You can't use American Express's Reward Multiplier program from October
What's the story
American Express has announced the discontinuation of its Reward Multiplier program in India, effective September 30, 2026. The six-year-old feature allowed cardholders to earn bonus Membership Rewards (MR) points on purchases with select brands. The company informed cardmembers about the change via email. Platinum and Gold cardholders will be directly affected by this decision.
Program details
How the Reward Multiplier program worked
The Reward Multiplier program worked on an affiliate model, similar to HDFC's SmartBuy, ICICI's iShop, or Axis Bank's Grab Deals.
Cardholders would log in via Amex, click through to a participating merchant, and shop as usual.
The merchants paid Amex a fee for sales routed through the portal, which was then passed on to cardholders as bonus points.
Participating brands included Apple, Forest Essentials, Nykaa, MakeMyTrip, Tanishq, and Myntra.
Final date
Last chance to earn bonus MR points
Cardholders have until September 29, 2026, to make the most of the program before it shuts down. However, American Express has clarified that simply starting a transaction before deadline won't be enough; it must be completed to earn bonus points under existing terms and conditions.
Program assurance
What happens to Membership Rewards points?
The company assured cardholders that their existing point balances and standard earn rates on eligible purchases will not change.
"You can continue to earn 5X Membership Rewards points on eligible purchases through ShopWise, an independent platform offering e-Vouchers from 200+ brands across shopping, dining, and travel," the email added.
The base Membership Rewards program remains unaffected by this change.
Remaining options
Alternative channels for cardholders
Despite the discontinuation of the direct-merchant click-through model, two alternative channels remain active for now: ShopWise and RewardXcelerator.
Launched in February 2026 as a replacement for Gyftr, ShopWise offers up to 5X MR points on e-voucher purchases across over 200 shopping, dining, and travel brands.
Meanwhile, RewardXcelerator continues to offer accelerated points across more than 20 brands.