Amex Gold Preferred Referral: 170,000 Points (Record High)

The welcome bonus on the American Express Gold Preferred Card has just hit its highest level yet — but only through a referral link: up to 170,000 points in total.

To put that in perspective: the exact same card, applied for directly on the Amex website, gives 120,000 points. Using a referral link is worth 50,000 extra points for identical spending requirements. Back in March the referral offer topped out at 130,000, and before that 110,000. So this round isn’t just better than the public offer — it’s 40,000 points above its own previous peak, and the highest we’ve tracked on this card.

This guide combines the campaign and the card: the current terms transcribed straight from the official pages (with screenshots), plus every benefit, the break-even math, how it compares to the Marriott Amex, and the eligibility rule that disqualifies anyone who has ever held certain Amex cards.

If nobody around you can refer you, just use the form below. Enter your email and we’ll send you a referral link. It takes about a minute.

What actually changed (record high)

Same card, same spending requirements — the application entry point alone is worth 50,000 points. Screenshots of both official pages are below (capture date is in the disclaimer).

▲ Referral page: 170,000 points total, with Benefit 2 labelled “referral program exclusive” at 130,000 points

▲ Public page: same card, same spending requirements, 120,000 points total

The entire gap sits in the second tier: 80,000 points publicly versus 130,000 through a referral. The first tier (30,000) and the regular earn (10,000) are identical on both.

How the referral offer has moved

• 110,000 pointsThe previous elevated level.
• 130,000 points (March 2026)Already described in the Japanese credit-card community as the biggest offer to date.
• 170,000 points (now)Another 40,000 on top — the highest level we have tracked on this card.

Is 170,000 points real? Why referral beats the public offer

Why the referral route pays more

Amex splits the money it spends on winning new cardmembers between advertising and referral bonuses paid to existing cardmembers. The referrer is paid by Amex separately, and nothing is deducted from your welcome offer. Nobody is covering your extra 50,000 points — the budget is simply routed through members instead of ads.

The card itself is identical: same annual fee, same approval criteria, same benefits. The only thing that changes with the entry point is how many points you get on joining.

Why this blog does not post the referral link directly

Article 8 of the Amex referral programme terms (Japanese PDF) lists publishing a referral URL where an unspecified number of people can view it as a prohibited act. That is why the link is not printed in this article: you request it through the form and it is sent to you individually.

The form only asks for your email address

The only thing you enter is your email address (twice, including confirmation). You never send us your name, address, income, card number or identity documents. The application itself is completed entirely on the Amex website, and this blog never sees your application or its outcome.

What you receive is a genuine referral link issued by Amex, and it opens the official Amex site. Whatever your application screen shows is what counts.

How the 170,000 points break down

Benefit 2 is measured on cumulative spend. Reach ¥1M within six months and you will already have passed the ¥500K/three-month mark along the way — provided you didn’t fall behind early. So there is really only one thing to manage: don’t drift in the first three months.

• Month 0 — the clock starts on approvalAmex states the period runs “from the card approval date of the basic cardmember.” Waiting until the card arrives quietly burns part of your window.
• End of month 3 — ¥500K cumulative → 30,000 pointsThe first gate. Miss it and the 130,000 is still live, but the 30,000 is gone.
• End of month 6 — ¥1M cumulative → 130,000 + 10,000 regularThis is where the referral-exclusive bulk lands.
• Then up to ~3 months — points postAmex notes crediting can take up to about three months. Don’t cancel or product-change before then.

Is the spend realistic? ¥167,000/month

“¥1 million” sounds daunting until you divide both thresholds — they demand exactly the same monthly pace:

Where ¥167,000 a month comes from

Living in Japan, more fixed costs can be routed to a card than most people assume: rent (where the landlord accepts cards), utilities, mobile and internet, insurance, subscriptions, groceries and everyday shopping, and national health insurance or local taxes in municipalities that accept card payment. Add one flight booking or a large appliance purchase and ¥1M over six months stops looking extreme.

One detail that often goes unnoticed: spending on supplementary cards (2 free) also counts toward your ¥1 million. You don’t have to carry the whole target alone — a household can split it, which is the single biggest reason this card’s requirement is achievable. If you haven’t yet routed your everyday spending through a rebate layer, our guide to Japanese point sites shows how to earn a second layer on the same money.

