topic Re: Does AMEX usually send an upgrade offer around annual fee time? in Credit Cards

Does AMEX usually send an upgrade offer around annual fee time?

Anonymous — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 22:28:31 GMT

Hey all, I wanted to see if this is common.

i just received my first AMEX upgrade offer for my Gold Card. (Standard 60K MR for 5K) I don't have exactly the money to do the upgrade and new account play right now. Is it common to get this offer right before the AF hits? And theoretically, the offer is good until after I pay my Gold AF, could I get the platinum for a year for 250?

Thanks for any insights.

Re: Does AMEX usually send an upgrade offer around annual fee time?

Anonymous — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 22:30:37 GMT

If I'm the future you decide to upgrade to Platinum should you have an offer you will have to pay the 550 AF.

Re: Does AMEX usually send an upgrade offer around annual fee time?

K-in-Boston — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 22:35:29 GMT

Yes, Amex upgrade offers are commonly sent around AF time, but they can still come at other times as well. If you upgrade, you will be charged (and refunded if applicable) a prorated annual fee, but your account and anniversary date will remain the same.

Re: Does AMEX usually send an upgrade offer around annual fee time?

AverageJoesCredit — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 23:44:43 GMT

Hey @K-in-Boston , i recently received my first upgrade offer for the BCP with a $150/$1000 spend . I know the AF is $95 . How does that work? Do they hit you up on the AF right away basically giving one a SUB of $55? Thanks

Sorry Op for hijack, im lonely tonight

Re: Does AMEX usually send an upgrade offer around annual fee time?

K-in-Boston — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 23:48:55 GMT

@AverageJoesCredit wrote:
Hey @K-in-Boston , i recently received my first upgrade offer for the BCP with a $150/$1000 spend . I know the AF is $95 . How does that work? Do they hit you up on the AF right away basically giving one a SUB of $55? Thanks

Sorry Op for hijack, im lonely tonight

The AF is always charged on the first statement closing for Amex cards. I don't have any experience with upgrading from a no-AF card with Amex (only lower AF to higher AF), so I'm not sure if the AF ends up being prorated or if it changes your account anniversary date.

Re: Does AMEX usually send an upgrade offer around annual fee time?

AverageJoesCredit — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 00:03:38 GMT

Thanks K, not sure if ill do it as things are pretty bad at work lately. Trying to not force spend right now

Re: Does AMEX usually send an upgrade offer around annual fee time?

wasCB14 — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 00:31:21 GMT

@K-in-Boston wrote:
@AverageJoesCredit wrote:
Hey @K-in-Boston , i recently received my first upgrade offer for the BCP with a $150/$1000 spend . I know the AF is $95 . How does that work? Do they hit you up on the AF right away basically giving one a SUB of $55? Thanks

Sorry Op for hijack, im lonely tonight
The AF is always charged on the first statement closing for Amex cards. I don't have any experience with upgrading from a no-AF card with Amex (only lower AF to higher AF), so I'm not sure if the AF ends up being prorated or if it changes your account anniversary date.

$150 with an AF due is pretty mediocre. $250 with an AF due or $150 with no AF for 12 months is often available. I did $250 with the AF due.

Approved 8/11/14

Upgraded 7/15/19

Charged $2.08 on 8/17/19

Charged $95 on 8/25/19

Re: Does AMEX usually send an upgrade offer around annual fee time?

SkyCommander — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 01:43:32 GMT

I got a Green card and that was around the time the AF was posting. I think it was showing Gold card upgrade offer just before the $95 actually posted. I got grandfathered into the lower AF. Even 3 months later I still see a link to upgrade the card but I like the Green for $95. At the end of this year it will be $150 though. My Bonvoy card always shows an upgrade offer after my first year. I'm nearing the 1 year mark with Hilton card and it shows request upgrade. My lowly ED also has request upgrade. I only get "spammed" on the Bonvoy and Green for upgrades like email or login page.

Re: Does AMEX usually send an upgrade offer around annual fee time?

