Feb 26, 2016, 9:28 am
Last edit by: beltway
For earlier discussion of the restriction's application to personal cards, see Put a fork in it 5.1.2014: One bonus per personal card per person "lifetime" [USA].
It is essential to read the terms of the specific offer, but in general:
This offer is also not available to applicants who have or have had this product.
If we identify you as currently having an American Express Card account, you may not be eligible for this welcome bonus offer.
Points will be credited to your Membership Rewards account within 6 - 8 weeks after the spend requirement has been reached.
It is essential to read the terms of the specific offer, but in general:
This offer is also not available to applicants who have or have had this product.
- You can only earn one new account bonus for each card issued by American Express in the USA. We do not know precisely how far back American Express looks to see if you have previously held the same card, but there is anecdotal evidence that the Customer Service database looks back only seven years. This means that if you cancelled a card in 2007 or earlier, and have not held it since, you will probably qualify for a new account bonus in 2015.
- Holding a related card does not disqualify earning a new account bonus. Examples: Green, Gold, and Platinum are each separate products. Delta Gold, Platinum and Reserve are each separate products. The Hilton credit card is a different product than Hilton Surpass.
- Holding a Supplementary Card (authorized user) on someone else's account does not disqualify you from earning a new acount bonus if you open the same card type in your own name.
- As of mid-February 2016, Amex appears to be adding the same restriction to its business card products.
- If you receive a targeted offer, online or through the USPS, for a card which you have previously held you may, or may not, actually receive the bonus. Be certain to save a copy of the offer, and to read and save every screen which appears during the application process.
- Upgrade offers are different from new account offers. You may be offered a bonus to upgrade (for example) a Gold Card to a Platinum Card, and you may be eligible for that bonus even if you previously held a Platinum card. It is still essential to read and save the terms of the offer.
If we identify you as currently having an American Express Card account, you may not be eligible for this welcome bonus offer.
- This language appeared in the Spring of 2013, a year before the once-in-a lifetime policy was announced. The key term is "may", which gives American Express discretion to award or withhold the bonus.
- To reduce the risk that the automated system will deny a new account bonus, RIGHT click the application link and open the application in a Private or Incognito browser window. American Express will still know that you are a current cardholder, but the system will not flag your application.
Points will be credited to your Membership Rewards account within 6 - 8 weeks after the spend requirement has been reached.
- In practice it is not possible to know when American Express's system will credit a bonus to your rewards account. It may happen immediately after you meet the target spend, or it may happen when the next statement (or the following statement) is generated, or it may take the full eight weeks.
Once-in-a-lifetime bonus policy now applies to both personal & BUSINESS cards [USA].
Feb 10, 2020 | 11:30 am
#346
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 26,107
A few days ago I tried to apply for a Delta Business AMEX. It had been over 8 years since I had cancelled my previous Delta Business AMEX. During the application process, I was told that i was not eligible. I was not told that my lack of eligibility was because I had the card before, but the other possible reasons listed did not fit my situation. YMMV
If you got the infamous "pop" telling you that you were not eligible for the signup bonus, that's covered in this thread:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...ne-2018-a.html
which explains that it can be caused by as little as not doing any spend recently on at least one of your Amex cards.
Mar 27, 2020 | 6:11 am
#347
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: mountains of western NC
Programs: Life, Love and Laughter
Posts: 9,732
A few days ago I tried to apply for a Delta Business AMEX. It had been over 8 years since I had cancelled my previous Delta Business AMEX. During the application process, I was told that i was not eligible. I was not told that my lack of eligibility was because I had the card before, but the other possible reasons listed did not fit my situation. YMMV
Mar 27, 2020 | 7:00 pm
#348
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: LAX
Posts: 11,559
ime on several occasions amex approved applications/upgrades with CSRs confirming eligibility and promptly refused to issue bonus later...
Sep 5, 2021 | 3:58 pm
#349
Flyertalk Posting Legend Moderator: Credit Card Programs, American Express, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Diners Club, Eco Travel, Signatures
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA, IHG & Marriott Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 51,823
Sep 5, 2021 | 4:08 pm
#350
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,614
True according to the their Exec office - AMEX changed their policies. Lifetime is no longer 7 yrs
Good find - it looks like a marriage with Costco Citi card!
But rewards are Verizon proprietary $s - so seems not that valuable - can be used for:
Good find - it looks like a marriage with Costco Citi card!
But rewards are Verizon proprietary $s - so seems not that valuable - can be used for:
- The payment of a Verizon Wireless bill
- The payment of a Verizon Fios bill (but only online)
- The purchase of a device, including the use of Verizon Dollars toward the down payment or buyout of a device payment agreement.
- The payment of a remaining balance on a device payment agreement for a wireless device eligible for an annual upgrade.
- The purchase of an accessory
Last edited by EmailKid; Sep 5, 2021 at 4:27 pm Reason: Back to back posts
Nov 1, 2021 | 3:01 pm
#351
Flyertalk Posting Legend Moderator: Credit Card Programs, American Express, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Diners Club, Eco Travel, Signatures
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA, IHG & Marriott Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 51,823
Today I applied for a Skymiles Gold credit card. The same card that I cancelled in 2014. Application was approved. Will post again when bonus miles are received..
Last edited by mia; Nov 1, 2021 at 3:11 pm
Nov 13, 2021 | 2:09 am
#352
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Ho Chi Minh City
Programs: KrisFlyer Elite Gold
Posts: 50
I have a question regarding the sign up bonus of an Amex Platinum that I just got approved for.
