Jan 8, 2014, 2:22 pm
Last edit by: TheDapperDon
Bonus category spending is now capped at $50k per year for new accounts. For now, this does not apply to existing cardholders, although Amex may continue to close accounts for excessive spend in bonus categories. This card is less viable as an MS instrument. Consider factors that may have led to these closures when sharing personal experiences.
Oct 22, 2014 onwards: Many people getting cancellation email from Amex. As of Dec 13, 2014, shutdown reports continue. Shutdowns appear to be triggered by spending on the card or upon statement closure, but not always
Some who have been shutdown are reporting back that AMEX is declining new non-OBC card applications due to "unsatisfactory relationship". (However, see here for an example where reconsideration was successful.) It is unclear at this time the length/extent of this Adverse Action/Ban.
Others have succeeded in getting new cards, including new OBCs, but consider your relationship with Amex and how much you value that and this card when deciding how to use it.
There might be some impact with other issuers. If AMEX sends you a cancellation it goes on your record as a cancellation by AMEX, not a cancellation by cardholder. While FICO score does not distinguish between closed by issuer and closed by cardholder, on manual review it may raise questions. However, issuers close cards for benign reasons as well (such as non-use) so unless several cards have been closed it probably won't cause a rejection by itself.
So, if you still feel it is worth it:
Application Link: Copy & paste the following link into a incognito window in Chrome or InPrivate Browsing in IE, Private Session in Firefox. There have been reports of people who got the card in the last couple of months getting shut down because of the rush to spend the initial $6,500.
Do NOT post "Link isn't working" until you have tried it incognito/private browsing and it fails there.
Up to 5% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations & select U.S. drugstores (Everyday Purchases). Up to 1% Cash Back on other purchases. For your first $6,500ą spend in a reward year˛, you will earn 1% on Everyday Purchasesł (5% after 6500⁴), and 0.5% on other purchases (then 1%).
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months.
Eligible purchases do NOT include fees or interest charges, balance transfers, cash advances, purchases of travelers checks, purchases or reloading of prepaid cards, or purchases of other cash equivalents. Additional terms and restrictions apply. (Presume these T&Cs are standard and that all credit cards state this)
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
ą First '$6,500' is spend on all purchases.
˛ 'Reward year' is the 12 billing periods in a row beginning with the one in which the anniversary of your Card Account occurs.
ł 'everyday purchases' refers to U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations & select U.S. drugstores, not all purchases.
* Read the fine print for 'gas' purchases! Right from AMEX T&C's:
...Everyday Purchases are: ... $400 or less of gasoline at gas stations located in the U.S. (superstores, supermarkets and warehouse clubs that sell gasoline are not considered gas stations)... A >$400 purchase at a gas station will get 5% for the first $400 and 1% thereafter. E.g., for something, say, $503.95, you would earn $21.04 CB [($400*5%)+(103.95*1%)].
⁴ 5% kicks in immediately after hitting $6500.(mid-statement). In fact, it will even kick in mid-purchase and a portion of the purchase will credit at the higher rate.
* Reward dollars for the previous statement period show up a day or two after the current statement period closes.
* Most cash back redemptions will be applied to your statement within 2–3 days.
* Helpful post regarding moving CL between cards. Thanks lad2
* How to Visually Distinguish the Three Types of Blue Cash Cards:
Blue Cash (old) has a "<" character to the left of the word CASH
Blue Cash Everyday has a circle to the right of the word CASH, with the "Everyday" wording at the back.
Blue Cash Preferred has the word PREFERRED printed vertically on the extreme left side.
If you get the error message "You cannot be logged in. Please contact the number on the back of your card." when trying to redeem Reward Dollars online, it may be because you have too many closed accounts still showing in your scrolling images of cards. Delete the closed ones, then try to redeem again.
Oct 22, 2014 onwards: Many people getting cancellation email from Amex. As of Dec 13, 2014, shutdown reports continue. Shutdowns appear to be triggered by spending on the card or upon statement closure, but not always
Some who have been shutdown are reporting back that AMEX is declining new non-OBC card applications due to "unsatisfactory relationship". (However, see here for an example where reconsideration was successful.) It is unclear at this time the length/extent of this Adverse Action/Ban.
Others have succeeded in getting new cards, including new OBCs, but consider your relationship with Amex and how much you value that and this card when deciding how to use it.
