Mar 27, 2017, 10:02 am
Last edit by: RedSun
American Express Platinum Card® and Centurion® Card Benefit
You can receive up to $200 in Uber Cash annually by adding your Consumer Platinum Card® or Centurion® Card from American Express as a payment method on your Uber account.
The Amex Benefit in Uber Cash is distributed in monthly increments of $15, plus a $20 bonus in December (for $35 in December total). This amount can be used for Uber services in the United States. The Amex Benefit will expire at the end of each month and will not roll over to the following month.
To use the Amex Benefit in Uber Cash:
1. Enter your destination on the home screen
2. Tap on your payment method
3. Select Uber Cash (If you're using ride profiles, tap Change and select Uber Cash)
4. Request a ride
To find your Uber Cash balance, tap the menu icon in the top left corner of your app and select 'Payment'.
When Uber Cash is selected as your payment method, the Amex Benefit will be applied to your fare. When your Amex Benefit isn't enough to cover the cost of the ride, you will be presented options to top-up your Uber Cash using a payment method on file. Alternatively, you may choose to pay the remaining balance for the cost of the ride using your preferred payment method. You can view your current Amex Benefit balance by tapping 'Payment' in the main menu of your Uber app.
You will receive the Amex Benefit each month as long as your Card remains eligible and is a payment method on your Uber account. If your eligible card is added to multiple Uber accounts, the account that you added the card to first will receive the benefit.
If you already have an eligible card on your Uber account, the benefit will automatically be applied to your Uber Cash balance. To add an eligible card to your Uber account, go to the 'Payment' section of the Uber app and select 'Add Payment Method'.
The Basic Card Member is eligible to receive this benefit. Additional Card Members are not eligible. You'll receive $15 in Uber Cash each month (plus the $20 bonus in December) for each eligible card on your Uber account.
How to switch which Uber account gets the Amex Benefit:
1. Delete the eligible card as a payment method on the Uber account(s) with the eligible card on file that you do not wish to receive the benefit.*
2. Add the eligible card as a payment method on the Uber account you wish to receive the benefit. If the eligible card is already on this account, skip this step.
3. Complete steps 1 and 2 by 12:00 AM EST on the 1st day of the applicable month that you want the Amex benefit to apply to the applicable account. The benefit will switch accounts for the new month.
*You can always re-add your eligible card on the additional account(s) after completing these steps if you wish to use this eligible card as a payment method in those additional account(s).
Members with an eligible card will have access to UberVIP in select US markets. UberVIP is currently available in Atlanta, Dallas, Nashville, New Jersey, New Orleans, and New York City, and will be expanding to new cities beginning January 2019.
If you have specific questions about your American Express Card or other American Express benefits, please call the number on the back of your American Express Card.
For more information and to see the terms and conditions please visit uber.com/amex
Multiple $15 credits can be added to a single uber account by two different AMEX platinum cards and each card will trigger an increase of $15 to the credit balance.
If you are the primary Card Member on multiple eligible Card accounts, and those Cards are payment methods in your Uber account, you will receive the combination of credits for multiple Cards. For example, if you have two eligible Cards, you will receive $30 in credits each month for the combination of the two $15 credits. In December, you will receive $70 for the combination of the two $35 credits.
Your uber app must be set to request rides in 'personal' profile mode - other options (family, business) will not offer the AMEX credit
Terms of the Uber benefit (as of 2017-12-15, maybe obsolete):
The Amex Benefit in Uber Cash is distributed in monthly increments of $15, plus a $20 bonus in December (for $35 in December total). This amount can be used for Uber services in the United States. The Amex Benefit will expire at the end of each month and will not roll over to the following month.
To use the Amex Benefit in Uber Cash:
1. Enter your destination on the home screen
2. Tap on your payment method
3. Select Uber Cash (If you're using ride profiles, tap Change and select Uber Cash)
4. Request a ride
To find your Uber Cash balance, tap the menu icon in the top left corner of your app and select 'Payment'.
When Uber Cash is selected as your payment method, the Amex Benefit will be applied to your fare. When your Amex Benefit isn't enough to cover the cost of the ride, you will be presented options to top-up your Uber Cash using a payment method on file. Alternatively, you may choose to pay the remaining balance for the cost of the ride using your preferred payment method. You can view your current Amex Benefit balance by tapping 'Payment' in the main menu of your Uber app.
You will receive the Amex Benefit each month as long as your Card remains eligible and is a payment method on your Uber account. If your eligible card is added to multiple Uber accounts, the account that you added the card to first will receive the benefit.
