American Express Membership Rewards - My old gold card. What to do?

Right now I have an Amex Gold. The regular one. I've had it forever, it was my first card. So I need to keep something that will keep that credit history going.

The fee is coming up in Sept or Oct, I cannot remember. I don't know if I want to continue on paying the $125 fee for a card I'm not getting much value out of these days. I have gotten most of it back with the twitter promos this year though, which I really like. I do have about 70k miles in the account that I won't be using until later, so I'm not sure I want to close it just yet.

I was thinking about trying to apply for the PR gold card getting the bonus of 60k If I can get it. It would be fee free for a year, then if I close my reg gold will I keep my history and all with AMEX? It's my oldest card so I very much fear closing it. As long as I have a PR gold/green/zync/etc card am I ok?

Say I got the 60k bonus, could I close that before the fee is due next year and then use up everything and then what should I down grade to green or zync?

If I do the above will I be eligible for a bonus on plat? I feel like I may get plat in a few years when I travel more. Assuming the perks aren't totally gone by then. What are the general rules that amex holds for apply for bonuses and repeating ones? How many years closed? Do they apply to a single card? I heard bonus for business are if you get one for gold you can't get one for plat etc? Is that true and does it hold the same for personal cards?

Also I plan to get a starwood card soon too, how will this impact the PR gold? Should I apply same day?

Those AMEX promos with twitter have been very useful to me, which cards qualify? My gold does, does starwood? Zync? Is it only prepaid that don't? What doesnt?

... It would be fee free for a year, then if I close my reg gold will I keep my history and all with AMEX?

Yes. All cards issued by American Express will show the same Member Since date and will be reported as if they had all been opened in the year when you opened your Gold Card. However, you may not be eligible for a bonus on a Premier Rewards Gold card, or any other charge card, because you already hold a charge card.

Here are the terms:

Welcome bonus not available to applicants who have had this product within the past 12 months or any other Consumer Zync, Green, Gold or Platinum account within the past 90 days.

The plain reading of these terms is that 90 days must have elapsed since you closed your charge card, but some American Express agents have interpreted this to refer to the "application" date. It would have been very easy for American Express to write terms that referenced account opening if that is what they meant.

Yes. All cards issued by American Express will show the same Member Since date and will be reported as if they had all been opened in the year when you opened your Gold Card. However, you may not be eligible for a bonus on a Premier Rewards Gold card, or any other charge card, because you already hold a charge card.

Here are the terms:



The plain reading of these terms is that 90 days must have elapsed since you closed your charge card, but some American Express agents have interpreted this to refer to the "application" date. It would have been very easy for American Express to write terms that referenced account opening if that is what they meant.

Sorry to resurrect an old thread but I have been thinking more and more on dumping the Gold card. I need to make a move soon. Not really sure my best option here. Would it be best to drop down to blue?

I'd like something that is fee free, keeps my relationship with AMEX continuous and makes me eligible for a PRG/Plat sign up bonus in a year or so.

Start here to understand some options:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/american-express-membership-rewards/1303190-mr-earning-cards-no-annual-fee.html

Yes. All cards issued by American Express will show the same Member Since date and will be reported as if they had all been opened in the year when you opened your Gold Card. However, you may not be eligible for a bonus on a Premier Rewards Gold card, or any other charge card, because you already hold a charge card.

Here are the terms:



The plain reading of these terms is that 90 days must have elapsed since you closed your charge card, but some American Express agents have interpreted this to refer to the "application" date. It would have been very easy for American Express to write terms that referenced account opening if that is what they meant.


Sorry for the newb-ness, and I'm not sure why I'm having such a problem grasping, but does this mean as long as you hold a card associated with a MR account, you are ineligible to receive any welcome bonuses on new cards? Across both personal and business tiers? I assume (maybe incorrectly) that one would, however, be eligible for Delta Amex welcome bonus?

...as long as you hold a card associated with a MR account, you are ineligible to receive any welcome bonuses on new cards?

The terms are too new for anyone to know precisely how they will be interpreted in practice. Some customer service agents state that the terms refer to how recently you have applied for a card rather than the literal reading.

