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
Oct 27, 2019, 6:58 pm
#541
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Canada
Programs: *void
Posts: 2,408
Another thing you have to be careful about, is if you are doing a self-referral, make sure it's not within 90 days that you opened the Business Platinum card, because Amex's system will auto-decline a second business MR card application within that timeframe.
Oct 29, 2019, 5:19 pm
#542
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,519
I believe you're referring to the TravelZoo offer. If it hasn't expired yet (some say the link doesn't work anymore?), and you can get the RSVP code to work then go for it. I mean, if you think the $700 annual fee is worth it (or minus $200 travel credit it comes out to $500).
I'm not sure, but I think the free supplementary card will be in perpetuity, as long as you remain an active primary cardholder, and so the free Priority Pass benefits will be doubled, for you and your partner, so that's a good deal for a couple/team who travel a lot, and separately, but don't have status. Guide your decision also on possibility that you may or may not get the offer if the deal is expired, but you can manage to fiddle the signup to continue anyways. Probably a good chance it will come through though if you get approved...just a gut feeling on my part.
I'm not sure, but I think the free supplementary card will be in perpetuity, as long as you remain an active primary cardholder, and so the free Priority Pass benefits will be doubled, for you and your partner, so that's a good deal for a couple/team who travel a lot, and separately, but don't have status. Guide your decision also on possibility that you may or may not get the offer if the deal is expired, but you can manage to fiddle the signup to continue anyways. Probably a good chance it will come through though if you get approved...just a gut feeling on my part.
Here is a photo from the "Information Box" section on Annual Fees:
Nov 1, 2019, 7:30 am
#544
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Prince Edward Island
Programs: Air Canada P25K, Hilton Honors Gold, Marriott Gold, MGM Gold
Posts: 1,582
Do the t&c for the business platinum 75K referral offer say that bonus points won't be awarded to current or former small business card holders? If so, does anyone know if this is being enforced? The public 40k offer on the amex website only refers to holders of an existing business card (no reference to former cardholders). I don't currently have any business cards, but have had them in the past (including a business platinum that I closed about a year ago). I'm thinking about applying again and wondering if there's any chance of getting the bonus again through either a referral link (75k) or direct application (40k).
Nov 13, 2019, 8:00 am
#546
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Prince Edward Island
Programs: Air Canada P25K, Hilton Honors Gold, Marriott Gold, MGM Gold
Posts: 1,582
Unfortunately, you can't self refer from biz platinum to personal platinum (you can just refer to other business cards). But if you get a referral from someone else, the offer is 60K bonus points instead of the 50K you get from applying directly on the Amex site.
Nov 28, 2019, 10:32 pm
#547
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 38
Amex Personal Plat anniversary is Dec 17th, 2019. I used my $200 travel credit in Aug 2019.
Id like to cancel the card. Is there any way to churn the $200 travel credit again without having to pay another $699 annual fee?
Customer service stated if I used the $200 travel credit after my annerviersey (Dec 17th, 2019) then I will be required to pay the $699 annual fee.
Id like to cancel the card. Is there any way to churn the $200 travel credit again without having to pay another $699 annual fee?
Customer service stated if I used the $200 travel credit after my annerviersey (Dec 17th, 2019) then I will be required to pay the $699 annual fee.
Nov 28, 2019, 10:52 pm
#548
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 4,784
Amex Personal Plat anniversary is Dec 17th, 2019. I used my $200 travel credit in Aug 2019.
Id like to cancel the card. Is there any way to churn the $200 travel credit again without having to pay another $699 annual fee?
Customer service stated if I used the $200 travel credit after my annerviersey (Dec 17th, 2019) then I will be required to pay the $699 annual fee.
Id like to cancel the card. Is there any way to churn the $200 travel credit again without having to pay another $699 annual fee?
Customer service stated if I used the $200 travel credit after my annerviersey (Dec 17th, 2019) then I will be required to pay the $699 annual fee.
