum review or Amex Gold review.

The engine

Amex Membership Rewards —
your flexible reserve

Amex MR isn't a frequent flyer programme — it's a points bank that feeds into them. Hold your points in Amex until you've confirmed the award you want, then transfer. The flexibility is the whole point. (One important caveat for Swiss residents: the transfer ratios here are worse than the global Amex rates. More on that below.)

45,000
Platinum welcome bonus (standard)

Swiss Amex cards available in Switzerland

Swisscard · Amex Platinum CH

American Express Platinum

Switzerland's most powerful points-earning card. 1 MR point per CHF 1 on all purchases. Standard welcome bonus is 45,000 points, currently elevated to 75,000 points plus a CHF 100 Vergani voucher through 2 Nov 2026 (promo extended) — verify the live figure on americanexpress.ch before applying. Includes Priority Pass, CHF 100 SWISS voucher, CHF 200 Sixt credit, and access to 1,400+ lounges worldwide. Annual fee CHF 900.

45,000
Welcome MR points · 1 point/CHF 1 (standard bonus, verify live figure before applying)
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Swisscard · Amex Gold CH

American Express Gold

Lower annual fee entry point (CHF 350, half-price year one). Earns 1 MR point per CHF 1. Welcome bonus is 15,000 points on the standard offer, elevated to 40,000 points for applications through 29 Oct 2026 (verify the live figure before applying). Good as a second Amex card to combine with the Platinum for additional household earning.

40,000
Welcome MR points (promo through 29 Oct 2026) · CHF 350 p.a. (half-price year one)
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Swiss Amex MR transfer partners

Miles & More
2:1
Star Alliance · SWISS / Lufthansa
Flying Blue
2:1
SkyTeam · Air France / KLM
British Airways Avios
3:2
oneworld · BA / Iberia / Qatar
Delta SkyMiles
2:1
SkyTeam · Delta Air Lines
Etihad Guest
2:1
Non-alliance · Etihad Airways
Emirates Skywards
2:1
Non-alliance · Emirates
Singapore KrisFlyer
2:1
Star Alliance · Singapore Airlines
ANA Mileage Club
2:1
Star Alliance · ANA Japan
Hilton Honors
2:1
Hotel · Hilton worldwide
Marriott Bonvoy
2:1
Hotel · Marriott worldwide
Important: Swiss Amex MR transfer ratios differ from global rates. In Switzerland, Amex Membership Rewards transfer at 2:1 to virtually all airline partners (2 MR points = 1 mile) — including Miles & More, Flying Blue, Delta, Emirates, Etihad, Singapore Airlines, and ANA. British Airways Avios is slightly better at 3:2 (3 MR = 2 Avios). This is significantly worse than the 1:1 ratios available on US or some other Amex cards. Factor this into your strategy: the Amex Platinum welcome bonus of 45,000 MR points converts to 22,500 miles in most programmes. The earning rate on spend (1 MR/CHF 1) effectively yields 0.5 airline miles per CHF spent when transferred. This makes the Amex best used for its welcome bonus and as a flexible reserve — not as your primary day-to-day miles earner. If Flying Blue specifically is your target, the Viseca Flying Blue World Mastercard avoids this 2:1 dilution entirely by crediting Flying Blue miles directly on spend.
The golden rule of Amex points
  • Keep points flexible for as long as possible. Once transferred, they cannot be returned. Hold Amex points until you've confirmed award availability and are ready to book immediately.
  • Transfer only when you have a redemption target. Unlike US or UK Amex, transfer bonuses are rare on Swiss Amex — don't hold points waiting for one. Move them once you've found the flight you want to book, not before.
  • Points don't expire while the card is active. Unlike M&M or Flying Blue, Amex MR points remain valid as long as you hold an Amex card in Switzerland. This gives you time to wait for the right opportunity.
  • Combining programmes is the power move. Hold Amex points as a reserve. Build M&M separately through Cornèrcard, or Flying Blue directly through Viseca. When the right award appears, deploy from whichever pool gives the best value.

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