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Amex Platinum cardholders – are you getting mysterious double and triple points?

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When three people email me about something, then something is definitely ‘up’!  For the last few weeks, some American Express Platinum card holders have been mysteriously receiving bonus Membership Rewards points on transactions.

Travel (of any sort) is going through at 2 points per £1

Bars and dining is going through at 3 points per £1

Annoying, I haven’t used my Platinum card for a while so I haven’t seen this in action myself.  However, it wouldn’t be the first time that Amex has given bonus points for ‘secret’ promotions!

Has anyone had an Amex Plat email announcing any promotion on travel or dining?!

If not, is it possible that Amex is actually changing the earning rules on the Platinum card?  It would make sense, since at the moment the Gold card gives 2x points on travel, supermarkets, petrol and foreign spend, whilst Platinum only gives the usual 1 point.  (See here for full details of the card.)

Giving 2 points per £1 on travel would also help placate Platinum card holders – many are annoyed about having to pay for airlines and hotels with an Amex card in order to qualify for the full Platinum travel insurance package.

Or, of course, is it all a big mistake by Amex?

If you’ve got any experience of these new bonuses, or you’ve spotted any other categories of transaction which are giving bonus points, please post below.


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Comments (54)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Winters_ says:

    Same as above I’ve been getting some crazy multipliers on the gold. Like Raffles mentioned, I also had a restaurant meal that gave me x3 (all base points) but also a hotel stay that gave me x4 (x2 base points, x2 bonus (flagged as ‘travel bonus’)) and the past week I’ve been getting x3 at Tesco (x1 base points, x2 bonus (1st year welcome bonus tracking twice)!!

    • Phillip says:

      In a similar manner I’ve had a car hire transaction abroad track as double base points and then the exchange bonus was on the already doubled base points.

  • Matt says:

    Yes I am getting double points on for example train ticket booking websites and I got triple points when booking via amex’s trav service… (Platinum card)

  • David Butcher says:

    I am getting double on travel and treble on dining – I assumed I’d missed a promotion notice from Amex.

    Let’s hope it’s a start on offering some more enhancements to Platinum card holders – if so it’s well timed in my case as I have to make the decision in two months time whether I can justify a further twelve months at £450.

    If it is a new policy, some confirmation from Amex would be helpful.

  • Rohan says:

    No such luck for me. Although had received an additional 12000 as mentioned above on my BA premier amex 🙂

  • Barry says:

    Just looked at my Amex Platinum statement-I rarely spend on this card.
    Have been using it for the ‘Shop Small’ promotion and,yes,coffee shops have posted triple points.
    Also,amusingly,has my local butcher!
    And when the fiver discount on these posts,they’ve taken 15 points off.
    Of course if they were clear when I would get triple points,I would use this card for those transactions instead of my MBNA/BMI Amex which gives 2.5 points for everything.

  • Mr Bridge says:

    I did contact raffles back in Feb, when I canceled my plat, and did a flip with my partner.
    I spoke to a helpful phone agent, who did tell me they knew people were not happy with the changes to the plat card.
    He said that they would be looking at ‘bolt on s ‘ so you could chose your benefits.
    So some sort of changes are long overdue, and I would bet on more to come, we will probably say goodbye to CP gold,

  • Steve Kemp says:

    I too have received double points on travel related purchases, such as Avis UK and hotel stays. In fact for my £300 stay via the bonus MR promo through platinum travel service, got me 3,700MR’s noted as 600 base points and 3100bonus.
    Quite happy to start spending on my Plat card if I am essentially getting more Avios than the BA PP on supermarket spend.
    Need to find some more 3V’s…

  • Mr L says:

    I’ve been getting X8 point on Virgin Trains on my Amex Gold card. The transaction always posts as double on the base points and then a bonus for ‘First year welcome bonus’, ‘Travel bonus’ and ‘Travel Bonus’. Bit strange, but I’m creaming the points at the moment with weekly travel between London and the north!

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