What 170,000 points are worth

Membership Rewards points vary enormously in value depending on how you redeem them. Amex’s own simulator makes the spread obvious — here it is for 90,000 points:

▲ Amex’s own simulator: the same 90,000 points are worth the most when redeemed for travel

At the best rate (Amex Travel, 1 point = ¥1), 170,000 points ≈ ¥170,000 of travel. Amex frames it as “more than four years of annual fees” — and ¥39,600 × 4 = ¥158,400, so the claim holds up.

Transferring to ANA miles: rate, cost, cap

Every benefit on this card (9)

Card basics

Breaking even on the ¥39,600 fee

The welcome bonus is one-off, so from year two the everyday benefits have to carry the fee. Counting only what you can reliably capture without travelling:

On top of that sits the free night for two at ¥2M annual spend — with Marriott, Hyatt and Hilton properties among the options, a night is frequently worth ¥20,000–40,000 — and the Shotaibiyori one-free-cover benefit. The annual fee becomes a cost you can absorb rather than a straight loss.

Gold Preferred vs. Marriott Amex

These two Amex cards are the ones most often compared in Japan, but they’re built for different goals.

In short: pick the Marriott card for hotel status, and the Gold Preferred for everyday earn and miles. They don’t overlap much, which is why plenty of people hold both. Full details on the Marriott side are in our Marriott Bonvoy Amex Premium guide.

If you want a permanently free secondary card to cover convenience stores and small purchases, the usual pairing is the SMBC Card (NL).

Who should — and shouldn’t — apply

✅ A good fit if you…

• can realistically spend ¥1M in six months (≈ ¥167,000/month), or can get there by splitting it across a household
• want to build ANA miles toward award tickets
• shop regularly at Amazon, Yahoo!, Yodobashi Camera, Ikyu.com or Uber Eats
• eat out often enough to use the Starbucks cashback and the Shotaibiyori free cover
• travel each year and can use the elevated Amex Travel earn and the free hotel night

❌ Probably not, if you…

• have ever held the Amex Green, Gold, Gold Preferred or Platinum (you’re excluded from the welcome bonus — see the next section)
• would struggle to reach even ¥500K in six months (no tier clears, and the fee is a pure loss)
• are primarily after hotel elite status (take the Marriott Amex instead)
• want a card with no annual fee

How to apply in 3 steps

1. Get a referral linkThe button below goes to our request form: enter your email and the link is sent straight to your inbox. It takes about a minute.
2. Confirm the page says 170,000 before you fill anything inWhen you open the link, the top of the page should read “ご紹介プログラム特典 合計170,000ポイント” (Referral Program Bonus: 170,000 points total), with Benefit 2 marked “【ご紹介プログラム限定】130,000ボーナスポイント” (referral exclusive). Only start the application once you see both lines — a referral bonus cannot be added retroactively if you applied through another entry point.
   Have ready: your name exactly as it appears on your residence card (in Roman letters), address and phone number, employer details, annual income, and your choice of finish (Gold or Rose Gold).
3. Hit the spending pace, then wait for the pointsFrom the approval date: ¥500K within 3 months, ¥1M within 6 months. Points credit automatically once conditions are met (allow up to about three months).

If you don’t have a referral link yet, get one here. Enter your email and we’ll send you ours. Open it and check the page shows the 170,000-point total before you fill anything in.

Read this first: who is excluded

This section matters more than the headline number. Amex spells it out under “conditions for this welcome offer,” and it’s where a lot of applications quietly fail.

❌ Not eligible for the welcome bonus

Other easily-missed conditions

• You cannot hold the Gold and the Gold Preferred at the same time. Existing Amex Gold holders can only product-change — and product changes don’t qualify for the welcome bonus.
• Product changes are generally not accepted within six months of enrollment.
• Annual fees and service charges don’t count toward the requirement, and neither do amounts settled with coupons or points — only what you charge to the card.
• Overseas merchant transactions may not count toward the total, and merchant data can take a month or more to arrive, so tallies lag.
• Closing or product-changing the account before the points post — or before your first annual fee is charged — voids the offer and reverses any points already credited.
• Amex does not set a uniform credit limit; it varies with your usage and payment history. If you’re planning to clear the threshold with large purchases, check your available limit in advance.

