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)
Nov 22, 2017, 12:16 pm
#1096
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: YVR
Posts: 1,847
Okay - I had a weird thing happen yesterday...I got a $150 credit on my Amex Gold personal. It's almost like it was an AF credit - only....I didn't pay an AF, since I applied while the FYF promo was still on. Anyone else get this???
Dec 1, 2017, 7:01 am
#1097
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: YQM
Posts: 341
It looks like you are now able to refer FROM the Amex Personal Gold for 5,000 points.
Though currently, the referral website seems down… When I tried yesterday, I was able to refer to both the Personal Gold and the Cobalt.
Though currently, the referral website seems down… When I tried yesterday, I was able to refer to both the Personal Gold and the Cobalt.
Dec 1, 2017, 7:10 am
#1098
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Prince Edward Island
Programs: Air Canada P25K, Hilton Honors Gold, Marriott Gold, MGM Gold
Posts: 1,582
Yeah, they added that back in the last couple of months.
Dec 3, 2017, 11:09 am
#1100
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: YBA / YYC
Programs: AS; Aeroplan; Hilton (Diamond); Marriott (Platinum);
Posts: 346
I feel like this is the wrong forum for this question, but I'll ask anyways 
. Does anyone know how long the ScotiaRewards sign up bonus takes to post on the Scotiabank Gold American Express? The current referred sign up offer of 35,000 points ($350 travel credit) looks great but I'm looking to use these for January travel which is looking a bit tight. Any data points are appreciated.
. Does anyone know how long the ScotiaRewards sign up bonus takes to post on the Scotiabank Gold American Express? The current referred sign up offer of 35,000 points ($350 travel credit) looks great but I'm looking to use these for January travel which is looking a bit tight. Any data points are appreciated.
Dec 3, 2017, 11:12 am
#1101
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 4,784
I feel like this is the wrong forum for this question, but I'll ask anyways . Does anyone know how long the ScotiaRewards sign up bonus takes to post on the Scotiabank Gold American Express? The current referred sign up offer of 35,000 points ($350 travel credit) looks great but I'm looking to use these for January travel which is looking a bit tight. Any data points are appreciated.
. Does anyone know how long the ScotiaRewards sign up bonus takes to post on the Scotiabank Gold American Express? The current referred sign up offer of 35,000 points ($350 travel credit) looks great but I'm looking to use these for January travel which is looking a bit tight. Any data points are appreciated.I got it in Sep 2017 met $750 same month, still no 30K points
My wife - April 2017 signup & met, got the points Sep 2017 (5 months)
Dec 4, 2017, 4:47 am
#1102
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: YBA / YYC
Programs: AS; Aeroplan; Hilton (Diamond); Marriott (Platinum);
Posts: 346
Understood . Thanks for the data points.
Dec 13, 2017, 10:50 am
#1103
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 227
Requesting Jubberly opinion (and anyone else's opinion as well)
above should say or anyone else’s opinion as well, apologies, can not seem to edit it
wondering if if you think that it is ok to reapply for the SPG business card soon — I closed a previous one mid year — that is to say do you think that there might be a fifty percent chance or better that I would get the sign up bonus again, not withstanding the new application language which suggests that the bonus will be given once only?
if I do try this, do you think that it would be ok to inquire to customer phone support about the bonus when I activate the card? (I don’t think it is a good idea to ask through secure message because I think once in the past such an inquiry led to someone questioning whether I should get a bonus on some Amex card again). Thank you
Last edited by mia; Dec 13, 2017 at 4:54 pm Reason: Clarifyn
Dec 13, 2017, 12:07 pm
#1104
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Canada
Programs: *void
Posts: 2,408
wondering if if you think that it is ok to reapply for the SPG business card soon — I closed a previous one mid year — that is to say do you think that there might be a fifty percent chance or better that I would get the sign up bonus again, not withstanding the new application language which suggests that the bonus will be given once only?
if I do try this, do you think that it would be ok to inquire to customer phone support about the bonus when I activate the card? (I don’t think it is a good idea to ask through secure message because I think once in the past such an inquiry led to someone questioning whether I should get a bonus on some Amex card again). Thank you
if I do try this, do you think that it would be ok to inquire to customer phone support about the bonus when I activate the card? (I don’t think it is a good idea to ask through secure message because I think once in the past such an inquiry led to someone questioning whether I should get a bonus on some Amex card again). Thank you
I wouldn't call to ask, as a rep may just give you a de facto answer and say NO, whether or not it's applicable for Business card products.
Dec 13, 2017, 11:14 pm
#1105
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 227
Check the footnotes of the SPG Business card signup page. If there is no mention of the one-bonus wording then go for it. I've burned through half a dozen Biz Gold MR cards, 3 churns since the July 2015 start-date for these types of footnote-wording (not for Biz cards, only for Personal cards) without issue on repeat bonuses.
I wouldn't call to ask, as a rep may just give you a de facto answer and say NO, whether or not it's applicable for Business card products.
I wouldn't call to ask, as a rep may just give you a de facto answer and say NO, whether or not it's applicable for Business card products.
there is one bonus wording, saying that they might approve anyways, but that the bonus would not be granted. The question is as to whether they are enforcing this new wording. The speculation is that the new wording was added sometime between two and eight months ago. 150 dollar annual fee is just an annoyance, worth it to me if there is say a fifty percent chance of getting the bonus again. The spend also does not matter to me at all. With some uncertainty as to what cards if any Amex will have going forward for the new Marriott program I would not mind having the card, although I value it at significantly less than the annual fee.
Dec 14, 2017, 6:08 am
#1106
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kan@da
Programs: Anything with sweet spots
Posts: 1,790
The short answer is: it is not enforced 99% of the time as long as you don’t call AMEX to inquire about it.
Dec 15, 2017, 4:10 am
#1107
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: Top Tier Flyertalk Member
Posts: 681
Anyone have all the historical dates / record of when Amex have introduced a new improved offer for their cards?
Looking to churn another card, but could wait until the new years if there's possibility it will increase.
Vise versa, might sign up for it earlier if current offers might be gone by Dec 31.
Looking to churn another card, but could wait until the new years if there's possibility it will increase.
Vise versa, might sign up for it earlier if current offers might be gone by Dec 31.
Dec 15, 2017, 1:03 pm
#1108
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Canada
Posts: 822
above should say or anyone else’s opinion as well, apologies, can not seem to edit it
wondering if if you think that it is ok to reapply for the SPG business card soon — I closed a previous one mid year — that is to say do you think that there might be a fifty percent chance or better that I would get the sign up bonus again, not withstanding the new application language which suggests that the bonus will be given once only?
if I do try this, do you think that it would be ok to inquire to customer phone support about the bonus when I activate the card? (I don’t think it is a good idea to ask through secure message because I think once in the past such an inquiry led to someone questioning whether I should get a bonus on some Amex card again). Thank you
Edit: The terms for the business are different than for the personal as they do not state that the welcome points are not for previous and existing cardholders.....
Last edited by jubberly; Dec 15, 2017 at 1:16 pm
Dec 28, 2017, 10:29 am
#1109
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: YQB
Programs: AC SE
Posts: 2,139
Do cancelled cards ever disappear from the Amex dashboard on the mobile app or from the website?