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

[Daver6]

QF Ultimate card, member 12 years, didn't receive bonus points on a QF flight purchase. Made a complaint, heard nothing.
Offered 15K points to stay, told them it wouldn't cover what I had missed out on and shut it down.

In the past, have you had cancelled QF bookings that were refunded to your Ultimate card? If so, that could explain the lack of bonus points. When they refund they don't claw back the bonus points. However until you've earnt enough bonus points with future bookings to cover what wasn't clawed back, none would post.

I suppose if you wanted to be cheeky you could use this to your advantage before cancelling the card.

 

[Lemon_Party]

Anyone had success recently getting an annual fee refunded or pro-rata’d? I just ticked over into new membership year waiting for referral points to credit to QF and am ready to cancel…

 

[Daver6]

Anyone had success recently getting an annual fee refunded or pro-rata’d? I just ticked over into new membership year waiting for referral points to credit to QF and am ready to cancel…

From memory I think you need to cancel in the first month and you'll get the full annual fee refunded. Not sure they do pro-rata after that. They would be able to tell you if you call though.

 

[smckay]

In the past, have you had cancelled QF bookings that were refunded to your Ultimate card? If so, that could explain the lack of bonus points. When they refund they don't claw back the bonus points. However until you've earnt enough bonus points with future bookings to cover what wasn't clawed back, none would post.

I suppose if you wanted to be cheeky you could use this to your advantage before cancelling the card.

That's a trap for sure. Pretty sure I have not cancelled a flight, and certainly not to cover 10,000+ bonus points.
I think the issue was I booked a domestic US and LAX-SYD flight that I had to pay over the phone as the QF site wouldn't compute. So it seems the OS call centre processed the payment on Qantas.com, not Qantas.com.au, which is part of the bonus point rules. But Qantas.com.au no longer exists and both QF and Amex blame each other. Some bonus points have posted, most have not. The Amex call centre person was all bright and bubbly to start but when I gave them dates and facts they gradually got quieter and basically said, OK, the account is now closed.

 

[liamg]

If I call and ask for a retention bonus, and one is not forthcoming so I cancel the card, do I still have time to transfer out the points I already have?

And, if they do give a bonus, do I have an obligation to keep the card for a certain time period before I actually cancel it?

 

[Daver6]

Annaul fee just hit my Platinum Charge card. Called up the cancelation team. Pretty much directly asked for a retention bonus. Offered 50k MR points which I accepted.

 

[Spacetravel]

Not exactly a retention offer, but couldn't find anywhere more suitable to post this. So the back story is, someone else I knew received an upgrade offer in the mail from the American Express Essentials card to the Explorer card around 2020. I've been looking into getting the card but I have the QF Ultimate. So my plan was to get the Essentials and sit on it until I received and offer. I waited.. and waited.. and waited.. and thought it would never come. Probably because I put hardly any spend through it as I have the ultimate. I was considering cancelling the essentials just to tidy up my card portfolio (didn't tell anyone about it). Today I received the below offer in my inbox.
It's not as good as a sign up offer, but considering I already have 2 Amex cards, without the 18 month wait its pretty good and will be going for it.

 

[one9]

I called to cancel - I got the Philippines despite calling in the middle of the day. I asked to cancel with the reason that I couldn’t justify the annual fee. They mentioned that unfortunately they can’t waive the annual fee. I proceeded with the cancellation. Afterwards I asked if there was any retention offer and they said they reviewed the account but unfortunately not.

It was the Qantas Business Rewards card. I had spent about $250,000 on it over the 12 months. Not sure if they are less willing to offer a retention bonus on Business cards or if I'm unlucky. With the annual fee, it's hardly worth it for me as I can get half the points on another card I have, so am OK with the cancellation.

