Membership Rewards Points Advance
Apr 16, 2013, 7:40 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 13
Membership Rewards Points Advance
I have an Amex Platinum which is due AF this month so I am planning to close the account. I have 6K points in the account so far. Last month I've opened Amex PRG and minimum spent is met but stmt is not closed so points (50K) have not been posted yet.
However, I realized that I need to make an urgent trip on Delta this weekend and I am short of 40K points. Only option I have is to transfer them from membership rewards points by borrowings atleast 34k points in advance. I've searched the forum and blogs and it seems PRG only allows 15K points advance at a time but platinum allows upto 60K points. I am confused on if I borrow 34K points, Do they have to be earned back on Amex Platinum card only or When my PRG points 50K post by end of this month, will they balance out the borrowed points? I don't want to keep platinum card after this month so I don;t want to end up paying for that 34K points advance.
Thanks for any inputs.
However, I realized that I need to make an urgent trip on Delta this weekend and I am short of 40K points. Only option I have is to transfer them from membership rewards points by borrowings atleast 34k points in advance. I've searched the forum and blogs and it seems PRG only allows 15K points advance at a time but platinum allows upto 60K points. I am confused on if I borrow 34K points, Do they have to be earned back on Amex Platinum card only or When my PRG points 50K post by end of this month, will they balance out the borrowed points? I don't want to keep platinum card after this month so I don;t want to end up paying for that 34K points advance.
Thanks for any inputs.
Apr 16, 2013, 7:51 am
#2
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,954
1. If the 50,000 points are shown as "pending" contact American Express customer service and ask if they can post the points now to allow you to transfer to Delta.
2. If not, just keep the Platinum Card open until the 50,000 points post, this will automatically repay the Advance, assuming both cards are linked to the same Membership Rewards account.
2. If not, just keep the Platinum Card open until the 50,000 points post, this will automatically repay the Advance, assuming both cards are linked to the same Membership Rewards account.
Apr 16, 2013, 11:36 am
#3
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 107
1. If the 50,000 points are shown as "pending" contact American Express customer service and ask if they can post the points now to allow you to transfer to Delta.
2. If not, just keep the Platinum Card open until the 50,000 points post, this will automatically repay the Advance, assuming both cards are linked to the same Membership Rewards account.
2. If not, just keep the Platinum Card open until the 50,000 points post, this will automatically repay the Advance, assuming both cards are linked to the same Membership Rewards account.
Apr 16, 2013, 11:44 am
#4
Join Date: May 2008
Location: PHL (kinda, no airport is really close)
Programs: AA Exp, but not sure for how long. Enterprise Platinum woo-hoo!
Posts: 4,550
I have never taken a points advance, but I'm pretty sure Amex will charge unrepaid points at $0.025.
Amex bonuses do not wait for the statement to post; they post as soon as the spend is met. If it's been more than a couple days, contact Amex. Unfortunately, they will tell you to allow 6-8 weeks, even though it doesn't really take that long. The problem is that if they haven't posted within 2-3 days, there's a good chance they will not give them to you at all. Since you have an Amex Plat, you may run afoul of the rule denying the bonus if you've had any other personal Amex card in the past 90 days/12 months.
Amex bonuses do not wait for the statement to post; they post as soon as the spend is met. If it's been more than a couple days, contact Amex. Unfortunately, they will tell you to allow 6-8 weeks, even though it doesn't really take that long. The problem is that if they haven't posted within 2-3 days, there's a good chance they will not give them to you at all. Since you have an Amex Plat, you may run afoul of the rule denying the bonus if you've had any other personal Amex card in the past 90 days/12 months.
Apr 16, 2013, 11:45 am
#5
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,954
I do not see anything in the terms suggesting that closing a specific card triggers immediate repayment. As I read it, you have twelve months unless you close your Membership Rewards account, and your Gold card will keep the rewards account open.
http://www.membershiprewards.com/cat...rmsSplash.aspx
Satisfying a Points Advance
After you get a Points Advance, all points you earn within the next 12 months will be applied to the Points Advance until it is satisfied. If you have gotten more than one Points Advance, the points you earn will first go towards your oldest Points Advance. Points that you get back for returning rewards will first be applied to the Points Advance you used to get the reward. If you’ve already satisfied that Points Advance, then the returned points will go towards your oldest Points Advance. If you’ve satisfied all of your Points Advances, the returned points will go into your program account.
If you don’t earn enough points to cover a Points Advance after 12 months, or if your enrollment in the program is canceled before the Points Advance is satisfied, your Linked Card Account will be charged for the unearned points at the rate for buying them. This rate is the rate that was in effect on the date you got your Points Advance. Keep in mind that there is a delay between when you make a charge on your Card and when points are added to your program account. Only points that are added to your program account before 12 months have passed will count towards your Points Advance.
After you get a Points Advance, all points you earn within the next 12 months will be applied to the Points Advance until it is satisfied. If you have gotten more than one Points Advance, the points you earn will first go towards your oldest Points Advance. Points that you get back for returning rewards will first be applied to the Points Advance you used to get the reward. If you’ve already satisfied that Points Advance, then the returned points will go towards your oldest Points Advance. If you’ve satisfied all of your Points Advances, the returned points will go into your program account.
If you don’t earn enough points to cover a Points Advance after 12 months, or if your enrollment in the program is canceled before the Points Advance is satisfied, your Linked Card Account will be charged for the unearned points at the rate for buying them. This rate is the rate that was in effect on the date you got your Points Advance. Keep in mind that there is a delay between when you make a charge on your Card and when points are added to your program account. Only points that are added to your program account before 12 months have passed will count towards your Points Advance.
