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].
Aug 5, 2016, 7:20 am
#121
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 1,516
I had an offer in my "Amex offers" for Business Platinum (75K MR/$5K) for a while, expiration was 7/31 and few days before that I saw that expiration date was extended to 11/30. I decided to wait and now I don't see this offer in my Offers anymore. Only Plum card is there.
Anybody else see this thing? I wonder if Business Platinum offer would come back.
Anybody else see this thing? I wonder if Business Platinum offer would come back.
Aug 7, 2016, 10:19 pm
#124
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
How much patience do you have?
In the Amex Everyday 15k-25k offers thread, someone recently mentioned having to try hundreds of times before they got the 25k offer to finally show up once. Someone else only tried for only one hundred times and failed.
In the Amex Everyday 15k-25k offers thread, someone recently mentioned having to try hundreds of times before they got the 25k offer to finally show up once. Someone else only tried for only one hundred times and failed.
Aug 9, 2016, 6:28 am
#125
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,161
Received a usps mailing last week inviting me to a Platinum card with 450$ AF and 50k MR upon 5k$ spend in 3 months.
I had the Amex Plat about 3 years ago (March 2013) for 100k MR and 3k spend which I cancelled in January 2014. In unrelated news I also had the Ameriprise Plat from July 2014 to July 2016. I got an Everyday in September 2015.
The papers and fine print in the invite had none of the language about past history as shown in the wiki. 🤔
Not really rushing to get the 50k offer (100 or 75k would get me excited) but wanted to add a datapoint to the discussion.
I had the Amex Plat about 3 years ago (March 2013) for 100k MR and 3k spend which I cancelled in January 2014. In unrelated news I also had the Ameriprise Plat from July 2014 to July 2016. I got an Everyday in September 2015.
The papers and fine print in the invite had none of the language about past history as shown in the wiki. 🤔
Not really rushing to get the 50k offer (100 or 75k would get me excited) but wanted to add a datapoint to the discussion.
Aug 10, 2016, 12:17 pm
#126
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 13
AMEX BGR 75K offer not awarded... Cancel?
Received solicitation offer in mail for AMEX BGR. Have multiple businesses. Already have one BGR for a different business, but tied to same account holder. Met $10K spend requirement. Called AMEX regarding awards. Was told no award will be issued since its my 2nd card.
Considering they solicited me for the card, and that I met minimum spend on it, if I call to cancel, will their retention department have the power to award the points to keep the card active? Or is it likely they will just let me cancel with no retention effort?
What have others experienced with this?
Thanks
K
Considering they solicited me for the card, and that I met minimum spend on it, if I call to cancel, will their retention department have the power to award the points to keep the card active? Or is it likely they will just let me cancel with no retention effort?
What have others experienced with this?
Thanks
K
Aug 10, 2016, 1:12 pm
#127
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 46
Received solicitation offer in mail for AMEX BGR. Have multiple businesses. Already have one BGR for a different business, but tied to same account holder. Met $10K spend requirement. Called AMEX regarding awards. Was told no award will be issued since its my 2nd card.
Considering they solicited me for the card, and that I met minimum spend on it, if I call to cancel, will their retention department have the power to award the points to keep the card active? Or is it likely they will just let me cancel with no retention effort?
What have others experienced with this?
Thanks
K
Considering they solicited me for the card, and that I met minimum spend on it, if I call to cancel, will their retention department have the power to award the points to keep the card active? Or is it likely they will just let me cancel with no retention effort?
What have others experienced with this?
Thanks
K
The language in the offers are normally pretty black and white, and they already received $$$ from your 10k in transaction swipe fees. I wouldn't be surprised if they just let you cancel.
Aug 10, 2016, 1:18 pm
#128
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 13
I'll post back when I clear the card and cancel and share my experience here.
Thanks
K
Aug 10, 2016, 1:58 pm
#129
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
Your annual fee was waived the first year, right? Because if not, you'd want to cancel this month rather than later:
Aug 10, 2016, 2:18 pm
#130
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: DCA
Posts: 818
I tried calling a few months ago for a retention offer on a BGR card which was 6 months old, I had opened it for an offer of 75k MR/10k spend which I met, followed by little spending. Unlike my Biz Plat which I opened at the same time, no retention offer was given (presumably since no AF refund would be due had I proceeded to cancel, given that it's fee-free for first year). That being said - couldn't hurt to try. And report back if you get anything 
Aug 11, 2016, 8:10 pm
#131
Join Date: May 2000
Location: HH Gold, Marriott Gold, PC Plat, Emirates Silver
Posts: 2,678
I cancelled the BRG card abut 2 weeks ago and now I have an offer in my "Amex offers" for another Business Gold (50K MR/$5K). I see no language excluding previous card holders.
I'd love to be greedy and try this but would hate to spend the $5k and get no bonus.
I'd love to be greedy and try this but would hate to spend the $5k and get no bonus.
Aug 12, 2016, 1:18 pm
#132
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Andover, MA, 01810
Posts: 1,972
Where exactly are these offers for new amex cards? When you say "amex offers" do you mean that you log in for a different card, and then look in the middle of the page next to all the other merchant offers?
Aug 14, 2016, 8:58 am
#133
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 3,706
Question:
"This offer is also not available to applicants who have or have had this product."
Does anyone know, if I had the card before but didn't get any bonus, if I get the card again with a bonus offer, does that preclude me from getting the bonus?
The language seems to restrict by if you ever had the card, not if you ever got a bonus on the card, but wanted to see if there are data points.
"This offer is also not available to applicants who have or have had this product."
Does anyone know, if I had the card before but didn't get any bonus, if I get the card again with a bonus offer, does that preclude me from getting the bonus?
The language seems to restrict by if you ever had the card, not if you ever got a bonus on the card, but wanted to see if there are data points.
Aug 15, 2016, 8:26 am
#134
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.
Spend met and points posted a few days ago. Glorious.
Aug 18, 2016, 6:05 am
#135
Join Date: May 2000
Location: HH Gold, Marriott Gold, PC Plat, Emirates Silver
Posts: 2,678