topic Re: Amex Upgrade in Credit Cards

Amex Upgrade

driftless — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 18:30:34 GMT

My PRG turns 1 year in July and I have already received retention MR's. Now I keep getting upgrade offers for the Platinum 60,000 MR's for $5,000.00 spend. My question are there any changes to what is reported to FICO and CRA's if there is an upgrade?

Re: Amex Upgrade

NRB525 — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 18:43:10 GMT

No, no change to how the account appears on your credit report.

No HP

The AMEX account number even stays the same. Expiration date and security code on the new card will be new, but the same card number on the new card.

Re: Amex Upgrade

driftless — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 19:25:47 GMT

That is what I thought, thanks.

Re: Amex Upgrade

driftless — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 19:38:07 GMT

Decided to go for it. I am in the middle of applying for a commercial mortgage so I did not want another card to appear on my reports. 60K MR's plus the 7.5K MR's that I received for retention is nice. I will easily put $50K put through my Blue Business Plus account a year as well.

Re: Amex Upgrade

adelphi_sky — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 15:56:37 GMT

Af few things about this offer.

1. I thought when you did a PC that you did not qualify for signup bonuses.

2. I closed my Amex Green and received a Platinum Offer in the mail for the 60k points.

Question, I thought I read in this forum that if you were a previous Amex charge card holder, you got no signup bonus for PC or reapplying for the same card later. IT was a lifetime ban on signup bonuses they said. Has something changed at Amex? Can people now get bonus points for PC'ing or re-applying for a card they recently closed?

Re: Amex Upgrade

K-in-Boston — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 17:24:58 GMT

If you are targeted for an upgrade bonus, you can get it. I got one for my Green to Platinum which was an upgrade offer, but not for Gold to PRG which was a customer-initiated PC. The Amex rule is that you can only receive a sign-up bonus once per lifetime on each card type. So if you cancel a Platinum that you either apped for or had an upgrade bonus for in the past and later open a new one, you do not qualify for a sign-up bonus or upgrade bonus for the Platinum card. Without a targeted offer, a customer-initiated PC would not be eligible for any upgrade bonuses or new applicant sign-up bonuses.

Re: Amex Upgrade

driftless — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 17:56:41 GMT

Not only did this upgrade show in my offers but every time that I logged in a big pop-up for the upgrade filled most of my screen. I feeling Amex luv as my retention points have already hit my account along with this 60K upgrade.

One of the reason that I decided to go for upgrade was to get AU card for my wife. The CSR said that she can have either a Gold or Platinum AU card and with the Platinum card she will have lounge. She travels a lot for business but uses a company issued Green Amex with no benefits. She has access to the United lounges but not everywhere she flies to has a United Lounge. Case in point, she flies to Las Vegas today for a trade show if she had her card she could use the Amex lounge there.

Re: Amex Upgrade

adelphi_sky — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 18:03:56 GMT

I think they sent me a targeted offer to get me to come back. I left before they made all the changes to the Platinum card. But those changes aren't enough yet. ANd metal cards are a dime a dozen now. I have 4 quazi metal cards; CSR, Chase Marriott, and Amazon.

Re: Amex Upgrade

adelphi_sky — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 18:08:08 GMT

If I understand you correctly, if I am an Amex Plat cardholder, I can get my wife a Gold card as an AU on the same account? IS her AF a Gold AF or the Plat AF?

Re: Amex Upgrade

K-in-Boston — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 18:38:56 GMT

Up to 99 (who has this many on a personal account?!?) AU gold cards at no charge. First 3 Platinum AU cards are $175.

Edited to add: It's important to note that Platinum AUs get the Starwood (and by extension, Marriott and Ritz-Carlton) and Hilton gold status, $100 Global Entry credit, lounge access, etc... while Gold AUs do not. The airline and Uber credits are only for the primary member.

Re: Amex Upgrade

wasCB14 — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 23:15:18 GMT

@K-in-Boston wrote:
Up to 99 (who has this many on a personal account?!?) AU gold cards at no charge. First 3 Platinum AU cards are $175.

