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Once-in-a-lifetime bonus policy now applies to both personal & BUSINESS cards [USA].

Old Feb 26, 2016, 9:28 am
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Last edit by: beltway
For earlier discussion of the restriction's application to personal cards, see Put a fork in it 5.1.2014: One bonus per personal card per person "lifetime" [USA].

It is essential to read the terms of the specific offer, but in general:

This offer is also not available to applicants who have or have had this product.
  • You can only earn one new account bonus for each card issued by American Express in the USA. We do not know precisely how far back American Express looks to see if you have previously held the same card, but there is anecdotal evidence that the Customer Service database looks back only seven years. This means that if you cancelled a card in 2007 or earlier, and have not held it since, you will probably qualify for a new account bonus in 2015.
  • Holding a related card does not disqualify earning a new account bonus. Examples: Green, Gold, and Platinum are each separate products. Delta Gold, Platinum and Reserve are each separate products. The Hilton credit card is a different product than Hilton Surpass.
  • Holding a Supplementary Card (authorized user) on someone else's account does not disqualify you from earning a new acount bonus if you open the same card type in your own name.
  • As of mid-February 2016, Amex appears to be adding the same restriction to its business card products.
  • If you receive a targeted offer, online or through the USPS, for a card which you have previously held you may, or may not, actually receive the bonus. Be certain to save a copy of the offer, and to read and save every screen which appears during the application process.
  • Upgrade offers are different from new account offers. You may be offered a bonus to upgrade (for example) a Gold Card to a Platinum Card, and you may be eligible for that bonus even if you previously held a Platinum card. It is still essential to read and save the terms of the offer.

If we identify you as currently having an American Express Card account, you may not be eligible for this welcome bonus offer.
  • This language appeared in the Spring of 2013, a year before the once-in-a lifetime policy was announced. The key term is "may", which gives American Express discretion to award or withhold the bonus.
  • To reduce the risk that the automated system will deny a new account bonus, RIGHT click the application link and open the application in a Private or Incognito browser window. American Express will still know that you are a current cardholder, but the system will not flag your application.

Points will be credited to your Membership Rewards account within 6 - 8 weeks after the spend requirement has been reached.
  • In practice it is not possible to know when American Express's system will credit a bonus to your rewards account. It may happen immediately after you meet the target spend, or it may happen when the next statement (or the following statement) is generated, or it may take the full eight weeks.
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Once-in-a-lifetime bonus policy now applies to both personal & BUSINESS cards [USA].

Old Feb 18, 2017, 11:25 am
  #211  
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: UA-1K, MM, Hilton-Diamond, Marriott-Titanium
Posts: 4,419
Just did a chat with Amex rep re the SPG personal. Was advised never had Amex personal and I would be eligible for the 35k current bonus, even though at one time I had, and xld, the SPG business. Do they actually know what they are talking about or was he wrong?
cruisr is offline  
Old Feb 18, 2017, 11:54 am
  #212  
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
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Originally Posted by cruisr
Just did a chat with Amex rep re the SPG personal. Was advised never had Amex personal and I would be eligible for the 35k current bonus, even though at one time I had, and xld, the SPG business. Do they actually know what they are talking about or was he wrong?
Personal and business cards are considered different products. I received the the bonus for each.
Ed Janowsky is offline  
Old Feb 19, 2017, 8:13 pm
  #213  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 615
I understand that AMEX only gives 1 lifetime signon bonus for business and 1 lifetime one for personal. Once you get them, you will never get a sign on bonus for a new card.

If that's correct, and I intend to get both the AMEX plat and SPG personal at some point, which one should I spring for to get the one time personal card bonus?
gumercindo is offline  
Old Feb 19, 2017, 9:18 pm
  #214  
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: US/TYO/LON
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Originally Posted by gumercindo
I understand that AMEX only gives 1 lifetime signon bonus for business and 1 lifetime one for personal. Once you get them, you will never get a sign on bonus for a new card.

If that's correct, and I intend to get both the AMEX plat and SPG personal at some point, which one should I spring for to get the one time personal card bonus?
The bonus is only once per product. Amex Plat and SPG are different products, so you can get bonus on both cards, assuming you haven't got one before.
porphyra is offline  
Old Feb 21, 2017, 1:53 pm
  #215  
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 1
Originally Posted by Ed Janowsky
Personal and business cards are considered different products. I received the the bonus for each.
Unbelievably, Amex MR Customer Service told me yesterday that Business Platinum and personal Platinum were considered the same product.

This was their way of justifying the claw back of a 100,000 point bonus I recently got on a personal Platinum, a product I've never had previously.

