My wife opened 3 Business Aerogold cards during that campaign. The 3rd was sort of 'accidental', but she was carrying all 3 in her purse at one time. 75K was amazing for not having to do any minimum spending on these cards for the bonuses. :)

I had a CIBC Aerogold Visa (cancelled in 2015) and an Aero Platinum Visa (cancelled in 2016).

I already have a CIBC Dividend Visa (long standing account that I don't even use) and a CIBC Chequing Account.

Anyone know if I'll still get the 20K bonus if I sign up now? Should I sign up with a new Aeroplan# to ensure I get the bonus?

I think you're cleared to sign up again. That's a big enough gap in between applications. No need to create a new Aeroplan number, unless you already have 0 left in the bank. :)

Not sure where to ask this, but is the MBNA canada also not working for others here? It's been timing out on me everytime i've tried to access it for the last 2 days.

Tried applying for the CIBC Aerogold but they're asking me to visit their branch to finish the application. Whatever happened to social distancing??

Yea good luck with that. I had to visit the branch 3 times. Went to the local branch the email told me to. When I found out what they needed by Monday that branch was closed.

Went to the one near my biz. Walked in and sat with a rep who after 20 mins on the phone with CIBC told me to come back and see the biz rep. Made and appointment and went back 3 days later and sat for 30 minutes filling things out while she had the relevant dept. on the phone. I had to go into an empty office as she had another client come in but left the phone on hold. She runs in 15 mins later to tell me the call connected but low and behold the rep on the phone hung up. I wasn't wasting another hour so I took the documents. Called the credit card dept. the next day and got a fax # and sent the docs off. It's been a week so I'll see but nothing as of yet.

Figured might as well post this here, but the Big 6 are all reducing credit card interest by ~half:
Vancity (my local credit union yay) even to ZERO percent interest: https://www.straight.com/covid-19-pa...those-in-covid

Amex thread seems dead so I'll post here. I'm looking for a refererral for a Canadian Platinum Amex. Please PM me the link. I'll update here when I use it.

Thanks all, I've got received and used a link.

Deleted.

I am surprised there isn't a thread for AMEX Canada closing cards (for churner's or more?) thread yet

see my RFD thread (I got closed and lost 66K MR)
https://forums.redflagdeals.com/view...=189&t=2370391

Anyone think that there may be difficulty/delays transferring our Amex or RBC Avion points to BA Avios, Westjet Rewards or Aeroplan (or any other CC points to airline miles) in the near future? Or maybe they'll end their partnerships and we'll lose transfer ability altogether? I was holding off on a Avion to Avios transfer to wait for a transfer bonus, but now I am thinking that'll never happen. And then I wonder - do I want to transfer points to an airline that may go bankrupt, and then my points will be worthless?!

I am not quite sure who pays for these partnerships, how lucrative they are for the credit cards vs. the airlines, and if it's a "luxury" that the airlines won't be able to afford post-Covid-19.

Anyone have thoughts on this?

Points programs are the most valuable parts of an airline, and frequently worth more than the airline itself (think about it - they’re selling you a PROMISE to travel, and then all they do is devalue a chart / close award availability and you accept that as a fait accompli) - so I don’t think we’re losing our miles anytime soon.

I’m holding on for a transfer bonus. I suspect airlines will need money so they’ll run some soon so people invest more into miles. Though I fully expect them to then devalue so that their liability is decreased (like Aeroplan most likely will, soon, after that mega sale they just ran).

Wow I haven't read this thread for years and surprised to see this. Does that mean you can no longer get welcome bonuses every other year on the same products now, or rather it's at your own risk and Amex is now very shutdown-happy?

Is this once so useful thread dead?

Lol. The miles-earning opportunities have been... different... this year.
Here's some current favourites of mine:

HSBC World Elite® Mastercard
offer ends tomorrow, August 17, 2020
Earn up to $300 in travel value, plus first year free, with Minimum Spend Requirement of $5,000. Different offer for Quebec residents.
Must have $80,000 income or $150,000 household income, or $400,000 in Cdn assets.
HSBC has a reputation for being, uh, discerning with who gets their card.
https://www.hsbc.ca/credit-cards/products/world-elite

BMO performance chequing account
$300 signup bonus; no fees if you keep $4,000 invested. You can still keep much of the signup bonus if you don't keep $4,000 invested.
https://www.bmo.com/main/personal/ba...s/performance/

BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard
https://www.bmo.com/main/personal/credit-cards/bmo-air-miles-world-elite-mastercard
3,000 Air Miles ($315 value) with $5,000 spend

Air Miles Mega Miles
Promotion lasts August 13 to September 10, 2020.
http://airmilesmegamiles.ca
Relatively easy way to earn 1,000 Air Miles ($105 value) by shopping at 5 retailers
Plan to buy gas (once) at Shell, one liquor purchase, and 1 or 2 grocery trips from select retailers in your province.


What favourite promos have you seen?

I expect we'll see more activity once AC officially announces the new Aeroplan cards.

Loving the AmEx $5 credit for using the card at small local businesses. The travel perk is the MR points I’m earning using my card more.

Doesn't have to be travel related here.
In a year like this, we need more rewards options anyway.
Between my P2 and me, we have 10 Amex cards; we're on our way to getting $500 in Shop Small credits. :tu:

I think the last time I was able to get the Shop Small bonus was three years ago. Of the last dozen or so places I've seen on the Amex map, none of them accept Amex, and never have. Amex does a great job sending business to their competitors.

I find the Amex map very reliable. The only places where I had issues in the past are those that put a sticker saying "NO AMEX" on the machine and the clerk keep an eye on the card you use so there are no "mistakes"...

