Jan 7, 2018, 10:23 am
Last edit by: MasterGeek
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 (2017). All the listed offers below are still valid as of January 2018.
AMEX Business Gold Rewards - $250/year,FYF, 40K MR (by referral, else only 30K) after $5000 spending
(no longer FYF as of Jun 26, 2018)
Updated as of Jan 22, 2018
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 SPG - $120/year, 25K SPG after $1500 spending + $30 GCR cashback
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 thread is a continuation of: Churning Amex in Canada (2017). All the listed offers below are still valid as of January 2018.
AMEX Business Gold Rewards - $250/year,
(no longer FYF as of Jun 26, 2018)
Updated as of Jan 22, 2018
AMEX Gold Rewards - $150/year,
- 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
- Jan 22, 2018, as of Sep 14, 2017 the Amex Gold MR is no longer FYF. $150/yr applies on first statement. Only another Gold or Cobalt card can refer to Gold (and vice versa) for a 5,000 MR bonus. The Personal Gold cannot refer to Business Gold, Personal Platinum nor Business Platinum.
AMEX SPG - $120/year, 25K SPG after $1500 spending + $30 GCR cashback
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)
American Express Canada application and reward strategies
Mar 17, 2018, 7:56 pm
#152
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 3
Datapoint (others may be aware of this but I had never stumbled upon it):
Opened SPG Amex last August. $120 annual fee or whatever. Met min spend. Received SPG Points.
Cancelled just now. Received a $60 credit from the annual since only had the card open for 6 months?
Pleasant surprise I hadn't read about elsewhere.
Opened SPG Amex last August. $120 annual fee or whatever. Met min spend. Received SPG Points.
Cancelled just now. Received a $60 credit from the annual since only had the card open for 6 months?
Pleasant surprise I hadn't read about elsewhere.
Just curious as I am thinking of having an early cancelation of my SPG card and hoping for a prorated annual fee.
Mar 20, 2018, 4:45 pm
#153
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 52
I cancelled my Amex Bus Gold on 12/25 and re-applied just last week. I didn't get an instant approval and called in on Monday to push the application along (they wanted to double check identity) and was approved on the spot. Today though I got a letter on the mail saying that they are unable to process my application at this time because I recently submitted an application for the same American Express card. They then said that my original application was approved and I will receive a new card in 7-10 days and the additional application will not be processed. Has anyone else got this before? Would I still qualify the welcome bonus or is the gig up? Thanks
Last edited by xtremester; Mar 21, 2018 at 8:49 am
Mar 21, 2018, 11:50 am
#154
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: yyz
Posts: 1,611
I cancelled my Amex Bus Gold on 12/25 and re-applied just last week. I didn't get an instant approval and called in on Monday to push the application along (they wanted to double check identity) and was approved on the spot. Today though I got a letter on the mail saying that they are unable to process my application at this time because I recently submitted an application for the same American Express card. They then said that my original application was approved and I will receive a new card in 7-10 days and the additional application will not be processed. Has anyone else got this before? Would I still qualify the welcome bonus or is the gig up? Thanks
Otherwise, you might not get the card because of the quick re-application. Or, you might just get it in the mail as per the second email and you'll be fine.
I don't think "the gig is up". When cancelling and re-applying for the same card in such a short time frame you're bound to trigger some IT glitches at their end.
Mar 21, 2018, 12:16 pm
#155
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 52
Did you change the name of the business on the card? Might be they would just re-open the old card if it's the same.
Otherwise, you might not get the card because of the quick re-application. Or, you might just get it in the mail as per the second email and you'll be fine.
I don't think "the gig is up". When cancelling and re-applying for the same card in such a short time frame you're bound to trigger some IT glitches at their end.
Otherwise, you might not get the card because of the quick re-application. Or, you might just get it in the mail as per the second email and you'll be fine.
I don't think "the gig is up". When cancelling and re-applying for the same card in such a short time frame you're bound to trigger some IT glitches at their end.
