Jan 7, 2017, 4:18 pm
Last edit by: mia
Referrals and self-referrals are an important part of maximizing rewards from Canadian-issued American Express cards. It is appropriate to discuss how the referral process works in this thread. However, please do not offer or request referrals here. Use only this thread, and do read the Wikipost carefully before posting: Referral Offers (post only in this thread, no referral links, read Wiki post first).
This thread is a continuation of: Churning Amex in Canada (2016). All the listed offers below are still valid as of January 2017.
Jerry: Aug 2017 latest update, all-in-one summary
New as of Mar 23, 2017, minimum spend up to $3000 now
AMEX Platinum Rewards - $699/year, 60K MR (via referral) after $3000 spending in 3 months vs. 50K non-referral
New as of March 23 2016.
AMEX Business Platinum Rewards - $399/year, 75K MR (via referral) after $5000 spending in 3 months vs. 40K non-referral
Updated as of July 21, 2017
AMEX Gold Rewards - $150/year, FYF, 25K MR after $1500 spending + $50/$60 cashback from GCR. New as of Jan 15, 2017, on a referred signup: and an additional 5,000 Membership Rewards points for one approved Supplementary Card added to your account at time of online application. That’s a total of 30,000 Membership Rewards points.
AMEX Business Gold Rewards - $250/year, FYF, 30K MR after $5000 spending (or 40K via referral)
AMEX Air Miles Platinum - $65/year, 2000 Air Miles after $1500 spending + $30 GCR cashback
July 18-Oct 18, 2017 - welcome offer increased 5K to 25K.
Sep 28, 2017 - Personal and Business SPG bonus drops from 10K to 5K per approved referral.
AMEX SPG - $120/year, 25K SPG after $1500 spending + $30 GCR cashback
- if you applied recently for the SPG card at the 20K welcome level, try contacting Amex by Secured Message to ask if they can match the current 25K offer. Several successful datapoints have surfaced with manual addition of 5K at next statement. YMMV.
New as of July 2016
AMEX Aeroplan Plus Platinum - $499/year, 50K Aeroplans after $1000 spending in 3 months (or 51K via referral). The 50K/51K, extra 10K promo expired on April 01, 2016, but started up again July - Sep 30th, 2016.
New card as of Sep 25 2017
AMEX Cobalt CREDIT card - $10/month ($120 annually)
Apply through GCR for $50 Rebate https://www.greatcanadianrebates.ca/...s/Amex-Cobalt/
This is not an all-inclusive list, only the "good" offers, so feel free to add new offers.
AMEX Platinum Rewards
- Earn 15K MR for each referral you make
(Note: from Mar 23 - Jun 29 the bonuses were 75K welcome and 25K referral points)
AMEX Business Platinum Rewards
- Earn 25K MR for each referral you make
AMEX Gold Rewards
- Earn 10k MR for each referal you make.
This thread is a continuation of: Churning Amex in Canada (2016). All the listed offers below are still valid as of January 2017.
Jerry: Aug 2017 latest update, all-in-one summary
New as of Mar 23, 2017, minimum spend up to $3000 now
AMEX Platinum Rewards - $699/year, 60K MR (via referral) after $3000 spending in 3 months vs. 50K non-referral
New as of March 23 2016.
AMEX Business Platinum Rewards - $399/year, 75K MR (via referral) after $5000 spending in 3 months vs. 40K non-referral
Updated as of July 21, 2017
AMEX Gold Rewards - $150/year, FYF, 25K MR after $1500 spending + $50/$60 cashback from GCR. New as of Jan 15, 2017, on a referred signup: and an additional 5,000 Membership Rewards points for one approved Supplementary Card added to your account at time of online application. That’s a total of 30,000 Membership Rewards points.
- July 11, 2017, Amex Gold MR will no longer earn referral points.
