Sep 22, 2022, 9:48 am
Last edit by: mia
Related discussion here: Report clawbacks of the FHR/THC $200 credit.
Terms and FAQ
Which charges are eligible?
Terms and FAQ
Which charges are eligible?
- Reservation must be pre-paid to be reimbursed.
- Pre-paids with a flexible cancellation policy are still eligible.
- Hotel rates under $200 are also reimbursed.
- If using Pay With Points, the cash portion of your charge is still eligible.
- Charges made at the hotel are not billed by Amex Travel and are not eligible.
- When checking in, the terms require payment with an Amex which need not be a platinum Amex.
- Browse Hotels here
- Benefit renews every January 1st.
- The $200 credit is based on the year you made the booking, not the year of the stay. You can use it this year to book a room for next year.
- Amex in general handles offers by the transaction date, not post date. For example, a 12/31/22 transaction date is eligible for 2022 credits even if posted in 2023.
- If you cancel a reservation, the $200 credit is reversed. The credit will be available to use again if you cancelled in the same year you paid.
- In general you can't modify reservation dates and need to cancel and rebook to change dates.
- "If you need to change your hotel booking, you must either cancel and rebook your reservation or call us for assistance."
- If you use the benefit for a future stay and cancel that Amex platinum card prior to your stay, Amex is not known to claw back the $200. You will still need to check-in with some other Amex.
- The $200 credit sometimes posts in a few days, but sometimes 3 weeks or longer.
To know your remaining $200 balance, ask Amex. There's no meter on the website.There is now a meter on the website which shows your usage against $200- If your platinum account has additional cardholders with a gold card, charges on the gold card are eligible. Not clear if they enforce the requirement that the platinum cardholder must be on the reservation.
- Terms of the FH&R $100 credit.
- Separate thread regarding elite benefits on stays.
Amex $200 Hotel Credit (FHR or THC)
Sep 8, 2021, 12:38 pm
#46
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Long Island, NY
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Explorist, Marriott Gold
Posts: 732
I have an upcoming FHR reservation. However I have not pre-paid the hotel, as I wanted to have the flexibility.
Is there a way to a pay the reservation for example 1 week before the stay? and Get the $200 credit?
Is there a way to a pay the reservation for example 1 week before the stay? and Get the $200 credit?
Sep 8, 2021, 3:08 pm
#47
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Atlanta Metro
Programs: DL , AC, BA, Hhonors Diamond, IH Platinum, Bonvoy Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 2,356
No - two different credits - Amex gave a $200 “travel credit” (eligible for any travel booked on Amextravel) to some Plat cardholders last year, with an expiration date of 12/31/2021. They introduced a new $200 hotel credit with the revamp in July. So some people had a total of $400 in credits as of July.
Sep 8, 2021, 4:05 pm
#48
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: New York
Posts: 799
Sep 8, 2021, 5:42 pm
#49
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Toronto
Programs: Marriott Titanium (Lifetime)
Posts: 18
I called AMEX because I did the same thing and they said that the only way to trigger the credit is to re-book and prepay. I had cancelled my reservation and re-booked, but luckily it was $50 cheaper. I just pre-paid it and received the credit a few days after.
Sep 8, 2021, 11:08 pm
#50
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2000
Location: أمريكا
Posts: 26,763
I booked a FHR stay in Vegas during Labor Day weekend a few days ago. The room was just a little bit over $200, and I chose to prepay. I saw the charge against my platinum card right away. I received the $200 Hotel Credit a day or so ago. I still have to pay the resort fee with taxes at the hotel on check out, but I don't know if it'll matter if I pay with my Amex or not. I will have already used the FHR benefits, and I would be shocked if they clawed back the $200 hotel credit if I didn't pay with an Amex.
The only issue is that a lot of hotel agents will enforce the requirement that you pay with the platinum card at check in. However, not everybody seems to pay attention, and I'm willing to bet that a lot of agents won't notice if you try to change the card at checkout, unless you make it a point to bring it to their attention that it's a FHR stay (by, for example, asking them to confirm you got all of the credits you were entitled to).
Sep 9, 2021, 7:47 am
#51
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC (LGA, JFK), CT
Programs: Delta Platinum, American Gold, JetBlue Mosaic 4, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond,
Posts: 4,895
AmEx won't know or claw back the $200 credit because that's a credit against the prepaid amount.
The only issue is that a lot of hotel agents will enforce the requirement that you pay with the platinum card at check in. However, not everybody seems to pay attention, and I'm willing to bet that a lot of agents won't notice if you try to change the card at checkout, unless you make it a point to bring it to their attention that it's a FHR stay (by, for example, asking them to confirm you got all of the credits you were entitled to).
The only issue is that a lot of hotel agents will enforce the requirement that you pay with the platinum card at check in. However, not everybody seems to pay attention, and I'm willing to bet that a lot of agents won't notice if you try to change the card at checkout, unless you make it a point to bring it to their attention that it's a FHR stay (by, for example, asking them to confirm you got all of the credits you were entitled to).
