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 2, 2018, 1:31 pm
#121
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 73
I quickly scrolled through 2 months of posts but I can't find anything about not being able to refer to a personal gold from a Biz Plat. Is this new for march?
I waited to do the Amex churn in vain as Hometrust told me to get lost, no visa for me! The $$ I have with them means nothing I guess. Rogers did give me their Visa.
I waited to do the Amex churn in vain as Hometrust told me to get lost, no visa for me! The $$ I have with them means nothing I guess. Rogers did give me their Visa.
Mar 4, 2018, 11:02 am
#122
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Canadia
Programs: A loyal Amerisuites customer... oh wait
Posts: 2,033
Here's a plan.
Friend has had Amex personal Gold since August.
She'll apply for Amex Business Gold,using self-referral (10,000 MR) using a referral from my Business Platinum (25,000 MR)..
She'll charge $5,000 to her CRA remittance account using Plastiq, and she'll select Plastiq as a 2x merchant (10,000 MR). It'll cost $125 in Plastiq fees.
She'll earn the signup bonus (40,000 MR).
So I think that meansshe'll together we'll earn 75,000 MR, at a cost of $125 $112.50 after using Fee Free Dollars.
Later, she'll ask Amex to combine her personal Gold MR + Business Gold MR accounts.
Please poke holes in this plan / optimize it / confirm it's ^
(I've made edits; thanks to all for the advice.)
Friend has had Amex personal Gold since August.
She'll apply for Amex Business Gold,
She'll charge $5,000 to her CRA remittance account using Plastiq, and she'll select Plastiq as a 2x merchant (10,000 MR). It'll cost $125 in Plastiq fees.
She'll earn the signup bonus (40,000 MR).
So I think that means
Later, she'll ask Amex to combine her personal Gold MR + Business Gold MR accounts.
Please poke holes in this plan / optimize it / confirm it's ^
(I've made edits; thanks to all for the advice.)
Last edited by jerry305; Mar 5, 2018 at 9:46 am
Mar 4, 2018, 11:19 am
#124
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Canadia
Programs: A loyal Amerisuites customer... oh wait
Posts: 2,033
Mar 4, 2018, 2:02 pm
#125
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Prince Edward Island
Programs: Air Canada P25K, Hilton Honors Gold, Marriott Gold, MGM Gold
Posts: 1,582
p.s. I have personally used Plastiq to pay CRA instalments in order to meet minimum spend and it works great, especially for the biz gold since plastiq can earn double points if you choose it as one of your designated suppliers.
Mar 4, 2018, 3:02 pm
#126
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2015
Location: BOS, YVR, ZRH
Programs: *G
Posts: 17,384
Can someone please quickly remind me what the referral bonuses are on the SPG Business / Personal? e.g. does it matter if you go from Personal-> Business or Business-> personal or is the referral bonus on one higher than the other that'd make one way better? Thanks!
Mar 4, 2018, 3:11 pm
#127
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Prince Edward Island
Programs: Air Canada P25K, Hilton Honors Gold, Marriott Gold, MGM Gold
Posts: 1,582
It’s 5000 either way.
Mar 4, 2018, 3:59 pm
#128
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Canada
Programs: *void
Posts: 2,408
Here's a plan.
Friend has had Amex personal Gold since August.
She'll apply for Amex Business Gold,using self-referral (10,000 MR) using a referral from my Business Platinum (25,000 MR)..
She'll charge $5,000 to her CRA remittance account using Plastiq, and she'll select Plastiq as a 2x merchant (10,000 MR). It'll cost $125 in Plastiq fees.
She'll earn the signup bonus (40,000 MR).
So I think that meansshe'll together we'll earn 75,000 MR, at a cost of $125.
Later, she'll ask Amex to combine her personal Gold MR + Business Gold MR accounts.
Please poke holes in this plan / optimize it / confirm it's ^
Friend has had Amex personal Gold since August.
She'll apply for Amex Business Gold,
She'll charge $5,000 to her CRA remittance account using Plastiq, and she'll select Plastiq as a 2x merchant (10,000 MR). It'll cost $125 in Plastiq fees.
She'll earn the signup bonus (40,000 MR).
So I think that means
Later, she'll ask Amex to combine her personal Gold MR + Business Gold MR accounts.
Please poke holes in this plan / optimize it / confirm it's ^
If you're a current Plastiq client, you can refer her to open her own Plastiq account. Then after she uses Plastiq for an initial $500 payment, you will get $1000 FFDs and she will get $500 FFDs. If she in turn has a partner/spouse within her 'group', she can refer that person to also open Plastiq, and after the initial $500 payment by the partner, she will have another $1000 FFD, and partner will have $500. The more friends/partners in the 'group', the more FFDs.
To put it in context, $2000 FFDs would save $50 on a 2.5% Amex Plastiq payee service fees.
Plastiq can also pay property taxes, tuition fees, student loans, gas/electric/water utilities, rent, etc. The service fee varies per payee as well as by which card you use to make the payment, with Amex's fees usually a bit higher than say MC or Visa.
Mar 5, 2018, 5:11 am
#130
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2017
Programs: AC
Posts: 2,167
Be careful here with TDMM Insurance. If you're on the pay-once-annually program, then even if you schedule your payment in June, the charge won't actually post to your Amex (or other CC) account until the day or 2 AFTER the policy renewal date. If that date is within 90 days of your approval date, then no problem. If it's beyond, prepare to fight to get the bonus points after meeting the minimum spending beyond the required time period. That's what I faced a couple of years ago when I tried to pay early.
Mar 5, 2018, 8:10 am
#131
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Canada
Posts: 28
Anyone else get a survey asking us to compare credit cards and which benefits we would like to see? Quite extensive in its options and it seems they are going to be some changes (obviously with AE going down the drain) in the coming months.
EDIT: By email from AMEX
EDIT: By email from AMEX
Mar 5, 2018, 8:44 am
#132
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Canada
Programs: *void
Posts: 2,408
Good to know if I'm in a pinch next time. However, I've conditioned myself to time my minimum spends so I probably won't have to deal with this going forward.
Mar 5, 2018, 11:31 pm
#135
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Canada
Programs: *void
Posts: 2,408
Wait, what? Did something change? You should still be able to refer to other MR cards.
- Business Plat MR can refer to self, Personal Plat or Business Gold, for 25K bonus
- Personal Plat MR can refer to self, Business Plat or Business Gold, for 15K bonus
- Business Gold MR can refer to self, Business Plat or Personal Plat, for 10K bonus
- Note: Personal Gold MR can NOT be referred to BY any of the 3 above cards. Nor can Personal Gold MR refer TO any of the 3 above cards. Only to self or Cobalt CC for 5K bonus.