"Enhancements" to MR earn on Platinum Card, Reserve & Centurian

[gibspmuh]

Fortunately there's some anomalies in regards to the merchant categories that can work in your favour as well. I certainly know of one merchant with the Platinum Edge card where I've been earning 3 points per dollar, where it's unclear to me whether or not they should actually be in that category.

 

[anat0l]

My points for eating have posted correctly...

Note however that points now just show under the 'basic earn' type column with a zero in bonus points...

So your $10 purchase will show 30 points straight up, rather than the old split they used to have

Concur with this. I went to two non-chain restaurants (one share plates / drinks style and the other ramen) and received 3 points per $ spent, as detailed above.

I wonder if this rather innocuous looking change was intended to make people break the 'upper limit' of their points earn faster, viz. IIRC some cards have a points earn stipulated up to 100,000 points per year, after which the earn is decreased (e.g. to 1 point per dollar).

Consistent with the changes are also my other charges of recent consisting of purchase of electronics and charity donations earning only 1 point per dollar.

I still have no idea whether I am better off under this new points earning regime, especially considering my co-branded Platinum Reserve card's annual fee of $295 per year. That said, if I actually did more travel, then I'd probably even out, if not get ahead. The sad thing is that paying with my Visa is still worse (1 CBA point per dollar which is only 0.5 Velocity or QFF points).

 

[k3nnis]

ok thanks for the heads up. I don't dine out much so this 3X earn won't help me

My points for eating have posted correctly...

Note however that points now just show under the 'basic earn' type column with a zero in bonus points...

So your $10 purchase will show 30 points straight up, rather than the old split they used to have

 

[k3nnis]

Care to share this merchant via PM?

Fortunately there's some anomalies in regards to the merchant categories that can work in your favour as well. I certainly know of one merchant with the Platinum Edge card where I've been earning 3 points per dollar, where it's unclear to me whether or not they should actually be in that category.

 

[oz_mark]

I wonder if this rather innocuous looking change was intended to make people break the 'upper limit' of their points earn faster, viz. IIRC some cards have a points earn stipulated up to 100,000 points per year, after which the earn is decreased (e.g. to 1 point per dollar).

It's a bit more complicated that first meets the eye. Previously the earn thresholds for cutting back the point earn were based on dollar spends. However, with the new structure, they have changed the threshold to be points based. For example, the Platinum Reserve used to throttle back after spending $100,000 in a year, it now drops after achieving 150,000 points in a year.

Your spend patterns will dictate which one of those two thresholds you would get to first!

 

[hummel]

Re: "Enhancements" to Membership Rewards scheme for Platinum Card / Platinum Reserve

Does anyone know if 'United' is classed as a *major* petrol station? I would have thought so but only recieved 1pt/$1.

Pretty over Amex to be honest, 0.5pts for spend on my internet, bonus points taking forever.

Makes my Citibank Plat seem better and better everyday.

Edit: Just looked up T&C's and it appears United is not a 'Major'. I could have sworn it was in the past.

 

[Sojourner]

Re: "Enhancements" to Membership Rewards scheme for Platinum Card / Platinum Reserve

Amex have just made something that used to be so simple, really really complex. I'm sure there will be lots of people who get caught out, at supermarkets and petrol stations that they thought were 'major' but aren't. Same with restaurants - do they really expect their customers to consult a list everytime they go out to dine? Next thing you know, it'll be 20% extra points on Tuesdays, 25% less points on Saturdays, 1.5 points for every red item, and .5 points for every blue item you buy.

 

[Deleted member]

Waiting for my call about plat card. We have advised that we won't be renewing the card, the $900.00 annual for supposed "enhanced" benefits is a bridge too far for me.
I must confess I am not sure what they (Amex) are on about.



It is I, Leclerc !

 

[TtiGeR]

It seems all my local restaurants who accept AMEX are in the 3pts per dollar list including McDonald's, KFC and Subway. I just don't like to map app used to search restaurants. An excel spreadsheet would actually work better for me.

 

[Chicken]

Re: "Enhancements" to Membership Rewards scheme for Platinum Card / Platinum Reserve

do they really expect their customers to consult a list everytime they go out to dine?

My examples above shows it doesn't have to be on the "list". It seems more of a 'common sense' apply at this stage.

 

[Moopere]

Re: "Enhancements" to Membership Rewards scheme for Platinum Card / Platinum Reserve

Amex have just made something that used to be so simple, really really complex.

This for me is more of a product killer than all the other changes. I choose banks in a similar way. If the operation of accounts is too complex with too many ifs-buts-maybes and gotchas then the product is of no interest to me.

This has been my view on credit card insurances for years as well. I can't possibly remember all the minute details and variations between the various cards. If the insurance is not comprehensive then its not worth having. If a finance product is too complex to remember and make informed choices during everyday business then its not a good product for me.

 

[oz_mark]

Re: "Enhancements" to Membership Rewards scheme for Platinum Card / Platinum Reserve

My examples above shows it doesn't have to be on the "list". It seems more of a 'common sense' apply at this stage.

It doesn't need to be on the list. It needs to be categorised appropriately as a 'Restaurant' in the Amex merchant system.

