American Express Is Sending Out $200 Thank You Credits
American Express keeps jumping back and forth from doing something good for their customers and sticking it to their customers. It is tough to keep up. First they shut down some accounts because of airline incidental credits, then they refreshed their card lineup because of the pandemic, next they sent bills out for gift cards purchased two years ago and now American Express is sending out $200 thank you credits to some cardholders.
Update: It appears this should work for most Business Platinum cardholders.
Details
Reader Stephen reached out to let me know that the following message popped up after logging in on his Business Platinum card:
As a special thank you for being a Business Platinum Card Member since 2019, we’re giving you a $200 appreciations credit, which will b applied to your Business Platinum Card account upon renewal. Plus, explore more ways we’re supporting you in 2020. Terms Apply.
He said his renewal is 2-3 months away.
Final Thoughts
It looks like American Express is trying to ensure more renewals of their premium card. I am not sure if this offer is only for Platinum Business cards or if personal Platinum cardholders will be seeing something similar. It is a good proactive move on American Express’ part. I was surprised when they recently offered nothing on my wife’s Platinum card after her annual fee posted. This was a few weeks before the new credits were announced so maybe they were saving their money for those.
Please let us know in the comments if you got a $200 thank you credit from American Express too and let us know which card it was for.
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This is the 2nd time having this same card. I have gotten the bonus twice. The good thing I got this card last December and then got the Dell credit, and travel benefit. They told me it as an annual benefit and reset on Jan. 1. Just got $189 item from Dell and will do the same in July to cover the $400 Dell thing. And, doing the cell phone for $20 each month. I, like many others, only spent to get the bonus since the free BB+ earns more on spend than the Platinum. I also got the notice of $200 if I renew. I had planned to cancel, but now maybe not. By December, we should know what Amex is planning for the next year.
I received an email regarding the $200 credit upon renewal of the Business Platinum. My personal platinum fee is due this month and they have offered nothing. I probably won’t renew it even if they offer something. I will renew the business card for This year
No real point in carrying both in my opinion so can’t blame you there.
@Mark I hung up and called again several times, with interminable waits each time, and all agents reported that the computer would not let me downgrade and that I would have to apply for a new card to save my points. I have no doubt that this was completely calculated by Amex, which knows that our MR points are great hostages to hold for their annual fee ransom, and that this would be even more of a hassle during the crisis (and they were right, it was). I was originally going to take a Green Card for a small annual fee ($150?) to get the sign up bonus (40K?) and as I was filling it out I realized that 1) this was not a company I really wanted to pay anything at the moment; 2) being locked down it would be difficult to meet even the small spend; and 3) I can’t spend the hundreds of thousands of MR I already have because planes aren’t going anywhere and I couldn’t be on them even if they were. I applied for a free Blue card, was approved, and still waiting to receive the card.
Yes, I got it on my wife’s business platinum card this morning. It renews at the end of this month. I was definitely going to cancel but it might be worth it to renew one more year with this $200 credit and also the other benefits until the end of 2020.
I received an email as well for business card. Strange, since I don’t spend much on it
Oh, and no retention offer last year.
I think they realize premium business cards will be the first thing to be cut these days and are trying anything they can to keep cardmember numbers up there.
Got the $200 statement credit offer this morning. I literally never use this card after reaching the MSR. Maybe encouraging folks like me to use it? Renewal is up at the end of this month.
Probably just trying to keep cardmember numbers up.
That’s hilarious. I was a Platinum Business Card holder for over 25 years. When my fee was due last month I called up and pointed out that I can’t use any of the benefits at the moment, and asking for some discount on the fee. After much — much! — rigamarole, I was offered $40! off the $595 fee. To add insult to injury, they refused to let me downgrade my card to preserve my Membership Rewards, and forced me to apply for another card in an overwhelmed system at the height of the chaos when I least needed to deal with such nonsense. In the end I decided against even getting a low fee Green Card and just taking a free Blue Card. Amex was probably my longest vendor relationship, but they treated me like something one scrapes off the bottom of their shoe amidst the Covid crisis. I’ll keep my free Blue card for as long as it takes me to burn my MR, but I’ll use my Chase cards and I’m done with Amex forever, no matter what happens with travel in the future. They tried to screw me during a tough time, figuring that if they made it to much of a hassle to keep my MRs I would just pay them their $595 ransom, and I won’t soon forget.
I am surprised they wouldn’t allow a downgrade. I wonder if it was just one terrible rep – doesn’t make sense. You would have thought they would have added these into the accounts a few weeks ago even if they weren’t ready to announce anything. I was surprised that nothing was offered to my wife either.
@Mark I hung up and called again several times, with interminable waits each time, and all agents reported that the computer would not let me downgrade and that I would have to apply for a new card to save my points. I have no doubt that this was completely calculated by Amex, which knows that our MR points are great hostages to hold for their annual fee ransom, and that this would be even more of a hassle during the crisis (and they were right, it was). I was originally going to take a Green Card for a small annual fee ($150?) to get the sign up bonus (40K?) and as I was filling it out I realized that 1) this was not a company I really wanted to pay anything at the moment; 2) being locked down it would be difficult to meet even the small spend; and 3) I can’t spend the hundreds of thousands of MR I already have because planes aren’t going anywhere and I couldn’t be on them even if they were. I applied for a free Blue card, was approved, and still waiting to receive the card.
The Blue Business Plus is a great card so you came out of this with something decent at least 🙂
I received an email this morning from Amex – about the Business Platinum. Same message – $200 credit upon card renewal (card will renew in September).