This language now appears in the terms of all USA-issued American Express personal cards. I do not recall any report of the terms being enforced as written. Have you?

I have read reports of cardholders being asked during telephone discussions if specific transactions were Vanilla Reloads, but there were no consequences. This does not mean that the terms will never be enforced as written.

American Express practice frequently differs from policy, and usually in the customers' favor, but if practice is later brought into alignment with policy it usually happens abruptly, and customer service then has no flexibility to make exceptions.