 

[aschmid]

Re: "Enhancements" to Membership Rewards scheme for Platinum Card / Platinum Reserve

This for me is more of a product killer than all the other changes. I choose banks in a similar way. If the operation of accounts is too complex with too many ifs-buts-maybes and gotchas then the product is of no interest to me.

This has been my view on credit card insurances for years as well. I can't possibly remember all the minute details and variations between the various cards. If the insurance is not comprehensive then its not worth having. If a finance product is too complex to remember and make informed choices during everyday business then its not a good product for me.

I very much agree with that sentiment that the changes just make it too complicated to figure what you get and what you don't in terms of points. I certainly don't have the time to consult anything to decide where I'd shop or go to dinner to maximise points!

Also the insurance is so tricky, eg the you are covered if you use rewards points for a flight but only if those points have been transferred previously from AMEX MR to your airline frequent flyer program. This is very very vague and can I am unable to track that as I get points from various places and I am not sure which ones are AMEX points and which ones are from others in my airlines FF program.

Because of this I cancelled my Platinum charge a month back. There was no offer made to keep me as a Platinum charge card holder. What get's me even more they lose a customer and don't even try to convenience you otherwise and then on the other side they offer at the moment 45,000 MR points for new Platinum customers. Why?

 

[TonyHancock]

Re: "Enhancements" to Membership Rewards scheme for Platinum Card / Platinum Reserve

The response from American Express on the failure of my flight purchases from Qantas and LAN to post double points was that they were aware of glitches in the system, and this new points structure is only a few days old.

I would have thought that when a company makes changes to a program which might be construed negatively by its customers they would at least avoid glaring, obvious, schoolboy errors in week one.

 

[greenfrog86]

Re: "Enhancements" to Membership Rewards scheme for Platinum Card / Platinum Reserve

It doesn't need to be on the list. It needs to be categorised appropriately as a 'Restaurant' in the Amex merchant system.

Agree. I have spot checked a few local places and they are all there... I'm not going to check more in the future - I can't be bothered.

Oz_mark - to your point, ergo if they are classified as restaurant merchants then they will be on that list...

 

[lovestotravel]

Re: "Enhancements" to Membership Rewards scheme for Platinum Card / Platinum Reserve

I would have thought that when a company makes changes to a program which might be construed negatively by its customers they would at least avoid glaring, obvious, schoolboy errors in week one.

This is Amex......

 

[drross]

Re: "Enhancements" to Membership Rewards scheme for Platinum Card / Platinum Reserve

The response from American Express on the failure of my flight purchases from Qantas and LAN to post double points was that they were aware of glitches in the system, and this new points structure is only a few days old.

I would have thought that when a company makes changes to a program which might be construed negatively by its customers they would at least avoid glaring, obvious, schoolboy errors in week one.

Only have to think about the Queensland health payroll debacle to realise the big companies just go for it and then try to correct any problems (also apple maps!) . I'd have thought it was a terrible marketing disaster.

 

[Ricardo]

Re: "Enhancements" to Membership Rewards scheme for Platinum Card / Platinum Reserve

Only have to think about the Queensland health payroll debacle to realise the big companies just go for it and then try to correct any problems (also apple maps!) . I'd have thought it was a terrible marketing disaster.

Oh dear me LOL

 

[Ricardo]

Re: "Enhancements" to Membership Rewards scheme for Platinum Card / Platinum Reserve

I very much agree with that sentiment that the changes just make it too complicated to figure what you get and what you don't in terms of points. I certainly don't have the time to consult anything to decide where I'd shop or go to dinner to maximise points!

Also the insurance is so tricky, eg the you are covered if you use rewards points for a flight but only if those points have been transferred previously from AMEX MR to your airline frequent flyer program. This is very very vague and can I am unable to track that as I get points from various places and I am not sure which ones are AMEX points and which ones are from others in my airlines FF program.

Because of this I cancelled my Platinum charge a month back. There was no offer made to keep me as a Platinum charge card holder. What get's me even more they lose a customer and don't even try to convenience you otherwise and then on the other side they offer at the moment 45,000 MR points for new Platinum customers. Why?

I could not agree more with these points (was that 1, 2, or 3 points, pardon the pun), in particular the last one about bonus points, I have mentioned that many times on my renewal and most times I got a discount on the $900 fee.

Another thought I had is that maybe Amex is trying to lower the overall amount of reward points it has to hold, maybe it has an impact on balance sheets ???

 

[nlagalle]

Re: "Enhancements" to Membership Rewards scheme for Platinum Card / Platinum Reserve

Well I rang amex to inquire when my renewal fee was due (i know it is within the next month) and she asked why and i said i am considering cancelling it as I find it poor value, due to the travel insurance change and the points change. she spoke to the cancellations team who advised there was nothing they could do for me at all, despite my record there. So I said you are happy to lose a customer because of these changes, and they basically replied "yes". she said some people would find the changes to their benefit, but conceded in the end most wouldn't, as other cards earn more. i said if they find a way to convince me to stay, they have a month to call me with the suggestion.

Well done Amex. You have successfully alienated your customers not once but twice this year!