Apr 22, 2015, 10:57 am
Last edit by: mia
Effective June 2017 the USA Business Platinum airfare Pay-with-Points refund was reduced to 35%. This brings the net value to $0.0153 per point, essentially the same as Chase Sapphire Reserve's Pay-with-Points redemption rate.
USA Business Centurion cardholders will continue to receive a 50% refund. The Centurion version is also broader than the Platinum benefit:
Centurion: beginning October 6, 2016 you will get 50% Membership Rewards® points back when you use the Pay with Points feature for all or part of a flight on any airline. The maximum rebate per calendar year for Centurion members is (_______?)
Platinum: Business Platinum Card Members will receive 5 extra points for every 10 points they redeem for either a First or Business class flight on any airline, or for flights with their selected qualifying airline using Membership Rewards Pay with Points with American Express Travel (35% Airline Bonus). The maximum rebate per calendar year for Business Platinum Card Members is 1,000,000 points.
FAQ
Q1. How does the process work?
A1. Here is an example, buying a $1,000.00 ticket:
Q2. Must the Business Centurion or Platinum card be used to purchase the ticket?
A2. When the benefit was refreshed in October 2016 you could pay with any card linked to the same Membership Rewards account, but it appears this changed in April 2017.
Q3. Will I earn Membership Rewards points on the purchase price?
A3. You will not earn base points, but you may earn bonus points if you pay with a card that awards a bonus for airline ticket purchases, such as Business Platinum, Personal Platinum, Business Rewards Gold, Premier Rewards Gold.
Q4. What happens if I cancel the ticket?
A4. There are mixed reports, but in most examples the cost of the ticket is refunded (a second time) to the card account. In one example American Express refunded the remainder of the points instead. If you prefer the points refunded rather than a cash credit, phone into AMEX and they will restore the points and remove the credit.
Q5. Can this benefit be combined with the International Airline Program companion ticket?
A5. One poster was told no, but another was able to do so.
USA Business Centurion cardholders will continue to receive a 50% refund. The Centurion version is also broader than the Platinum benefit:
Centurion: beginning October 6, 2016 you will get 50% Membership Rewards® points back when you use the Pay with Points feature for all or part of a flight on any airline. The maximum rebate per calendar year for Centurion members is (_______?)
Platinum: Business Platinum Card Members will receive 5 extra points for every 10 points they redeem for either a First or Business class flight on any airline, or for flights with their selected qualifying airline using Membership Rewards Pay with Points with American Express Travel (35% Airline Bonus). The maximum rebate per calendar year for Business Platinum Card Members is 1,000,000 points.
FAQ
Q1. How does the process work?
A1. Here is an example, buying a $1,000.00 ticket:
- $1,000 charged to American Express card [Day 1]
- 100,000 Membership Rewards points redeemed [Day 1]
- $1,000 credited to American Express card [Day 2]
- _35,000 Membership Rewards points returned [~a month later]
- Net: $1,000 ticket for 65,000 points = $0.0154/point
Q2. Must the Business Centurion or Platinum card be used to purchase the ticket?
A2. When the benefit was refreshed in October 2016 you could pay with any card linked to the same Membership Rewards account, but it appears this changed in April 2017.
Q3. Will I earn Membership Rewards points on the purchase price?
A3. You will not earn base points, but you may earn bonus points if you pay with a card that awards a bonus for airline ticket purchases, such as Business Platinum, Personal Platinum, Business Rewards Gold, Premier Rewards Gold.
Q4. What happens if I cancel the ticket?
A4. There are mixed reports, but in most examples the cost of the ticket is refunded (a second time) to the card account. In one example American Express refunded the remainder of the points instead. If you prefer the points refunded rather than a cash credit, phone into AMEX and they will restore the points and remove the credit.
Q5. Can this benefit be combined with the International Airline Program companion ticket?
A5. One poster was told no, but another was able to do so.
Pay-with-Points flights. BUSINESS Centurion 50% refund, Plat 35%, Gold 25% (2015-23)
Oct 21, 2017, 10:12 am
#796
Join Date: Feb 2000
Posts: 6,546
Pay with points withdrawn on 09/13/2017 listed as Points for Amex Trvl.
The 50% rebate credited on 10/15/2017 listed as Airline Bonus: Pay With Points.
Pay with points withdrawn on 09/15/2017 listed as Points for Amex Trvl.
The 50% rebate has not credited to date.
The 50% rebate credited on 10/15/2017 listed as Airline Bonus: Pay With Points.
Pay with points withdrawn on 09/15/2017 listed as Points for Amex Trvl.
The 50% rebate has not credited to date.
Oct 25, 2017, 12:05 pm
#797
Join Date: Feb 2000
Posts: 6,546
surprised no request for me to wait 10-12 weeks.
Oct 26, 2017, 3:55 pm
#799
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Charlotte NC USA
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA Exec Plat, Alaska 75k, IHG Diamond, Wyndham Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 863
Understood, but because the 50/35% refund is a feature of Business Platinum American Express set the software to recognize these transactions, and not award any points. This has apparently not been done for other cards, perhaps because very few people who have a Business Platinum have tried paying with a different card.