If you already have an eligible card on your Uber account, the benefit will automatically be applied to your Uber Cash balance. To add an eligible card to your Uber account, go to the 'Payment' section of the Uber app and select 'Add Payment Method'.
The Basic Card Member is eligible to receive this benefit. Additional Card Members are not eligible. You'll receive $15 in Uber Cash each month (plus the $20 bonus in December) for each eligible card on your Uber account.
How to switch which Uber account gets the Amex Benefit:
1. Delete the eligible card as a payment method on the Uber account(s) with the eligible card on file that you do not wish to receive the benefit.*
2. Add the eligible card as a payment method on the Uber account you wish to receive the benefit. If the eligible card is already on this account, skip this step.
3. Complete steps 1 and 2 by 12:00 AM EST on the 1st day of the applicable month that you want the Amex benefit to apply to the applicable account. The benefit will switch accounts for the new month.
*You can always re-add your eligible card on the additional account(s) after completing these steps if you wish to use this eligible card as a payment method in those additional account(s).
Members with an eligible card will have access to UberVIP in select US markets. UberVIP is currently available in Atlanta, Dallas, Nashville, New Jersey, New Orleans, and New York City, and will be expanding to new cities beginning January 2019.
If you have specific questions about your American Express Card or other American Express benefits, please call the number on the back of your American Express Card.
For more information and to see the terms and conditions please visit uber.com/amex
Multiple $15 credits can be added to a single uber account by two different AMEX platinum cards and each card will trigger an increase of $15 to the credit balance.
If you are the primary Card Member on multiple eligible Card accounts, and those Cards are payment methods in your Uber account, you will receive the combination of credits for multiple Cards. For example, if you have two eligible Cards, you will receive $30 in credits each month for the combination of the two $15 credits. In December, you will receive $70 for the combination of the two $35 credits.
Your uber app must be set to request rides in 'personal' profile mode - other options (family, business) will not offer the AMEX credit
Terms of the Uber benefit (as of 2017-12-15, maybe obsolete):
Only Basic Card Members on a Platinum Card account are eligible for Uber VIP and monthly ride Credits. To receive this benefit, you must have downloaded the Uber App version 3.219 or later for iOS or version 3.126 or later for Android and your eligible Platinum Card must be a method of payment in your Uber account. If you are assigned a new Card number, you must update your method of payment in your Uber account. Cards added to your Uber account through a third party such as Apple Pay or PayPal will not be eligible. A Platinum Card account may receive this benefit on one Uber account. If the same Card is added to multiple Uber accounts, only the first Uber account to which the Card is added will receive the benefit. Uber VIP is available in select cities and is governed by Uber's terms and conditions. Credit may be applied to all Uber car types and UberEATS orders. To redeem monthly ride Credits, you must select to use the Credit in your Uber app prior to completing the Uber ride or placing the UberEATS order. The discount will not apply to previous Uber transactions and cannot be used when paying with an UberFAMILY profile. New and existing Uber users are eligible. Uber will apply discount at the point of sale. There is no limit to the number of transactions you may apply the Credit to each month, up to a total of $15 in Credits per month. Each year in December, you may apply up to $35 in Credit. The discounted cost of a ride will be displayed on your post-ride email receipt. If you are eligible to receive additional Membership Rewards points on your ride transaction, points will be awarded on the balance after Credits are applied. Credit may only be applied within the United States. Monthly ride Credit expires at 11:59 PM Hawaii Standard Time on the last day of each month. Unused Credit will not carry over to the following month. Credit will be applied for the month in which the transaction is completed. If transaction is eligible for another promotion that you have added to your Uber account, the promotion will be applied before the Credit. Certain Uber-branded credits may be applied to your balance prior to this Credit. For purposes of fulfilling upon this benefit, American Express will share with Uber certain information about your card, including the card type, and updated Card information from time to time. If you do not wish to participate in this program, please call the number on the back of your Card.
USA personal Platinum Uber $200/year credit (2017-2019)
May 21, 2017, 1:15 pm
#316
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL Scattered Smothered Covered Medallion, Some hotel & car stuff, Kroger Plus Card
Posts: 10,745
May 21, 2017, 1:20 pm
#317
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
vast majority of people, even on FT, qualify for things they do not use
its kind of the point, these things are marketing and money makers
to a certain degree uber is gambling on future victories/dominance
its kind of the point, these things are marketing and money makers
to a certain degree uber is gambling on future victories/dominance
May 21, 2017, 1:34 pm
#318
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: Avis President's Club, Global Entry, Hilton/Marriott Gold. No more DL/AA status.