There might be some impact with other issuers. If AMEX sends you a cancellation it goes on your record as a cancellation by AMEX, not a cancellation by cardholder. While FICO score does not distinguish between closed by issuer and closed by cardholder, on manual review it may raise questions. However, issuers close cards for benign reasons as well (such as non-use) so unless several cards have been closed it probably won't cause a rejection by itself.
So, if you still feel it is worth it:
Application Link: Copy & paste the following link into a incognito window in Chrome or InPrivate Browsing in IE, Private Session in Firefox. There have been reports of people who got the card in the last couple of months getting shut down because of the rush to spend the initial $6,500.
Do NOT post "Link isn't working" until you have tried it incognito/private browsing and it fails there.
Code:
https://www304.americanexpress.com/credit-card/blue-cash/25330
Up to 5% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations & select U.S. drugstores (Everyday Purchases). Up to 1% Cash Back on other purchases. For your first $6,500ą spend in a reward year˛, you will earn 1% on Everyday Purchasesł (5% after 6500⁴), and 0.5% on other purchases (then 1%).
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months.
Eligible purchases do NOT include fees or interest charges, balance transfers, cash advances, purchases of travelers checks, purchases or reloading of prepaid cards, or purchases of other cash equivalents. Additional terms and restrictions apply. (Presume these T&Cs are standard and that all credit cards state this)
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
ą First '$6,500' is spend on all purchases.
˛ 'Reward year' is the 12 billing periods in a row beginning with the one in which the anniversary of your Card Account occurs.
ł 'everyday purchases' refers to U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations & select U.S. drugstores, not all purchases.
* Read the fine print for 'gas' purchases! Right from AMEX T&C's:
...Everyday Purchases are: ... $400 or less of gasoline at gas stations located in the U.S. (superstores, supermarkets and warehouse clubs that sell gasoline are not considered gas stations)... A >$400 purchase at a gas station will get 5% for the first $400 and 1% thereafter. E.g., for something, say, $503.95, you would earn $21.04 CB [($400*5%)+(103.95*1%)].
⁴ 5% kicks in immediately after hitting $6500.(mid-statement). In fact, it will even kick in mid-purchase and a portion of the purchase will credit at the higher rate.
* Reward dollars for the previous statement period show up a day or two after the current statement period closes.
* Most cash back redemptions will be applied to your statement within 2–3 days.
* Helpful post regarding moving CL between cards. Thanks lad2
* How to Visually Distinguish the Three Types of Blue Cash Cards:
Blue Cash (old) has a "<" character to the left of the word CASH
Blue Cash Everyday has a circle to the right of the word CASH, with the "Everyday" wording at the back.
Blue Cash Preferred has the word PREFERRED printed vertically on the extreme left side.
If you get the error message "You cannot be logged in. Please contact the number on the back of your card." when trying to redeem Reward Dollars online, it may be because you have too many closed accounts still showing in your scrolling images of cards. Delete the closed ones, then try to redeem again.
Old Amex Blue (2013-2014)
Oct 29, 2014, 10:06 am
#4921
Suspended
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 2,998
Has anyone whose account was cancelled last week seen their new statement this week?
I mean, my account has a closing date on 10/29 and was cancelled last week, but I didn't see the new statement today and the minimum payment is still zero although the outstanding balance is around $2.5k.
I mean, my account has a closing date on 10/29 and was cancelled last week, but I didn't see the new statement today and the minimum payment is still zero although the outstanding balance is around $2.5k.
Oct 29, 2014, 10:06 am
#4922
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,944
You are reading between the lines here. The first statement was used as part of the reason to cancel the account, while the second one is a general statement. They could had clearly stated that any rewards pending will not be distributed, yet they chose NOT to do that. I am not saying they will pay. All I am saying is that the letter was not clear that they will not.
Nothing about consequences (such as it will appear as closed by issuer on the CR) so the fact that say nothing about rewards means nothing! As I said, all spelled out in the T&Cs anyway.
Oct 29, 2014, 10:06 am
#4923
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Los Angles
Posts: 2,101
Here's what's been eluding me:
Fine, they state in their T&C that cash equivalents won't earn rewards. That's up to them to enforce. That doesn't mean it violates the T&C to buy them! Responsible Lending tells people the card hasn't seen typical household spending behavior. Is that a prerequisite for owning this card? No business purchases allowed? Buying prepaid GC's is a legitimate business expense for many. If anything CC's encourage business spending on a non business card.
