Originally Posted by
BeachBum770
Based on the OP's post above, they have not yet paid the annual fee. Even once you pay the annual fee, if you cancel a card AmEx will refund a prorated portion of the fee based on number of months remaining in the current year.
On another perspective, there is the moral fact of utilizing a membership benefit for which the OP has actually not paid the fee (by canceling the card).
You don't get the cert. until the fee is assessed. OP said the fee was going to show up on their statement in 3 days; I'm sure it's already on the recent transaction list (and thus a charge that must be paid).
As I said, the cert. is a renewal perk, meaning if OP got the cert, they owe the fee. AMEX doesn't pro-rate fees.