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

[Quattro]

AMEX Qantas Ultimate is offered directly by American Express ...

Qantas American Express Ultimate Card | Amex AU

Earn Qantas Points with the Qantas American Express Ultimate Card. Enjoy flights, airport lounge access, and more. Start earning Qantas Points today.

www.americanexpress.com

Meaning more so it's MR points cards, not QANTAS, Virgin etc.

 

[HeavyElectricity]

Cancelled my Platinum Edge card yesterday. No incentives were offered for retention/reinstatement.

 

[coriander]

Meaning more so it's MR points cards, not QANTAS, Virgin etc.

No, Amex QF Ultimate card points are swept to your QFF account every month.

 

[Ken1]

Reading through some of the posts here some people are waiting until near the card annual fee is due before cancelling. I have a Platinum Charge that I still use but want to cancel my Explorer card, which I haven't used since the changes in April. The Explorer annual fee is due in late December so is the general consensus that it is better to wait until close to the annual fee date before cancelling to give a better chance of being offered some bonus points to stay?

 

[Ade]

Reading through some of the posts here some people are waiting until near the card annual fee is due before cancelling. I have a Platinum Charge that I still use but want to cancel my Explorer card, which I haven't used since the changes in April. The Explorer annual fee is due in late December so is the general consensus that it is better to wait until close to the annual fee date before cancelling to give a better chance of being offered some bonus points to stay?

Sounds like an idea. I didn't do that. I called them up mid membership year to see if I'm lucky enough to get some bonus points. I was wrong. If you call when your membership year is up/fee is due, they might offer you bonus points to make you keep the card

 

[CaptainPersia]

Reading through some of the posts here some people are waiting until near the card annual fee is due before cancelling. I have a Platinum Charge that I still use but want to cancel my Explorer card, which I haven't used since the changes in April. The Explorer annual fee is due in late December so is the general consensus that it is better to wait until close to the annual fee date before cancelling to give a better chance of being offered some bonus points to stay?

Can confirm, I waited until close to the annual fee and got 5k bonus points

 

[JessicaTam]

I rang Amex today and told them I was rationalising my credit cards and needed to determine which was the best to keep.

Tim told me that they could no longer offer retention bonus points but there may be something offered to reactivate if I did cancel.

Card cancelled. 50,000 MR offered. Card reinstated.

I then said at least I would have 1 card for Shop Small. Tim said Shop Small was very popular and some people have as many as 4 cards. Tim needs to get out more!

 

[DC3]

I've had 70,000 points renewal, until this year. Then nothing. And that was when 70,000 points meant something, at 1:1 transfer rate to airlines.

Now devalued by 50%, anyway, for airline transfer. Have since cancelled one card, and come January will have to decide on the other.

 

[AviationNZ]

Tim told me that they could no longer offer retention bonus points but there may be something offered to reactivate if I did cancel.

Card cancelled. 50,000 MR offered. Card reinstated.

I'm curious, how quickly did you receive the 50k offer to reinstate the card? Sounds like it was whilst waiting on the phone with Tim??? Might need to keep calling until I speak to this infamous "Tim", he may be an Amex lucky charm for bonus points

 

[DC3]

I'm curious, how quickly did you receive the 50k offer to reinstate the card? Sounds like it was whilst waiting on the phone with Tim??? Might need to keep calling until I speak to this infamous "Tim", he may be an Amex lucky charm for bonus points

HUACA until you get the Oz Call Centre (daytime only), in my opinion. Overseas = often useless. Polite, but useless.

 

[JessicaTam]

I'm curious, how quickly did you receive the 50k offer to reinstate the card? Sounds like it was whilst waiting on the phone with Tim??? Might need to keep calling until I speak to this infamous "Tim", he may be an Amex lucky charm for bonus points

Basically Tim said "Ok I have cancelled your card." Then the briefest of pauses, and - "I can see an offer for 50,000 MR to reinstate it."

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Basically Tim said "Ok I have cancelled your card." Then the briefest of pauses, and - "I can see an offer for 50,000 MR to reinstate it."

Just gained 40K QFF on my Amex Altitude in the same way.

