Amex hotel cashback via phone reservation

[Crockuk]

Hi all,

Just wanted to sense check a recent experience I had with an Amex Platinum hotel cashback offer.

It was an “online or in-person” cashback offer for a specified spend amount. I had difficulty making the reservation online, so I phoned the hotel, who were very helpful and I made the payment on the phone.

After a month I checked in with Amex re: the cashback, and they informed me that as the booking had not been made “online or in-person” (i.e. on the phone), it was not eligible for the cashback.

Aside from being quite annoying, I just wanted to see if it was standard that reservations made over the phone are excluded from these offers whereas all other methods of booking would be eligible?

Thanks,

C

[NorthernLass]

This has been asked before and it may be something to do with the payment processor used by the hotel, as opposed to what their website uses. If it doesn’t match what Amex is expecting then you won’t get the cash back. People have also had similar issues paying in person (IIRC, at the IC George, Edinburgh).

[TGLoyalty]

Did you offer up the information that it was made over the phone or did they tell you that was the issue with no info from you other than I spent X at Y hotel and the offer didn’t post?

Over the phone may have been flagged with CNP but usually for hotels they can’t tell if it’s in person or online as they are all done via the hotel system (expect Hilton USA and Canada where online bookings are billed by Hilton)

[meta]

If they have separate payment processors for phone transactions, then it will show on the statement. When you click on to view details of the transaction what does it say?

[Crockuk]

Thanks for your replies.

Looks like a transaction in the hotel on the app. When I spoke to Amex, they asked me if it was online or in person, and I told them in person. They then clarified whether it was in person at the hotel, and I said in person on the phone, so they can obviously tell from some aspect of the transaction. But it’s not clear to me.

I can understand with an online only, or in person only transaction, but this does feel quite mean of them, given that any other method of making the same transaction would have triggered the cashback.

It only takes making a couple of errors like this to erode the value of card, but I’ll file this in the “stupid tax” folder.

C

[TGLoyalty]

See if your answer was just in person I bet they would have raised a ticket for the back office team to take a look. They have just gone off what you said as I’ve found agents will do anything to end interactions these days.

You don’t say with offer it was? What’s the brand / hotel?

Was your original claim via call or chat? I’d try again and maintain it was in person.