Then again, Amex reserves the right to close our accounts for any reason. What if that reason is, "Your rewards were 5 figures this month"? Can anyone stop them from not paying out? And if a judge finds that their T&C are illegal, they could just come back and recalculate our CB without the prepaid cards.
Fine, they state in their T&C that cash equivalents won't earn rewards. That's up to them to enforce. That doesn't mean it violates the T&C to buy them! Responsible Lending tells people the card hasn't seen typical household spending behavior. Is that a prerequisite for owning this card? No business purchases allowed? Buying prepaid GC's is a legitimate business expense for many. If anything CC's encourage business spending on a non business card.
Then again, Amex reserves the right to close our accounts for any reason. What if that reason is, "Your rewards were 5 figures this month"? Can anyone stop them from not paying out? And if a judge finds that their T&C are illegal, they could just come back and recalculate our CB without the prepaid cards.
Last edited by prasha11; Oct 29, 2014 at 10:16 am
Oct 29, 2014, 10:33 am
#4927
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 6
Rule #3 in action
Answer an assertion with a question that involves misdirection. Our dear readers would certainly be puzzled to see how our friend jcohen could continue with an account shutdown.
A query of all the self-anointed elites of the Manufactured Spending Galaxy as to how many accounts they were using should lead the less profligate Blue Cash cardholders to the answer to our friend's rhetorical question.
Oct 29, 2014, 10:35 am
#4928
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 31
You are reading between the lines here. The first statement was used as part of the reason to cancel the account, while the second one is a general statement. They could had clearly stated that any rewards pending will not be distributed, yet they chose NOT to do that. I am not saying they will pay. All I am saying is that the letter was not clear that they will not.
Oct 29, 2014, 10:38 am
#4930
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Los Angles
Posts: 2,101
Last few days I read posts that make all kinds of assumptions and use it as 'facts' in their arguments to reach conclusions....(intellectually deficient?)
Oct 29, 2014, 10:57 am
#4931
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 31
Rule #3 in action
Answer an assertion with a question that involves misdirection. Our dear readers would certainly be puzzled to see how our friend jcohen could continue with an account shutdown.
A query of all the self-anointed elites of the Manufactured Spending Galaxy as to how many accounts they were using should lead the less profligate Blue Cash cardholders to the answer to our friend's rhetorical question.
Answer an assertion with a question that involves misdirection. Our dear readers would certainly be puzzled to see how our friend jcohen could continue with an account shutdown.
A query of all the self-anointed elites of the Manufactured Spending Galaxy as to how many accounts they were using should lead the less profligate Blue Cash cardholders to the answer to our friend's rhetorical question.
Oct 29, 2014, 11:00 am
#4932
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,207
Marathon Man is an American hero and all of you haters are f****** communists.
So you got your rewards nabbed and dont have the stones to fight for them? And you decide to come on here and bash on MM because he's trying to explain how we didn't break the T&Cs? ... are you even here for? Does it ease the pain of your loss?
For all those who have a problem with MM trying to reason why what Amex did was wrong, I'm glad you got your rewards taken! What you did WAS wrong because you thought it was. This entire time that we've been thinking, "AWESOME we found a loophole!" You were busy snickering thinking you were getting away with something criminal!
An AMEX rep at the Responsible Lending Dept actually TOLD my buddy he had found a loophole! Then quickly retracted on that statement. Well I got news for you haters (and AMEX reps!): loopholes aren't illegal! By definition loopholes are legal workarounds within a set of rules which is exactly what we did. You p****** sit here and type attacks at MM because you don't have the stones to fight Amex. Well I'm glad one small ounce of justice was served. Your $ is gone.
So you got your rewards nabbed and dont have the stones to fight for them? And you decide to come on here and bash on MM because he's trying to explain how we didn't break the T&Cs? ... are you even here for? Does it ease the pain of your loss?
For all those who have a problem with MM trying to reason why what Amex did was wrong, I'm glad you got your rewards taken! What you did WAS wrong because you thought it was. This entire time that we've been thinking, "AWESOME we found a loophole!" You were busy snickering thinking you were getting away with something criminal!
