Amex two year wait

[Bee]

I have a BA Amex and the American Express Rewards card and I will like to cancel both so I can start the 2year wait to get the Amex sign up bonus. However, on the American Express Rewards card I have a fair bit of membership rewards and as I do not have a specific purpose for them yet, I do not want to transfer them to the wrong scheme eg BA avios or virgin points. Is there somewhere I can transfer it to that wont affect the 2 year wait and I can use when I know what I require them from? Or do I even need to close the card re the 2 year wait period?

Thanks

[Reney]

A few things to think about
– when you have done the reset are you getting the premium version of the cards (BAPP /Plat) or the free versions (blue/ Gold card). It matters cause it impacts which card you have to close and also can you meet the sign up bonus.

I don’t do the full 2 year reset, by which I mean I don’t bother with the first card (nectar/Marriott) as it means I will always keep one card for amex offers and also keeps some points coming in. If don’t mind not doing the full reset, and want to hold on to MR points for longer. I would close the Ba Amex card to start the reset, in 2 years qualify for the BAPP. Sometime during this 2 year period, maybe a decision for the destination of the MR points will be decided and then cancel to start 2 year reset for Plat. IF the rules don’t change, this can be a longer term, strategy of rotating between the two premium cards with Marriott/ Nectar as the in between card.

If you want the blue OR gold card again, both needs to be cancelled, you need to hold no Amex cards for 2 years. See this article.
https://www.headforpoints.com/2021/12/29/what-amex-sign-up-bonuses-are-you-still-eligible-for-2/

[Rob]

You’d qualify for a BA Premium Plus bonus now, if you’ve not had a BA card for 2 years. There is nothing else you can get.

You need to close ARCC to start the 2 year clock and this means sending your MR points to a partner. You COULD move them to Marriott which has a decent transfer rate to airlines (not as good as a direct transfer from Amex though – if you ended up moving from Marriott to Avios you’d regret not having done it directly).

[Bee]

Thank you both for your responses.

I had the BA premium plus which I down graded to the standard BA card in July 2021 – so I am guessing I cannot get the BA Premium plus bonus now as I started with the card

[BJ]

The reason you cannot get the bonus on BAPP now is because you currently hold the standard card. Should you cancel the standard card and all other amex cards today then you will qualify for a bonus on either standard card or the BAPP. Of you cancel the BA standard card but keep another card such as a Membship Rewards card, you will qualify for bonus only on BAPP but not BA standard card in two years.

[phantomchickenz]

My wife cancelled her MR gold card a while ago. Might have been 24 months, but not sure. Is there any easy way we can find out whether she is eligible for the bonus again??

[Reney]

phantomchickenz wrote:

My wife cancelled her MR gold card a while ago. Might have been 24 months, but not sure. Is there any easy way we can find out whether she is eligible for the bonus again??

Get on chat and asked when the gold card was closed, they will be able to tell you. And start keeping track for yourself some people use a spreadsheet others directly put a note for 2 years time into the calendar app on their phone when they close their account.