Amex "I'm going to cancel my card" - bonus points given thread.

[CallMeHoju]

Has anyone ever heard of 'new regulations' of not offering points to existing customer?

It's been discussed a few times in this thread I believe. Basically for charge cards (plat) the regulations don't apply, but for credit cards you need to actually go through with cancellation and you may get an offer to "reinstate" the card after cancellation.

 

[donkeykong]

The cancellation request was on the plat charge card - wasnt very impressed by the insistence of the regulation on multiple messages from that rep

 

[33kft]

The cancellation request was on the plat charge card

In that case they are flat out wrong, as the credit provisions have nothing to do with the charge card products

That said, I bet they get a lot of CC customers calling up saying "but you gave my friend a bonus and they didn't have to cancel!"

Even in this thread it can be difficult to follow whether charge or credit cards are seeing success with points offers.

 

[Happy Dude]

Even in this thread it can be difficult to follow whether charge or credit cards are seeing success with points offers.

IIRC there's been virtually no offers for credit cards for quite a while - one in October last year - but charge cards were routinely getting offers. That now also seems to have slowed up more recently, with more "rejections" being reported.

 

[Uncharted6264]

Tried to do the annual cancellation dance today and got no offer. Cancelled anyway - Finding AMEX to be pretty unhelpful particularly on the business side. My account rep is a lovely guy but he is basically chatGPT for the amex website and has never been able to help me with substantial account issues other than bounce me around to public-facing virtual-philippines-office numbers.

 

[sudoer]

Which card, how much spend..

 

[Uncharted6264]

Which card, how much spend..

Qantas ultimate personal, probably not enough for them to care a whole bunch (Maybe 20k a year)

Taking into account my entire situation with Amex though including the new cap on the Business QF card + entire lack of service, happy to be cancelling for now

 

[sudoer]

Qantas ultimate personal,

I think the consensus is they don't (or possibly can't) offer retention bonuses on credit cards - they will only offer it on charge cards.

 

[Uncharted6264]

I think the consensus is they don't (or possibly can't) offer retention bonuses on credit cards - they will only offer it on charge cards.

Mm... as in a new thing? The meta last time I checked was they can't offer you retention - but if you actually go through and cancel the card, magically a "reactivation" bonus pops up in their system and they can reinstate the card in-place. Worked for me last statement period on the same card!

 

[sudoer]

Right, so you actually cancelled the card then asked if there was a bonus to reinstate?

 

[Uncharted6264]

Right, so you actually cancelled the card then asked if there was a bonus to reinstate?

Yeah that was the process, it's what worked last year (Got cancellation emails, card removed from Apple Wallet, but none of my subscriptions were interrupted and just had to re-add card to wallet after I told agent on phone to go ahead and reinstate).

 

[mattr00]

Plat Charge, first renewal. Fees posted about 2 weeks ago. 30k annual spend.

Messaged on chat and the guy transferred me to the cancellation team. He then proceeded to the cancellation blurb straight away. Asked if the system had any points on offer and he said no.

 

[RAM]

Plat Charge, first renewal. Fees posted about 2 weeks ago. 30k annual spend.

Messaged on chat and the guy transferred me to the cancellation team. He then proceeded to the cancellation blurb straight away. Asked if the system had any points on offer and he said no.

I think you need to ask that question only AFTER you have been told the card is now cancelled, not during the process.

Don't show your hand until the very last moment.

 

[sudoer]

I think you need to ask that question only AFTER you have been told the card is now cancelled, not during the process.

Don't show your hand until the very last moment.

Not strictly true. Explain you are seriously considering cancelling for reasons XYZ and ask what Amex can do to address your concerns.

I have had 3 retention offers on Plat Charge over past 3 years, never had to actually cancel

 

[33kft]

Yeah that was the process, it's what worked last year

Things have definitely changed. If you walk backwards though the thread and find the last time this worked for a credit card, I dare say it would have been in 2023.

Last I could find with a quick scroll which clearly called out success with a CC was #2362 in Oct 2023.

 

[Uncharted6264]

Looks like the reserve bank interfering with interchange fees has caught up to my holiday plans yay

 

[rfc4eva]

I think you need to ask that question only AFTER you have been told the card is now cancelled, not during the process.

Don't show your hand until the very last moment.

Read this thread last thursday night called up about cancelling my Velocity Business he asked why and i said i can just get bonus points by getting a new card with NAB and he said let me see what i can do for you.
Came back and said he was very suprised that the system said it could give me 40k becuase the most he has seen lately is 20k and its normally 10k. So i accepted and he said it would be 3 business days but there not in yet.
Card is due to renew in 2 weeks.

 

[alexc]

My annual fee for the Charge card was posted, gave Amex a ring to see if there were any bonuses. They quickly said no so I requested to get moved to cancellation team.

Cancellations asked why and I stated Krisflyer devaluation, change to app and lack of events in my state. Team member gave a bunch of reasons why I should stay so I asked if they could offer anything. Was promptly offered 50k points to "aid in devaluation". Definitely not as much as I was expecting but not going to argue with them.

Avg spend of 6-8k/month.

 

[lepetitprince]

I have been with Amex since 2007, Plat Charge since 2009 - have never rung them threatening to cancel, nor they offered me an atta boy! Not sure if I should even bother calling them.... Shouldn't their AI algorithm pick up staunch loyalists (and those that have never 'threatened' to cancel) and reward them?!

I did manage to move all my points to KF before the devaluation, then got 8 return tickets for tavel between now and next March (6 Y, 3 J) - so not exactly complaining!

$1250 annual fee ($200 less for professional association)
- $450 travel credit
- $400 travel credit (via plat reserve)
- $399 ALL hotel room
- Priority pass + Centurion lounge access (Free)

So literally, I get the card for $50 a year!

As I said, can't complain.

 

[sudoer]

Not sure if I should even bother calling them....

($200 less for professional association)
- $400 travel credit (via plat reserve)

You can try, but you are getting $600 more value than many other Plat cardholders.

I would imagine Amex is less likely to want to retain your business unless you're putting good spend through the card. It also seems to be less than ideal timing - the retention offers aren't as juicy as they were a couple of years ago.