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

[qtrungmai]

20k pts offered to keep plat edge
took the deal

60k pts to keep plat charge, don't think i will but I have close to 2m points banked and i'm worried i'm going to miss a transfer bonus

What's your AVG spent on the charge? I'm about to ring up about mine and hopefully with >10k per month, I would get 100k to stay

 

[donkeykong]

Only got offered 30k to keep my Plat Charge
I called up on Friday and then this Monday - both offered the same.

My average spend is between 8-12k a month

 

[tinkybelle]

I had a friend with an edge who doesnt spend much get 30 k to stay
we spend on explorer and they cancelled no offer

 

[lilkid28]

I think I will downgrade my Explorer to Essential. It seems after half a year or down the track, they will offer bonus points to upgrade.

 

[Spongbob]

I think I will downgrade my Explorer to Essential. It seems after half a year or down the track, they will offer bonus points to upgrade.

But you need to consider what you would forego with this downgrade (i.e. the Explorer card Travel Credit).

 

[robtemt]

Just called, was offered 150K MR points to keep my Plat Charge.

 

[Infrequent traveller]

Just called, was offered 150K MR points to keep my Plat Charge.

Congratulations!

Just wondering if you are a “heavy” user of their various benefits, not limiting to statement credits?! I have this question in mind as I noticed Amex did a good job in tracking and reporting the total “savings” realised in your card account. So it would not be too difficult to use the same information (with enrolment information on various perks) to make an assessment whether you would be serious considering to cancel the card if no retention incentive is offered?!

 

[robtemt]

Congratulations!

Just wondering if you are a “heavy” user of their various benefits, not limiting to statement credits?! I have this question in mind as I noticed Amex did a good job in tracking and reporting the total “savings” realised in your card account. So it would not be too difficult to use the same information (with enrolment information on various perks) to make an assessment whether you would be serious considering to cancel the card if no retention incentive is offered?!

For context:
- I've had one form of Amex or another for 11 years.
- Plat Charge since 2015 and in that time have had 4 retention offers and 1 year of a waived annual fee. Our current monthly spend sits around $6-$8K with a few months closer to $20K. So we are by no means a high value member.
- We have the free reserve card as well with an annual spend of <$500 and an Explorer with a monthly spend of around $200
- We "saved" just under $900 in statement credits this year (grocery credit, shop small, and a few other offers".
- We use Priority Pass (well we activate it, I think we used it once last year, just before Covid)
- We use Bonvoy and Hertz as I don't really travel a lot for business (<4 trips a year).
- We use all of our travel credits ($400 plat reserve, $450 Explorer, and $400 Plat Charge if I have those right). Two years ago we somehow got credited twice for platinum and reserve, so had 5 credits all with same exp date.
- We use the AFR subscription
- We claimed about $6,000 (settled) on travel insurance.
- We used the home emergency service for a broken window once last year (saved us $400 for a sunday afternoon glass replacement during a storm).
- We use concierge for tickets to concerts or theatre 2-4 times a year, and for about 15-20 restaurant bookings a year.
- We made one extended warranty claim last year on a TV.
- We typically cash in our points to SQ or another airline once every two years.

As mentioned, we had a year of no fee (2018 I think?), after their concierge royally screwed up, on several reservations at Michelin restaurants in Europe (3 or 4 bookings in a row, despite some back and forth after the first debacle, and an assurance that it was escalated and resolved)..... When we returned, I went to the most senior person at the concierge service (a non-Amex employee I think) and complained, politely, but made it known I was beyond livid, he offered me something like free tickets to something "take it or leave it but don't come back to me again". Well, I ended up in a meeting with the global VP of something at Amex, who made a case study of our experience to present at some VPs meeting, and waived our fee for a year and threw us some points. So we MIGHT be flagged as needing hand holding?

All that said, I've had some low retention offers (30-40K, and one no offer which I think was when everyone was doing "reinstatement bonus instead of retention).

 

[DC3]

For context:
- I've had one form of Amex or another for 11 years.
- Plat Charge since 2015 and in that time have had 4 retention offers and 1 year of a waived annual fee. Our current monthly spend sits around $6-$8K with a few months closer to $20K. So we are by no means a high value member.
- We have the free reserve card as well with an annual spend of <$500 and an Explorer with a monthly spend of around $200
- We "saved" just under $900 in statement credits this year (grocery credit, shop small, and a few other offers".
- We use Priority Pass (well we activate it, I think we used it once last year, just before Covid)
- We use Bonvoy and Hertz as I don't really travel a lot for business (<4 trips a year).
- We use all of our travel credits ($400 plat reserve, $450 Explorer, and $400 Plat Charge if I have those right). Two years ago we somehow got credited twice for platinum and reserve, so had 5 credits all with same exp date.
- We use the AFR subscription
- We claimed about $6,000 (settled) on travel insurance.
- We used the home emergency service for a broken window once last year (saved us $400 for a sunday afternoon glass replacement during a storm).
- We use concierge for tickets to concerts or theatre 2-4 times a year, and for about 15-20 restaurant bookings a year.
- We made one extended warranty claim last year on a TV.
- We typically cash in our points to SQ or another airline once every two years.

