American Express Ends Automatic Points Pooling for Newly Opened US Cards
American Express will now place Membership Rewards points from newly opened US cards into a separate rewards account instead of adding them to an existing balance.
The change took effect immediately and applies only to new cards, with existing cards keeping their current rewards account.
The amendment sits on the final page of the October program terms.
"When you open a new Product, a new Rewards Account will be created and linked to that Product."
American Express, program terms
Pooling still works, but cardholders have to do it themselves through the website, the Amex app, or by calling the number on the card.
In the app, the setting lives under Manage Connections, where customers can connect some or all products to a single balance.
Closing a card could erase its points
Amex cancellation terms forfeit a rewards account's balance the moment the last card linked to that account is closed.
A different Amex card sitting under the same login doesn't protect points held in an unlinked account.
Take a holder with 50K points on a Gold card who earns 150K on a new Platinum.
If the two accounts stay separate, closing the Platinum could wipe out the 150K points even though the Gold stays open.
New York cardholders may have an additional 90 days to redeem their points under state law, provided a linked card has a New York billing address.
India gets the stricter version
Amex hasn't given a reason for the US change, and two theories are circulating, neither confirmed.
One is revenue from forfeited points, the other is groundwork for different transfer ratios by card.
Indian cardmembers face a harder rule from Nov. 15, 2026, when points earned on each card are kept separately and can't be moved between cards at all.
Amex Membership Rewards pooling rules, US vs India (as of Oct 2026)
| Market | What changes | Effective date | Points transfer between cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | New cards get a separate Rewards Account; pooling must be done manually via Manage Connections | Effective immediately | Still allowed (online, app, or phone) |
| India | Points no longer automatically pooled across basic cards; 50% annual fee waiver on Membership Rewards Credit Card removed; new supplementary card applications paused from October 27, 2026 | November 15, 2026 | Not transferable between cards |
The India overhaul also strips the 50% annual fee waiver on the Membership Rewards Credit Card and pauses new supplementary card applications from Oct. 27, 2026.
Milestone spending there will be measured by transaction posting date rather than purchase date, so a late-posting charge can miss the month.
Overdue payments will pause both earning and redemption until the balance is cleared. Cardholders should check the Manage Connections setting to make sure their rewards accounts are linked.
