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. Thats 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 RewardsŽ 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
Apr 17, 2018, 11:10 am
#211
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: yyz
Posts: 1,611
New referral info on the SPG cards as of this morning.... 
You could earn a $25 Statement Credit for each approved referral˛.
Your friend could earn a $100 Statement Credit after they charge $1,500 in purchases to their Card in the first 3 months of Cardmembershipł. Your friend could also earn a $150 Statement Credit after they charge $200 or more in purchases to their Card at participating Starwood or Marriott properties in their first 6 months of Cardmembershipł
Hopefully this is temporary while they revamp the product. Here's hoping we see some new benefits or a new card later in the year with a juicy welcome bonus.
It does seem Amex has yet to make the changes to the application landing page, which still shows 20,000 SPG points as the welcome bonus. Anyone looking to apply should do it ASAP and maybe take a screenshot for any disputes.
You could earn a $25 Statement Credit for each approved referral˛.
Your friend could earn a $100 Statement Credit after they charge $1,500 in purchases to their Card in the first 3 months of Cardmembershipł. Your friend could also earn a $150 Statement Credit after they charge $200 or more in purchases to their Card at participating Starwood or Marriott properties in their first 6 months of Cardmembershipł
Hopefully this is temporary while they revamp the product. Here's hoping we see some new benefits or a new card later in the year with a juicy welcome bonus.
It does seem Amex has yet to make the changes to the application landing page, which still shows 20,000 SPG points as the welcome bonus. Anyone looking to apply should do it ASAP and maybe take a screenshot for any disputes.
I had an old referral link. Just tried to click it and noticed the new referral offer.
Hopefully the new Amex SPG/Marriott cards make up for it...because so far the signs suck.
Apr 17, 2018, 11:33 am
#212
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: YYZ
Programs: Amex MR, SPG, Aeroplan
Posts: 129
Just tried with freshly generated renewal link, and even landing page (for both biz and consumer) are showing $100 statement credit. If you still have the link that gives 20.000 points, it might suddenly become desirable for referral.
Apr 17, 2018, 11:50 am
#213
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Canadia
Programs: A loyal Amerisuites customer... oh wait
Posts: 2,033
Anyone got an older link? Does it still bring up the old terms?
Apr 17, 2018, 12:20 pm
#215
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 3,166
While I'm pretty sure the statement credit sign up bonus is a temporary placeholder until AmEx releases new/updated Marriott/SPG card(s) later this year, I really hope the sign up bonus on the new card(s) will be at least equivalent to the old 20,000 SPG points, which would be 60,000 Marriott points (or more if they are going to improve the product).
did not make it...
Apr 17, 2018, 7:10 pm
#217
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Prince Edward Island
Programs: Air Canada P25K, Hilton Honors Gold, Marriott Gold, MGM Gold
Posts: 1,582
I got a new SPG biz card a few days ago. I was originally going to wait until a bit later but decided to move it up since we knew something was going to happen on the 16th and it probably wouldn't be good. I almost didn't apply but I'd be kicking myself right now if I hadn't.
Apr 17, 2018, 8:04 pm
#218
Join Date: Apr 2012
Programs: 25 million points to burn!
Posts: 1,522
NOT sure what this means
“the last easy target is the Biz Gold at FYF, even though the 40K welcome bonus might not be achieved with the $5K spending requirement, since the 25K is secured with an approved referral and not dependent on the new card meeting the welcome bonus terms.”
i referred a couple members of our churn team to this card, and got the 25K bonuses. But does the above statement mean that we shouldn’t expect to get the 40K bonus after spending $5K?
“the last easy target is the Biz Gold at FYF, even though the 40K welcome bonus might not be achieved with the $5K spending requirement, since the 25K is secured with an approved referral and not dependent on the new card meeting the welcome bonus terms.”
i referred a couple members of our churn team to this card, and got the 25K bonuses. But does the above statement mean that we shouldn’t expect to get the 40K bonus after spending $5K?
Apr 18, 2018, 7:08 am
#220
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: YYZ
Programs: Amex MR, SPG, Aeroplan
Posts: 129
It simply means that anybody who had a card before (like everybody in my family and lots of people on this forum) is not eligible for bonus as per T&C. How (and if) that is enforced is another matter, but bonus after minimum spend is not guaranteed in that scenario. Referral bonus is garanteed (and always was) and only depends on person getting approved, not on their spending habbits.
Apr 18, 2018, 11:17 am
#221
Join Date: Apr 2012
Programs: 25 million points to burn!
Posts: 1,522
It simply means that anybody who had a card before (like everybody in my family and lots of people on this forum) is not eligible for bonus as per T&C. How (and if) that is enforced is another matter, but bonus after minimum spend is not guaranteed in that scenario. Referral bonus is garanteed (and always was) and only depends on person getting approved, not on their spending habbits.
Apr 18, 2018, 12:55 pm
#222
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Canada
Programs: *void
Posts: 2,408
NOT sure what this means
the last easy target is the Biz Gold at FYF, even though the 40K welcome bonus might not be achieved with the $5K spending requirement, since the 25K is secured with an approved referral and not dependent on the new card meeting the welcome bonus terms.
i referred a couple members of our churn team to this card, and got the 25K bonuses. But does the above statement mean that we shouldnt expect to get the 40K bonus after spending $5K?
the last easy target is the Biz Gold at FYF, even though the 40K welcome bonus might not be achieved with the $5K spending requirement, since the 25K is secured with an approved referral and not dependent on the new card meeting the welcome bonus terms.
i referred a couple members of our churn team to this card, and got the 25K bonuses. But does the above statement mean that we shouldnt expect to get the 40K bonus after spending $5K?