Posts: 4,422
I'm new to Amex Platinum, but the reputation I bought into was that it's a "traveler's card". It is my opinion that radiolarian's idea fits better in the Amex ecosystem and would have benefitted me, and probably many others, more than the Uber credit. But Amex is trying to disrupt the ecosystem and drag people back from Chase.
May 21, 2017, 1:54 pm
#319
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: SFO
Posts: 3,881
I'm new to Amex Platinum, but the reputation I bought into was that it's a "traveler's card". It is my opinion that radiolarian's idea fits better in the Amex ecosystem and would have benefitted me, and probably many others, more than the Uber credit. But Amex is trying to disrupt the ecosystem and drag people back from Chase.
May 21, 2017, 2:39 pm
#320
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL Scattered Smothered Covered Medallion, Some hotel & car stuff, Kroger Plus Card
Posts: 10,745
I'm new to Amex Platinum, but the reputation I bought into was that it's a "traveler's card". It is my opinion that radiolarian's idea fits better in the Amex ecosystem and would have benefitted me, and probably many others, more than the Uber credit. But Amex is trying to disrupt the ecosystem and drag people back from Chase.
I'm willing to bet they also know that there is an audience who will be influenced away from Amex as a result, and they are okay with that. The way people travel and how they spend money on travel is changing, and Amex and other card companies want to keep pace with that.
In other words, if your spending/travel habits don't align in such a way to easily use the new card features, I would suspect that Amex already knows that but just doesn't feel that your group, in aggregate, is as important as the other group they are currently pursuing. Time and data will tell if they made the right move, but remember that they already have data on their side.
May 21, 2017, 3:55 pm
#321
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: Avis President's Club, Global Entry, Hilton/Marriott Gold. No more DL/AA status.
Posts: 4,422
It's all marketing. And I would think that Amex and Uber together have more data than all the rest of us, and have designed the credit in a way that very specifically targets a specific audience whose behavior they want to influence.
I'm willing to bet they also know that there is an audience who will be influenced away from Amex as a result, and they are okay with that. The way people travel and how they spend money on travel is changing, and Amex and other card companies want to keep pace with that.
In other words, if your spending/travel habits don't align in such a way to easily use the new card features, I would suspect that Amex already knows that but just doesn't feel that your group, in aggregate, is as important as the other group they are currently pursuing. Time and data will tell if they made the right move, but remember that they already have data on their side.
I'm willing to bet they also know that there is an audience who will be influenced away from Amex as a result, and they are okay with that. The way people travel and how they spend money on travel is changing, and Amex and other card companies want to keep pace with that.
In other words, if your spending/travel habits don't align in such a way to easily use the new card features, I would suspect that Amex already knows that but just doesn't feel that your group, in aggregate, is as important as the other group they are currently pursuing. Time and data will tell if they made the right move, but remember that they already have data on their side.
May 21, 2017, 4:37 pm
#322
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
Do the $15 per month credit accumulate?
So if you don't use Uber in 6 months, you have $90 in credits?
When do they expire, after your anniversary date?
Or if you cancel the card?
So if you don't use Uber in 6 months, you have $90 in credits?
When do they expire, after your anniversary date?
Or if you cancel the card?
May 22, 2017, 11:27 am
#324
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Berkeley, CA USA
Programs: Piggly Wiggly "Shop the Pig!" Preferred Shopper
Posts: 57,084
Which gets back to the marketing points, above. The idea from Uber's perspective is build a new segment of customers who use Uber regularly. That's why they're providing their services for something less (maybe a lot less) than full price.
May 25, 2017, 12:39 am
#325
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: SEA
Posts: 138
I have been planning to complain in writing to Amex about their support for what I believe to be an unethical company but haven't gotten around to it yet. I haven't used the credits, and received an email reminding me of the benefits with the following sentence at the end:
If you do not wish to use these programs, please call the number on the back of your Card and we'll be happy to assist you.
Has anyone made this call? I'm curious as to what to expect.
If you do not wish to use these programs, please call the number on the back of your Card and we'll be happy to assist you.
Has anyone made this call? I'm curious as to what to expect.
I'm writing a letter to Denise Pickett, President, U.S. Consumer Services to voice my concern. Her corporate contact information is at https://www.bloomberg.com/research/s...rivcapId=92001 if you or other like-minded people wish to do the same.
May 25, 2017, 6:19 am
#326
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,130
I share your concern. Uber is an unethical company and American Express degrades itself by aligning with them.
I'm writing a letter to Denise Pickett, President, U.S. Consumer Services to voice my concern. Her corporate contact information is at https://www.bloomberg.com/research/s...rivcapId=92001 if you or other like-minded people wish to do the same.