Personal and Business cards are separate.

Holding a personal charge card which participates in Membership Rewards (Zync, Green, Gold, Platinum) may disqualify you from a new account bonus for any new personal charge card. Note that Blue from American Express is a credit card which participates in Membership Rewards Express. This card can preserve your point balance, and does not disqualify you for charge card bonuses.

Likewise, holding a Business charge card which participates in Membership Rewards (Green, Gold, Platinum) may disqualify you from a new account bonus for any new Business charge card. Again, Blue for Business is a free credit card which can preserve the point balance, but does not disqualify you for charge card bonuses.

This means that you can alternate between business and personal card applications. It also means that holding one of the Blue cards (but not Blue Cash or Blue Sky) may be a good insurance policy, but note that you cannot transfer points to airline or hotel programs during a period when Blue is your only Membership Rewards card. (There is one Business card which permits transfer and apparently does not disqualify bonuses, $75 annual fee: Business Membership Rewards (http://www262.americanexpress.com/business-credit-cards/business-card-details/business-membership-rewards-card/29790) credit card.)

Cards which participate in other rewards programs (Blue Cash, Blue Sky, Delta, Hilton, Jet Blue, Lowe's, Starwood) are not relevant. Co-branded cards which participate in Membership Rewards also seem not to matter (Mercedes, Morgan Stanley).

Thank you, mia, for taking the time! That helps a ton.

So it sounds like my options are one of the following:

1) Downgrade to Zync for $25/year no problem what so ever. May not be eligible for sign up bonus for a Plat/PRG if I go this route? But you are saying there is a chance (probably know more in 6 months?) AMEX reps may allow sign up bonus for Plat/PRG, as long as I've held it for over 90 days? Is that what you are saying?

2) Then other option is to apply for a blue which would cost a pull and then cancel my gold? But would be fee free and keep my credit history with AMEX continuous? Gold is my oldest card and I'd like to keep it going historically.

My gold card annual fee is coming up and I am looking to switch to another card with less of an annual fee or no fee at all. Does anyone know which are the best options to switch to from the gold card?

The $175 annual fee is just too high to keep it.

dustenm's question has been appended to a current thread on the same topic. Reviewing the preceding posts should provide a starting point.

My gold card annual fee is coming up and I am looking to switch to another card with less of an annual fee or no fee at all. Does anyone know which are the best options to switch to from the gold card?

The $175 annual fee is just too high to keep it.

Charge family can be downgraded to Zync. So if you have a PRG, $25 is the best you can do without a new app.

If you want to save the points, blue (with a new app/credit pull) will store the points as MR Express points. Blue is a credit type account.

Biz Gold you're out of luck.... I think lowest tier is green which is $95. The simply cash which is credit, does not use MR, so it won't save your points.

I'm curious - why are you guys apprehensive about closing cards? From the above postings, it seems the best approach is to close all MR-earning cards and you are sure to get bonuses for new cards.

For me, I keep 3-4 high-balance regular cards like Citi cash back which I've had for last 10 years. I think these have a higher effect on my credit score and opening/closing cards that I keep only temporarily should not affect my credit much

Charge family can be downgraded to Zync. So if you have a PRG, $25 is the best you can do without a new app.

If you want to save the points, blue (with a new app/credit pull) will store the points as MR Express points. Blue is a credit type account.

Biz Gold you're out of luck.... I think lowest tier is green which is $95. The simply cash which is credit, does not use MR, so it won't save your points.


I've seen links to apply for the green card with no annual fee the first year? If you get approved for this and then cancel the gold will this keep the MR rewards active?

I've seen links to apply for the green card with no annual fee the first year? If you get approved for this and then cancel the gold will this keep the MR rewards active?

Yes

Here are the terms:

Welcome bonus not available to applicants who have had this product within the past 12 months or any other Consumer Zync, Green, Gold or Platinum account within the past 90 days.



Where are these terms stated? Does Amex Canada has the same terms, because on application form, there is not such requirement.