Edited to add: It's important to note that Platinum AUs get the Starwood (and by extension, Marriott and Ritz-Carlton) and Hilton gold status, $100 Global Entry credit, lounge access, etc... while Gold AUs do not. The airline and Uber credits are only for the primary member.

Not quite, in the case of the airline credit.

"Purchases made by both the Basic and Additional Card Members on the eligible Card Account are eligible for statement credits. However, each Card Account is eligible for up to a total of $200 per calendar year in statement credits across all Cards on the Account."

If I spend $0 on extras and an AU spends $50, the account gets a $50 credit. If I spend $150 and the AU spends $150, the account gets a $200 credit.

Only one Uber account can be linked to a Platinum. If the primary never links Uber and Amex, it might be possible for the AU to link the primary card to his or her own Uber account. Not sure.

Re: Amex Upgrade

K-in-Boston — Sat, 24 Jun 2017 00:39:28 GMT

Thanks for clarifying the airline credit. Since I use mine, I know my wife doesn't get anything additional. Only the primary can choose the airline to enroll in each year.

For Uber which I haven't used, I am almost positive that the wording that came with the mountains of brochures in late March and early April with the changes stated that the Uber credits and VIP status would only apply to the primary member. I could be wrong, of course.
If your AU(s) buys(buy) airline tickets through the airlines or Amex or books hotels through Amex, the annual fee could be easily recouped from the 5X MRs, too. Yet another thing to consider.

Re: Amex Upgrade

driftless — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 19:40:58 GMT

Interesting, my PRG had "member since 16" on it and the new Platinum card has "member since 87" on it. I had a green card sometime ago.

Re: Amex Upgrade

driftless — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 22:39:50 GMT

By the way, the new metal Platinum card looks really cool!

Re: Amex Upgrade

K-in-Boston — Tue, 27 Jun 2017 14:47:58 GMT

Assuming that was your first PRG card? I've noticed a quirk where Amex sometimes issues the first physical card with the current year but subsequent and AU cards have the correct Member Since date on them. Your online account and cards will always (except for this quirk) state the year that you got your very first Amex card, or the year that you first became an AU. Two examples from the past year or so that I can think of... I apped for the SPG card and mine arrived with Member Since 17 on the card while my wife's AU card has Member Since 2003. My wife got an ED last year and hers said Member Since 16 on the card, but when we added me on this year mine says Member Since 02. 4 out of my 5 Amex cards say Member Since 02, and I am sure that when my next SPG card (or if I need a replacement) arrives, it will read 02 instead of 17.

Unfortunately, they stopped actually backdating the accounts themselves, so it's all cosmetic. Had you opened that account a few years ago, it would have been reported to the CBs as opened in 1987!

Re: Amex Upgrade

driftless — Tue, 27 Jun 2017 16:43:14 GMT

Yes, it was my first PRG. I understand that it is cosmetic but it looks nice!

Re: Amex Upgrade

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Jul 2017 22:26:43 GMT

Hi all,

Got the email from AMEX to upgrade to Platinum / $5k / 60k points / Expires 8/12. I had the Platinum last year but downgraded as I don't travel a lot...quesiton is, has anyone tried to upgrade, get the points and downgrade back to the PRG? I don't think my travel justifies the $550, you be the judge:

1. My wife, kid and I take two trips per year (1 international 1 national) - last year was Mexico and Hawaii, this year will be Spain & Vegas

2. We use Uber a least once a month to go to San Diego downtown - $25 each way on Uber ($50 - $15 Uber Credit) = $35 out of pocket (dont forget surge time lol grr)

3. We dine about 3-4 times a month on restaurants

4. Cant use the TSA benefit as our 8 year old can't get a fast pass (or can he?)

5. I make my Hilton timeshare payments with my AMEX, so i get more points as it is a "travel related" charge

6. I can put about $1,500/month on bills (some bills don't take AMEX) i put the rest on my Visa Fidelity 2x/$1 spent (to get $50 cash back monthly)

7. Do use the $200 annual credit in the plane for food/drinks or ipad for the kiddo to watch movies

So, supposing i only get 1 point / $1, that's about 1500 points per month (+ i do use some AMEX to get extra points or money off certain purchases)

Any thoughts? should i just get the CSR?

