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)
Jan 10, 2017, 7:18 pm
#76
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Canada
Programs: *void
Posts: 2,408
Mrs GHT got dealt with a bad hand (rep), which is unfortunate. I can echo that Amex is the standout FI amonst all the competition here in Canada. Hope she will give it another try and see it through to a better result. Keep us posted.
Jan 11, 2017, 5:51 am
#77
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: PHL, NYC, DC
Posts: 9,708
Is it Mrs GHT doing the talking, or yourself? In our household, Mrs JJJ has no patience for these types of things and is very curt and blunt, while I'm in the background chewing my nails and slamming my head against the wall as I listen to the conversation.
Mrs GHT got dealt with a bad hand (rep), which is unfortunate. I can echo that Amex is the standout FI amonst all the competition here in Canada. Hope she will give it another try and see it through to a better result. Keep us posted.
Mrs GHT got dealt with a bad hand (rep), which is unfortunate. I can echo that Amex is the standout FI amonst all the competition here in Canada. Hope she will give it another try and see it through to a better result. Keep us posted.
gotta give mrs ght credit - she did exercise more patience than me (just listening, grumbling to myself in the background), however amex was unwilling to listen to her explanation, instead repeatedly clarified her approval date. Then they kept on blaming Mrs GHT for now following up and Canada Post for the screw up
The only compromise they were willing to give was to do another 3 mth $5K challenge, which we decline
That hour felt like the Lambchop song (see link below)
Jan 11, 2017, 6:59 am
#78
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Prince Edward Island
Programs: Air Canada P25K, Hilton Honors Gold, Marriott Gold, MGM Gold
Posts: 1,582
Now I have that song stuck in my head 
- Thanks alot 
- Thanks alot
Jan 11, 2017, 12:47 pm
#79
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: YWG
Programs: Aeroplan, MileagePlus, Marriott Rewards
Posts: 2,159
it's so YMMV. my last biz gold experience was totally different....same outcome (i.e. got my points), but still. nice to hear it's still working for you. i'm going to chill for a bit. on amex anyways. going to test my luck on a couple others (e.g. CIBC infinite privilege).
Jan 11, 2017, 12:54 pm
#80
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: YVR to SEA
Posts: 2,532
Do both. It's not necessarily one or the other unless denied the bonus from amex already
It also buys actual status benefits: priority check-in, priority boarding, free checked bag
It also buys actual status benefits: priority check-in, priority boarding, free checked bag
Jan 11, 2017, 2:15 pm
#81
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: DCA/IAD
Programs: AA Gold, Amex Plat
Posts: 4,007
I did a search and didn't see this question answered anywhere... Can MR points from a Canadian Amex card be pooled in the same MR account as a US Amex card?
My employer might be transferring me to Canada at some point in the next couple of years. If so, I would use the Global Transfer program to open an Amex account there (apparently you can do this without an SIN or even without legal status in Canada, as long as you have a Canadian address). It would be helpful to have cards in both USD and CAD. If I could combine MR points, that's icing on the cake. Anyone done this successfully?
My employer might be transferring me to Canada at some point in the next couple of years. If so, I would use the Global Transfer program to open an Amex account there (apparently you can do this without an SIN or even without legal status in Canada, as long as you have a Canadian address). It would be helpful to have cards in both USD and CAD. If I could combine MR points, that's icing on the cake. Anyone done this successfully?
Jan 11, 2017, 2:19 pm
#82
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: YVR to SEA
Posts: 2,532
Different pools, as the partners between Canada and the US differ. You are supposed to be able to transfer between countries once a year based on the exchange rate at the time though...
Jan 11, 2017, 2:54 pm
#83
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: PHL, NYC, DC
Posts: 9,708
i contemplated on doing the opposite before but just a warning you might not get the sign up bonus
I did a search and didn't see this question answered anywhere... Can MR points from a Canadian Amex card be pooled in the same MR account as a US Amex card?
My employer might be transferring me to Canada at some point in the next couple of years. If so, I would use the Global Transfer program to open an Amex account there (apparently you can do this without an SIN or even without legal status in Canada, as long as you have a Canadian address). It would be helpful to have cards in both USD and CAD. If I could combine MR points, that's icing on the cake. Anyone done this successfully?
