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)
Mar 31, 2017, 12:10 pm
#451
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 4,784
Bump...
Unless I missed it, no one replied to this.
Now I have two friends telling me they used my referral from my Amex Biz Platinum. Both were for the Amex Gold Personal (where I used the shortcut by preselecting the card for them).
The referral points have not posted yet. IME they post the day after approval.
Does anyone have a datapoint on the 'select a different card' route? I looked at the URL and don't really see anything associated to me specifically.
Thanks much!
Unless I missed it, no one replied to this.
Now I have two friends telling me they used my referral from my Amex Biz Platinum. Both were for the Amex Gold Personal (where I used the shortcut by preselecting the card for them).
The referral points have not posted yet. IME they post the day after approval.
Does anyone have a datapoint on the 'select a different card' route? I looked at the URL and don't really see anything associated to me specifically.
Thanks much!
hopefully they DID use your link
I checked my link, I'm pretty sure the "different card URL" should work, but I always sent out the shorten URL and ask applicant to change instead
I think CPID is for your account, from my Biz Plat
Regular shorten URL expanded (Biz Plat)
CPID=XXXXX&SRID=&GENCODE=YYYYY&mgmerSource=mgmerHu b&MGMURN=AAAFDwARDRIVAQ==
Gold: CPID=XXXXX&intlink=ca:acq:mgmee:diffcrd:goldcard
Plat: CPID=XXXXX&intlink=ca:acq:mgmee:diffcrd:platinumcard
Mar 31, 2017, 12:21 pm
#452
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Canada
Programs: *void
Posts: 2,408
Bump...
Unless I missed it, no one replied to this.
Now I have two friends telling me they used my referral from my Amex Biz Platinum. Both were for the Amex Gold Personal (where I used the shortcut by preselecting the card for them).
The referral points have not posted yet. IME they post the day after approval.
Does anyone have a datapoint on the 'select a different card' route? I looked at the URL and don't really see anything associated to me specifically.
Thanks much!
Unless I missed it, no one replied to this.
Now I have two friends telling me they used my referral from my Amex Biz Platinum. Both were for the Amex Gold Personal (where I used the shortcut by preselecting the card for them).
The referral points have not posted yet. IME they post the day after approval.
Does anyone have a datapoint on the 'select a different card' route? I looked at the URL and don't really see anything associated to me specifically.
Thanks much!
I have used these types URLs for referring different cards, i.e. the one that is the result of pre-selecting the card. Been doing it for years and they have always worked with the referring bonus points appearing by the next day after approval.
JJJ
Mar 31, 2017, 12:26 pm
#453
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: YYZish
Posts: 299
Sucks to hear that, you are sure they were both approved?
hopefully they DID use your link
I checked my link, I'm pretty sure the "different card URL" should work, but I always sent out the shorten URL and ask applicant to change instead
I think CPID is for your account, from my Biz Plat
Regular shorten URL expanded (Biz Plat)
CPID=XXXXX&SRID=&GENCODE=YYYYY&mgmerSource=mgmerHu b&MGMURN=AAAFDwARDRIVAQ==
Gold: CPID=XXXXX&intlink=ca:acq:mgmee:diffcrd:goldcard
Plat: CPID=XXXXX&intlink=ca:acq:mgmee:diffcrd:platinumcard
hopefully they DID use your link
I checked my link, I'm pretty sure the "different card URL" should work, but I always sent out the shorten URL and ask applicant to change instead
I think CPID is for your account, from my Biz Plat
Regular shorten URL expanded (Biz Plat)
CPID=XXXXX&SRID=&GENCODE=YYYYY&mgmerSource=mgmerHu b&MGMURN=AAAFDwARDRIVAQ==
Gold: CPID=XXXXX&intlink=ca:acq:mgmee:diffcrd:goldcard
Plat: CPID=XXXXX&intlink=ca:acq:mgmee:diffcrd:platinumcard
When I 'refer a friend', it gives me a very short link clearly stamped with my name. I never looked at the URL that it generates when you load that specific page.
Though, I still don't see anything 'in common' that clearly associates it to me. But I get a similar URL to yours.