Apr 16, 2013, 2:22 pm
#6
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 107
I do not see anything in the terms suggesting that closing a specific card triggers immediate repayment. As I read it, you have twelve months unless you close your Membership Rewards account, and your Gold card will keep the rewards account open.
http://www.membershiprewards.com/cat...rmsSplash.aspx
http://www.membershiprewards.com/cat...rmsSplash.aspx
Apr 16, 2013, 7:18 pm
#7
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Houston, TX, USA
Programs: UA 1K, AA Lifetime Platinum, DL Platinum, Honors Diamond, Bonvoy Titanium, Hertz Platinum
Posts: 7,969
Then your MR account closes when you close the enrolled card, and that will trigger the points advance repayment.
I would imagine that they'd charge it to the MR-linked card that you are closing on the final statement. They'd certainly have to do that if that was the only Amex card you had, so I don't see why they would make a special case for the situation of you having another Amex card that wasn't in MR.
any anecdotes on how AMEX handles it when you try to close that account with points advance outstanding? charge it to your other non-MR AMEX card accounts?
Apr 16, 2013, 9:37 pm
#8
Formerly known as stellertony
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: MEX
Programs: UA Gold, DL Gold, NEXUS, APEC
Posts: 1,146
Is the plat card personal or business? If it's personal, you may not be getting the signup bonus you're expecting…typically the terms are "Welcome bonus offer not available to applicants who have had this product within the last 12 months or any other Consumer ZYNC®, Green or Gold Card or Platinum Card® account within the last 90 days."
Apr 17, 2013, 4:10 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 13
Is the plat card personal or business? If it's personal, you may not be getting the signup bonus you're expecting…typically the terms are "Welcome bonus offer not available to applicants who have had this product within the last 12 months or any other Consumer ZYNC®, Green or Gold Card or Platinum Card® account within the last 90 days."
Should I be worried about this sign-up bonus?
Apr 17, 2013, 9:47 am
#10
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,954
If your personal Platinum Card account was still open when you applied for the Preferred Rewards Gold you are not eligible for a bonus. It does not matter when you opened the account. Eligibility is determined by the what is open (or how recently closed) at the time of application.
Apr 17, 2013, 10:41 am
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 13
If your personal Platinum Card account was still open when you applied for the Preferred Rewards Gold you are not eligible for a bonus. It does not matter when you opened the account. Eligibility is determined by the what is open (or how recently closed) at the time of application.
Apr 17, 2013, 12:19 pm
#12
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,954
Note that the Points Advance feature ends 7.1.2013:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...l#post20607472
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...l#post20607472
Apr 17, 2013, 4:52 pm
#13
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Arizona
Posts: 5,689
Since Points Advance is ending .......I will tell you that Amex waived the repayment fee in a case where I closed the account of someone related to me because they died. I have to give Amex high ratings in these situations.
May 20, 2013, 3:29 pm
#14
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 108
Advance on the MR points
Hey guys!
I'm a new Amex Business card owner, and I recently got in on the 75k promo for the Business Gold card. I made a charge to the card today that finally made it over the 5k spend (today's charge shows up as pending), but my statement closes in like 3 weeks. I may have a situation that I need to get a flight out from LHR to BOM this Saturday (5/25), and it looks like BA has award tickets available (checked both on BA and awardnexus), obviously with the stupid surcharge. Anyway, I have some Avios in my account, but would need to top it off to get the required Avios. Is there any way I can sneak this in? Or should I just resign myself to buying Avios (they are running a promo with 7k bonus points now).
Any info is helpful. I have a lot of miles on United as well, but it doesn't look like they have any availability. The only other points I have are on Virgin, which I may be able to take the Sunday flight, but not sure.
Thanks!
I'm a new Amex Business card owner, and I recently got in on the 75k promo for the Business Gold card. I made a charge to the card today that finally made it over the 5k spend (today's charge shows up as pending), but my statement closes in like 3 weeks. I may have a situation that I need to get a flight out from LHR to BOM this Saturday (5/25), and it looks like BA has award tickets available (checked both on BA and awardnexus), obviously with the stupid surcharge. Anyway, I have some Avios in my account, but would need to top it off to get the required Avios. Is there any way I can sneak this in? Or should I just resign myself to buying Avios (they are running a promo with 7k bonus points now).
Any info is helpful. I have a lot of miles on United as well, but it doesn't look like they have any availability. The only other points I have are on Virgin, which I may be able to take the Sunday flight, but not sure.
Thanks!
May 20, 2013, 3:49 pm
#15
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,954
American Express (USA) has a feature called Points Advance, but it will be eliminated next month:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ne-2013-a.html
Also, the feature has not always been available to new cardholders. When the pending charge clears the bonus points may post within a couple days. If not, or if you cannot wait, I suggest you call American Express customer service and explain that you would like to use the Points Advance feature to transfer XX,000 points to BA. You can only use Points Advance or Points Purchase as part of a transfer or other redemption, you cannot just add them to your Membership Rewards account.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ne-2013-a.html
Also, the feature has not always been available to new cardholders. When the pending charge clears the bonus points may post within a couple days. If not, or if you cannot wait, I suggest you call American Express customer service and explain that you would like to use the Points Advance feature to transfer XX,000 points to BA. You can only use Points Advance or Points Purchase as part of a transfer or other redemption, you cannot just add them to your Membership Rewards account.