I'm writing a letter to Denise Pickett, President, U.S. Consumer Services to voice my concern. Her corporate contact information is at https://www.bloomberg.com/research/s...rivcapId=92001 if you or other like-minded people wish to do the same.
Sadly not surprised and leaves me back at wondering why in the world AMEX partnered with Uber instead of Lyft
May 25, 2017, 11:21 am
#327
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 998
I sort of agree with all of this. Uber barely exists in my area and isn't useful at all locally. It's great if I travel (maybe, I'm still not a fan of the idea of ride sharing...) but it's likely I would need it two or three times one month and maybe not the next month.
What I would have loved to see was just an increase to the travel credit (and maybe open it up like Chase for tix and everything) which would have blown away all the other "me too" cards. OR, at least offer this $200 as a "Car Service" credit. Have it apply to any rental cars (including Silvercar and Zip Car), private towncars/limo, and Uber and Lyft. Then the net of people that might be happy is much much larger. Ideally $200 pop loaded on the account all at once like the travel credit, but EVEN if it was handed out monthly in bits $15 off a day rental car/Silvercar/Zip Car would make me much happier then paying some dude to drive me somewhere (Which btw, SEA into downtown Seattle is like $40+ bucks! Could almost rent a car with taxes and fees for that and have it all day)
The big key points that others have hit on though is that Uber is probably picking up a huge amount of the cost on this. This is less of a Amex program to keep customers and more of a Uber advertising plan. Uber wants to go for the market segment that Amex has (high income, frequent travelers, people that probably aren't packing four people into an uber to share home black out drunk late at night, etc). Uber also is banking on your Uber trip is $20, or $30, or more. So they write off $15 and still make $5, $10, etc off you. There's a decent chance you would NOT have taken that Uber before and they would have made zero off you. Also, what if your Uber is from an airport to somewhere and then back. Well, $15's is used up on one way and "made back" on the return. Same if you're doing a hotel to a conference center. I'm sure there are one way point to point trips, but I bet a huge percent of them are round trips.
Amex "offers" this perk and might end up only having to pick up the cost on 50% of it, or less, or maybe none for the first year of the contract or something. (And again, they're only paying for the amount used, which due to the requirements probably is a lot lower then the travel credit). Uber gets to bring a targeted group of people toward their service AND might actually pull some money out of wallets on return trips or because the trip cost was over $15.
This is down to pure marketing/advertising and not really a "perk" to sell the credit card.
What I would have loved to see was just an increase to the travel credit (and maybe open it up like Chase for tix and everything) which would have blown away all the other "me too" cards. OR, at least offer this $200 as a "Car Service" credit. Have it apply to any rental cars (including Silvercar and Zip Car), private towncars/limo, and Uber and Lyft. Then the net of people that might be happy is much much larger. Ideally $200 pop loaded on the account all at once like the travel credit, but EVEN if it was handed out monthly in bits $15 off a day rental car/Silvercar/Zip Car would make me much happier then paying some dude to drive me somewhere (Which btw, SEA into downtown Seattle is like $40+ bucks! Could almost rent a car with taxes and fees for that and have it all day)
The big key points that others have hit on though is that Uber is probably picking up a huge amount of the cost on this. This is less of a Amex program to keep customers and more of a Uber advertising plan. Uber wants to go for the market segment that Amex has (high income, frequent travelers, people that probably aren't packing four people into an uber to share home black out drunk late at night, etc). Uber also is banking on your Uber trip is $20, or $30, or more. So they write off $15 and still make $5, $10, etc off you. There's a decent chance you would NOT have taken that Uber before and they would have made zero off you. Also, what if your Uber is from an airport to somewhere and then back. Well, $15's is used up on one way and "made back" on the return. Same if you're doing a hotel to a conference center. I'm sure there are one way point to point trips, but I bet a huge percent of them are round trips.
Amex "offers" this perk and might end up only having to pick up the cost on 50% of it, or less, or maybe none for the first year of the contract or something. (And again, they're only paying for the amount used, which due to the requirements probably is a lot lower then the travel credit). Uber gets to bring a targeted group of people toward their service AND might actually pull some money out of wallets on return trips or because the trip cost was over $15.
This is down to pure marketing/advertising and not really a "perk" to sell the credit card.
May 25, 2017, 11:43 am
#328
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: SFO
Posts: 3,881
What I would have loved to see was just an increase to the travel credit (and maybe open it up like Chase for tix and everything) which would have blown away all the other "me too" cards. OR, at least offer this $200 as a "Car Service" credit. Have it apply to any rental cars (including Silvercar and Zip Car), private towncars/limo, and Uber and Lyft.
