BAPP tactic

[Aston100]

Hello, I’ll shortly be referring someone for a BAPP.
They’ve got enough spend lined up for the first week to meet the sign-up bonus criteria.
They’ll also be getting a supplemental card.

Can anyone please advise if you can still downgrade to the free card, carry on spending and then upgrade again just before you hit £10k spend, receive the normal companion voucher without any additional fees or charges?

If so, do you need to wait for the sign-up bonus to post before downgrading? Does it land shortly after you’ve hit the sign-up spend target, or is it after three months have passed?

Thanks

[Anna]

The SUB uses posts quickly (can be as soon as the qualifying spend clears) but you might also be stuck with the “wait 90 days” response if it doesn’t post for any reason. A couple of people have said recently that Amex agents have told them they can’t upgrade/downgrade any more but YMMV. I don’t know if it still works just applying online for the card you want to change to.

[memesweeper]

@Aston100 if they are going to hit SUB quickly they may as well just keep spending to the 10k level. Any downgrade / upgrade is at risk of Amex changing policies, or just refusing to downgrade / upgrade when required.

[Guernsey Globetrotter]

memesweeper wrote:

@Aston100 if they are going to hit SUB quickly they may as well just keep spending to the 10k level. Any downgrade / upgrade is at risk of Amex changing policies, or just refusing to downgrade / upgrade when required.

Wot @memesweeper said – it’s about 20 quid a month for the BAPP, as Amex will refund on a pro-rata basis once you hit the spend and downgrade, so better not to risk any change in policy and just power through and then downgrade.

If they still want to risk it then I believe the downgrade involves a call or chat with Amex. The upgrade used to work via this link https://www.americanexpress.com/uk/benefits/upgrade/ba-premium-plus-credit-card/ which looks to still be ‘live’.

Good luck and report back on the downgrade/upgrade journey, if that is the way they decide to go…

[Aston100]

Thanks all.
Sounds like it is better to hit the £10k spend first and then downgrade.
That said, it may suit them to delay the companion voucher to September so that they can have 2 summer holidays to choose between (they work in a school).
But that would likely need them to downgrade after around £9.5k spend and then upgrade at the end of summer 2023 to spend the last few hundred pounds.

I’ll go bookmark that link. Thanks again.