I'd cut and paste it but I don't know what to XXXX out.
Thanks for your help. I was thinking about pointsnerd use of his shortened URL right from his referral page. And took my friends 'got the card' at face value. It's likely they were not actually approved yet.
I'll update for clarification.
Thanks again, NJD.
Edit to add:
I'm so teksavvy... (sarcasm)
I found 'it'! Though my 'it' could be the same as jerryhung's 'it'.
Hopefully I'll know soon.
Last edited by NotJustDreaming; Mar 31, 2017 at 12:41 pm Reason: Add info
Mar 31, 2017, 12:30 pm
#454
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: YYZish
Posts: 299
ISTM that the higher the 'loss' the more interested I am in the assurance the referral points will post. Damn you Business Platinum making me crazy!
Thanks for your replies guys. Much appreciated.
Mar 31, 2017, 12:34 pm
#455
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Canada
Programs: *void
Posts: 2,408
Mar 31, 2017, 12:42 pm
#456
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: YWG
Programs: Aeroplan, MileagePlus, Marriott Rewards
Posts: 2,159
Clearly I need to get into this habit of "pre-selecting" cards on referrals... it's been over 1.5 months and still no SPG bonus for my wife. 
Mar 31, 2017, 1:03 pm
#457
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: YYZish
Posts: 299
True Story:
This past December, DH came home from the grocery store (which is an oddity on it's own). He was all proud of himself and wanting to impress me with his points prowess.
He walked in the door. Deadpan with eagerness, as he was unpacking groceries, he told me he applied for a new credit card. A rewards card...
It was a BMO Mastercard.
I was a bit bewildered. What could possibly be good from Sobeys!?! Wracking my brain... And trying to shut my mouth.
Specifically it was a BMO Airmiles Mastercard... With a whopping 500 Airmiles sign up bonus.
As I'm sure you can all imagine, this was really difficult for me. And he really was thinking he was going to impress me. Imagine, this guy not really interested in points. But happy to comply. Though he can't even keep track of what card for what/when/why. And then, wow, this opportunity to get a hoard of points to take back home.
Anyway,
I did shut my mouth.
For at least 24 hours I bit my tongue and wondered how to nip this in the bud gently. And then I told him never to apply for a card again.
I'm sure he won't remember why. Or which card to use when/what/why. But he won't be doing any in store apps anymore.
Thank goodness.
Mar 31, 2017, 1:41 pm
#458
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Canada
Programs: *void
Posts: 2,408
My husband's been fired from doing applications (years ago even before he tried) LOL.
True Story:
This past December, DH came home from the grocery store (which is an oddity on it's own). He was all proud of himself and wanting to impress me with his points prowess.
He walked in the door. Deadpan with eagerness, as he was unpacking groceries, he told me he applied for a new credit card. A rewards card...
It was a BMO Mastercard.
I was a bit bewildered. What could possibly be good from Sobeys!?! Wracking my brain... And trying to shut my mouth.
Specifically it was a BMO Airmiles Mastercard... With a whopping 500 Airmiles sign up bonus.
As I'm sure you can all imagine, this was really difficult for me. And he really was thinking he was going to impress me. Imagine, this guy not really interested in points. But happy to comply. Though he can't even keep track of what card for what/when/why. And then, wow, this opportunity to get a hoard of points to take back home.
Anyway,
I did shut my mouth.
For at least 24 hours I bit my tongue and wondered how to nip this in the bud gently. And then I told him never to apply for a card again.
I'm sure he won't remember why. Or which card to use when/what/why. But he won't be doing any in store apps anymore.
Thank goodness.
True Story:
This past December, DH came home from the grocery store (which is an oddity on it's own). He was all proud of himself and wanting to impress me with his points prowess.
He walked in the door. Deadpan with eagerness, as he was unpacking groceries, he told me he applied for a new credit card. A rewards card...
It was a BMO Mastercard.
I was a bit bewildered. What could possibly be good from Sobeys!?! Wracking my brain... And trying to shut my mouth.
Specifically it was a BMO Airmiles Mastercard... With a whopping 500 Airmiles sign up bonus.