FAQ

Q. Is there any downside to applying through a referral link?

No. The card, the annual fee and the underwriting criteria are identical — the only difference is 50,000 extra welcome points. Amex pays the referrer separately; nothing is deducted from your bonus.

Q. Does a referral link make approval easier?

No. A referral link only affects the number of welcome points. Approval depends on your income, employment and residency profile.

Q. What if I hit ¥500K but not ¥1M?

You still earn the 30,000-point first tier plus the regular points on that spending. The 130,000-point referral tier is forfeited. The two tiers are assessed independently, so missing ¥1M doesn’t cost you the 30,000.

Q. When does the clock start — the day the card arrives?

No. Amex counts from the card approval date. The postal delivery period is already eating into your window, so start using the card as soon as it arrives.

Q. When do the points post?

Automatically once conditions are met, though Amex notes it can take up to about three months. Closing or product-changing before the points post — or before the first annual fee is charged — voids the offer and reverses credited points.

Q. I previously held a Marriott or ANA Amex. Does that count as “ever held”?

The cards Amex lists as excluded are the four proprietary cards: Green, Gold, Gold Preferred and Platinum. Co-branded cards (Marriott, ANA, Hilton, Delta and so on) are not on that list. That said, the terms also allow Amex to stop the offer if a past record of issuance, use, closure or a previously received welcome bonus comes to light — so if you’re unsure, ask Amex directly before applying.

Q. Can foreign residents apply?

Yes. You need stable income and a fixed address in Japan, a residence card and a Japanese bank account. Underwriting weighs your income and your credit record (CIC) — if you’re unsure what’s on your file, our guide to requesting your CIC credit report walks through how to check. Amex is generally one of the more accessible premium issuers for foreign residents in Japan.

Q. Can I convert all 170,000 points to ANA miles?

Not in one transfer. ANA transfers require the Membership Rewards ANA Course (¥5,500/year incl. tax) and are subject to an annual cap (January–December). In practice you split transfers across calendar years, or send part to miles and use the rest on Amex Travel. Points never expire, so there’s no rush.

Q. Does supplementary-card spending count toward the requirement?

Yes. Amex states the welcome offer conditions cover combined spending on the basic and supplementary cards. With two supplementary cards free, splitting the target across a household is the most practical route.

Q. When does the 170,000-point offer end?

There is no published deadline on the referral page. Amex adjusts welcome bonuses at irregular intervals with no advance notice when an elevated offer ends — the March 130,000 offer vanished without warning.

Q. Is the 170,000-point offer real?

It is the welcome offer shown on the referral route, and the screenshots in this article were taken from the actual screens. That said, Amex can change an offer without notice, and the figures on your own application screen are what count. Always check before you apply.

Q. Why is the referral offer bigger than the public one? Is someone losing out?

The referrer’s bonus is paid separately by Amex and nothing is deducted from your welcome offer. Amex is simply routing part of its acquisition budget through members instead of advertising. Card, annual fee and approval criteria are the same either way.

Q. Does the form really only ask for an email address?

Yes — your email address, entered twice for confirmation. No name, address, income or card number. The application is completed on the Amex site. The referral URL is not printed in the article because Article 8 of the referral programme terms prohibits publishing it where an unspecified number of people can see it.

Q. Should I apply through the public page or a referral link?

On welcome points alone, the referral route gives you more: 50,000 more if your public page shows 120,000, or 30,000 more if it shows 140,000. Annual fee, benefits and approval criteria are identical. Because the public page varies by visitor, it is worth checking both screens yourself.

Summary

If you were already weighing up a card that combines everyday earn, miles and dining perks, this is the best window we’ve seen on it. For a deeper look at the card itself, see our Amex Gold Preferred guide; and if you’re still sorting out which bank account to settle the card from, our megabank comparison will save you a fair amount in fees.

One last time: if nobody around you can refer you, use the form below. Just your email, about a minute. Same card, same underwriting — but applying through the official page can cost you up to 50,000 points.