Sep 9, 2021, 2:18 pm
#52
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Long Island, NY
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Explorist, Marriott Gold
Posts: 732
I had been monitoring the FHR rate, and suddenly the rate went down compared to my original booking. So I followed your advice, cancelled the original FHR booking, then made a pre-paid reservation.
Sep 9, 2021, 3:37 pm
#53
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: RDU
Programs: HH Diamond, AA Gold, Marriot Plat
Posts: 209
I stayed at the Ritz Carlton Tysons corner. I received recognition of my Titanium Elite status (additional $30 daily dining credit on top of the $60 from the program) and $100 credit towards basically anything except the room rate. I also got points for what I paid and it said I must use my Amex Plat to pay (not sure if enforced though)
All in all a fair staycation as this hotel is roughly $100 more than slightly not as nice hotels in the area but fhr benefits for one night stay accounts for that and then the $200 credit covers the rest.
Hopefully next year I can use the credit internationally somewhere but if not I would go back here.
All in all a fair staycation as this hotel is roughly $100 more than slightly not as nice hotels in the area but fhr benefits for one night stay accounts for that and then the $200 credit covers the rest.
Hopefully next year I can use the credit internationally somewhere but if not I would go back here.
Sep 10, 2021, 1:59 pm
#54
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Atlanta Metro
Programs: DL , AC, BA, Hhonors Diamond, IH Platinum, Bonvoy Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 2,356
Sep 11, 2021, 7:50 am
#55
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,422
So I made a booking with the AMEX website about 20 days ago to use my $200 hotel credit. It's time to pay my monthly bill, and I noticed the credit hadn't posted. I called AMEX and they said to check back in a few weeks, but that the terms say 90 days.
Has anyone waited more than 20 days for this credit to post? I'm just a little annoyed now that I have to "front" the money and keep track of this issue. AMEX's automatic crediting system is great until it periodically breaks down.
Has anyone waited more than 20 days for this credit to post? I'm just a little annoyed now that I have to "front" the money and keep track of this issue. AMEX's automatic crediting system is great until it periodically breaks down.
Sep 11, 2021, 9:43 am
#56
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC (LGA, JFK), CT
Programs: Delta Platinum, American Gold, JetBlue Mosaic 4, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond,
Posts: 4,895
So I made a booking with the AMEX website about 20 days ago to use my $200 hotel credit. It's time to pay my monthly bill, and I noticed the credit hadn't posted. I called AMEX and they said to check back in a few weeks, but that the terms say 90 days.
Has anyone waited more than 20 days for this credit to post? I'm just a little annoyed now that I have to "front" the money and keep track of this issue. AMEX's automatic crediting system is great until it periodically breaks down.
Has anyone waited more than 20 days for this credit to post? I'm just a little annoyed now that I have to "front" the money and keep track of this issue. AMEX's automatic crediting system is great until it periodically breaks down.
Sep 11, 2021, 9:45 am
#57
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: RDU
Programs: HH Diamond, AA Gold, Marriot Plat
Posts: 209
So I made a booking with the AMEX website about 20 days ago to use my $200 hotel credit. It's time to pay my monthly bill, and I noticed the credit hadn't posted. I called AMEX and they said to check back in a few weeks, but that the terms say 90 days.
Has anyone waited more than 20 days for this credit to post? I'm just a little annoyed now that I have to "front" the money and keep track of this issue. AMEX's automatic crediting system is great until it periodically breaks down.
Has anyone waited more than 20 days for this credit to post? I'm just a little annoyed now that I have to "front" the money and keep track of this issue. AMEX's automatic crediting system is great until it periodically breaks down.
Sep 11, 2021, 2:35 pm
#58
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,477
Sep 11, 2021, 3:23 pm
#59
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC (LGA, JFK), CT
Programs: Delta Platinum, American Gold, JetBlue Mosaic 4, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond,
Posts: 4,895
The $200 hotel credit is only applicable to
- Fine Hotels and Resorts
- The Hotel Collection (which requires two nights)
Notably there are many hotels on Amex Travel that are bookable and earn 5x, but are not The Hotel Collection bookings unless they are two nights in a row or more
Not saying any of you definitely didn’t book these hotel categories but the $200 credit is limited
- Fine Hotels and Resorts
- The Hotel Collection (which requires two nights)
Notably there are many hotels on Amex Travel that are bookable and earn 5x, but are not The Hotel Collection bookings unless they are two nights in a row or more
Not saying any of you definitely didn’t book these hotel categories but the $200 credit is limited
Sep 11, 2021, 4:16 pm
#60
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,477
It doesn't hurt to restate, but i seriously doubt that anyone missed the main qualification. When booking on AmEx Travel one would be flooded with offers, unless they only tick the FHR and THC boxes.