Re: Amex Upgrade

driftless — Thu, 06 Jul 2017 23:19:55 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Hi all,

Got the email from AMEX to upgrade to Platinum / $5k / 60k points / Expires 8/12. I had the Platinum last year but downgraded as I don't travel a lot...quesiton is, has anyone tried to upgrade, get the points and downgrade back to the PRG? I don't think my travel justifies the $550, you be the judge:

1. My wife, kid and I take two trips per year (1 international 1 national) - last year was Mexico and Hawaii, this year will be Spain & Vegas
2. We use Uber a least once a month to go to San Diego downtown - $25 each way on Uber ($50 - $15 Uber Credit) = $35 out of pocket (dont forget surge time lol grr)
3. We dine about 3-4 times a month on restaurants
4. Cant use the TSA benefit as our 8 year old can't get a fast pass (or can he?)
5. I make my Hilton timeshare payments with my AMEX, so i get more points as it is a "travel related" charge
6. I can put about $1,500/month on bills (some bills don't take AMEX) i put the rest on my Visa Fidelity 2x/$1 spent (to get $50 cash back monthly)
7. Do use the $200 annual credit in the plane for food/drinks or ipad for the kiddo to watch movies

So, supposing i only get 1 point / $1, that's about 1500 points per month (+ i do use some AMEX to get extra points or money off certain purchases)

Any thoughts? should i just get the CSR?

Since I am the OP I have already upgraded from the PRG and I also have a CSR. I have been on the fence about the Platinum card for while as we are mostly in the Chase ecosystem since we fly United mostly. It sounds like you are going to concentrate your spend on Amex. For me, Platinum is about the perks because you lose richer rewards earning potential of the PRG by upgrading. I recently picked up an Amex business card which has replaced PRG as my rewards earner. If you upgrade I would suggest adding the EveryDay or EveryDay Preferred card to help with earning MRs.

If you fly twice a year for nice vacations you should benefit from the Amex ecosystem. I think that the choice between Amex and Chase should resolve around the airlines that you are likely to fly and your preferred hotels. YMMV.

Re: Amex Upgrade

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 02:18:21 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Hi all,

Got the email from AMEX to upgrade to Platinum / $5k / 60k points / Expires 8/12. I had the Platinum last year but downgraded as I don't travel a lot...quesiton is, has anyone tried to upgrade, get the points and downgrade back to the PRG? I don't think my travel justifies the $550, you be the judge:

1. My wife, kid and I take two trips per year (1 international 1 national) - last year was Mexico and Hawaii, this year will be Spain & Vegas
2. We use Uber a least once a month to go to San Diego downtown - $25 each way on Uber ($50 - $15 Uber Credit) = $35 out of pocket (dont forget surge time lol grr)
3. We dine about 3-4 times a month on restaurants
4. Cant use the TSA benefit as our 8 year old can't get a fast pass (or can he?)
5. I make my Hilton timeshare payments with my AMEX, so i get more points as it is a "travel related" charge
6. I can put about $1,500/month on bills (some bills don't take AMEX) i put the rest on my Visa Fidelity 2x/$1 spent (to get $50 cash back monthly)
7. Do use the $200 annual credit in the plane for food/drinks or ipad for the kiddo to watch movies

So, supposing i only get 1 point / $1, that's about 1500 points per month (+ i do use some AMEX to get extra points or money off certain purchases)

Any thoughts? should i just get the CSR?

Chase Saphire Reserve seems like a better deal to me. First it is 100 dollars cheaper per year. Second 300 dollar travel credit is better than the 200 dollar baggage check fee and incidentals that Amex gives. Plus I would think 50,000 Chase Points are much better than 60,000 Amex points.

Re: Amex Upgrade

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 14:57:35 GMT

Thanks!! I think i need to now see which airlines i fly with the most and find out which card has that partner to transfer the points. It seems like AMEX has more partners than Chase.