I applied for the amex Business Plat a couple months ago before they reduced the bonus. I made my spend months ago and called to see where the bonus is. The person said I was not eligible because I have had the card in the past. I have had it may times without issue of the bonus crediting. I was told it's been their policy for 4 years. Is this an example of HUCA? My husband applied a few weeks before me and got the bonus without issue. I need my 75000 points!

So, these would be the merchants that sign up for AMEX to get lower fees from VISA/MC, but don't want to accept it. Nice.

Basically, I would say if it did not post automatically, then you're out of luck - especially if you have had it in the past, you probably don't have much of a leg to stand on. Even if you manage to find an agent that will say "yea sure fine", they can't manually just "give" you 75K, so they will escalate to the back office - and that'll fall apart once they do the requisite background research.

Thanks, thats what I was afraid of. At least I have got the fee back in statement credits.

There isn't a no-annual fee card in Canada to keep your MR alive, right? Just the Gold?

A quick little quirk of the Amex 5x points on Uber Eats and Skip the Dishes.

Whenever I get a refund for a meal that was wrong, poorly prepared, etc, only the base points get deducted and the original bonus points remain.

Anyone else experience that?

To my knowledge, that's correct.
You may or may not want to look at starting another card and combining the points accounts.

I don't quite understand what you mean here...

Although Amex signup offers are not what they used to be, you could sign up for another card (Gold Business, Gold Personal, etc.), pay the first year annual fee, and collect a decent signup reward.
Then, ask Amex to link the two accounts and consolidate the points. And eventually cancel the original account.
It's not free, but it's a good way to keep your points active.

Correct. NONE. In Canada, there has never been a no-fee MR card to hold, combine and keep your MR points alive. The only options, as you've alluded to, would be to open another card in the MR product family, so that you could consolidate your points before closing the older card.

That said, currently, the only effectively 'free' Amex MR card that you can open to keep points from another MR card (Biz Gold, Biz Plat, Personal Plat) alive is the Personal Gold, if you open it using the CPA RSVP code. If you or a family member have a CPA online membership account, you can get the RSVP to apply for the Personal Gold, and the offer is 25,000 points and a $150 rebate to offset the $150 annual fee, provided that you spend $1500 within the first 90 days after approval.

The RSVP code for the CPA offer is generic and not tied to an actual membershp ID, like the RSVP code of the similar Perkopolis offer for the Personal Gold (however, Perkopolis no longer has the $150 rebate). So if you're not a CPA but are willing to apply using their RSVP code regardless, you can get the offer to make the Personal Gold MR card effectively FREE for one year.

If you are not within a CPA circle, there are other ways of obtaining the RSVP code, but that type of discussion doesn't belong in this forum. Ask your friends, and include Mr. Google, if you want to find the RSVP code to pursue this option.

One more note, and this probably should be in the Amex Canada discussion thread. Due to COVID, Amex Canada has expedited their measures to close down all cards for cardmembers who they deem are not profitable. If you haven't seen discussions of these shutdowns, bear in mind that this had started shortly after the pandemic began, and has been ongoing. So if you are at risk, you may want to consider redeeming / converting your MR points, to mitigate the potential losses due to forced (and prompt) cancellations.

huh, that last part is interesting. Since I'm moving I'll likely be using my Gold much less but I wanted to keep my points alive in a flexible account instead of commiting to, say, AP or Bonvoy. And conversion to US MR just about makes every value worse due to currency conversion.

... Dangit.

Hasn't Amex gotten wiser to churning? I know I didn't get a repeat bonus for my Bonvoy even though I only had the SPG card before that...

The HSBC World Elite MasterCard signup bonus is actually pretty sweet: about $500 in travel credits.
But the bank itself can be very hard to deal with: actually getting approved for the card has proven difficult for many.
Minimum income / household income / invested assets required.

https://www.hsbc.ca/credit-cards/products/world-elite/

I was just looking at the $50 GCR link for this card.

For Ontario the 100,000 HSBC points are divided into 20,000 on first purchase. And 80,000 when you spend $5,000 in 180 days. Annual fee rebate. And a $100 'travel enhancement' for seat selection, bag fees etc. Quebec offer is a bit different but similar value.

The HSBC card has been good and is hands down the best forex card in Canada anyways. I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to use the $100 annual credit on Aeroplan surcharges.

Home Trust has 0 Forex fees and cashback with no annual fee, I'll take it for what it's worth.

I would suggest to do some research into the business practices and corporate philosophies of Home Trust.

Would you mind elaborating?

RBC®  WestJet World Elite Mastercard

Big increase in the signup bonus here.
It had been $250 Westjet dollars, and occasionally $350. Now it's $450.

"Take advantage of our limited-time offer and get 450 welcome WestJet dollars with the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard‡ after your first purchase within three months, when you apply and are approved.^ That’s $450 off the base fare of your next WestJet flight.*"

Annual fee is $119. Minimum Income Required: $80,000 (personal) or $150,000 (household)

https://www.westjet.com/en-ca/reward...d/more-dollars

Until September 30, the rate to convert American Express Membership Rewards points to Marriott has improved (from 6:5, to 3:2).
IMO, that's a much more lucrative use of your Membership Rewards points, particularly for Membership Rewards Select points on the Business Edge and Cobalt cards.

https://www.americanexpress.com/en-c...roducttype=All

There is a new offer available for the two MBNA Alaska Airlines Mastercards that provides a $100 statement credit when you spend $1000 in the first three months. This is on top of the 20,000 and 30,000 mile welcome bonuses. This offer is not in the MBNA affiliate channel so you won't find it on GCR etc. Here are the direct links to MBNA for the offers

World Elite:
https://apply.mbna.ca/applicationfor...3&locale=en_CA

Platinum Plus
https://apply.mbna.ca/applicationfor...1&locale=en_CA