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)
Oct 20, 2017, 3:51 pm
#1051
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2015
Location: BOS, YVR, ZRH
Programs: *G
Posts: 17,405
Either way, I'm pretty sure Amex Fixed Travel books into the same bucket as if paying by cash, the difference is just on Amex's end. Quick look at travel shows e.g. an AC Y booking for a random date&route into K regardless of cash or fixed travel payment.
Oct 20, 2017, 9:00 pm
#1052
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: YYZ, YUL, PEK
Posts: 429
Same way Aeroplan market fare rewards don't earn miles despite booking into regular fare buckets - the ticket is noted to be non-mileage earning.
As recently as February of this year, tickets redeemed with CIBC Aventura points were still eligible for mileage accrual. That's the most recent data point I have.
As recently as February of this year, tickets redeemed with CIBC Aventura points were still eligible for mileage accrual. That's the most recent data point I have.
Oct 21, 2017, 8:11 am
#1053
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: YWG
Posts: 2,272
How would RBC do that? don't fixed rewards tickets go into regular cash fares usually? Does Air Canada have non-status earning bulk fares?
Either way, I'm pretty sure Amex Fixed Travel books into the same bucket as if paying by cash, the difference is just on Amex's end. Quick look at travel shows e.g. an AC Y booking for a random date&route into K regardless of cash or fixed travel payment.
Either way, I'm pretty sure Amex Fixed Travel books into the same bucket as if paying by cash, the difference is just on Amex's end. Quick look at travel shows e.g. an AC Y booking for a random date&route into K regardless of cash or fixed travel payment.
Just wondering if AMEX does (not do) the same before I make the move because the Cobalt is looking very attractive...
Oct 21, 2017, 2:18 pm
#1054
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2015
Location: BOS, YVR, ZRH
Programs: *G
Posts: 17,405
What if you don't credit them to AC/AE? That seems really weird. I can't imagine how that'd work logistically, coming from a normal-earning fare bucket.
Oct 21, 2017, 8:26 pm
#1055
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: YWG
Posts: 2,272
I would assume that it still wouldn't work though no one has reported anything yet. It would still end up being a 014 ticket and AC metal and operating carrier determines earning ratio.
Oct 22, 2017, 7:32 am
#1056
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: UA 1K, AC MM E75, Marriott LT Ti, IHG Dia Amb, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 15,521
So now I'm a little confused. First some background info.
I applied for the SPG Biz Amex in Feb (self referred from SPG Personal Amex)....
Edit: What ALC said.
I applied for the SPG Biz Amex in Feb (self referred from SPG Personal Amex)....
Edit: What ALC said.
Last edited by margarita girl; Oct 22, 2017 at 5:23 pm Reason: too much information :)
Oct 22, 2017, 5:04 pm
#1057
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,519
I would delete you post right away 
Seriously, my guess is that because the welcome bonus that you got first time around was a manual adjustments bonus, hence, whenever AMEX perform some type of system wide adult / scan, anyone that should have gotten those points automatically will get it then. I had experience this all the way back when the current Gold Rewards (re-)introduce where not all the 2X bonus was credit correctly. I call in every time after it posted as 1X. They made the adjustment manually everytime. After 3-4 months later, I guess they fix the problem and scan the system for missing points and I got all those extra points again.... so o got 3X for those 3 months
Seriously, my guess is that because the welcome bonus that you got first time around was a manual adjustments bonus, hence, whenever AMEX perform some type of system wide adult / scan, anyone that should have gotten those points automatically will get it then. I had experience this all the way back when the current Gold Rewards (re-)introduce where not all the 2X bonus was credit correctly. I call in every time after it posted as 1X. They made the adjustment manually everytime. After 3-4 months later, I guess they fix the problem and scan the system for missing points and I got all those extra points again.... so o got 3X for those 3 months
Oct 26, 2017, 6:24 am
#1058
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: UA 1K, AC MM E75, Marriott LT Ti, IHG Dia Amb, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 15,521
I applied for the SPG Amex Personal card at the end of Sept. (Self-referred from the Biz card before the referral bonus dropped from 10K to 5K.) This wasn't ideal since I cancelled my previous SPG Personal card in April, so only 5 months earlier.
I quickly chalked up my $1500 spend in the first month, and I see that I didn't get the 25K point Welcome Bonus. I don't dare call Amex to ask about it, since my previous card was only 5 months ago.
So should I just ride it out and hope the points post eventually, or should I call Amex and cancel the card? I'm guessing I might still be able to get a refund on the $120 annual fee. Thoughts anyone?
I quickly chalked up my $1500 spend in the first month, and I see that I didn't get the 25K point Welcome Bonus. I don't dare call Amex to ask about it, since my previous card was only 5 months ago.
So should I just ride it out and hope the points post eventually, or should I call Amex and cancel the card? I'm guessing I might still be able to get a refund on the $120 annual fee. Thoughts anyone?
Oct 26, 2017, 7:34 am
#1060
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Canada
Programs: *void
Posts: 2,408
I applied for the SPG Amex Personal card at the end of Sept. (Self-referred from the Biz card before the referral bonus dropped from 10K to 5K.) This wasn't ideal since I cancelled my previous SPG Personal card in April, so only 5 months earlier.
I quickly chalked up my $1500 spend in the first month, and I see that I didn't get the 25K point Welcome Bonus. I don't dare call Amex to ask about it, since my previous card was only 5 months ago.
So should I just ride it out and hope the points post eventually, or should I call Amex and cancel the card? I'm guessing I might still be able to get a refund on the $120 annual fee. Thoughts anyone?
I quickly chalked up my $1500 spend in the first month, and I see that I didn't get the 25K point Welcome Bonus. I don't dare call Amex to ask about it, since my previous card was only 5 months ago.
So should I just ride it out and hope the points post eventually, or should I call Amex and cancel the card? I'm guessing I might still be able to get a refund on the $120 annual fee. Thoughts anyone?
Besides, there's been many, many reports of delayed welcome bonus points for all Amex cards including the SPG (6-10 weeks for MR, 3rd-4th statements for SPG)
I guess it depends on your comfort level though, on how you want to proceed. Is $120 worth the 10K referring bonus (did this appear yet?) and 25K elevated bonus?
Oct 26, 2017, 7:59 am
#1061
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 77
How long has it been since your statement? It takes a couple days after the next statement where you reach the minimum for it to transfer to SPG.
Oct 26, 2017, 10:52 am
#1063
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 73
It's only usually brutal through LHR. Not much availability left on that route in Jan/Feb, but what is available is 32500 Avios + $ 299.85 in Y OW
Oct 26, 2017, 10:53 am
#1064
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 77
Edit: In fact, my wife got her own SPG card around the same time to take advantage of the referral before it decreased and her first statement has not closed yet.
Having applied at the end of September, it's reasonable that the charges bringing to the minimum may not have gone through a full cycle yet.
Last edited by viracocha; Oct 26, 2017 at 11:13 am
Oct 26, 2017, 10:07 pm
#1065
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: UA 1K, AC MM E75, Marriott LT Ti, IHG Dia Amb, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 15,521
This is correct. I hit the minimum spend about a week before my statement closed and the welcome bonus is not there, just the regular points which have now also posted to SPG.