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].
May 8, 2016, 1:27 pm
#106
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist, *A Silver
Posts: 4,896
Data point on targeted offers: having had the business premier gold before (albeit 3+ years ago), I received a targeted offer of getting 50k points after $5k spend in 3m, and another 25k points after another $5k spend in 3m. $10k spent and paid in 2 weeks, 75k+ points posted before statement closed.
May 19, 2016, 2:18 pm
#107
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 6
Hi -
I received a targeted offer for the Business Platinum when i logged into the website (short application- no mention of once in a lifetime policy). But, I currently have the same card opened a year ago which I plan to cancel. Will I get the bonus again?
Thanks.
I received a targeted offer for the Business Platinum when i logged into the website (short application- no mention of once in a lifetime policy). But, I currently have the same card opened a year ago which I plan to cancel. Will I get the bonus again?
Thanks.
May 21, 2016, 12:52 am
#108
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
Posts: 616
Datapoint:
Wife applied for the no-fee Hilton card in Nov 2010, received the bonus points sometime in January of 2011. In March of 2013 converted to Hilton Surpass (50K bonus points). Surpass is still open. She re-applied and got approved for the no-fee 75K using a public link (Incognito) in late March. $1k spend was performed on May 10th. 75K bonus points were credited to her Hilton account today May 20th.
Nov 2010 to March 2016 is 5-1/2 years. I am thinking the Surpass conversion had something to do with it, but then again maybe AMEX is relaxing their 7-year/ once-in-a-lifetime rule.
Wife applied for the no-fee Hilton card in Nov 2010, received the bonus points sometime in January of 2011. In March of 2013 converted to Hilton Surpass (50K bonus points). Surpass is still open. She re-applied and got approved for the no-fee 75K using a public link (Incognito) in late March. $1k spend was performed on May 10th. 75K bonus points were credited to her Hilton account today May 20th.
Nov 2010 to March 2016 is 5-1/2 years. I am thinking the Surpass conversion had something to do with it, but then again maybe AMEX is relaxing their 7-year/ once-in-a-lifetime rule.
May 21, 2016, 4:56 pm
#109
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 6
Targeted Amex Business Platinum
Does anyone has a similar datapoint?
Jun 12, 2016, 6:10 pm
#113
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: MSP
Programs: Free Agent
Posts: 147
Received targeted Business Gold card in mail for 75k MR for 5k in 3 months.
Have had this card twice; once for each business that i have; was targeted for both of them within the last 3 years. Both are now closed.
This time it came to my personal address; likely due to having the personal PRG card, among others.
Worth a shot so applied and approved for today. I used one of my business again with its tax id. (vs. making personal with my ss)
Ill run the 5k in a month or so and report back.
Have had this card twice; once for each business that i have; was targeted for both of them within the last 3 years. Both are now closed.
This time it came to my personal address; likely due to having the personal PRG card, among others.
Worth a shot so applied and approved for today. I used one of my business again with its tax id. (vs. making personal with my ss)
Ill run the 5k in a month or so and report back.
Jun 13, 2016, 11:45 am
#114
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
Programs: WN Companion Pass, A-list preferred, Hyatt Globalist; United Club Lietime (sic) Member
Posts: 21,624
Now I have to figure out what to do with SPG points before the merger. I'm sure the advice here on FT will be good.
Jun 21, 2016, 12:27 pm
#115
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: LAX
Posts: 10,909
I received an RSVP code from Amex by e-mail to apply for the Platinum. The terms had no language on once in a lifetime bonus. I had the same card before. I applied and was approved. Today I chatted with Amex and the rep told me that I would not be eligible for the offer if I had the card before. Any experience with those targeted offers without the once in a lifetime bonus language and actually getting the bonus?
Jun 27, 2016, 11:58 am
#118
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,955
Jun 28, 2016, 9:41 am
#119
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist, *A Silver
Posts: 4,896
Jun 30, 2016, 11:29 am
#120
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 714