As I'm sure you can all imagine, this was really difficult for me. And he really was thinking he was going to impress me. Imagine, this guy not really interested in points. But happy to comply. Though he can't even keep track of what card for what/when/why. And then, wow, this opportunity to get a hoard of points to take back home.
Anyway,
I did shut my mouth.
For at least 24 hours I bit my tongue and wondered how to nip this in the bud gently. And then I told him never to apply for a card again.
I'm sure he won't remember why. Or which card to use when/what/why. But he won't be doing any in store apps anymore.
Thank goodness.
Besides, if it helps the back of Mr.NJD's head (and the palm of your hand), let it be widely known that even Good Ol' DumboJJJ has opened the BMO Airmiles MC, and not once, but TWICE! First one was on a whim. Then I saw a promo for the SAME card a couple of months later with a slightly different signage as a WWF-edition, so I opened it again! So you see, there may hope for Mr.NJD if a moron like me fell into that hole twice and managed to climb out of it.
Send him my regards. I'll see him at the next monthly meeting of the 'minds'.
Mar 31, 2017, 2:00 pm
#459
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: YYZish
Posts: 299
Quite bluntly, Mr.NJD = me, pre-churn days. At least he didn't sign up for a Bay or Zellers department store credit card. *ahem* (they still haven't fallen off our credit file listing).
Besides, if it helps the back of Mr.NJD's head (and the palm of your hand), let it be widely known that even Good Ol' DumboJJJ has opened the BMO Airmiles MC, and not once, but TWICE! First one was on a whim. Then I saw a promo for the SAME card a couple of months later with a slightly different signage as a WWF-edition, so I opened it again! So you see, there may hope for Mr.NJD if a moron like me fell into that hole twice and managed to climb out of it.
Send him my regards. I'll see him at the next monthly meeting of the 'minds'.
Besides, if it helps the back of Mr.NJD's head (and the palm of your hand), let it be widely known that even Good Ol' DumboJJJ has opened the BMO Airmiles MC, and not once, but TWICE! First one was on a whim. Then I saw a promo for the SAME card a couple of months later with a slightly different signage as a WWF-edition, so I opened it again! So you see, there may hope for Mr.NJD if a moron like me fell into that hole twice and managed to climb out of it.
Send him my regards. I'll see him at the next monthly meeting of the 'minds'.
I really don't know what else to say.
Mar 31, 2017, 2:00 pm
#460
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: YWG
Programs: Aeroplan, MileagePlus, Marriott Rewards
Posts: 2,159
Haha, there's a process that we all go through in attaining points enlightenment. (Fortunately FT speeds up that process!)
I too once had a Club Sobeys MC, although I will defend myself by saying that it was back in the days when you could convert Club Sobeys points to Aeroplan. It was possible to get at least 500-1000 Aeroplan points a shop without much effort then. Sigh.
The one that makes me blush with shame was signing up for a MBNA MC at a sports event when I was 20 in order to get... wait for it... a free t-shirt with my favourite team's logo on it. And not even a cool t-shirt, but a plain white t with a little team logo on the chest with "MBNA" written right under. I managed to recover from that, so there is most definitely hope for Mr. NJD
I too once had a Club Sobeys MC, although I will defend myself by saying that it was back in the days when you could convert Club Sobeys points to Aeroplan. It was possible to get at least 500-1000 Aeroplan points a shop without much effort then. Sigh.
The one that makes me blush with shame was signing up for a MBNA MC at a sports event when I was 20 in order to get... wait for it... a free t-shirt with my favourite team's logo on it. And not even a cool t-shirt, but a plain white t with a little team logo on the chest with "MBNA" written right under. I managed to recover from that, so there is most definitely hope for Mr. NJD
Mar 31, 2017, 2:09 pm
#461
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: YYZish
Posts: 299
Okay...
Hudson's Bay (not sure Visa/MC) for $30 statement credit.
That was way before FT. But far after I was supposed to financially savvy.
Hudson's Bay (not sure Visa/MC) for $30 statement credit.
That was way before FT. But far after I was supposed to financially savvy.
Mar 31, 2017, 2:10 pm
#462
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: YYZish
Posts: 299
My biggest regret though, is not knowing about the MBNA Starwood card. One Starpoint per $1 everywhere with no annual fee.
