Can Amex Points Help Me Grow My Mustache?

[pjm123a]

I have an employer supplied American Express Corporate Card with about 130,000 "member rewards" points on it. These are from business travel expenditures for which I was reimbursed. I am not particularly interested in travel which is probably what most people use these points for. The idea is to optimize the value of these points in a mustachian manner. Anybody got any ideas?

[kpd905]

I know you said no travel, but do you plan to pay out of pocket for any flights or hotels in the next 2-3 years or so?

[Catbert]

I'm not familiar with that particular rewards program.  Can you trade the points for gift cards?  If so, use as gifts or for yourself.  Does your company reimburse you for travel or pay the card direct.  If they reimburse you, can you use the cards as statement credit and then use the reimbursement for other things.

[lise]

You'll get more value out of travel (transferring points). 

However, if you have a personal trip you can just pay with points via the Amex travel portal.  It's not as good value but a way to use the points.  You can also use pay with points on Amazon, Uber, and other sites keep popping up.  Again, not as good value.

And yes, gift cards are a good option.  A wide variety: Home Depot, Gap, Saks Fifth Avenue.  Certain brands are sometimes "on special" especially closer to Thanksgiving/Christmas (where you need less points than normal to get a gift card). 

[JohnnyDollar]

Be sure to work out the actual purchasing power of a point in the 'currency' - e.g. HD gift card - you'd buy with them.  I got something like 4x the nominal 'cash card' value of the rewards by taking them in Home Despot gift cards.