While the fee will be $195 for this Amex I will make that back in cashbacks alone (ie just this last month I had cash backs of $330 gained). Plus the lounge access adds value.

So I regard it as 40K QFF and cashbacks that will well exceed the $195. Then add in Supp bonuses etc.

I know that some advocate cancelling Amexes and waiting 18 months, but I find that keeping my 4 Amexes earns me more points from just from Retention/Supp/Referral bonuses that any new card bonus gained only every 18 months, plus I gain more points per $ on my spend on top of that, $thousand extra in cashbacks, the occasional points spending bonus, lounge access and other benefits.

 

[Myztikal_]

Anyone tried reactivating their account after no offer was provided?

 

[Dr Ralph]

Anyone tried reactivating their account after no offer was provided?

Not me, but I don't think it will be a problem. If I remember the last time I cancelled they said I had something like 2 weeks to contact them to have the cards reactivated.

 

[implsv]

I had it on a DJS Amex where they stated they couldn’t reactivate it. I wasn’t phased so didn’t argue the point but wouldn’t have liked it on a card where I wanted to keep

 

[Happy Dude]

Reading through some of the posts here some people are waiting until near the card annual fee is due before cancelling. I have a Platinum Charge that I still use but want to cancel my Explorer card, which I haven't used since the changes in April. The Explorer annual fee is due in late December so is the general consensus that it is better to wait until close to the annual fee date before cancelling to give a better chance of being offered some bonus points to stay?

My velocity plat was renewed in August. I'll be booking the "free" flight next week, then will do a "thinking about cancelling" call to test the water. If no offer (retention or reinstatement) was forthcoming, I'll have a rethink and not cancel. Then after shop small, I'll call and try again, following through with cancelling if no inducements offered to start the 18 month wait.

 

[cambriamarsh]

My velocity plat was renewed in August. I'll be booking the "free" flight next week, then will do a "thinking about cancelling" call to test the water. If no offer (retention or reinstatement) was forthcoming, I'll have a rethink and not cancel. Then after shop small, I'll call and try again, following through with cancelling if no inducements offered to start the 18 month wait.

Interesting thread! Has anyone had any incentives offered in NZ to retain, not cancel or reinstate?

 

[wiz]

Cancelled my Gold charge card and Edge today. Offered 25,000, then 30,000 to maintain accounts. I declined and finally parted ways with Amex.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Just gained 40K QFF on my Amex Altitude in the same way.

While the fee will be $195 for this Amex I will make that back in cashbacks alone (ie just this last month I had cash backs of $330 gained). Plus the lounge access adds value.

So I regard it as 40K QFF and cashbacks that will well exceed the $195. Then add in Supp bonuses for more points again. etc.

I know that some advocate cancelling Amexes and waiting 18 months, but I find that keeping my 4 Amexes earns me more points from just from Retention/Supp/Referral bonuses that any new card bonus gained only every 18 months, plus I gain more points per $ on my spend on top of that, $thousand extra in cashbacks, the occasional points spending bonus, lounge access and other benefits.

Rinse and repeat today for another 40K QFF So over the last month that is 80K QFF in retentions and 40K MR (referral bonus).

Now we each have different situations, but for myself If I had of I cancelled all of my Amexes I would have to wait 18 months for a sign-on bonus, and may not even gain that many points that I have gained in one month.

For me I can earn more points by keeping my Amexes than by churning them just by the bonuses alone. The greater spend point earn just adds more gravy, and the cashbacks more gravy again.

I do churn cards, but at present Amex for me remains a keeper simply because I earn more points in a 12 month period in various ways than I would get by waiting 18 months for a sign-on bonus. So for a comparative 18 month period keeping is more lucrative than churning by far for myself. And 18 months of extra cashbacks is quite lucrative too.

 

[mikedesign]

Called Amex to cancel my Platinum Edge, annual fee due in early December. They cancelled it and then asked the reason, I stated I already have a Reserve and Charge and I haven't been using the Edge. Was offered 100,000 points to 'reopen' the Edge. Took the offer, card/account was 'reopened' on the spot, points coming 3-5 business days. Great outcome . Had the card for 5 years haven't called to cancel before. Called after business hours (~9.30pm Melbourne time) if that helps.