Amex USA extends the sign-up bonus spend period by 3 months – will the UK follow?

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• BJ says:

  4 Apr4 April 07:10

  Most HFP readers are probably now ineligible for sign up bonuses so not much to get excited about here, even if this happens. Movement on BA 241 vouchers would be welcomed by many though.

  • Anna says:

    4 Apr4 April 08:45

    +1, waiving the 2 year rule would be more helpful.

  • Joshua Parker says:

    4 Apr4 April 21:17

    There is the Upgrade to Platinum offer that always seems to be running =)
    https://www.americanexpress.com/uk/benefits/upgrade/platinum-charge/index.html

• Nick says:

  4 Apr4 April 08:03

  About to cancel my plat after 7 years. Will probably sign up again end of year.

  Any final considerations before cancellation? Just clear out my MR balance?

  I will have other Amex’s but no MR cards

  • Mr(s) Entitled says:

    4 Apr4 April 08:13

    Only thing of importance that springs to mind is to ensure that you aren’t relying on that insurance for any historical bookings.

    Of less importance, check how you want to withdraw the MR. Different routes have different minimums and multiples. Might be worth spending an extra couple of pounds now to allign MR with the exit strategy.

    • Genghis says:

      4 Apr4 April 08:41

      See which points accounts are coming up to expiry before you might get your next MR earning card – assuming Cos haven’t proposed a hiatus on expiry – and send across. Eg. A few to IB, a few to Radisson, Club Eurostar etc.

      • guesswho2000 says:

        4 Apr4 April 11:56

        This is good advice, especially IB (as they can be instantly swept back to BAEC) and Radisson, where the minimum transfer is 3xMR, so you’re not unnecessarily burning a stack of MR points either way.

  • Doug M says:

    4 Apr4 April 11:16

    One thing I considered when I wanted to cancel mine a few months back was a future Hertz rental booked using the Amex Plat rate. No one actually asked to see the card and I paid on another card.
    I’m almost certainly going to downgrade to the green card. Without travel the Plat is pretty useless to me. Poor offers on it, always assumed that was because my spend was directed at gold and SPG. SPG closed about a month ago, gold fee due next statement, and will probably close once £10K points arrive. Green allows me to keep the points, so not concerned about much else. Plat insurance never any use as existing conditions, so have long had own travel insurance.

    • Grant says:

      4 Apr4 April 12:33

      The free Amex Rewards Credit Card will also keep your MR account live (if that’s your only objective) and you can save the £60 fee for the Green card. Some suggestions that the offers are better on the Green card, and of course Green would offer you a route to upgrade to Plat down the line for a bonus.

  • Lady London says:

    4 Apr4 April 16:37

    Take the Green card or the free one as it can be a home for your MR points thus keeping them flexible.

    If you can afford the Green card then several posters on here have commented the offers seem to be better than on other Amexes including the Plat.

• Rahaney says:

  4 Apr4 April 08:39

  My Plat annual fee is about to pop this week.
  I’ve a gold card so the mr points are safe, but has anyone had any luck with the fee being discounted or any type of retention offers? Cheer

  • AJ says:

    4 Apr4 April 09:12

    I was speaking with an agent recently and asked about the possibility of any goodwill gestures re fees and/or bonus MR points. She cryptically stated that they were extremely aware of the travel heavy benefits offered and the team were looking at it so basically watch this space!

    Not much to go on I know but it would appear that they recognise the fact that for the fee, most of the benefits are travel related which cannot currently be utilised.

    Clearly, the longer this situation goes on there is more likelihood of something being offered for Platinum holders whether this be a one off credit or MR points bonus or both – maybe wishful thinking but it would make the difference for me when it comes to renewing or otherwise.

    As you are renewing soon I don’t think it would hurt to ring and ask.

    • Brighton Belle says:

      4 Apr4 April 09:56

      Amex have been far too slow to deliver an incentive to keep their cards. Platinum delivers nowt. Priority Pass is useless. Hotel status is useless and even the cash back offers are pretty hard to meet. What I am getting for my £45 a month? Oh and 1 measly MR point. Switched to Gold for a year. Bonvoy card is chopped in half and The BAPP is queued for termination. Amex Brighton are snoozing through it all hoping we are just going to keep our fee paid cards.