As mentioned, we had a year of no fee (2018 I think?), after their concierge royally screwed up, on several reservations at Michelin restaurants in Europe (3 or 4 bookings in a row, despite some back and forth after the first debacle, and an assurance that it was escalated and resolved)..... When we returned, I went to the most senior person at the concierge service (a non-Amex employee I think) and complained, politely, but made it known I was beyond livid, he offered me something like free tickets to something "take it or leave it but don't come back to me again". Well, I ended up in a meeting with the global VP of something at Amex, who made a case study of our experience to present at some VPs meeting, and waived our fee for a year and threw us some points. So we MIGHT be flagged as needing hand holding?

All that said, I've had some low retention offers (30-40K, and one no offer which I think was when everyone was doing "reinstatement bonus instead of retention).

Care to elaborate a bit more.

Edit: You’ve left out your card numbers and passwords

 

[robtemt]

Care to elaborate a bit more.

Edit: You’ve left out your card numbers and passwords

If it helps someone crack the secret to better offers, I think Im ok with the level of information provided. Im pretty sure my PII is safe based on the info posted, and promise my passwords are nothing like Window1A or Plat1OrDie.

 

[DC3]

If it helps someone crack the secret to better offers, I think Im ok with the level of information provided. Im pretty sure my PII is safe based on the info posted, and promise my passwords are nothing like Window1A or Plat1OrDie.

Just messing about.

I think that you were very generous with the information provided.

 

[qtrungmai]

Mine plat charge is up for renewal next month. I've put bout 90k+ on it in the last two months. Let's see if I will be as lucky.

 

[glasszon]

How do you guys even get a retention bonus? I called today about my Amex Platinum card and they said the system is not offering any points to retain me, I had this card since 2016 and in the last few years I always asked them about a retention offer when the annual fee is due, but they never offered anything to me and I put through 5k+ each month.

 

[DC3]

How do you guys even get a retention bonus? I called today about my Amex Platinum card and they said the system is not offering any points to retain me, I had this card since 2016 and in the last few years I always asked them about a retention offer when the annual fee is due, but they never offered anything to me and I put through 5k+ each month.

Amex probably has concluded that you will not cancel the card, so no need to offer an incentive. . Your profile may show that you renew each year, regardless.

Just guessing, like everyone else.

 

[Quattro]

How do you guys even get a retention bonus? I called today about my Amex Platinum card and they said the system is not offering any points to retain me, I had this card since 2016 and in the last few years I always asked them about a retention offer when the annual fee is due, but they never offered anything to me and I put through 5k+ each month.

Welcome to the club!!

 

[robtemt]

How do you guys even get a retention bonus? I called today about my Amex Platinum card and they said the system is not offering any points to retain me, I had this card since 2016 and in the last few years I always asked them about a retention offer when the annual fee is due, but they never offered anything to me and I put through 5k+ each month.

I expressed no desire to renew/retain (didn't say, what will you do to keep me). My opening line was "Im looking to cancel my card, I just saw the annual fee on my statement, and seeing as most of the features I use are international (shhh, not true), I'll be paying another annual fee before I get any benefits that I value from the card again. Her script seemed to seek what cardmembers valued most (what is it you like most about your Amex Platinum Charge", and I didn't say points, I said international travel benefits, which maybe triggered a higher retention? It seems they ask a few questions, pull key words or follow the pathway, and the computer decides what you need.... But Im totally guessing. I then got cheeky and asked if that was the best I could get, and she said that it was one of the highest amounts she's seen, but was the maximum offer available to me.

 

[DC3]

... the computer decides what you need.... But Im totally guessing. I then got cheeky and asked if that was the best I could get, and she said that it was one of the highest amounts she's seen, but was the maximum offer available to me.

That Magic Box favours a few it seems.

 

[DC3]

How do you guys even get a retention bonus? I called today about my Amex Platinum card and they said the system is not offering any points to retain me, I had this card since 2016 and in the last few years I always asked them about a retention offer when the annual fee is due, but they never offered anything to me and I put through 5k+ each month.

Amex offers defy logic, for us mere AFFers. I recall that a few years back I accepted 100,000 points to keep my Platinum cc (since cancelled) and that was pre-devaluation. That offer would need to be 200,000 points post-devaluation.

 

[njba]

100K points offered today to keep my Qantas Premium Card. Really low spend on the card (<1k/month). I was surprised -- he said it was 'because I've been a card holder since 2016'.

 

[qtrungmai]

100K points offered today to keep my Qantas Premium Card. Really low spend on the card (<1k/month). I was surprised -- he said it was 'because I've been a card holder since 2016'.

That's good value, especially being Qantas points