Buying American Express (Amex) Membership Rewards (MR) points directly is generally restricted to "topping up" an account for a specific redemption. American Express does not allow you to buy large quantities of points just to let them sit in your account. Direct Point Purchases (Top-Ups)

: Points must be purchased in 100-point increments.

: $2.50 to $3.00 per 100 points (plus any applicable taxes). Minimum Purchase : 1,000 points.

Because direct purchases are expensive (3 cents per point), many users prefer indirect methods to acquire them more cheaply: