Amex Credit Balance Refund
We have all had it happen at one point or another. Maybe you return something unexpectedly, you receive a credit from a cancelled flight or you pay your card before that Amex airline incidental credit hits. However it happens, you will likely be dealing with an Amex credit balance refund at some point. Kind of like I am right now. I figured I would go over the 5 different ways to get that American Express negative balance back into your hands.
Hey Dummy, You Can Just Spend It!
The easiest, and quickest way, is to just spend that negative balance down. Every purchase you make will eat away at that Amex credit balance. There would be no need to get a refund from your account, because you kind of handled it on your own. You may not want to put any more spend on the card, or the credit balance could be for a larger amount than you would like to spend etc. What then?
Sit On Your Hands & Do Nothing
The next easiest option is to just do nothing. After around 6 months they will usually issue you a check. I have done this in the past for smaller, single digit type of negative balances. The check usually comes in the mail about the time I forgot there was still a negative Amex balance on my account. Even if you don’t ask for a credit balance refund, it will still come in time. This isn’t a great option for larger balances though.
Amex Chat
If neither of the first two options work for you, then you can always fire up Amex Chat. Once logged into your account you can chat with an American Express rep and ask for the credit balance refund to be mailed to you or applied to another credit card account you have with American Express.
Call American Express
If you prefer a more personal experience, or just hate chat agents telling you weird things like you are the best thing about Amex and you look beautiful today etc., then you can call the number on the back of your credit card. You will have the same credit balance refund options available to you from the phone representative.
Fill Out An Amex Credit Balance Refund Form Online
This is probably the best option for those mid sized or larger sized negative balances on your American Express card. You can choose to have a check sent or to move the credit to another account with a few clicks after filling everything out online. I don’t believe this works on closed accounts though, so do it before you close the card if you want to go this route.
Here is the step by step process:
Step 1: Go To Payments
First up, you will want to hit that Payments link at the top of your account. I know it seems weird to go to payments when you are dealing with an Amex credit balance refund, but that is the way they set it up.
Step 2: Credit Balance Refund
Once on the Payment screen you will want to scroll down to the bottom of the page. One the lower right you will find the Credit Balance Refund option. Select that.
Step 3: Dispute A Payment
Another option that kind of defies logic, but you are going to want to hit that dispute a payment continue button. Trust me, it will get us to where we want to go!
Step 4: Enter The Amex Credit Balance Refund Amount
You would think this part would be automated, but it is not. You will need to know, or remember, the amount of your credit balance. You can always open up your American Express account on a new tab, or your phone, if you are unsure how much it was for.
Step 5: Pick How You Want Your Money Returned
Now comes decision time. Do you want a check mailed to you, or do you want to apply the Amex credit balance refund to another card on your account. If you select to transfer the negative balance to another account you will need to have that credit card number handy. Yes, it is another thing that should be automated – but is not. Remember to select a card that has a positive balance larger than your credit refund amount, or one you are okay spending that amount on at least. If you can avoid having a negative balance anywhere it is usually better.
Amex Credit Balance Refund: Final Thoughts
Having 5 options when dealing with an Amex credit balance refund is nice. A lot of issuers don’t give you that many choices. Hopefully this guide helps you decide which option works best for you. Let me know which route you usually go down below, or over in the MTM Facebook Group.
