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].
Mar 27, 2018, 7:41 am
#316
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 1,857
It's safe if you simply want the card again. It's not safe if what you really want is the signup bonus.
Mar 27, 2018, 8:40 am
#317
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
Mar 27, 2018, 2:21 pm
#318
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Venice, Florida
Programs: Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,607
so confused with hilton amex
I got a hilton amex card a few months ago----its my second one--the other act I have had for several years--when I called to apply, I was told I was eligible for the welcome offer, 100,000 points---as long as I spent at least 3 K in first 6 months, and that even though I had another card, there was no exclusion. I have been waiting to see the points post, and when I called a few weeks ago they said I would see them soon. I called today, and the agent said there is a lifetime exclusion and my case does not merit the points, but he would open a case for me. I explained that if I had been told upfront that I wasnt eligible, I wouldnt have applied for the card and taken a ding to my credit history, but it looks like I was told wrong. Ha this happened to anyone?? I feel foolish--its not the end of the world, but it sure would be nice to get those points, which actualy bumped up to 125000 because I spent 4 K in first 3 months.Thanks in advance for your help.
Mar 27, 2018, 2:33 pm
#319
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
If they will not, please file a complaint here:
https://www.consumerfinance.gov/
Mar 27, 2018, 4:29 pm
#320
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Venice, Florida
Programs: Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,607
wow this whole thing really stinks. I had 4 k of purchases planned out and got the card just for that. hopefully that will work in my favor. if not, its a shame-just wierd that when called a few weeks ago they said the bonus would appear soon. oh well.
Mar 28, 2018, 12:34 pm
#322
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Venice, Florida
Programs: Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,607
Well let me put it this way--when I called I asked of this was different and if I was eligible for offer. when I called a few weeks ago I was told I should see the miles any time. yesterday its a case,lol. Its just a disapointment because I was excited about the miles!!!
Even though they told me yes, I should have known better!
Even though they told me yes, I should have known better!
Last edited by nlkm9; Mar 28, 2018 at 12:37 pm Reason: keft ut
Oct 31, 2018, 11:45 pm
#324
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 96
SPG Marriott vs Old Starwood
Is the current SPG Marriott (personal and business) considered the same product as the old SPG which gave 25k-35k bonus?
I closed the old SPG back in 2016, but am not sure if the current SPG Marriott (business and personal) are considered the same product.
I closed the old SPG back in 2016, but am not sure if the current SPG Marriott (business and personal) are considered the same product.
Nov 1, 2018, 3:03 pm
#325
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
Gosh, even the Amex Hilton card that did change names (Surpass -> Ascend) is still considered the same card (for signup bonus purposes).
Nov 1, 2018, 11:50 pm
#326
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 96
There's every reason to expect so, since it hasn't even changed names at this point. They'll only need to put in clarifying language about that once it has changed names. (You may be calling "SPG Marriott", but Amex isn't calling it that yet.)
Gosh, even the Amex Hilton card that did change names (Surpass -> Ascend) is still considered the same card (for signup bonus purposes).
Gosh, even the Amex Hilton card that did change names (Surpass -> Ascend) is still considered the same card (for signup bonus purposes).
Dec 20, 2018, 7:26 am
#327
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS
Programs: BAEC Gold, AA PPro, Hyatt Globalist, Amex Plat
Posts: 7,043
Feb 9, 2019, 1:54 pm
#330
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 333
Amex lifetime is really 7 years
DP: I had read this was likely the case, but now it is personally confirmed. I had had the regular Amex Hilton card several years ago (later upgraded to Surpass).
Late last year via chat I asked Amex which cards they had record of me having and that was not one of them. Since I have recently had every other possible Amex Hilton card, I self referred to the regular amex again for 100K points (plus 15K MR points) and just got the bonus. So lifetime language really does not mean lifetime with Amex. The game lives on.
Late last year via chat I asked Amex which cards they had record of me having and that was not one of them. Since I have recently had every other possible Amex Hilton card, I self referred to the regular amex again for 100K points (plus 15K MR points) and just got the bonus. So lifetime language really does not mean lifetime with Amex. The game lives on.