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
Jan 23, 2018, 7:29 pm
#31
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Canada
Programs: *void
Posts: 2,408
It was a bit of a chore prior to 2015, to request for merged MR accounts (Platinums are MR First, versus Golds are regular MR points), but in the past couple of years very few people are met with flack for requesting a merger of the two different MR points.
Jan 23, 2018, 8:16 pm
#32
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 37
PERKOPOLIS - if you work for an organization/group that has a Perkopolis association, you can still open the Personal Gold through their special link using an RSVP code, and their offer for the Personal Gold MR card is 25,000 MR and FYF, after just $500 spending (regular channels require $1500). Plus if you choose to keep the card after 1 year the annual fee is $99 (vs. $150).
Jan 24, 2018, 6:13 am
#34
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Prince Edward Island
Programs: Air Canada P25K, Hilton Honors Gold, Marriott Gold, MGM Gold
Posts: 1,582
Jan 24, 2018, 8:22 am
#35
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kan@da
Programs: Anything with sweet spots
Posts: 1,790
Any recent data points of welcome bonus not posting immediately after reaching the minimum spend on a Biz card ? AmI right in suspecting that they are delayed to 8-10 weeks if a refund occurred while working towards achieving the minimum spend ?
Jan 25, 2018, 5:21 am
#36
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 48
Recent business platinum posted day after spend hit. Referrals from it posting day after as well. Gold may be different?
Jan 26, 2018, 8:28 am
#38
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kan@da
Programs: Anything with sweet spots
Posts: 1,790
Thanks. My gf had her welcome bonus for the Biz Gold delayed to 10 weeks. During the course of working towards achieving the $5000 minimum spend she received one or two refunds to her card. I wonder if that's the cause that delayed the posting of the welcome bonus
Jan 29, 2018, 9:49 am
#41
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Vancouver, BC
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 810
I'm wondering if anyone has any advice regarding the SPG AMEX. I'm really interested in this card, but am worried they may cancel the card soon, given the SPG/Marriott mergers.
Is it still a good idea to apply, even though it's almost February now?
Is it still a good idea to apply, even though it's almost February now?
Jan 29, 2018, 10:01 am
#42
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Prince Edward Island
Programs: Air Canada P25K, Hilton Honors Gold, Marriott Gold, MGM Gold
Posts: 1,582
I assume that they will stop accepting applications quite a while before they cancel existing cards. So, if I were you, I'd apply now and take advantage of the 20K point sign-up bonus. If they cancel your card before the first year is up, they will likely refund part of your annual fee. So, I say go for it, and sooner rather than later.
Jan 29, 2018, 6:24 pm
#43
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 353
Hi all!
Can someone tell me exactly when AMEX Gold charges their annual fee? Is it on statement date or on the exact anniversary date?
I got approved on Feb 17 2017.
I'm asking because I would like to use to cancel the card ASAP in order to avoid the second year annual fee. However, I plan to rent a car for one day on Feb 23 2018 and would like to still have it that day in order to use the rental car insurance.
Thank you!
Can someone tell me exactly when AMEX Gold charges their annual fee? Is it on statement date or on the exact anniversary date?
I got approved on Feb 17 2017.
I'm asking because I would like to use to cancel the card ASAP in order to avoid the second year annual fee. However, I plan to rent a car for one day on Feb 23 2018 and would like to still have it that day in order to use the rental car insurance.
Thank you!
Jan 29, 2018, 7:21 pm
#44
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Canada
Programs: *void
Posts: 2,408
Hi all!
Can someone tell me exactly when AMEX Gold charges their annual fee? Is it on statement date or on the exact anniversary date?
I got approved on Feb 17 2017.
I'm asking because I would like to use to cancel the card ASAP in order to avoid the second year annual fee. However, I plan to rent a car for one day on Feb 23 2018 and would like to still have it that day in order to use the rental car insurance.
Thank you!
Can someone tell me exactly when AMEX Gold charges their annual fee? Is it on statement date or on the exact anniversary date?
I got approved on Feb 17 2017.
I'm asking because I would like to use to cancel the card ASAP in order to avoid the second year annual fee. However, I plan to rent a car for one day on Feb 23 2018 and would like to still have it that day in order to use the rental car insurance.
Thank you!
Jan 29, 2018, 8:14 pm
#45
Join Date: Feb 2005
Programs: AC, BA, DL, AA, JL
Posts: 436
Not long ago, I churned the personal SPG card after a several-months long break between cancelling my last personal SPG card and acquiring a new personal SPG card. Despite meeting the minimum spending requirements some months ago, I didn't receive the bonus points again. It was an experiment on my part, so I don't mind too much, and I thought that I'd share my experience with the FlyerTalk community. Your mileage may vary, of course, but it's far from a given that you can successfully churn the personal version of the SPG card.