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
Aug 30, 2018, 11:33 am
#421
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Prince Edward Island
Programs: Air Canada P25K, Hilton Honors Gold, Marriott Gold, MGM Gold
Posts: 1,582
Sep 7, 2018, 12:13 pm
#422
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Quispamsis, New Brunswick
Programs: AC 75K, Marrott Platinum, BW Diamond, AP Diamond
Posts: 46
I am reading some people are saying they are getting the referral bonus as well as the FFY from the canada post link. I don't understand how you can get a referral and still use the 'canada post' link.
I am coming to the end of the year from my Platinum and I need something to keep my MR account alive.
I tried applying thru the 'canada post' link but when i get thru to the end it says the this cards annual fee is $250 so I have yet to hit submit. I have a little less than two months before I need to cancel my PLAT. so I am going to hold off a few more weeks unless I hear something different here.
Also, I have yet to try the new Amex Colbalt card, how does that work if i used it to keep my MR account alive because I know the points differ somewhat? do they keep two totals? or are you not able to use it that way? I don't want to transfer them to AP since I have plenty of AP and I figure keeping them as MR until i know what I need them for is the best option.
Also, one more thing, has anybody been hearing anything about a new Marriott card from Amex? the SPG canada card is such a downgrade when you compare it to the US version. They get nights credited for sign-up and for every $3000 spend where ours is zip. I am about 150 nights away from LP and but I need five years of LP regardless of my nights which makes it a little more difficult. I have traveled a lot in the last year but it may be coming to an end so unless something changes I may have to get the last 5 years on my own.
I am coming to the end of the year from my Platinum and I need something to keep my MR account alive.
I tried applying thru the 'canada post' link but when i get thru to the end it says the this cards annual fee is $250 so I have yet to hit submit. I have a little less than two months before I need to cancel my PLAT. so I am going to hold off a few more weeks unless I hear something different here.
Also, I have yet to try the new Amex Colbalt card, how does that work if i used it to keep my MR account alive because I know the points differ somewhat? do they keep two totals? or are you not able to use it that way? I don't want to transfer them to AP since I have plenty of AP and I figure keeping them as MR until i know what I need them for is the best option.
Also, one more thing, has anybody been hearing anything about a new Marriott card from Amex? the SPG canada card is such a downgrade when you compare it to the US version. They get nights credited for sign-up and for every $3000 spend where ours is zip. I am about 150 nights away from LP and but I need five years of LP regardless of my nights which makes it a little more difficult. I have traveled a lot in the last year but it may be coming to an end so unless something changes I may have to get the last 5 years on my own.
Sep 7, 2018, 4:07 pm
#423
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Prince Edward Island
Programs: Air Canada P25K, Hilton Honors Gold, Marriott Gold, MGM Gold
Posts: 1,582
The discussion above (if that's what you're talking about) was about using the canada post link to get the card (no referral bonus for that) but then getting a referral bonus later when you use that card to refer someone else.
Sep 8, 2018, 12:14 am
#424
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: London / Los Angeles
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Globalist, BA Silver
Posts: 1,631
Two quick questions.
I have an SPG Business Credit Card that I signed up for last November.
1) Will I get my first free night certificate sometime around this November most likely?
2) I currently can see no option to refer form my SPG business card to another SPG card. Has this been disabled?
Thanks!
I have an SPG Business Credit Card that I signed up for last November.
1) Will I get my first free night certificate sometime around this November most likely?
2) I currently can see no option to refer form my SPG business card to another SPG card. Has this been disabled?
Thanks!
Sep 8, 2018, 4:53 am
#425
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Prince Edward Island
Programs: Air Canada P25K, Hilton Honors Gold, Marriott Gold, MGM Gold
Posts: 1,582
I have an SPG Business Credit Card that I signed up for last November.
1) Will I get my first free night certificate sometime around this November most likely?
2) I currently can see no option to refer form my SPG business card to another SPG card. Has this been disabled?
1) Will I get my first free night certificate sometime around this November most likely?
2) I currently can see no option to refer form my SPG business card to another SPG card. Has this been disabled?
Sep 8, 2018, 8:03 am
#426
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: YVR
Posts: 625
Two quick questions.
I have an SPG Business Credit Card that I signed up for last November.
1) Will I get my first free night certificate sometime around this November most likely?
2) I currently can see no option to refer form my SPG business card to another SPG card. Has this been disabled?
Thanks!
I have an SPG Business Credit Card that I signed up for last November.
1) Will I get my first free night certificate sometime around this November most likely?
2) I currently can see no option to refer form my SPG business card to another SPG card. Has this been disabled?
Thanks!
Sep 8, 2018, 4:54 pm
#428
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Canadia
Programs: A loyal Amerisuites customer... oh wait
Posts: 2,033
Sep 8, 2018, 10:05 pm
#429
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 81
I currently hold the biz plat - AF charged in March. I was planning on self-referring the personal plat at some point since it comes with Hilton Gold (the biz plat only comes with Starwood). I'm currently planning a big trip in February to Hawaii. Should I self-refer now? Or wait until January?
Pros for Now:
Pros for Now:
- Between airfare and the hotel deposit I'll get to the $5k spend right away - otherwise the next easy opportunity to do a $5k spend would be the remainder of the hotel in February, but that would be in USD so I'd pay the FX fee (I could use a no FX card instead if I meet the min spend with the airfare)
- I can book the airfare with platinum travel services and use the $200 travel credit - if I have to apply the credit through Amex travel, it will take some effort to use every year
- The biz plat and personal plat will overlap for 6 months, so I'm wasting half my biz plat year.
Sep 9, 2018, 9:41 am
#430
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: YVR
Programs: SE 100K
Posts: 934
Sep 9, 2018, 11:27 pm
#431
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 81