 

[mx838383]

I’ve got the Qantas Business Reward too but annual spend maybe $120k-$150k? I called up one month before my annual fee was due and asked if it’s possible to waive the annual fee. I said I love the card but I really didn’t like the annual fee (I signed up on a promo with first year card fee waived). The person was super helpful and looked into my file. She said they can’t waive the fee because it’s automatic on their system. However there’s a 40k QFF retention offer if I kept the card. I said I didn’t think it was worth it and asked what the last date to cancel was before I was charged. She gave me the dates and her advice was to call up a bit closer to when my annual fee is due - wink wink - because the retention offer might go up. I called up 2 days before annual fee was due, asked about retention offer and got offered 80k QFF+additional 10K QFF for additional holder which I was going to add anyway.

 

[Spacetravel]

Not exactly a retention offer, but couldn't find anywhere more suitable to post this. So the back story is, someone else I knew received an upgrade offer in the mail from the American Express Essentials card to the Explorer card around 2020. I've been looking into getting the card but I have the QF Ultimate. So my plan was to get the Essentials and sit on it until I received and offer. I waited.. and waited.. and waited.. and thought it would never come. Probably because I put hardly any spend through it as I have the ultimate. I was considering cancelling the essentials just to tidy up my card portfolio (didn't tell anyone about it). Today I received the below offer in my inbox.
It's not as good as a sign up offer, but considering I already have 2 Amex cards, without the 18 month wait its pretty good and will be going for it.

To follow on from this, I found there is links to this offer for each card and they "might" work even if not targeted. Someone I know used the link (without being targeted) and were able to upgrade with the offer.

Platinum Edge: The Platinum Edge Credit Card | AMEX Australia
Explorer: The American Express Explorer Credit Card®
The Platinum Card: The American Express® Platinum Card

You are probably going to have to be coming from a lower tier card in the same product family (not sure how a QF card to > explorer would work.

 

[liamsal]

What cards would be eligible to upgrade to the Platinum Card? I have the Velocity and Plat Edge and tried the link and it said I’m not eligible. Shame cause I’d consider ditching either (or both) of my cards for it.

 

[DC3]

What cards would be eligible to upgrade to the Platinum Card?

Most likely needs to be in the same family e.g., upgrade to plat charge card from another charge card, not a credit card

 

[DC3]

I called to cancel - I got the Philippines despite calling in the middle of the day …

Manila never sleeps

 

[33kft]

Just as a data point, my QF AMEX was not eligible for upgrade for any of the 3 offers

 

[velli25]

Cancelled David Jones AMEX - asked if any offers for a product switch given DJ partnership is ending. Given 20k points for Essential Credit card

 

[Ace3162]

Cancelled David Jones AMEX - asked if any offers for a product switch given DJ partnership is ending. Given 20k points for Essential Credit card

Interesting… I was thinking of the same.
Do you have other AmEx cards?
(standard sign points are generally not available for existing card holders)

I have a DJs Plat, as well as an personal AmEx Plat and Res partner cred card…
Hoping they’ll be some inducements offered to move the DJs to another AmEx card.

 

[foggy]

Called and went through with cancellation on plat edge card. Put through around 100k per year

80k points offered and accepted. Card reinstated on same call.

30k points offered for plat charge. 100k last year. I still accepted thought.

 

[burmans]

Called and went through with cancellation on plat edge card. Put through around 100k per year

80k points offered and accepted. Card reinstated on same call.

30k points offered for plat charge. 100k last year. I still accepted thought.

80k on the Edge seems exceptional, well done. Would have thought the Charge would get the better deal.

 

[sudoer]

80k on the Edge seems exceptional, well done. Would have thought the Charge would get the better deal.

Makes me wonder if the retention offers are influenced by spend levels relative to other cardholders of the same product.

100k spend on Plat Edge is probably a fairly high percentile, 100k on the Plat Charge would be on the lower end I guess.

 

[Franko Costa]

Makes me wonder if the retention offers are influenced by spend levels relative to other cardholders of the same product.

100k spend on Plat Edge is probably a fairly high percentile, 100k on the Plat Charge would be on the lower end I guess.

Does it work with chat or do you get the best results with calling?