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

[tmdl]

I think potentially last year it was 70k membership points and lower than that the year prior.

That pretty decent, I think I did it like 3-4 years ago and got offered only 30k

 

[QPProletarian]

I dont feel I got as good value this year - no decent offers compared with last year.

 

[bits]

Just did the annual fee upcoming/request for retention bonus dance with Amex for 2025 - 50k points offered and accepted. For context, monthly card spend is typically $4k-$10k, average around $5k.

In 2024 no retention bonus offered, in 2023 30k points offered. Have held card since 2017 with various bonus amounts offered along the way (100k highest from memory).

 

[lilkid28]

Just did the annual fee upcoming/request for retention bonus dance with Amex for 2025 - 50k points offered and accepted. For context, monthly card spend is typically $4k-$10k, average around $5k.

In 2024 no retention bonus offered, in 2023 30k points offered. Have held card since 2017 with various bonus amounts offered along the way (100k highest from memory).

What card?

 

[bits]

What card?

Platinum Charge

 

[Ecco]

Rang about retention bonus. Have Plat charge. No offers this year. I was offered 150k last year. I found if you give the Krisflyer devaluation excuse they say that was why you got the retention bonus last year. Will have to figure out if this is worth keeping. There was also no Marriott transfer bonuses this year which is equivalent to a devaluation. nb we put on $250k of charges on the card in the last 12 months.

 

[sudoer]

Thanks for the data point - I need to call in the next week. What else have they nerfed this year? (other than a marked decrease in useful Amex Offers, which is subjective..)

 

[Ecco]

Thanks for the data point - I need to call in the next week. What else have they nerfed this year? (other than a marked decrease in useful Amex Offers, which is subjective..)

I'm wondering whether to go down to gold but we have a six figure tax bill I want to put through first. I'm not sure if the gold card has a limit.
-The $200 travel credit is a pain to use
-Have to really remember to use the dining credit
-I get multi trip annual travel insurance anyway
-Centurion lounges r so so.
-Some priority pass lounges are in the wrong terminal
Accorplus have sales these days
No food vouchers with pp.
-2.5% fx charge
-U can access the fhr rates through other channels. Was in Bangkok recently. Stayed at two hyatts. They gave me 2pm late checkout and I hadn't booked via Amex site
- need to do the numbers on buying points with savings in a lower fee card.

Have I missed anything!!

 

[Ecco]

I think the regulation of interchange fees in oz and nz has munted Amex's business model in these markets. They don't even offer the plat charge card in nz anymore. Just shut it down and has kept existing users.

 

[bits]

I'm wondering whether to go down to gold but we have a six figure tax bill I want to put through first. I'm not sure if the gold card has a limit.
-The $200 travel credit is a pain to use
-Have to really remember to use the dining credit
-I get multi trip annual travel insurance anyway
-Centurion lounges r so so.
-Some priority pass lounges are in the wrong terminal
Accorplus have sales these days
No food vouchers with pp.
-2.5% fx charge
-U can access the fhr rates through other channels. Was in Bangkok recently. Stayed at two hyatts. They gave me 2pm late checkout and I hadn't booked via Amex site
- need to do the numbers on buying points with savings in a lower fee card.

Have I missed anything!!

TBH none of that is really an amex/platinum issue and/or new. If I was amex, I'd be suggesting you move to another product if you had so many issues with the current product.

 

[Chicken]

If I was amex, I'd be suggesting you move to another product

Exactly.

-The $200 travel credit is a pain to use
-Centurion lounges r so so.
-Some priority pass lounges are in the wrong terminal

If you can't even use your annual travel credit, and don't use Priority Pass (some airline lounges are pretty shocker, from the view of someone who uses SQ as the primary), why are you even using a card with such high annual fee? You could be using a green or gold charge, or one of those $200 annual fee AmEx cards. Even the Reserve card at $395 maybe a waste of money for you.

 

[albyd]

I'm wondering whether to go down to gold but we have a six figure tax bill I want to put through first. I'm not sure if the gold card has a limit.

I think in relation to this that all charge cards have the same line of credit - just different features (ie "coupon book" of Platinum) and different points earn rates. I'd have a think about whether the earn difference makes a difference for your big tax bill (the AF is substantial difference). You might be asked to prepay the charge on Gold before putting it through as all your spend history from Platinum will be "forgotten" when you migrate across.

YMMV.

 

[Ecco]

Yeah we use PP lounges sometimes but may be cheaper to just pay per entry. Have to have a closer look at this.

 

[Mr H]

Travelling through MIA where I did not have ordinary lounge access, I was grateful to have PP membership. Unfortunately the registered PP lounge was not accepting PP guests because they were too busy.

 

[QantasMan]

Oh , When I tried to ask for a retention offer , they mentioned that there were new regluations in Australia in 2019 which prevents Banks from giving out retention offers ?

 

[bits]

Oh , When I tried to ask for a retention offer , they mentioned that there were new regluations in Australia in 2019 which prevents Banks from giving out retention offers ?

Yes, post Banking Royal Commission, banks prohibited from offering retention offers for credit cards. The Platinum Charge card isn't a credit card, so isn't covered by the restriction. In any case, you shouldn't be saying "retention offer" as the customer service person will be forced to say the line about the restriction (since the call is recorded). Just allude to it.

Similarly if you say you "want to close the account" then they are obliged to immediately do so (again another post Royal Commission thing). But if you are thinking about closing, they are not obliged to action yet.