I had a previous Platinum account in 2013 that was charged off in 2016. I called Amex and fully paid them and worked with a credit repair company to have that account removed from my reports.
Am I right to assume that since I had a previous account that I won't be getting the sign up bonus for this new account?
Thanks!
I had a previous Platinum account in 2013 that was charged off in 2016. I called Amex and fully paid them and worked with a credit repair company to have that account removed from my reports.
Am I right to assume that since I had a previous account that I won't be getting the sign up bonus for this new account?
Thanks!
Nov 13, 2021 | 3:36 pm
#353
Suspended
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: On strike
Programs: FT badges are idiotic
Posts: 7,950
I have a question regarding the sign up bonus of an Amex Platinum that I just got approved for.
I had a previous Platinum account in 2013 that was charged off in 2016. I called Amex and fully paid them and worked with a credit repair company to have that account removed from my reports.
Am I right to assume that since I had a previous account that I won't be getting the sign up bonus for this new account?
I had a previous Platinum account in 2013 that was charged off in 2016. I called Amex and fully paid them and worked with a credit repair company to have that account removed from my reports.
Am I right to assume that since I had a previous account that I won't be getting the sign up bonus for this new account?
Nov 13, 2021 | 7:09 pm
#354
Flyertalk Posting Legend Moderator: Credit Card Programs, American Express, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Diners Club, Eco Travel, Signatures
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA, IHG & Marriott Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 51,823
Despite the seven year generalization, if you applied online using a public offer, and did not see a Popup cautioning that you are ineligible for the bonus, I would contact American Express customer service and ask them to "remind" you of the terms of your bonus offer. Do not lead them, make them tell you the number of points, the required spend, and the specific date by which you must make the spend. If they verify that there is a bonus, be careful to avoid any refunded transactions during the bonus period, and do not meet the threshold by purchasing gift cards. These precautions will minimize the chance of an audit, which could look at every aspect of your relationship.
Nov 24, 2021 | 7:42 pm
#355
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: NYC suburbs
Programs: UA LT Gold 1.2MM (BIS), AA LT Plat (SUBs, BD/Bask), Hilton Dia (CC), Hyatt Glob (BIB), et. al.
Posts: 4,554
Is This Lifetime Language?
Im aware that LL usually refers to: Welcome offer not available to applicants who have or have had this Card. or Welcome offer not available to applicants who have or have had this Card or previous versions.
I received a snail mail hard copy offer of an AmEx Biz Gold 90,000 MR/$10,000/3 months which included wording (image below) I dont remember and find to be ambiguous.
Is this a different way of phrasing LL? What exactly does Limit one offer per Card Account mean? Thank you.
I received a snail mail hard copy offer of an AmEx Biz Gold 90,000 MR/$10,000/3 months which included wording (image below) I dont remember and find to be ambiguous.
1. Offer Terms
Limit one offer per Card Account.
Limit one offer per Card Account.
Nov 24, 2021 | 8:00 pm
#356
Flyertalk Posting Legend Moderator: Credit Card Programs, American Express, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Diners Club, Eco Travel, Signatures
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA, IHG & Marriott Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 51,823
I think it is meant to be read in combination with the next sentence. You cannot expect to receive more than one new account bonus on the same account. American Express probably has several offers running simultaneously, and you cannot expect to receive any offer other than the one for which you apply. Nothing to do with previous cards of the same type.
Nov 28, 2021 | 10:08 am
#357
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 26,107
Lifetime limits are about multiple card accounts (over time), ie, if you had this card before (with another account), you can't get a bonus on a new card (with a new account).
So any statement about only one "card account" (singular) thus cannot be about LL.
And another clue: this say one offer per card account. Mathematically, that would imply two offers per two card accounts, or three offers per three card accounts, which would be the exact opposite of LL. So how it can it be LL?
Nov 28, 2021 | 12:36 pm
#359
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: NYC suburbs
Programs: UA LT Gold 1.2MM (BIS), AA LT Plat (SUBs, BD/Bask), Hilton Dia (CC), Hyatt Glob (BIB), et. al.
Posts: 4,554
If you think about it, it can't be a way of phrasing LL.
Lifetime limits are about multiple card accounts (over time), ie, if you had this card before (with another account), you can't get a bonus on a new card (with a new account).
So any statement about only one "card account" (singular) thus cannot be about LL.
And another clue: this say (sic) one offer per card account. Mathematically, that would imply two offers per two card accounts, or three offers per three card accounts, which would be the exact opposite of LL. So how it can it be LL?
Lifetime limits are about multiple card accounts (over time), ie, if you had this card before (with another account), you can't get a bonus on a new card (with a new account).
So any statement about only one "card account" (singular) thus cannot be about LL.
And another clue: this say (sic
) one offer per card account. Mathematically, that would imply two offers per two card accounts, or three offers per three card accounts, which would be the exact opposite of LL. So how it can it be LL?
Nov 28, 2021 | 2:03 pm
#360
Join Date: Aug 2005
Programs: AA LTP, UA, DL, HH, Marriott/SPG
Posts: 620
Absolutely it could be interpreted as a variation of LL. “Card account”, which you interpret as being singular could very easily be interpreted by AmEx, with their usual impunity, to mean “multiple accounts of the same card”, a Biz Plat (opened and closed) 3 years ago could be interpreted by AmEx as the same “card account” as a Biz Plat today. AmEx has a unique way of writing (their rules) which is deliberately ambiguous.
Last edited by I Love to Travel; Nov 28, 2021 at 2:11 pm