AMEX Punkteturbo 2026: 50–100% More Points

Quick answer: You activate the AMEX Punkteturbo via the activation link (load it multiple times if needed). Log in, select your card, click “Kostenpflichtig anmelden” (paid enrollment). MR Turbo costs €15/year, PAYBACK MAX €35/year. The fee shows up on your statement after 3-4 days. If the page won’t load, try several times. Heads up: PAYBACK MAX has officially been discontinued — but activation via this link still works.

Up to 100% more points on all card spend. The AMEX Punkteturbo is the best value-for-money in the entire AMEX universe — and yet the fewest cardholders use it.

The problem: activation is fiddly, the page doesn’t always load correctly, and there are two different versions depending on your card type. Still not sure which AMEX card is right for you? Read our decision guide first. Otherwise, I’ll show you here how to activate the Turbo properly — step by step.

Two versions: MR Turbo vs. PAYBACK MAX

American Express offers the Punkteturbo in two versions, depending on which card you have:

MR Turbo at a glance

MR Turbo applies to all MR-eligible AMEX cards: Platinum, Gold, Business Gold and Platinum Business.

Property	Value
Cost	€15/year
Effect	+50% MR points (1.5 instead of 1 MR/€)
Limit	€40,000 spend/year
Supplementary cards	Automatically included
Status	Active

PAYBACK MAX at a glance

PAYBACK MAX applies only to the PAYBACK AMEX — not the DM PAYBACK AMEX.

Property	Value
Cost	€35/year
Effect	+100% PAYBACK points (double!)
Limit	€40,000 spend/year
Supplementary cards	Automatically included
Status	Discontinued — still works

Insider knowledge: AMEX has officially discontinued PAYBACK MAX. But the activation page is still reachable and enrollment still works as before. If you still want to activate PAYBACK MAX, you should do it soon — it’s unclear how long this option will remain available.

Both versions are activated via the same URL. Which option you see depends on which AMEX account you’re logged in with.

Important: For PAYBACK MAX to appear in the dropdown, you need a separate AMEX online account for your PAYBACK AMEX. If the PAYBACK AMEX is linked to an MR-eligible account (e.g. together with an AMEX Platinum), only MR Turbo is shown — not PAYBACK MAX.

Activating the Punkteturbo: step by step

Step 1: Open the activation page

First open the overview page to understand what the Turbo offers:

To the Turbo overview

Then open the activation link — this is the crucial step:

To the Turbo activation (direct link)

Load this link multiple times if needed! The activation page doesn’t always load on the first attempt. If you land on a different page or the page with the button doesn’t appear: open the URL again — sometimes 2-3 attempts are needed before you land on the right page.

If you’re not logged in, you’ll be redirected to the AMEX sign-in.

For MR Turbo: Log in with the account of your MR card (Platinum, Gold etc.).

For PAYBACK MAX: Log in with the separate account of your PAYBACK AMEX.

Don’t get confused: The activation page says “Membership Rewards” everywhere — even when you want to activate PAYBACK MAX. That’s normal. As long as you logged in with your separate PAYBACK AMEX account, PAYBACK MAX is activated — not MR Turbo.

Step 2: Select your card and enroll

On the activation page you’ll see the dropdown for card selection and the enrollment button:

1. In the dropdown “Bitte wählen Sie Ihr Mitgliedskonto” (please select your membership account), choose your card
2. Check in the dropdown whether it says “MR” (Membership Rewards) or “PAYBACK” — that’s how you know which Turbo you’re booking
3. Click “Kostenpflichtig anmelden” (paid enrollment)

Step 3: Paid enrollment

Click “Kostenpflichtig anmelden”. You’ll get a confirmation on the page.

Step 4: Wait for the charge (3-4 days)

After activation, nothing visible happens at first. The annual fee (€15 or €35) shows up on your statement only after 3-4 days.

Here’s how to check the status:

1. Open the AMEX app or log in at amex.de
2. Go to “Übersicht der Aktivitäten” (activity overview)
3. Look for the entry “ExtraPunkte Teilnahmegebuehr” (extra points participation fee)

As soon as this entry appears (with 0 points — the fee itself doesn’t earn points), the Turbo is active.

Step 5: Repeat the process if needed

If the fee doesn’t appear after 4-5 days, activation probably didn’t work. In that case: repeat the entire process — open the URL, log in, select the card, click the button.