So here's my question: anyone have data points on paying with other MR cards, like Premier Rewards Gold or Business Rewards Gold?
Oct 29, 2017, 9:45 am
#800
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,603
Does a mixed class ticket qualify for the rebate?
Considering a roundtrip ticket on an airline that is not my designated airline... First Class on the outbound, (throwaway) Economy ticket on the return.
Roughly $2,400 for the RT with 95% of the value attributed to the First Class portion. Would this qualify for the rebate? MR agent seemed clueless when I called to inquire.
Considering a roundtrip ticket on an airline that is not my designated airline... First Class on the outbound, (throwaway) Economy ticket on the return.
Roughly $2,400 for the RT with 95% of the value attributed to the First Class portion. Would this qualify for the rebate? MR agent seemed clueless when I called to inquire.
Nov 1, 2017, 7:24 pm
#801
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: TYO
Programs: Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,744
If I cancel a booking and they refund cash, will it be a hassle a month later to get the 50% rebate?
im worried Amex will force me to cash out my points at 1cpp.
im worried Amex will force me to cash out my points at 1cpp.
Nov 1, 2017, 7:39 pm
#802
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 742
I would think if you have other MR cards you'll get it. But even with 35% rebate its a great perk. makes the blue cash+ 3.08% cb! I have always had great amex offers which make up for the fee when you add in the $200 cred (to ua registry). This doesn't count as one of your 5 amex credit cards so if you can regularly use offers like $100 credit for att/directv $150 purchase, its a keeper. Last year was $250 off $1250 sams club or something. transferring to the likes of ana or even aeroplan i often do better, but I use the amex lounges and will keep that for <$150 out of pocket.
Nov 2, 2017, 2:46 pm
#803
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SAN
Programs: Delta Gold. Hilton Diamond. Hyatt Explorist.
Posts: 1,677
You can call Amex and have them reverse the transaction. They will give you your points back and debit your account. I did that once because I didn't want them to think I was gaming by trying to cash out my points.
Nov 5, 2017, 2:47 pm
#804
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 1,610
As I understand it, there is now a 500,000 annual cap on the bonus points you can earn through this rebate program (when amex changed the rebate from 50% to 35%)
My question if someone has successful data points .... for folks who are still under the grandfathered 50% rebate within the first year, do you have the 500000 cap on the miles you can get through this program, or is that also part of the exception.
Edit: Found my answer. No cap for people who are grandfathered till their anniversary date. Got an email confirming this from amex.
My question if someone has successful data points .... for folks who are still under the grandfathered 50% rebate within the first year, do you have the 500000 cap on the miles you can get through this program, or is that also part of the exception.
Edit: Found my answer. No cap for people who are grandfathered till their anniversary date. Got an email confirming this from amex.
Nov 13, 2017, 12:36 pm
#805
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: AA lifetime platinum; Hyatt diamond;
Posts: 51
Points back for "Pay with Points" now takes 8-12 weeks!
One of the best feature of my business platinum card was points back for Pay with Points on business/first class airline tickets. They used to process points back pretty fast. Back in early this year, it only took 2-3 days for the bonus points posted. Then they changed it to 1 month. Now they've changed it to 8-12 weeks to give us bonus points!!!
I asked rep why it takes 3 months to post bonus points. She told me when the feature was initially released not many users used it, so bonus points were process quickly. Now more and more users are using it, so it takes 3 months. lol. I feel I am being fooled.
I asked rep why it takes 3 months to post bonus points. She told me when the feature was initially released not many users used it, so bonus points were process quickly. Now more and more users are using it, so it takes 3 months. lol. I feel I am being fooled.
Nov 13, 2017, 1:07 pm
#806
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,959
Nov 14, 2017, 8:00 am
#807
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Columbia, SC
Programs: AA Plat, SPG/Marriot Gold, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Expl
Posts: 2,363
My most recent rebate posted (still) 31 days after the eligible airfare purchase.
Nov 14, 2017, 8:07 am
#808
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,603
Last week, both the 35% and the grandfathered 15% posted on the same day. It was 30 days after the original ticket purchase.
Nov 23, 2017, 9:45 am
#809
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: New York NY 10021
Programs: Delta PM
Posts: 30
Using 50% Business Platinum rebate while I can
hi all-december 14 is my deadline for buying tickets and getting 50% back. I've bought all the tickets I can use in the next 11 months and have 150,000 MR points left. My best thought for taking full advantage is to buy Jetblue Mint ticket (since Delta is my airline I need to buy Mint) and then cancel them. Since I'm a mosaic they will put the money in my travel bank. I'll have about 18 months to spend the money.
But there must be something smarter. What have others done?
But there must be something smarter. What have others done?
Nov 23, 2017, 10:14 am
#810
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,959
MR (USA) to JetBlue (B6) 25% transfer bonus to 11.30.2017
If you transferred the Membership Rewards points to JetBlue what would be the redemption value?
If you transferred the Membership Rewards points to JetBlue what would be the redemption value?