American Express has changed how points from new cards are handled in its Membership Rewards program. Under the program terms dated October 2026, a newly opened card that earns Membership Rewards points now gets its own separate Membership Rewards account by default. Previously, points from a new card were automatically pooled with the cardholder's existing balance.
How to combine points
Cardholders who want a single balance have to link the accounts themselves. This is done through the Manage Connections option in the Amex app or on the Amex website, and it can also be reached by logging in to Membership Rewards directly. Doctor of Credit reports that a newly linked balance can take a few hours to show up.
Why it matters
The bigger risk is at cancellation time. Points sit in a specific rewards account, so closing a card whose account was never linked to another card could put the points in that account at risk of being forfeited. Anyone opening a new Amex card should check whether its points are pooled before transferring, redeeming or closing anything.
Existing cards that were already pooled are not reported as changing. Reports do not list which specific cards are affected, so the practical step is to open Manage Connections after any new Amex approval and confirm the setup.
The change was first spotted by readers and reported by Doctor of Credit, with coverage from One Mile at a Time and View from the Wing.