- July 21, 2017, no other Amex MR card can refer to Gold MR
AMEX Business Gold Rewards - $250/year, FYF, 30K MR after $5000 spending (or 40K via referral)
AMEX Air Miles Platinum - $65/year, 2000 Air Miles after $1500 spending + $30 GCR cashback
July 18-Oct 18, 2017 - welcome offer increased 5K to 25K.
Sep 28, 2017 - Personal and Business SPG bonus drops from 10K to 5K per approved referral.
AMEX SPG - $120/year, 25K SPG after $1500 spending + $30 GCR cashback
- if you applied recently for the SPG card at the 20K welcome level, try contacting Amex by Secured Message to ask if they can match the current 25K offer. Several successful datapoints have surfaced with manual addition of 5K at next statement. YMMV.
New as of July 2016
AMEX Aeroplan Plus Platinum - $499/year, 50K Aeroplans after $1000 spending in 3 months (or 51K via referral). The 50K/51K, extra 10K promo expired on April 01, 2016, but started up again July - Sep 30th, 2016.
New card as of Sep 25 2017
AMEX Cobalt CREDIT card - $10/month ($120 annually)
Apply through GCR for $50 Rebate https://www.greatcanadianrebates.ca/...s/Amex-Cobalt/
- Earn 2,500 Membership Tiered Rewards points for each month where you spend $500 (up to 30,000/year).
- Limited Time Offer: Apply by Jan 30, 2018 and you can earn a Welcome Bonus of 10,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $3K in 3 months.
- See discussion thread for more details: 2017 American Express Cobalt (Canada)
This is not an all-inclusive list, only the "good" offers, so feel free to add new offers.
Referral Difference Between Cards:
Please note there is a maximum annual referral bonus you can make per card.
AMEX Platinum Rewards
- Earn 15K MR for each referral you make
(Note: from Mar 23 - Jun 29 the bonuses were 75K welcome and 25K referral points)
AMEX Business Platinum Rewards
- Earn 25K MR for each referral you make
AMEX Gold Rewards
- July 11, 2017, Amex Gold MR will no longer earn referral points.
- July 21, 2017, no other Amex MR card can refer to Gold MR
- mid-May 2016, increased from $500 to $1500 required spending.
- Jan 11 to mid-May 2016, the Gold card earned 0 referral points.
- Earn 10k MR for each referal you make.
American Express Canada application and reward strategies (2017)
Jun 19, 2017, 1:41 am
#706
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kan@da
Programs: Anything with sweet spots
Posts: 1,790
Been posted yet?
https://www.americanexpress.com/ca/e...-banners-2017/
Amex AeroPlat and AeroGold now offer 100$ statement credit! Essentially brings the annual fee down to 20.- for the Gold and 399 for the Plat.
https://www.americanexpress.com/ca/e...-banners-2017/
Amex AeroPlat and AeroGold now offer 100$ statement credit! Essentially brings the annual fee down to 20.- for the Gold and 399 for the Plat.
Jun 19, 2017, 5:30 am
#707
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: YQB
Programs: AC SE
Posts: 2,139
How fast do the welcome 20,000 SPG points post after meeting the 1,500$ spend requirement?
Jun 19, 2017, 6:39 am
#708
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: YYZ
Programs: Aeroplan, Alaska, Marriott
Posts: 435
Jun 19, 2017, 10:30 am
#709
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Canada
Programs: *void
Posts: 2,408
Amex has consistently run an elevated 51K welcome promo for the AeroPlat, every half year or so for the past couple of years. Just wait for it, if you're interested in it.
If you use a referral offer (or GCR) for these cards you will lose out on the $100 statement credit promo (after booking prepaid travel).
It's a huge drop-off from the heydays of the AeroGold's 30K/FYF promo that was available for a year and then ended on Sep 2014.
Jun 19, 2017, 11:11 am
#710
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Canada
Posts: 347
I just called Amex and they let me know my application for an MR Gold has been declined. I closed my previous MR Gold about 4 months ago and got an MR Platinum 3 months ago.
I wasn't able to get a reconsideration line, nor were they able to tell me why it was declined. However, they did promise to have a supervisor call within 24-48 hours.