      • Ken says:

        4 Apr4 April 11:20

        Pretty sure they just look at the inertia of enough of people not cancelling.
        Maybe better to target those who do cancel in the futures demand keep rinsing the loyal customers.

      • BJ says:

        4 Apr4 April 11:53

        Requested downgrade of my BAPP 11 days ago, still hasn’t happened despite a further call during the week. Not sure what’s taking them so long, staffing doesn’t seem to be an issue as Brighton (or USA?) are answering calls very quickly.

        • Lady London says:

          4 Apr4 April 16:40

          Make sure you fee adjusts back to the date you requested

      • Secret Squirrel says:

        4 Apr4 April 16:45

        Call them up and tell them your thinking of cancelling your card. I’ve done this twice in a matter of days for two cards. Gold accepted 20k bonus on 4k spend and BA Amex Blue – Double avios both for 3 x months.

        • Rahaney says:

          6 Apr6 April 13:15

          Just spoke to them, they offered me to pay on a monthly basis rather than the whole annual fee and a single extra mr point per pound spend for the next 3 months…
          Advice?

  • Paul74 says:

    4 Apr4 April 12:14

    I cancelled mine about three weeks ago. I was planning to cancel anyway even without the current situation, but I wondered if I’d be presented with a retention offer. Like others here, not a thing, just an enquiry about why I was cancelling.
    As ever though, what they’re pretty good with is the admin after you cancel. My pro rata fee was swiftly refunded etc.
    Still have the Gold, need to spend about £3-4k by the beginning of August for the annual bonus.

    • Bentoni says:

      4 Apr4 April 15:05

      I downloaded the card from Platinum to Gold yesterday, after they offered nothing to retain me. The guy on the call even tried to charge me £140 fee for the gold card, until I said the first year fee free offer on their web site.

      Not sure how long it would take for the downgrade to take effect, as the account is still showing that I have the Platinum card.

      I was also told that they will send out letters to me and the supplementary card holders, and they need to be signed and returned, which is something that I have never done in the past for Amex. Is that a new thing?

      • Rob says:

        4 Apr4 April 15:35

        He should have charged you the £140 by rights.

        • TGLoyalty says:

          4 Apr4 April 18:34

          The lady actively told me it was first year free and seen no charge added.

        • Guesswho2000 says:

          5 Apr5 April 03:42

          Not true, switching from another charge card product to Gold charge is been treated as new, no SUB but all other benefits are provided, including no fee in Y1. This was confirmed to me when I cancelled my UK plat last year.

• Wingman says:

  4 Apr4 April 10:54

  I contacted Amex this morning with the specific question whether they would extend the annual membership to say 14-15 months, seeing as the travel related benefits are void for most people due to the current government guidelines on travel.
  Basically it was a flat ‘NO’ and no incentives were offered of any kind, so I cancelled my card this morning.

  • Benilyn says:

    4 Apr4 April 12:33

    Phone or chat?

• Fenny says:

  4 Apr4 April 11:08

  I was supposed to be paying for a new kitchen on my amex. Original plan was to have it fitted while I was in Greece at the end of May. No idea now when or if it will happen this year, so not going to hit the spend target and get the avios for my trip Down Under next year.

  I’ve stopped planning anything for the next 6months.

  • Bentoni says:

    4 Apr4 April 14:59

    I have stopped planning any future travels altogether, until we have a clear view on which airline will survive after this crisis.

    • Brighton Belle says:

      4 Apr4 April 15:29

      . . .and whether you will need a Covid 19 antibody heath certificate to prove you’re not a risk to their population. While the UK Government sees this as a problem I can see other countries insisting it is so. . . and then the airlines make it as mandatory as a passport.

• Vinz says:

  5 Apr5 April 01:31

  Downgraded my husband’s platinum the other day. Pro rata fee refunded (£8) and I’m planning to upgrade at the end of July when hopefully we’ll be travelling again. This will save us about 190 in card fees. We were meant to be on honeymoon trip so Plat card very much needed – certainly not now.
  When we upgrade will make sure to get an offer…
  I will probably try and cancel the basic BA card too as I may get a point offer… 🙂

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