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 29, 2019, 10:02 am
#496
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: YYZ
Programs: AMEX AC CX UA AA DL
Posts: 3,008
>> however I believe you need your statement to show them, which I am not sure how you would get once the card is closed.
Print / download the relevant statements before you close the card, if you don't receive physical statements in the mail.
Print / download the relevant statements before you close the card, if you don't receive physical statements in the mail.
Jan 29, 2019, 11:30 am
#497
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Toronto
Posts: 39
I would do that if the accounts were still opened, I'm not one to keep paper statements, but perhaps I should for the big ticket items that may be needed. More organizational skills, do you think American Express would be able to provide that after a time passes still since it would still exist on there systems?
Jan 29, 2019, 11:49 am
#498
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: YVR
Posts: 625
Or alternatively, save the statement as a PDF.
Jan 30, 2019, 9:48 am
#499
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: YYZ
Programs: United 1K, AC 50K, Hyatt Globalist, Marriot Platinum
Posts: 684
I want to do a self referral for an Amex Platinum Card. I have Gold Business and Regular and Platinum Business but none of these has the Platinum appear as an alternative card. Any ideas of what I can do?
Jan 30, 2019, 10:20 am
#500
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 22
Not much - Personal Platinum can only be referred to via Personal Platinum. If you're looking for a referral link (you get 60,000 instead of 50,000 bonus points upon minimum spend), I will be happy to provide one of course!
Jan 30, 2019, 10:42 am
#501
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: YYZ
Programs: Amex MR, SPG, Aeroplan
Posts: 129
I would do that if the accounts were still opened, I'm not one to keep paper statements, but perhaps I should for the big ticket items that may be needed. More organizational skills, do you think American Express would be able to provide that after a time passes still since it would still exist on there systems?
Mar 1, 2019, 4:49 pm
#502
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: YYZ
Posts: 379
Help: 500k MR Points
So i have been hoarding a bit of MR points and not willing to transfer to any airline partners especially Aeroplan given the uncertainty over the past year. Now with AC buying Aeroplan and amex renewing their agreement. Should i just transfer over to Aeroplan or keep hoarding MR points in hopes they expand their transfer partners like what they have in the US. Since i have no need to keep any Amex MR card (all spend on Mbna Alaska). What does everyone think? Thanks
Mar 2, 2019, 12:40 pm
#503
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: YYZ
Programs: Amex MR, SPG, Aeroplan
Posts: 129
My approach is to delay to transfer into whatever plan until I'm about to book the flights/hotels. Now, if I was faced with a decision on renewing the card (and stiff annual fee) or transferring and closing... that was a tough one, and I decided to pick another Amex with cheaper fee to keep my MRs flexible for at least 6 more months (and hope for another bonus along the way).
Mar 2, 2019, 1:32 pm
#504
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: YYZ
Posts: 123
Is there any way to get a refund on the SPG Amex $120 fee if you cancelled after 5 months? Prorated?
I referred a friend back in Sept/Oct 2018 and told him the promo was spend $1500 and get 50K points in 3 months.
My fault I forgot for referrals the spend is $3000, so not only did he not get the points. He is out the $120.
Is he out of luck here?
I referred a friend back in Sept/Oct 2018 and told him the promo was spend $1500 and get 50K points in 3 months.
My fault I forgot for referrals the spend is $3000, so not only did he not get the points. He is out the $120.
Is he out of luck here?
Mar 2, 2019, 4:57 pm
#505
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 4,784
Is there any way to get a refund on the SPG Amex $120 fee if you cancelled after 5 months? Prorated?
I referred a friend back in Sept/Oct 2018 and told him the promo was spend $1500 and get 50K points in 3 months.
My fault I forgot for referrals the spend is $3000, so not only did he not get the points. He is out the $120.
Is he out of luck here?
I referred a friend back in Sept/Oct 2018 and told him the promo was spend $1500 and get 50K points in 3 months.
My fault I forgot for referrals the spend is $3000, so not only did he not get the points. He is out the $120.
Is he out of luck here?
if I'm him and we're good friends, I'll just chucle at this for future memories, $120 is no big deal
If he is not, maybe offer to send him $60? and see what he says
Mar 2, 2019, 5:06 pm
#506
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: YYZ
Posts: 123
Mar 10, 2019, 12:10 pm
#507
Join Date: Apr 2012
Programs: 25 million points to burn!
Posts: 1,522
So i have been hoarding a bit of MR points and not willing to transfer to any airline partners especially Aeroplan given the uncertainty over the past year. Now with AC buying Aeroplan and amex renewing their agreement. Should i just transfer over to Aeroplan or keep hoarding MR points in hopes they expand their transfer partners like what they have in the US. Since i have no need to keep any Amex MR card (all spend on Mbna Alaska). What does everyone think? Thanks
Second, I think you should transfer them out. Why? B/c Aeroplan honestly is the only strong redemption left in Canada. Also, they never offer transfer bonuses for Aeros, so don’t be waiting on that. And Air Canada has moved in to make Aeroplan as good as ever. So I say why not?
Unless amex Canada grabs another good transfer partner, you won’t be losing out on anything. I mean, with the departure of SPG as an option, that’s life. I got all my MRs into SPG before the merger. Now it’s just Air Canada all the way, baby! Also, with the tantalizing possibility of Etihad joining Star Alliance, that would greatly increase the value of Aeros.
Mar 10, 2019, 3:10 pm
#508
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: YYZ
Posts: 379
first off, I think using your AS card for all spend is the best idea in Canada now.
Second, I think you should transfer them out. Why? B/c Aeroplan honestly is the only strong redemption left in Canada. Also, they never offer transfer bonuses for Aeros, so don’t be waiting on that. And Air Canada has moved in to make Aeroplan as good as ever. So I say why not?
Unless amex Canada grabs another good transfer partner, you won’t be losing out on anything. I mean, with the departure of SPG as an option, that’s life. I got all my MRs into SPG before the merger. Now it’s just Air Canada all the way, baby! Also, with the tantalizing possibility of Etihad joining Star Alliance, that would greatly increase the value of Aeros.
One thing i did do however was apply for the AMEX Cobalt with the intention of transferring to Marriott Bonvoy at a 5:6 ratio, i'd only put my grocery and dining out spend earning 5X or essentially 6 Bonvoy pts for every dollar spent and with Bonvoy's 25% transfer bonus to miles that's 2.5 miles for every dollar spent in Cobalt's 5x category. So my strategy is AMEX Cobalt for the bonus categories and put everything else on my AS CC.
Last edited by sxc234; Mar 10, 2019 at 3:20 pm
Mar 16, 2019, 9:46 am
#509
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: YVR
Posts: 1,846
Anyone have recent data points on SPG Amex (new Marriott Bonvoy) apps re: the sign up bonus?
I have the biz version - canceled my personal over a year ago . Looking to self refer or apply via GCR. Looking to see what happened for anyone else who had tried recently...?
I have the biz version - canceled my personal over a year ago . Looking to self refer or apply via GCR. Looking to see what happened for anyone else who had tried recently...?
Mar 19, 2019, 12:07 am
#510
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 4,784
I have Personal, applied Biz via GCR ($60 cashback), got the card, put $1500 on it, waiting for WB to show up
I then referred my friend, have to wait for statement to see Referral bonus
I'll report back after the statement