How to spot the Turbo points

With MR cards

The Turbo bonus points appear as a separate line “Extra Punkte mit Rewards Turbo” (extra points with Rewards Turbo) in your activity overview — exactly 50% of your regular points:

For example, you’ll see: 100 regular points + 50 extra points with Rewards Turbo = 150 points total. Exactly 50% more on every transaction.

With the PAYBACK AMEX

The bonus points appear as a separate line “PAYBACK MAX” in your activity overview. For each regular transaction you’ll see an additional PAYBACK MAX entry — with the 100% bonus your points are doubled:

Here you’ll also see the entry “ExtraPunkte Teilnahmegebuehr” (0 points) — that’s the Turbo annual fee. And next to it the PAYBACK MAX entries with the extra points for each transaction.

Is the Punkteturbo worth it? Sample calculation

MR Turbo (€15/year)

At €1,000 monthly card spend:

• Without Turbo: 12,000 MR/year
• With Turbo: 18,000 MR/year (+6,000 MR)
• Cost: €15

6,000 extra MR are worth about €60-90 with good redemption (transferring airline miles). Return on investment: 400-600%.

Bottom line: MR Turbo pays off from about €100 monthly spend.

PAYBACK MAX (€35/year)

At €500 monthly card spend on the PAYBACK AMEX:

• Without PAYBACK MAX: ~2,000 PAYBACK points/year
• With PAYBACK MAX: ~4,000 PAYBACK points/year (+2,000 points)
• Cost: €35

2,000 PAYBACK points = €20 value (at 1 cent/point). As Miles & More miles worth considerably more with good redemption.

Bottom line: PAYBACK MAX pays off from about €150 monthly spend on the PAYBACK AMEX. The more you pay with the card, the faster the fee pays for itself.

Common problems & solutions

Page won’t load or shows the wrong content

The activation page has known loading issues. Solution: open the URL multiple times until the Turbo page with the button appears. Clear your browser cache or try a different browser.

Only MR in the dropdown, no PAYBACK

Your PAYBACK AMEX is probably linked to an MR account. Solution: create a separate AMEX online account for the PAYBACK AMEX. Then log in with those credentials.

”Kostenpflichtig anmelden” button not visible

The page didn’t load fully. Solution: reload the page or open the URL again. Scroll all the way down — the button is below the dropdown.

Turbo was active, points no longer arriving

The Turbo renews automatically every year. If it suddenly stops being active, just reactivate it via the URL.

Pro tip: The Turbo is just one building block. How you reach over 200,000 points a year with the right combination of AMEX MR, PAYBACK and Miles & More is something you’ll learn in the Premium Handbook. There we show you the complete points machine with a step-by-step guide.

FAQ

Does the Turbo apply to supplementary cards too?

Yes. As soon as you activate the Turbo for a main card, all linked supplementary cards automatically benefit too. You only pay once per main card.

Can I have MR Turbo AND PAYBACK MAX at the same time?

Yes — but only if you have two separate AMEX online accounts: one for your MR card and a separate one for the PAYBACK AMEX. If both cards are linked in the same account, you can only activate MR Turbo. With separate accounts you pay €15 (MR) + €35 (PAYBACK MAX) = €50/year for maximum points on both cards.

Does the Turbo renew automatically?

Yes, the Turbo renews automatically every year. You can cancel it at any time via AMEX customer service.

Does the Turbo apply retroactively?

No. The Turbo only applies from the moment of successful activation. Spend before that doesn’t benefit.

Why do I need a separate AMEX account for PAYBACK MAX?

If your PAYBACK AMEX is managed in the same online account as an MR card (e.g. Platinum or Gold), the dropdown only shows the MR option. PAYBACK MAX only appears when you log in with a pure PAYBACK AMEX account.

How long does activation take?

The clicking itself takes 1-2 minutes. But the fee — and with it the confirmation — only appears on your statement after 3-4 days. If nothing appears after 5 days, repeat the process.

Further reading

• Redeeming AMEX points: all transfer partners & value table — how to get maximum value out of your MR points
• The 5 best credit cards for earning miles — which cards are really worth it
• Transferring PAYBACK points to Miles & More — when the transfer bonus pays off
• Earning miles without flying: the ultimate guide — all strategies at a glance

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Want to get the maximum out of your points? In the Premium Handbook I’ll show you the complete strategy — from the optimal card combination to the points machine.

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