So it does look like they are getting tougher.
I wasn't able to get a reconsideration line, nor were they able to tell me why it was declined. However, they did promise to have a supervisor call within 24-48 hours.
So it does look like they are getting tougher.
Jun 19, 2017, 11:42 am
#711
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Montreal
Posts: 247
Also, has any actually had their maximum referrals capped at 9 on the biz plat? I believe I had 12 last year with no issue, and as far as I counted for this year I've only had 8 so far. Wondering if there's a chance I mis-counted and they're actually capping at 225k. Any data points would be appreciated.
Not sure if this is related, but my most recent referral (dated June 9 2017) only yielded 10,000 MR points, even though I referred from my BizPlat card.
Any chance it's due to them erroneously thinking I had already hit 225k?
Jun 19, 2017, 12:40 pm
#712
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: YYZ, YUL, PEK
Posts: 429
@claurianta2: Would be interested to hear what happens next in your case.
@gonebabygone: I would call in to complain about the 10K referral bonus if I were you.
@gonebabygone: I would call in to complain about the 10K referral bonus if I were you.
Jun 19, 2017, 2:44 pm
#713
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Canada
Posts: 347
I just called Amex and they let me know my application for an MR Gold has been declined. I closed my previous MR Gold about 4 months ago and got an MR Platinum 3 months ago.
I wasn't able to get a reconsideration line, nor were they able to tell me why it was declined. However, they did promise to have a supervisor call within 24-48 hours.
So it does look like they are getting tougher.
I wasn't able to get a reconsideration line, nor were they able to tell me why it was declined. However, they did promise to have a supervisor call within 24-48 hours.
So it does look like they are getting tougher.
The supervisor suggested it might be due to reapplying for the same card I've had before, but couldn't say for sure, and suggested I apply for a card I have not had before.
He also said that they've had a policy change a couple months ago whereby they don't give repeat bonuses (which is a lot more recent than the official policy change in applications).
Jun 19, 2017, 3:39 pm
#714
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 787
I would be very interested in this as well. I have been operating under the assumption that 225k is indeed the max and so have started using my wife's BizPlat for referrals because I just hit 9.
Not sure if this is related, but my most recent referral (dated June 9 2017) only yielded 10,000 MR points, even though I referred from my BizPlat card.
Any chance it's due to them erroneously thinking I had already hit 225k?
Not sure if this is related, but my most recent referral (dated June 9 2017) only yielded 10,000 MR points, even though I referred from my BizPlat card.
Any chance it's due to them erroneously thinking I had already hit 225k?
I waited over a week and nothing...kinda worried, but I'll try to plead with them and see if I can get anything as a goodwill.
Jun 19, 2017, 3:46 pm
#716
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Montreal
Posts: 247
Fingers crossed that's not the case!
Jun 20, 2017, 2:24 pm
#718
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: YVR
Posts: 1,847
Biz Gold 40K Bonus
Well, I spent the $5k minimum for the Biz Gold. My 3rd statement was generated, and no automatic posting of the 40K referral bonus...but it hasn't quite been 90 days yet since my app was approved, so maybe it will be posted after the 4th statement? Anyone automatically get their 40K bonus fairly quickly after the 90 day wait?
Jun 20, 2017, 2:45 pm
#719
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: YYZ, YUL, PEK
Posts: 429
The transaction that brought me past $5K posted today, and I got the 40K points immediately.
Second biz gold.
Second biz gold.
Jun 20, 2017, 2:48 pm
#720
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 41
Hey gang,
can anyone recommend my next moves?
I have the Gold Card and am due for a Biz Gold Card.
My wife has the Platinum and is due for a Gold.
we are also past 6 months for CIBC cards, but I don't think they're having any nice bonuses.
Thanks!
can anyone recommend my next moves?
I have the Gold Card and am due for a Biz Gold Card.
My wife has the Platinum and is due for a Gold.
we are also past 6 months for CIBC cards, but I don't think they're having any nice bonuses.
Thanks!