This is down to pure marketing/advertising and not really a "perk" to sell the credit card.
May 25, 2017, 5:06 pm
#329
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 998
I prefer if all premium cards remove the travel credit and reduce the AF by the same amount.
I don't understand this. Aren't all credit card perks marketing/advertising in attempts to sell the credit card? Or, is there a real "perk" that isn't pure marketing/advertising?
I don't understand this. Aren't all credit card perks marketing/advertising in attempts to sell the credit card? Or, is there a real "perk" that isn't pure marketing/advertising?
B. I mean an advertising/marketing on Uber's side, not Amex. Yes all the perks Amex offers are marketing and advertising the Amex card to people to get them to use it, but this feels like Uber advertising/marketing to Amex card holders directly through the Amex card.
Think of the travel perks. They are good on basically any airline (and with Chase airline, parking fees, shuttle buses, etc) with the restriction of picking one at the start of the year and using that. Amex limits it to only "fees" like baggage and stuff (but there has been a pretty easy work around for a long time). I see that limit there as a half hearted attempt to hope some people don't use that full perk every year. BUT, it's a wide open perk that advertises the Amex card to anyone that travels. I feel like the Uber one is Amex allowing Uber to advertise their service.
If I don't care about Uber and Amex doesn't care about Uber (do they own stock? Are they the parent company of Uber? Why limit it just to Uber? Etc) then the only reason I can see it being limited to just that one company is if Uber entered a partnership with Amex because to Uber it was worth the cost to grow their business. Thus advertising via a perk on a credit card.
May 26, 2017, 8:29 am
#330
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL Scattered Smothered Covered Medallion, Some hotel & car stuff, Kroger Plus Card
Posts: 10,745
A. Reducing the AF - I'm all for that too, but I suspect that would cause a flood of new customers and we might have certain things being removed. This priority pass access issues, Amex lounge crowding issues, hotel status might not really mean anything anymore if everyone was at that level, etc. I get not wanting to pay $450 to $550 and instead just ~$250 or something, but that entry into the card might open up a lot more people to it then the programs can handle. Think CSR and their 100k pts offer. That seems to be causing some issues with priority pass lounge access and such...
B. I mean an advertising/marketing on Uber's side, not Amex. Yes all the perks Amex offers are marketing and advertising the Amex card to people to get them to use it, but this feels like Uber advertising/marketing to Amex card holders directly through the Amex card.
Think of the travel perks. They are good on basically any airline (and with Chase airline, parking fees, shuttle buses, etc) with the restriction of picking one at the start of the year and using that. Amex limits it to only "fees" like baggage and stuff (but there has been a pretty easy work around for a long time). I see that limit there as a half hearted attempt to hope some people don't use that full perk every year. BUT, it's a wide open perk that advertises the Amex card to anyone that travels. I feel like the Uber one is Amex allowing Uber to advertise their service.
If I don't care about Uber and Amex doesn't care about Uber (do they own stock? Are they the parent company of Uber? Why limit it just to Uber? Etc) then the only reason I can see it being limited to just that one company is if Uber entered a partnership with Amex because to Uber it was worth the cost to grow their business. Thus advertising via a perk on a credit card.
B. I mean an advertising/marketing on Uber's side, not Amex. Yes all the perks Amex offers are marketing and advertising the Amex card to people to get them to use it, but this feels like Uber advertising/marketing to Amex card holders directly through the Amex card.
Think of the travel perks. They are good on basically any airline (and with Chase airline, parking fees, shuttle buses, etc) with the restriction of picking one at the start of the year and using that. Amex limits it to only "fees" like baggage and stuff (but there has been a pretty easy work around for a long time). I see that limit there as a half hearted attempt to hope some people don't use that full perk every year. BUT, it's a wide open perk that advertises the Amex card to anyone that travels. I feel like the Uber one is Amex allowing Uber to advertise their service.
If I don't care about Uber and Amex doesn't care about Uber (do they own stock? Are they the parent company of Uber? Why limit it just to Uber? Etc) then the only reason I can see it being limited to just that one company is if Uber entered a partnership with Amex because to Uber it was worth the cost to grow their business. Thus advertising via a perk on a credit card.
Re: the Amex/Uber relationship - I'm willing to bet that Amex and Uber are paying each other for that relationship. Amex is paying Uber the fee credits in order to add a "perk" to the card. But Uber is also paying Amex in the form of a significant discount on those credits in order to use Amex as a marketing channel (e.g., Amex reimburses Uber for the ride credits, but perhaps each $15 credit only costs Amex $7.50). At the end of the day, both Amex and Uber are getting paid by the cardholders.