Do I have any recourse here?
jetable is offline  
Old Feb 21, 2017, 2:11 pm
  #216  
mia
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend; Moderator: American Express, Capital One, Citi, Chase, Credit Card Programs, Diners Club, Signatures
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
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Originally Posted by jetable
Do I have any recourse here?
Yes, but they will likely abandon that explanation and offer another. What did you buy to satisfy the minimum spending requirement?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...tion-help.html
mia is online now  
Old Feb 21, 2017, 8:07 pm
  #217  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 615
Originally Posted by porphyra
The bonus is only once per product. Amex Plat and SPG are different products, so you can get bonus on both cards, assuming you haven't got one before.
Thanks. I just got an offer to upgrade my current everyday green card to AMEX gold and get 15k MR points. If I get this, I assume if I apply for the AMEX plat, that would be considered a different product and thus I'd still get the bonus for that signup?
gumercindo is offline  
Old Feb 22, 2017, 7:28 am
  #218  
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Jacksonville, AR
Programs: Hilton - Diamond; SPG/Marriott - Gold
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Originally Posted by gumercindo
Thanks. I just got an offer to upgrade my current everyday green card to AMEX gold and get 15k MR points. If I get this, I assume if I apply for the AMEX plat, that would be considered a different product and thus I'd still get the bonus for that signup?
You should be able to get both signup bonuses as I got them both for the gold and plat. Following that line of thought, it would seem to make more sense to apply for the gold instead of upgrading as the gold usually has a minimum 30k MR points offer and currently has a 50k offer.
Blind and Green is offline  
Old Feb 22, 2017, 8:17 am
  #219  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 615
Originally Posted by Blind and Green
You should be able to get both signup bonuses as I got them both for the gold and plat. Following that line of thought, it would seem to make more sense to apply for the gold instead of upgrading as the gold usually has a minimum 30k MR points offer and currently has a 50k offer.

True but I was hoping to keep either the gold or green. If i apply for a new, I'm stuck with 2 and I don't want to cancel my green (open for 20+ years and a $55 AF).

I think I will open a gold...
gumercindo is offline  
Old Feb 22, 2017, 8:33 pm
  #220  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 728
Originally Posted by jetable
Unbelievably, Amex MR Customer Service told me yesterday that Business Platinum and personal Platinum were considered the same product.

This was their way of justifying the claw back of a 100,000 point bonus I recently got on a personal Platinum, a product I've never had previously.

Do I have any recourse here?
file a complaint with the CFPB to begin with. Fairly easy process.

https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/
g8trgr8t is offline  
Old Mar 5, 2017, 2:07 pm
  #221  
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Chicago
Posts: 231
Amex SPG business Card bonus second time!!

I got my first SPG biz card on 07/06/12. I received 25K points. closed the card on 07/12/13. I totally forgot I had the card. I wanted the spg biz for Sheraton lounge access. On 11/15/16, I applied again and was approved. I spent 5k on the card and woila, I got another 25k points. I was very surprised I received the bonus again. I know with Amex's once-a-life-time rule. I am probably the exception and not the rule. But I just want to share my data point.
windcloud5 is offline  
Old Mar 5, 2017, 9:52 pm
  #222  
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
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I've gotten Delta bonus again, buts it's been many years since I had them (maybe 7).
beachfan is offline  
Old Mar 6, 2017, 7:48 am
  #223  
mia
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend; Moderator: American Express, Capital One, Citi, Chase, Credit Card Programs, Diners Club, Signatures
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
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Originally Posted by windcloud5
...closed the card on 07/12/13.... On 11/15/16...I got another 25k points. ....
Thank you, the specifics are helpful. We know that bonuses work after seven years, but this was after three.
mia is online now  
Old Mar 7, 2017, 1:30 pm
  #224  
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: LAX
Programs: Delta Silver, Marriott Gold, HH Diamond, Ex-UA Gold, Ex-AA Gold , Ex-SPG Gold, Peon everywhere else
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Originally Posted by windcloud5
I got my first SPG biz card on 07/06/12. I received 25K points. closed the card on 07/12/13. I totally forgot I had the card. I wanted the spg biz for Sheraton lounge access. On 11/15/16, I applied again and was approved. I spent 5k on the card and woila, I got another 25k points.
Me and the wife applied for the No Fee HH card last year and received the bonus points after meeting the spend. We had applied and receive a bonus in late 2010 or early 2011. Those 2010/2011 cards were converted/upgraded to the Surpass' in Sept of 2013 (we got an upgrade bonus). So I don't know if the fact that we converted to a Surpass made a difference, but our timeline was a little over 5-1/2 years between applications.
eknock007 is offline  
Old Mar 8, 2017, 9:51 pm
  #225  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 19
Hi all,

I got the SPG personal card around 2005. I probably got some signup bonus but I'm not sure. I closed the card within the past year. Given that I originally signed up so long ago, think there's any chance that I could get a second bonus were I to apply again now?
flizzo is offline  

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