topic Re: Amex 'Request Upgrade' in Credit Cards

Amex 'Request Upgrade'

Caught750 — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 03:56:07 GMT

So I've been poking around on the Amex page the last few weeks (since being approved for BCE and PRG). I've been looking at all of their cards and educating myself on their basic set up. Today, just shy of my first statement on both cards, I see the button 'Request Upgrade' on the Platinum and Blue Cash Preferred cards. Is this the offer to upgrade people talk about here? I wasn't expecting to see anything like that for some time. I'm guessing since terms would likely remain the same as would the credit line it isn't anything too special. I wouldn't upgrade PRG, likely at all, prior to the SUB being made and attached to my account. The BCP has a fee which the BCE does not but using it for gas and groceries would certainly return that and much more.

Thoughts?

Re: Amex 'Request Upgrade'

kilroy8 — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 04:05:13 GMT

You need > $3200/yr in grocery spend to to make BCP pay more than BCE if you consider the fee. You have the potential to make a total of $85 more than with BCE if you max out grocery spend at $6K. Gas/Dept store transactions get a 1% bump on top of that, with no max.

Re: Amex 'Request Upgrade'

Caught750 — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 04:08:10 GMT

Right, 3 months a year Disco gets the gas, the rest would be BCP and it's an SUV so it's kinda thirsty. I eat well as does my wife and daughter so the groceries would certainly max and gas would be pretty significant.

Re: Amex 'Request Upgrade'

Shadowfactor — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 04:44:02 GMT

It would be interesting to see if that upgrade link really works as you said that you just obtained the PRG and BCE.

Normally the CARD act prohibits any kind of annual fee increase in the first year.

Re: Amex 'Request Upgrade'

Caught750 — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 04:52:07 GMT

That's what I was thinking too, though I'm curious as it could be slightly more beneficial. All the same I don't want to pay nearly $400 in fees if I add the EDP later. I'm feeling Amex as a mostly travel company for me. I have Disco and BCE to cover cash back and they do align well with my spending. PRG also hits gas and groceries pretty well on months that Disco doesn't. The plan is to add EDC or EDP and SPG or Delta with Amex and then maybe hit up another solid cash back card later. I just don't want to be racked with AFs cutting into rewards every year and that list gets there for sure.

The other option for travel would probably be a CSP though I'd hafta wait just for that to avoid going over 5/24 and I'll have some solid rewards built up with Amex by then. I'd need to transfer everything to a partner to use both or convert.

Lots of things to figure out before moving forward with anything, that's for sure

Re: Amex 'Request Upgrade'

Anonymous — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 06:34:26 GMT

For whatever reason Amex will show the "request upgrade" button almost immediately upon opening one of the non-preferred variants of their cards, despite the CARD act preventing you from doing so. The best their CSRs can do for you is to tell you to wait a year then suggest you could also go ahead and open a new card now instead of waiting for the upgrade.

I myself would recommend the CSP/CSR route for flexibility +killer signup bonus. I decided to go with chase over Amex or a co-branded card for the flexibility of redemption options because it better fit our young family (well...family with a young child anyway lol) travel patterns. While we are almost exclusively loyal to delta we don't fly enough to make even the higher earn rate of the fee-based delta Amex cards worthwhile, it would take years to earn awards tickets. we rack up a fair amount of varying hotels & property rentals along 1-2 flights a year & heavy dining spend - CSP out earns Amex delta+SPG when considering awards booking requirements. Not enough spend in a single ecosystem.

If we flew more frequently and or internationally I'd probably have gotten delta gold or platinum + spg, but for us there's more value in transferring points or redeeming through chase.

Re: Amex 'Request Upgrade'

Caught750 — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 06:43:41 GMT

I was thinking this also in regards to the CSP. If I said CSR I meant CSP. Amex MR can certainly cover parts of a trip we are planning but I thought the CSP was a better fit overall with better travel insurance options.

I Love Amex but short of the platinum I don't see a point in the EDP, maybe the free EDC. Chase seems to be winning big on earning while platinum definitely has some nice member perks.

I'm thinking save the 5th CC spot for CSP, then add EDC, and cancel PRG before the fee and take the platinum to replace it, with the sick new SUB of course...

Re: Amex 'Request Upgrade'

Shadowfactor — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 14:17:25 GMT

For Chase, it has to be 4/24 not 5/24. If it’s the 5th card in 24 months your likely to be declined. You might be lucky on recon but to be safe I would make it the 4th card.

The PRG is hard to justify after the 1st year. It comes down to how much you plan on using the card. If it’s not going to be your daily driver and don’t have a lot of other bonus category cards for most of your spend. It’s definitely worth keeping but if you don’t plan on putting most of your spend on it. It becomes much harder.

