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 3, 2016, 6:32 pm
#46
Join Date: Jan 2016
Programs: AA, Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton
Posts: 501
Mar 4, 2016, 9:35 am
#47
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,857
I don't think this information has been posted very publically up to this point, but it looks like it wouldn't really matter if bloggers picked it up now anyway. Correct me if I'm wrong, and I'll delete this post.
If you apply for two cards in the same day, Amex's system doesn't pick up on the fact that you already have one. For example, if you get two SPG business cards in the same day (say, one with an SSN and one with an EIN), you can get the bonus on both. Hopefully this helps somebody close this party out with a bang.
If you apply for two cards in the same day, Amex's system doesn't pick up on the fact that you already have one. For example, if you get two SPG business cards in the same day (say, one with an SSN and one with an EIN), you can get the bonus on both. Hopefully this helps somebody close this party out with a bang.
Mar 4, 2016, 9:39 am
#48
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,857
Does anyone know Amex's policy on re-opening closed cards within a few days? I closed one a few days ago, specifically to reset my 12-month timer, and I really wasn't sure if I wanted to close it or not. (I obviously hadn't been spending enough time on FT, and hadn't seen this discussion). With this development, I've got no reason for the card to be closed, and would rather it be open again. Anyone have a clue if they do that?
Mar 4, 2016, 11:58 am
#49
Join Date: Jan 2013
Programs: Hyatt Glb, MR Plat
Posts: 2,577
Mar 4, 2016, 5:29 pm
#50
Join Date: May 2011
Programs: Spg Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 1,578
Does anyone know Amex's policy on re-opening closed cards within a few days? I closed one a few days ago, specifically to reset my 12-month timer, and I really wasn't sure if I wanted to close it or not. (I obviously hadn't been spending enough time on FT, and hadn't seen this discussion). With this development, I've got no reason for the card to be closed, and would rather it be open again. Anyone have a clue if they do that?
I have done it more than once . Within 30 days without a hard pull . Tell them you thought it over , and you made a mistake
Mar 23, 2016, 7:59 am
#53
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 1,516
Wait! I can still display the 25,000 point Business card offer with 12 month language following these steps:
- Click: https://www262.americanexpress.com/a...pg/100/spg-241
- Look: The URL of the loaded page must end with "241". If it has advanced to a higher number you will not see the 12-month language.
- Click: [Learn more]
- Look: The URL of the loaded page must end with "241".
- Click: [Apply]
- Check: The terms of the offer. No guarantee this will work.
Mar 23, 2016, 8:03 am
#54
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 1,516
I think I read about it somewhere but don't remember anyway.
I was browsing Amex offers on my personal cards and found an offer for opening a business gold amex for 75K MR points in 3 months. Reading T&C and I don't see any restrictions at all - either 12 months or one in lifetime. Did anybody have the same offer? I am afraid to pull a trigger (I closed mine 2 months ago), but if there is no restrictions for having this card in the past, I probably will pull a trigger (offer expires March 31).
I was browsing Amex offers on my personal cards and found an offer for opening a business gold amex for 75K MR points in 3 months. Reading T&C and I don't see any restrictions at all - either 12 months or one in lifetime. Did anybody have the same offer? I am afraid to pull a trigger (I closed mine 2 months ago), but if there is no restrictions for having this card in the past, I probably will pull a trigger (offer expires March 31).
Mar 23, 2016, 8:14 am
#55
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,955
There are many targeted offers for various cards without prior account exclusions. It appears this is American Express' 2016 marketing strategy.
Mar 24, 2016, 8:21 am
#57
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 8,460
Mar 24, 2016, 9:21 am
#58
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,955
Mar 24, 2016, 11:13 am
#59
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 8,460
American Express regards the individual as the applicant, not the business. (You must provide your Social Security number on the application, even if you also provide a EIN.) Therefore, if you have had the same card before you will be able to open it again, but not to receive a bonus unless you you receive a targeted offer without the exclusion.
Mar 25, 2016, 6:43 pm
#60
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 845
American Express regards the individual as the applicant, not the business. (You must provide your Social Security number on the application, even if you also provide a EIN.) Therefore, if you have had the same card before you will be able to open it again, but not to receive a bonus unless you you receive a targeted offer without the exclusion.