My employer might be transferring me to Canada at some point in the next couple of years. If so, I would use the Global Transfer program to open an Amex account there (apparently you can do this without an SIN or even without legal status in Canada, as long as you have a Canadian address). It would be helpful to have cards in both USD and CAD. If I could combine MR points, that's icing on the cake. Anyone done this successfully?
Jan 11, 2017, 2:58 pm
#84
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 4,784
I did a search and didn't see this question answered anywhere... Can MR points from a Canadian Amex card be pooled in the same MR account as a US Amex card?
My employer might be transferring me to Canada at some point in the next couple of years. If so, I would use the Global Transfer program to open an Amex account there (apparently you can do this without an SIN or even without legal status in Canada, as long as you have a Canadian address). It would be helpful to have cards in both USD and CAD. If I could combine MR points, that's icing on the cake. Anyone done this successfully?
My employer might be transferring me to Canada at some point in the next couple of years. If so, I would use the Global Transfer program to open an Amex account there (apparently you can do this without an SIN or even without legal status in Canada, as long as you have a Canadian address). It would be helpful to have cards in both USD and CAD. If I could combine MR points, that's icing on the cake. Anyone done this successfully?
BUT...you CAN transfer Aeroplan to anyone's account if you want to pool in AP instead
For SPG and BA Avios I think they need to match names between AMEX and FFP names
Jan 11, 2017, 6:43 pm
#85
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: YYZ
Programs: AA LT Plat, AC 25K, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,137
Amex MR can be transferred between countries, once a year, at the prevailing currency exchange rate. I haven't done it yet, but will be trying it later this year.
Jan 11, 2017, 6:45 pm
#86
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: YYZ
Programs: AA LT Plat, AC 25K, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,137
Jan 11, 2017, 7:04 pm
#87
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: DCA/IAD
Programs: AA Gold, Amex Plat
Posts: 4,007
Good to know, thanks. I currently have a US Amex Platinum charge card and a Delta Gold credit card. If I open a Canadian Amex, I'll probably go with the Gold charge if I am indeed eligible for the sign up bonus. If not, I might just do the Aeroplan card as we don't have that Amex card available here in the states.
Jan 11, 2017, 7:52 pm
#88
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Canada
Programs: *void
Posts: 2,408
Good to know, thanks. I currently have a US Amex Platinum charge card and a Delta Gold credit card. If I open a Canadian Amex, I'll probably go with the Gold charge if I am indeed eligible for the sign up bonus. If not, I might just do the Aeroplan card as we don't have that Amex card available here in the states.
I seldom see people opening the AeroPlat anymore, now that the Biz Plat MR and Plat MR cards have much higher signup bonuses and benefits, including better lounge access. The AeroPlat is suited better for people who don't have status but fly AC a lot and within Canada for free access to the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges.
If you're going to chase after Aeroplans, then aside from Amex cards, there's the TD Aeroplan Visa (15K/FYF) and CIBC Aeroplan Visa (15K/FYF via in-branch) cards. But, I won't go into details about them here at this thread. They have their own discussion home, here:
Jan 11, 2017, 8:23 pm
#89
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 4,784
Time to cancel my Plat before $699 renewal. Now $0 balance
Is there an AMEX phone line cancellation option? I recall reading it somewhere (option 7? or 9?) and tried calling but couldn't find it
Figure that'd be the safest way to cancel (automated) , over call-in, then over online message, in case of 2nd $200 credit crawl-back
Is there an AMEX phone line cancellation option? I recall reading it somewhere (option 7? or 9?) and tried calling but couldn't find it
Figure that'd be the safest way to cancel (automated) , over call-in, then over online message, in case of 2nd $200 credit crawl-back
Jan 11, 2017, 8:57 pm
#90
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: YVR to SEA
Posts: 2,532
Good to know, thanks. I currently have a US Amex Platinum charge card and a Delta Gold credit card. If I open a Canadian Amex, I'll probably go with the Gold charge if I am indeed eligible for the sign up bonus. If not, I might just do the Aeroplan card as we don't have that Amex card available here in the states.