I’m currently debating if I should cancel mine. I travel to the Caribbean a lot for work so AMEX coverage sucks.

The net fee is right around $32 if you include the roadside assistance into the AF.
AAA basic is 63 a year where I live and that includes the exact same things Amex does. Of course the platnium has Roadside Assistance as well if you do upgrade.

For Amex being mainly a travel perks based company. They really need to work on expanding their global footprint again.

Re: Amex 'Request Upgrade'

K-in-Boston — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 15:52:36 GMT

@Anonymouswrote:
For whatever reason Amex will show the "request upgrade" button almost immediately upon opening one of the non-preferred variants of their cards, despite the CARD act preventing you from doing so. The best their CSRs can do for you is to tell you to wait a year then suggest you could also go ahead and open a new card now instead of waiting for the upgrade.

I myself would recommend the CSP/CSR route for flexibility +killer signup bonus. I decided to go with chase over Amex or a co-branded card for the flexibility of redemption options because it better fit our young family (well...family with a young child anyway lol) travel patterns. While we are almost exclusively loyal to delta we don't fly enough to make even the higher earn rate of the fee-based delta Amex cards worthwhile, it would take years to earn awards tickets. we rack up a fair amount of varying hotels & property rentals along 1-2 flights a year & heavy dining spend - CSP out earns Amex delta+SPG when considering awards booking requirements. Not enough spend in a single ecosystem.

If we flew more frequently and or internationally I'd probably have gotten delta gold or platinum + spg, but for us there's more value in transferring points or redeeming through chase.

Yes, I received the upgrade offer from Delta Platinum to Delta Reserve almost immediately. Seems to just be a glitch in the Amex website that doesn't factor in the CARD Act. When I brought it up, someone else actually tried to do so and it wouldn't let them. As for the Delta cards themselves, there's no reason at all to put spend on the cards unless you're trying to get the MQD waiver for $25,000 spend to obtain Silver, Gold, or Platinum status. Put simply, if you have two flights a year (one round-trip or two one-way), the Gold pays for itself with the free bags. If you have one Main Cabin round-trip flight a year with at least one other person, the Platinum pays for itself with the free bags and annual companion ticket. Delta Reserve is a harder one to justify unless you fly Delta quite a lot.

Re: Amex 'Request Upgrade'

AverageJoesCredit — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 16:42:23 GMT

I have the upgrade offer for green to PRG at 40k for 2k spend in 3months. Uhm, $195 af, no idea if thats a good offer but couldnt make the spend requirement anyway. Im just gonna close my green. K, should i wait til the AF post to cancel? Thanks

Re: Amex 'Request Upgrade'

K-in-Boston — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 18:18:22 GMT

@AverageJoesCreditwrote:
I have the upgrade offer for green to PRG at 40k for 2k spend in 3months. Uhm, $195 af, no idea if thats a good offer but couldnt make the spend requirement anyway. Im just gonna close my green. K, should i wait til the AF post to cancel? Thanks

Oh boy, this is a tough one. Let's just use Delta as an example here. If you spent the $2k, you'd have 42,000 MR points (more if your purchases were at restaurants, grocery stores, and gas stations). You could buy two $50 Delta eGift certificates (you'll need to find someone with a desktop as the mobile browser doesn't actually code as Delta) after choosing Delta as your airline choice for the $100 reimbursement, and bare minimum have $600 worth of Delta travel as a result. (As an example, San Juan to NYC is usually 45,000 SkyMiles roundtrip.)

I'd certainly wait until the AF hits before canceling any Amex card as there may be a retention offer that either waives or reduces your AF, and/or an offer of many more MRs for X spend. I know that we have extremely different financial and geographic circumstances, but there's no way for you to make $667 a month in charges? Using a bill pay service (even Plastiq) for rent or utilities? Offering to pay for someone else's purchases if they give you the cash?

Re: Amex 'Request Upgrade'

SomewhereIn505 — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 21:27:44 GMT

I'm tempted to try this on my BCE into BCP. Prequal shows I'm pre-approved for BCP now.

Re: Amex 'Request Upgrade'

AverageJoesCredit — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 21:49:00 GMT

Thanks K for your detailed answer. Ill have to check it out i think i could manage it but would have to check a few things out. I need a vacation and i need to go somewhere even if it were for a week. Thanks K, i keep ya in the loop if i see any possibilties

Re: Amex 'Request Upgrade'

Anonymous — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 22:26:47 GMT

@SomewhereIn505wrote:
I'm tempted to try this on my BCE into BCP. Prequal shows I'm pre-approved for BCP now.

Have you had the BCE for more than a year?