Amex India Changes From 11 Oct: What Cardholders Must Do Now
Updated as of 30 Sep 2026. The main changes kick in on 11 October 2026. Some have already started.
American Express India is quietly tightening the screws, and there’s a lot happening at once. Here’s what’s changing, who’s hit, and the three things to do before 11 October.
What’s changing
| Change | From | Who’s hit |
|---|---|---|
| Points pooling ends. Each basic Amex card keeps its own Membership Rewards balance; you can’t combine them any more | 11 Oct | Anyone with 2+ Amex cards |
| MRCC 50% fee waiver removed. Only the full waiver at ₹1.5 lakh annual spend remains | 11 Oct | Membership Rewards Card holders |
| Monthly milestones count by posting date, not swipe date. A 30th-of-the-month swipe that posts on the 1st counts for the next month | 11 Oct | MRCC (monthly bonus), Platinum Reserve (₹50,000 monthly milestone) |
| No earning or redeeming points while an amount is overdue | 11 Oct | Everyone |
| Platinum Travel milestones cut: ₹1.9 lakh bonus gone; ₹7 lakh now gives a ₹20,000 Taj e-gift card instead of points. The ₹4 lakh = 10,000 points milestone stays | 10 Sep (already live) | Platinum Travel |
| Platinum Travel lounge access needs spend: 2 domestic visits a quarter only if you spent ₹70,000 in Q3 2026, then ₹1 lakh a quarter from Q4 | Q4 2026 | Platinum Travel |
| Reward Multiplier ended (ShopWise continues); Emergency Card Replacement withdrawn on 8 Oct; new supplementary card applications paused | Sep–Oct | Everyone |
Do these three things before 11 October
- Consolidate or use split balances now. If you hold two Amex cards and planned to combine points for one big redemption, do it before 11 October.
- Clear any overdue amount before you plan a transfer or redemption.
- Chasing a monthly milestone? From October, don’t leave the last swipe to the final two days of the month. It may post next month.
DealUni take
Platinum Travel holders are hit hardest. At ₹7 lakh spend you now get 10,000 points plus a ₹20,000 Taj voucher, down from 40,000 points plus a ₹10,000 Taj voucher. That’s roughly 30,000 fewer points for the same spend. If Taj isn’t your kind of stay, this card has lost most of its reason to exist. Keep it only if you’d spend on Taj anyway; otherwise plan your exit before the renewal fee hits.
Amex ne pehle points diye, ab shartein de raha hai. (Amex gave us points first; now it’s handing out conditions.)
Looking for a replacement travel card? See our Axis Magnus and Atlas guide, and compare earn rates in the Rewards Toolkit.
Sources: American Express Platinum Travel card page (milestones and lounge conditions, checked 30 Sep 2026), and cardmember communications reported by Business Standard. Check your own Amex emails for the terms that apply to your card.
