New Amex Program Gives You 3x Points if You Refer a Friend in October

Want to triple your Amex rewards? Just refer a friend before Oct. 28.

Credit card referral bonuses are common, but as card issuers struggle to find qualified new customers during the pandemic, they're ratcheting things up to another level.

In fact, American Express has just announced a generous new referral bonus program that runs through Oct. 28. Called the "3 for All" program, cardmembers who refer a friend can receive a one-time bonus and an extra 3 points per dollar or 3% cash back on purchases for the next three months. The icing on the cake is that those who sign up for a new card also get a generous sign-up bonus.

These added rewards can be worth thousands. If you currently have an Amex consumer card and your friends open any business or personal card in the American Express lineup, you can qualify.

Here's what you need to know about the 3 for All referral program

To benefit from Amex's 3 for All program, simply refer a friend via email, social media, or via a personalized referral link. Your friend can apply for any personal or business card and, as soon as the approval comes through, both you and your friend will get some pretty generous rewards.

First and foremost, you'll earn 7,500 Membership Rewards points as soon as your friend is approved. If you refer several friends, you can earn these points multiple times -- you're eligible for up to 55,000 points from referral bonuses. You'll also get an extra 3 bonus points or 3% more cash back for every dollar you spend in the following three months.

The earning potential from this referral program can be substantial. If you have the , for example, your normal rewards bonus is 6% back on the first $6,000 in purchases at U.S. supermarkets. After referring a friend, your cash back could be as high as 9% on these purchases.

Amex also promises a generous welcome bonus for your friend. And new cardmembers can refer others as soon as they've been approved so they can qualify for this referral bonus themselves.

Let's say, for example, your friend signs up for the Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card. They could earn a welcome bonus of 15,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $1,000 in purchases within the first three months. If they immediately refer a friend to any Amex card, they'd get another 7,500 points upon approval. And since they'd normally receive 3x the points on up to $6,000 in purchases at U.S. supermarkets, they could then earn 6x the points on grocery spending for the next three months.

There are ample cards in Amex's lineup to consider. So if you have a friend or family member who's in the market for a new credit card, it's worth referring them. You can score bonus points if your friend signs up for any American Express card.

This promotion is available only for a limited time, though, so you'll want to act quickly. You have until Oct. 28, 2020 to take advantage of this offer and must log in through Amex's special referral portal to get started.