Well, aside from my big regret of not knowing then what I know now.
Well, aside from my big regret of not knowing then what I know now.
Apr 1, 2017, 9:10 am
#463
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,519
Ontario AMEX Cardholders
Foodland is running a 150 Air Miles Bonus for $150 Foodland Gift are purchase this week. Up to 5 bonus per Air Miles account. And why post here, because they take AMEX Also while I knew Foodland and Sobeys are the same where I expect I can use it at my local Sobeys vs. driving 20min for the Foodland, but I never realized that I can use it at FreshCo, even though the FreshCo cashier screen look just like the one you see at Sobeys/Foodland. Last I recall the local FreshCo near my home doesn't take AMEX.
Hope this help some of you.
Foodland is running a 150 Air Miles Bonus for $150 Foodland Gift are purchase this week. Up to 5 bonus per Air Miles account. And why post here, because they take AMEX
Also while I knew Foodland and Sobeys are the same where I expect I can use it at my local Sobeys vs. driving 20min for the Foodland, but I never realized that I can use it at FreshCo, even though the FreshCo cashier screen look just like the one you see at Sobeys/Foodland. Last I recall the local FreshCo near my home doesn't take AMEX.Hope this help some of you.
Apr 1, 2017, 5:49 pm
#464
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: YQM
Posts: 341
Ontario AMEX Cardholders
Foodland is running a 150 Air Miles Bonus for $150 Foodland Gift are purchase this week. Up to 5 bonus per Air Miles account. And why post here, because they take AMEX Also while I knew Foodland and Sobeys are the same where I expect I can use it at my local Sobeys vs. driving 20min for the Foodland, but I never realized that I can use it at FreshCo, even though the FreshCo cashier screen look just like the one you see at Sobeys/Foodland. Last I recall the local FreshCo near my home doesn't take AMEX.
Hope this help some of you.
Foodland is running a 150 Air Miles Bonus for $150 Foodland Gift are purchase this week. Up to 5 bonus per Air Miles account. And why post here, because they take AMEX
Also while I knew Foodland and Sobeys are the same where I expect I can use it at my local Sobeys vs. driving 20min for the Foodland, but I never realized that I can use it at FreshCo, even though the FreshCo cashier screen look just like the one you see at Sobeys/Foodland. Last I recall the local FreshCo near my home doesn't take AMEX.Hope this help some of you.
Apr 2, 2017, 10:49 am
#465
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 41
I messed up and left my platinum travel credit unused. My card is up for renewal at around the 6th of April.
So I tried to use the credit for a hotel for this week for work.
Found the hotel $118/night for 2 nights.
I can use the slider to use points but no option to use the credit.
My payments are made on time, the site says I have the credit, but can't see it online.
is the credit only applied after I make the booking? would I use the "Use points for eligible purchases" link on my account page?
also if I use the credit, and cancel the card in a few days, will they claw that back?
Really messed this one up
also just tried sending my wife a referral to platinum and the link leads to
"We're sorry. The web address (URL) you requested has either moved or no longer exists.
Please feel free to use our site map or choose your country.
Thank you for visiting American Express."
any ideas?
*update
Was able to get the travel credit to show up online but now the Payment Authentication window that pops up says bad gateway..........I'll try again in a few hours
So I tried to use the credit for a hotel for this week for work.
Found the hotel $118/night for 2 nights.
I can use the slider to use points but no option to use the credit.
My payments are made on time, the site says I have the credit, but can't see it online.
is the credit only applied after I make the booking? would I use the "Use points for eligible purchases" link on my account page?
also if I use the credit, and cancel the card in a few days, will they claw that back?
Really messed this one up
also just tried sending my wife a referral to platinum and the link leads to
"We're sorry. The web address (URL) you requested has either moved or no longer exists.
Please feel free to use our site map or choose your country.
Thank you for visiting American Express."
any ideas?
*update
Was able to get the travel credit to show up online but now the Payment Authentication window that pops up says bad gateway..........I'll try again in a few hours
Last edited by scottman00; Apr 2, 2017 at 11:29 am Reason: more text