An AMEX rep at the Responsible Lending Dept actually TOLD my buddy he had found a loophole! Then quickly retracted on that statement. Well I got news for you haters (and AMEX reps!): loopholes aren't illegal! By definition loopholes are legal workarounds within a set of rules which is exactly what we did. You p****** sit here and type attacks at MM because you don't have the stones to fight Amex. Well I'm glad one small ounce of justice was served. Your $ is gone.
Oct 29, 2014, 11:08 am
#4933
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 6
Many moons ago there was a post on Flyer Talk about a new Google Group being formed called MFSpend. While helpful posts here warn you not to call American Express there is a discussion on MFSpend about how to get your Reward Dollars without waiting a month.
How can that be? Rule #3.
When the Titanic went down the people in steerage class went down with the ship, just like most of you.
How can that be? Rule #3.
When the Titanic went down the people in steerage class went down with the ship, just like most of you.
Oct 29, 2014, 11:11 am
#4934
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 16
Anymore closed? Or it just happens on people's statement closing dates?
Oct 29, 2014, 11:16 am
#4935
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: BOS, MHT
Programs: AA ltg, B6, DL, UA, AS, SPG/Marriott Plt, HH, Hyatt
Posts: 10,052
I will try to write things better but yeah, it is what it is
Well to be honest it was because I ran the NYC marathon in 2002 and while on "runner's high" I invented that handle whilst at my work PC one day soon after the race. It has nothing to do with the fact that I could possibly win the case in SCC by simply talking alone
I can think of others who shouldnt be allowed to post here, let alone have credit.
You have indicated a dislike or disagreement for the tact I have taken with regards to trying to recoup from Amex. Can you possibly offer some debate as to what and why? As opposed to just making snippy comments designed to bother people? Healthy debate would be more productive don't you think?
Here's what's been eluding me:
Fine, they state in their T&C that cash equivalents won't earn rewards. That's up to them to enforce. That doesn't mean it violates the T&C to buy them! Responsible Lending tells people the card hasn't seen typical household spending behavior. Is that a prerequisite for owning this card? No business purchases allowed? Buying prepaid GC's is a legitimate business expense for many. If anything CC's encourage business spending on a non business card.
Then again, Amex reserves the right to close our accounts for any reason. What if that reason is, "Your rewards were 5 figures this month"? Can anyone stop them from not paying out? And if a judge finds that their T&C are illegal, they could just come back and recalculate our CB without the prepaid cards.
Fine, they state in their T&C that cash equivalents won't earn rewards. That's up to them to enforce. That doesn't mean it violates the T&C to buy them! Responsible Lending tells people the card hasn't seen typical household spending behavior. Is that a prerequisite for owning this card? No business purchases allowed? Buying prepaid GC's is a legitimate business expense for many. If anything CC's encourage business spending on a non business card.
Then again, Amex reserves the right to close our accounts for any reason. What if that reason is, "Your rewards were 5 figures this month"? Can anyone stop them from not paying out? And if a judge finds that their T&C are illegal, they could just come back and recalculate our CB without the prepaid cards.
exactly. They are making things up as they go here and you can pretty much illustrate that if given the chance in SCC. The way Amex is doing this is like this:
If the speeding limit is 40MPH and you go over, ok yeah you may get a ticket. But in their case, you are driving on the proverbial Autobahn and suddenly without warning you get nabbed for speeding and yet the speed you are going is no different than others who were not stopped. The limit is not posted but since they say you went over or broke some rule they say you broke, you are stopped. And they impound your vehicle too.
The personal/family/household thing is a joke. A smokescreen. No way to even prove or quantify it on their end! I think it's designed to get some of us to complain so they can launch the real reason, which is that they think you broke a TC like the buying of Prepaid cards. But even with that, you would think they would have simply just NOT awarded people who bought them. I dont think they should have shut you down for this.
Now if you sue them, what will happen to your other accts? They may have left them open for a reason--to make you think twice about acting against them. So you have to get all your points out (like MR etc) and then see if it's worth it for you to go for it.
heck, for me, only having and using the SPG has any real value anymore. You cant get new sign up bonuses for things you already had and everything else (MR and Hilton) has devalued so much it's barely worth working with after the sign up bonus. But that's just me.