Mar 21, 2018, 3:25 pm
#156
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: YVR
Programs: SE 100K
Posts: 934
Going to call and transfer it to one of my other cards.
Mar 21, 2018, 7:18 pm
#157
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 52
Changes to the Perkpolis/Venngo offers for Amex Personal Gold... higher minimum spend but thankfully not the worse that can happen...
Say YES to the American Express® Gold Rewards Card – As a Perkopolis Member, pay a $150 annual fee* and receive a statement credit of $150 when you spend $1,500 in your first 3 months of Cardmembership2. Plus, receive an additional 2,500 Membership Rewards points annually upon renewal**.
...
Earn a Welcome Bonus of 25,000 Membership Rewards points when you charge $1,500 in purchases to your Card in your first 3 months of Cardmembership1
...
Earn a Welcome Bonus of 25,000 Membership Rewards points when you charge $1,500 in purchases to your Card in your first 3 months of Cardmembership1
Mar 22, 2018, 8:09 am
#158
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Canada
Programs: *void
Posts: 2,408
It's Mar 22, 2018. The day of anticipated changes to the Business Platinum Membership Rewards card's referral program.
As of 9:50am, Mar 22, PC web browser at Amex Biz Plat page still shows 25K referring bonus and 75K welcome bonus after $7K
But on the Amex mobile app the Business Platinum page shows:
As of 9:50am, Mar 22, PC web browser at Amex Biz Plat page still shows 25K referring bonus and 75K welcome bonus after $7K
- Youą could earn a referral bonus of 25,000 Membership Rewards® points˛ for each approved referral if your friend applies for the Card by March 21st, 2018
But on the Amex mobile app the Business Platinum page shows:
- You could earn a referral bonus of 15,0000 Membership Rewards points for each approved referral.
Mar 22, 2018, 8:42 am
#159
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 52
It's Mar 22, 2018. The day of anticipated changes to the Business Platinum Membership Rewards card's referral program.
As of 9:50am, Mar 22, PC web browser at Amex Biz Plat page still shows 25K referring bonus and 75K welcome bonus after $7K
But on the Amex mobile app the Business Platinum page shows:
As of 9:50am, Mar 22, PC web browser at Amex Biz Plat page still shows 25K referring bonus and 75K welcome bonus after $7K
- Youą could earn a referral bonus of 25,000 Membership Rewards® points˛ for each approved referral if your friend applies for the Card by March 21st, 2018
But on the Amex mobile app the Business Platinum page shows:
- You could earn a referral bonus of 15,0000 Membership Rewards points for each approved referral.
Earn 60,000 bonus Membership Rewards® points through this referral offer when you charge $7,000 in purchases to your Card in the first 3 months of Cardmembership9. Offer subject to change at any time.
Mar 22, 2018, 9:16 am
#161
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Montreal
Posts: 247
A dark day indeed.
I know we've been spoiled for awhile now...but increased annual fee + decreased sign-up bonus + increased minimum spend, all within a few months. Definitely ouch.
Oh well. In the churning game, it never goes too good, or too bad, for too long
I know we've been spoiled for awhile now...but increased annual fee + decreased sign-up bonus + increased minimum spend, all within a few months. Definitely ouch.
Oh well. In the churning game, it never goes too good, or too bad, for too long
Mar 22, 2018, 9:38 am
#163
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Prince Edward Island
Programs: Air Canada P25K, Hilton Honors Gold, Marriott Gold, MGM Gold
Posts: 1,582
It looks like changes may be coming to the SPG referrals too. My referral page now says:
You could earn a referral bonus of 5,000 Starpoints®* for each approved referral if your friend applies for the Card by April 16th 2018.
Mar 22, 2018, 12:13 pm
#164
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 3,165
Mar 22, 2018, 6:32 pm
#165
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Prince Edward Island
Programs: Air Canada P25K, Hilton Honors Gold, Marriott Gold, MGM Gold
Posts: 1,582