AMEX closed that loophole because we all enjoyed it
They'll either make you pay $699 or refund $699-$200 credit to you, no more double-dipping (or triple dipping for mid-Dec signup's)
Nov 28, 2019, 11:56 pm
#549
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 38
Going to cancel now. Thanks
Dec 6, 2019, 10:50 am
#550
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: YVR
Programs: SE 100K
Posts: 935
Bonvoy cards churnable?
Last held the Personal SPG version and cancelled in Oct 2018.
Then held the Biz Bonvoy until May 2019 when I cancelled it.
Worth re-applying for the personal to see if I get the points? Or have they clamped down pretty hard on these?
Last held the Personal SPG version and cancelled in Oct 2018.
Then held the Biz Bonvoy until May 2019 when I cancelled it.
Worth re-applying for the personal to see if I get the points? Or have they clamped down pretty hard on these?
Dec 6, 2019, 10:54 am
#551
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2015
Location: BOS, YVR, ZRH
Programs: *G
Posts: 17,410
I didn't even get sign up points for the FIRST bonvoy card I got... (Having had the SPG card previously), so I'll say unlikely.
Jan 2, 2020, 10:12 pm
#552
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: YVR
Programs: British Airways Executive Club, Airmiles, Aeroplan
Posts: 22
Do the t&c for the business platinum 75K referral offer say that bonus points won't be awarded to current or former small business card holders? If so, does anyone know if this is being enforced? The public 40k offer on the amex website only refers to holders of an existing business card (no reference to former cardholders). I don't currently have any business cards, but have had them in the past (including a business platinum that I closed about a year ago). I'm thinking about applying again and wondering if there's any chance of getting the bonus again through either a referral link (75k) or direct application (40k).
Feb 5, 2020, 8:45 pm
#553
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: YYZ
Programs: Amex MR, SPG, Aeroplan
Posts: 129
I see the thread is slowly dying... but still have to try.
Where in the Footnotes/T&C of Cobalt (or Business Edge) can I find the ability to transfer points to hotel programs? I see a fixed travel program and paying with points (even ticketmaster), but not a single mention of hotel transfers. Does that mean new cardholders get MRs that are completely closed?
With a continuous gap in hotel cards in Canadian market (save for Amex SPG that I used to have) and resurgence AP no-fee cards, I can pluck enough aero points from other sources, but hotels are non-existent. Is Amex moving toward eliminating hotel transfers too from lower-tier cards?
Where in the Footnotes/T&C of Cobalt (or Business Edge) can I find the ability to transfer points to hotel programs? I see a fixed travel program and paying with points (even ticketmaster), but not a single mention of hotel transfers. Does that mean new cardholders get MRs that are completely closed?
With a continuous gap in hotel cards in Canadian market (save for Amex SPG that I used to have) and resurgence AP no-fee cards, I can pluck enough aero points from other sources, but hotels are non-existent. Is Amex moving toward eliminating hotel transfers too from lower-tier cards?
Feb 6, 2020, 7:18 am
#554
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,959
I think the information you are looking for is in the Membership Rewards Terms (see attached).
On page 3: The American Express Cobalt Card, the Choice Card from American Express and the American Express Business Edge Card currently participate in the Membership Rewards Select Tier
On page 7 is a chart which shows that the Select Tier can transfer to hotels, but not to airlines.
On page 3: The American Express Cobalt Card, the Choice Card from American Express and the American Express Business Edge Card currently participate in the Membership Rewards Select Tier
On page 7 is a chart which shows that the Select Tier can transfer to hotels, but not to airlines.
Feb 6, 2020, 7:24 am
#555
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Prince Edward Island
Programs: Air Canada P25K, Hilton Honors Gold, Marriott Gold, MGM Gold
Posts: 1,582
I didn't find an answer, so I chickened out and went for the 40K public offer (which I have since received). I can now confirm that the referral t&c do say that the bonus is not available to current or former small business cardholders. However, there is someone reporting on redflagdeals.com just yesterday that they did get the 75K referral bonus when reapplying for the biz platinum just 4 months after cancelling their previous one.
Last edited by Low Roller; Feb 6, 2020 at 7:31 am