It simply means that anybody who had a card before (like everybody in my family and lots of people on this forum) is not eligible for bonus as per T&C. How (and if) that is enforced is another matter, but bonus after minimum spend is not guaranteed in that scenario. Referral bonus is garanteed (and always was) and only depends on person getting approved, not on their spending habbits.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...l#post29563761
I was commenting on the Mar 3rd event, when Amex changed the wording in the Business Platinum's referral, and this was creating plenty of speculation by some (
) that there would be a lowered referring bonus for the card. This prompted many people to ramp up their referring or self-referring, to the easy target Business Gold card. Why? Because it was (still is) FYF and so wouldn't 'cost' anything, even though they'd then be faced with the longtime requirement of $5K spending for 40K welcome points. But, even if people didn't think they could do the $5K spending they were going after the easy 25K referring bonus on an approved application, regardless of whether or not they even activated the new card to try and earn the 40K bonus.I did NOT mean to say that you may or may not get the 40K again for the Business Gold. On the contrary, you SHOULD be eligible since the T&C of the business card products do NOT have the same wording of the Personal card products, i.e. only the Personal cards say you may not be awarded with another repeat bonus, whereas the Business cards do NOT mention this.
Preacher, you and your village SHOULD be able to get the 40K bonus after $5K spending, as long as you don't get an Amex rep to poke you in the churning-eye and claim (incorrectly) that you are NOT eligible because you've received the bonus once before, or if that same nasty rep says you can't have a another welcome bonus on a second concurrent Amex Business card product. Both of these have been reported by others, but with sparse visibility.
Hope that's not as confusing as my original comment, but as I re-read things, it still looks over-explained.
Apr 18, 2018, 4:55 pm
#223
Join Date: Apr 2012
Programs: 25 million points to burn!
Posts: 1,522
That was a snippet pulled out from one of my recent musings on the events and happenings of the Business Platinum card:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...l#post29563761
I was commenting on the Mar 3rd event, when Amex changed the wording in the Business Platinum's referral, and this was creating plenty of speculation by some () that there would be a lowered referring bonus for the card. This prompted many people to ramp up their referring or self-referring, to the easy target Business Gold card. Why? Because it was (still is) FYF and so wouldn't 'cost' anything, even though they'd then be faced with the longtime requirement of $5K spending for 40K welcome points. But, even if people didn't think they could do the $5K spending they were going after the easy 25K referring bonus on an approved application, regardless of whether or not they even activated the new card to try and earn the 40K bonus.
I did NOT mean to say that you may or may not get the 40K again for the Business Gold. On the contrary, you SHOULD be eligible since the T&C of the business card products do NOT have the same wording of the Personal card products, i.e. only the Personal cards say you may not be awarded with another repeat bonus, whereas the Business cards do NOT mention this.
Preacher, you and your village SHOULD be able to get the 40K bonus after $5K spending, as long as you don't get an Amex rep to poke you in the churning-eye and claim (incorrectly) that you are NOT eligible because you've received the bonus once before, or if that same nasty rep says you can't have a another welcome bonus on a second concurrent Amex Business card product. Both of these have been reported by others, but with sparse visibility.
Hope that's not as confusing as my original comment, but as I re-read things, it still looks over-explained.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...l#post29563761
I was commenting on the Mar 3rd event, when Amex changed the wording in the Business Platinum's referral, and this was creating plenty of speculation by some (
) that there would be a lowered referring bonus for the card. This prompted many people to ramp up their referring or self-referring, to the easy target Business Gold card. Why? Because it was (still is) FYF and so wouldn't 'cost' anything, even though they'd then be faced with the longtime requirement of $5K spending for 40K welcome points. But, even if people didn't think they could do the $5K spending they were going after the easy 25K referring bonus on an approved application, regardless of whether or not they even activated the new card to try and earn the 40K bonus.I did NOT mean to say that you may or may not get the 40K again for the Business Gold. On the contrary, you SHOULD be eligible since the T&C of the business card products do NOT have the same wording of the Personal card products, i.e. only the Personal cards say you may not be awarded with another repeat bonus, whereas the Business cards do NOT mention this.
Preacher, you and your village SHOULD be able to get the 40K bonus after $5K spending, as long as you don't get an Amex rep to poke you in the churning-eye and claim (incorrectly) that you are NOT eligible because you've received the bonus once before, or if that same nasty rep says you can't have a another welcome bonus on a second concurrent Amex Business card product. Both of these have been reported by others, but with sparse visibility.
Hope that's not as confusing as my original comment, but as I re-read things, it still looks over-explained.
Apr 18, 2018, 5:16 pm
#224
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: Starwood:Lifetime Platinum, Air Canada:Basic, Asiana:Lifetime Diamond Plus, ANA: Basic
Posts: 980
Kind of screwed. Aeroplan is going in 2020. The new merged Starwood/Mariott program will have a SPG credit card that earns less. This also means there will be a devaluation to the Membership Rewards to SPG/Mariott ratio. We just have to wait to see how bad it becomes.
Apr 18, 2018, 5:19 pm
#225
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: Starwood:Lifetime Platinum, Air Canada:Basic, Asiana:Lifetime Diamond Plus, ANA: Basic
Posts: 980
Also for those who have AMEX Platinum. This is the time to get a status match to SPG Gold and link it to Mariott's Gold (much more valuable). Then the new merged program happen in August and you will automatically get SPG/Marriott Platinum status for the remaining of the year. This was confirmed with some VP of the SPG loyalty program from UK on the Starwood Forum.