Feb 26, 2016, 9:28 am
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.
If we identify you as currently having an American Express® Card account, you may not be eligible for this welcome bonus offer.
Points will be credited to your Membership Rewards account within 6 - 8 weeks after the spend requirement has been reached.
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.
Once-in-a-lifetime bonus policy now applies to both personal & BUSINESS cards [USA].
Jan 30, 2018, 5:59 pm
#286
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 143
Hmm, well..thanks for the information. I applied (& was approved) only last night. Pretty sure I won't have time to complete 12 months before the transition happens. If Amex interprets pre-emptive closure as abuse, then I'll just be converted to Chase and cancel. I think there ought to be plenty of other card options for me over the next 24 months, without having to go to the new Chase Marriott offering unless it is super-compelling. Although, I don't think Amex should interpret this as abuse. A closure would be for the sole reason that the Amex product is no longer going to be the product advertised. If I am able to complete 12 months on the card I applied for, I am glad to do so.
Jan 31, 2018, 6:59 pm
#287
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,934
That they put out such language doesn't prove that they want to enforce it widely, it just implies that they want to have the option to enforce if they don't "like" someone.
Feb 1, 2018, 12:24 pm
#288
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 309
I had SPG personal card that I closed in 2013, but 2 different AmEx Chat reps didnt list the card in the one I have ever had with them. The list they gave me included SPG business (so I cant apply for that) but does anyone have experience with how accurate AmEx chat reps are when it comes to figuring out previous cards.
Thanks
Thanks
Feb 9, 2018, 7:10 pm
#291
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 171
I receive targeted PRG biz card offers every few months. Today I finally got one without the one bonus per lifetime language with a supposedly unique reservation code. Any recent data points about actually receiving the sign up bonus a second time with such an offer? Thanks.
Mar 2, 2018, 2:50 pm
#292
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Radisson Rewards Gold, Best Western Diamond Select
Posts: 1,856
I have Amex Platinum personal but am thinking of closing this year. Would I be disqualified from earning Mercedes Benz bonus since I had a Platinum bonus before or are these considered separate products?
Mar 2, 2018, 5:01 pm
#293
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Truth or Consequences, NM
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, UA Silver, Mobile Passport Unobtanium
Posts: 6,194
Mar 5, 2018, 4:35 pm
#294
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,695
I called to cancel my green business card today and they offer to convert it to a PRG and I would be eligible for 50K/$5K spend even though I have had that card a few years ago. Can anyone confirm that an offer on the phone is not subject to the once per lifetime restriction? I specifically asked her that and she said that the restriction is not applicable to phone applications but I want to double check here first.
Mar 5, 2018, 5:16 pm
#295
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
I would say the restriction is not applicable to upgrades, but the telephone portion is unimportant. In any event the agent will read a great deal of text. Listen carefully. Make note of the date, time, phone number, agent's name etc to make it very easy for American Express to retrieve the audio recording if there is a disagreement later.
Mar 25, 2018, 7:16 am
#296
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: kalamazoo, mi
Programs: aadvantage
Posts: 126
once in a lifetime amex delta......?
Just found that my new AMEX Delta miles bonus would not be coming because I had a Delta gold card in 2011, ...? I didnt even remember having one 9 years ago...terrible rule. So I canc. the card, AMEX coulnd have cared less. CSR said OK, its done. Any way around this restriction? I would like to get some more "sky pesos" for a upcoming trip.
Last edited by rminky; Mar 25, 2018 at 7:17 am Reason: spelling
Mar 25, 2018, 8:01 am
#297
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Pittsburgh
Programs: MR/SPG LT Titanium, AA LT PLT, UA SLV, Avis PreferredPlus
Posts: 31,010
Guess what. They're in business to make money for their shareholders, not to give away miles on an ongoing basis so non-customers have enough points for a trip. And a "customer" cancelling a card that (s)he didn't even know about probably saves them processing costs on a card with no revenue - they're in favor of lowering costs of doing business.
Shocking, I know.
Shocking, I know.
Mar 25, 2018, 8:42 am
#298
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Land of 10,000 Upgrades
Posts: 9,465
The Amex one bonus per card rule is well established, and has been discussed exhaustively in the Amex forum which is where this thread belongs.
A moderator has been notified.