All information about the American Express Business Platinum Card has been collected independently by Miles to Memories.
Amex Card Cancellation
I enjoy staying a certain amount of busy in our points and travel hobby. I reach my optimal busy level when I can max out the fun angles while minimizing the less-than-fun parts. That clunky explanation aside, while Amex overwhelmingly brings said fun, there are chores to do. One such chore is frequent Amex card cancellation. Closing cards via Amex online chat has now become my exclusive means for doing so; I can’t remember the last time I’ve done it over the phone. But as much as I prefer using the Amex online chat service, things don’t always correctly resolve the first time. Today, I’ll talk about a recent experience and why it may matter to you.
What Happened
Last Thursday, I initiated a chat session to cancel an Amex Business Platinum card. The year-two annual fee had posted, and I had no need for this account for a second year. The chat conversation went as they usually do – the rep asked why I was closing, I answered with I no longer needed the card or its benefits, etc. I received the disclosure from the rep and requested to proceed with the Amex card cancellation. I thanked the rep, we each said goodbye, and the rep left. Like many of you, I learned years ago to always ensure the chat conversation completely ends so that Amex doesn’t leave the card open.
On Friday (over 24 hours later), I hadn’t received the usual Amex email confirming the card cancellation was processed. The card also didn’t reflect as cancelled in my online account, either. I hopped on chat again, and another rep confirmed the request to cancel the card was submitted, and it could take up to 48 hours to process. Needing to wait longer, I thanked the rep and left the chat.
Saturday night (over 48 hours later), I noticed the card still showed active in my online account, and I still hadn’t received email confirmation of the cancellation. Again, I entered a chat to request resolution. I explained the situation, and the third rep resubmitted the cancellation request. As the agent instructed, I logged out and back in. Finally, my online account reflected the card was cancelled. I thanked the rep and asked about potential causes for the delay. The agent didn’t offer much, only saying that there could have been a technical issue when the first rep submitted the original request. We then wrapped up the chat.
Why This Matters
This Amex card cancellation experience reminded me to always double-check. While inconvenient, it’s better to be safe than sorry. But for hobbyists particularly busy with Amex, there’s more to consider.
Many Amex cards come with a variety of benefits to maximize on varying schedules. Naturally, attentive hobbyists like to obtain as much possible benefit on one annual fee. Often, this means leaving cards open longer and closing later rather than sooner, all while avoiding the second year annual fee. Any oversight, whether by the cardmember, Amex, or their systems, can come with negative consequences. And, given the speed of our hobby and the large number of cards many hold, busy enthusiasts may lose focus on double-checking.
Amex Card Cancellation – Conclusion
Long story short, check, then check again. Take corrective actions, if needed. While frustrating, I avoid displaying such in chats. I politely stick to the facts, and things generally resolve more efficiently. Many of us like to keep things moving with Amex, and avoiding cancellation speedbumps as much as possible is key. And, bigger picture, I must remember that 99% of all my Amex chat sessions turn out as I expect. Okay, maybe I’m being a bit generous there, but on a whole, things turn out the way they should. But always double-check.
Have you ever experienced something similar?
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I just canceled an Amex card last week…a Delta branded one. I hadn’t used it in at least 2 years. I called to cancel, and got an email verifying it had been cancelled. I also had an email that said I had a $60.00 credit…and have no idea why…and as I no longer have the account, will they send me a check? We shall see.
Janet,
I recommend chatting with Amex, and they’ll arrange sending the reimbursement check sooner rather than later.
When you cancel by chat do you still get retention offers
Can you apply for more than one amex cc? For example the green, blue, gold etc? And what are the benefits of having more than one amex card??
Yes this happened, I was refunded money from cancelled concert , they refunded to a closed card , disputed that it was closed year ago , will not give me my money , Ticketmaster, tried every option..dead end , really upset about that they will not give me my money back..also with Amerax.
I guess I’m just confused why you regularly open and close American express cards…. do you get it for 1 year for the benefits and then cancel because the annual fees are too high? Constantly canceling and opening a new card every year would be very damaging to your credit, and it seems like way more work than necessary. There are tons of low rate cards with introductory 0% for the first 21 months and no annual fees. The only reason I have an Amex card is for purchases that are high dollar and I worry may break, get lost or stollen easily. Like a drone or an expensive camera… but that’s just me.
People regularly close and open new card in order to take advantage of high point introductory offers. For many it’s a hobby and a way to get more frre travel.
Welcome to the world of churning, Kris! Opening a card for year isn’t that much work for the payoff of a thousand dollars or more. And no, it does not affect your credit that much.
I don’t know why every time I applied for this credit card I was always refused.
I also have had a close card request not go through. Further, they sometimes close the wrong card. Always confirm the last 4 digits of the card to be close with chat agent.
I had a card on file for an auto renewal with a marketing company I use for my business. Even though the AMEX card had been cancelled months before, they still allowed the charge to go through.
That is normal. You can’t stop auto renewals by cancelling the card. You have to stop it through the merchant, and if the merchant refuses to do so or makes it exceptionally hard than you need to submit a dispute to the card issuer – whether your account is still open or not.
Never hit this but great to know. Thanks.