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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.

  • Nick Burch says:

    I’ve got an Amex Plat, but haven’t been using it much lately as I’ve been working on the MBNA AA card minimum spend… I’ve just checked through my MR statement, and one booking with Amex Travel in June got quadruple points (double base and double bonus!), but no other transacations in June or July have had any double or tripple points

  • will says:

    Wife has a gold card. various double points as expected (first year) but many triple and quad points also as others noted! e.g. £100 Holiday inn stay the other way posted as 200 base and 200 bonus! madness.

    Also triple points on a resturant (all at base) and triple points at weatherspoons it seems :S

  • AusTraveller says:

    Amex Plat – just checked the MR statement and it’s a bit weird but here are my findings:
    – I’ve been getting double points for all my hotel stays (all within Hilton group though) since 11 June;
    – I’ve been getting double points on all train spend (one transaction on 2 July); and
    – But airline spend has been a no go – no double points when I redeemed a ticket using Avios on BA.com and had to pay taxes on that or when I charged an overseas flight with CX to the Amex.

  • Neil says:

    I recieved 3 points per £1 when using my gold card at Byron, they didn’t post as bonus points but base points ))

  • Jamjaw says:

    Just got 6 (!) times on my gold card for a hotel on oz. Getting 2x on all spend and 4x on travel. No idea why!!

  • Clive J says:

    Just checked my new Gold card and since 19 July have been getting treble base points for restaurants and bars – including Wetherspoons as someone else reported. Supermarket I have been getting 1x base and 2 x bonus. Loving this card when I can get 25 points for a few lunchtime beers.

  • Neil says:

    Also from Gold Card – Booked a flight in BA CE (to take advantage of the current 2,500 bonus MR points offer) and got the following:

    Spend: £512
    Base Points: 1,024
    Travel Bonus: 1,024
    Amex Travel 2500 bonus: 2,500
    American Express Travel Bonus: 1,024
    Total: 5,572.

    Flight was booked through the Amex Travel page so that explains some of the extra but ignoring the 2,500 bonus offer I reckon I should have come out with triple points, i.e. 1,536 but I’ve actually received (checks google for the correct word..) sextuple points!

    • Neil says:

      only getting the normal double in supermarkets but triple at Tesco petrol station.

  • Marti says:

    I have gold and platinum card.
    I am not only receiving double or triple or quad points on both cards (not always of course) but also I just started THIRD year to receive FIRST YEAR Welcome Bonus on a gold card (and this is a reason why I still have gold card 😉

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