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 03:17:20 GMT

@K-in-Boston wrote:
@AverageJoesCredit wrote:
Hey @K-in-Boston , i recently received my first upgrade offer for the BCP with a $150/$1000 spend . I know the AF is $95 . How does that work? Do they hit you up on the AF right away basically giving one a SUB of $55? Thanks

Sorry Op for hijack, im lonely tonight
The AF is always charged on the first statement closing for Amex cards. I don't have any experience with upgrading from a no-AF card with Amex (only lower AF to higher AF), so I'm not sure if the AF ends up being prorated or if it changes your account anniversary date.

When I upgraded my no fee Hilton to the Aspire last year it took like 2 statements for my fee to post. For example, I upgraded March 9th and my statement closed on the 20th. My AF which I believe was 380$, posted May 20th. I also upgraded a week after my anniversary as well.

Re: Does AMEX usually send an upgrade offer around annual fee time?

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 04:11:22 GMT

Thanks for all the insights!

I know I won't be pulling the trigger on this as the CSR is going to be my first "premium" card since it makes more sense for me.

Plus, AMEX needs to send me the 100K offer before I even think about a Platinum

Re: Does AMEX usually send an upgrade offer around annual fee time?

blindambition — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 04:25:11 GMT

When I upgraded to BCP it was prorated by a few months. They said the charge would come within 45 days. Almost to the day I was charged $75.
AJC, hold off. I ignored that for months. The sweetened pot with $250 for 1k spend.
@K-in-Boston wrote:
@AverageJoesCredit wrote:
Hey @K-in-Boston , i recently received my first upgrade offer for the BCP with a $150/$1000 spend . I know the AF is $95 . How does that work? Do they hit you up on the AF right away basically giving one a SUB of $55? Thanks

Sorry Op for hijack, im lonely tonight
The AF is always charged on the first statement closing for Amex cards. I don't have any experience with upgrading from a no-AF card with Amex (only lower AF to higher AF), so I'm not sure if the AF ends up being prorated or if it changes your account anniversary date.

Re: Does AMEX usually send an upgrade offer around annual fee time?

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 17:47:39 GMT

@AverageJoesCredit wrote:
Hey @K-in-Boston , i recently received my first upgrade offer for the BCP with a $150/$1000 spend . I know the AF is $95 . How does that work? Do they hit you up on the AF right away basically giving one a SUB of $55? Thanks

Sorry Op for hijack, im lonely tonight

Essentially correct, the full AF will post to the account around 2nd statement(at least in my case). So if you do not meet spend before it hits you will have to pony up the $95 out of your own funds. However, it will net you $55 once the SUB posts. Also as mentioned $150 is rather low considering all the different offers, I don't know how they arrive at any particular offer though. Mine was $250, which means 2.5 years of no AF out of pocket. I think it's a YMMV in regards to how much of the fee they will charge and when.

I will say that if you do grocery shop a lot at a place that will net you the 6%, it does add up rather quickly. I've already banked $85 since my upgrade, which is almost another AF paid for. So I probably won't play the downgrade/upgrade game that some have, at least until my situation changes.

For anyone thinking about upgrades they come and go, which is why it's important to wait it out and accept the right offer that suits you.

In the case of BCP, I kept waiting and finally got the $250 offer. But it goes for all Amex cards, my offer for Plat changes back and forth quite regularly from the 60K to 25K.

Re: Does AMEX usually send an upgrade offer around annual fee time?

Wavester64 — Sun, 29 Mar 2020 19:40:36 GMT

@wasCB14 wrote:
@K-in-Boston wrote:
@AverageJoesCredit wrote:
Hey @K-in-Boston , i recently received my first upgrade offer for the BCP with a $150/$1000 spend . I know the AF is $95 . How does that work? Do they hit you up on the AF right away basically giving one a SUB of $55? Thanks

Sorry Op for hijack, im lonely tonight
The AF is always charged on the first statement closing for Amex cards. I don't have any experience with upgrading from a no-AF card with Amex (only lower AF to higher AF), so I'm not sure if the AF ends up being prorated or if it changes your account anniversary date.
$150 with an AF due is pretty mediocre. $250 with an AF due or $150 with no AF for 12 months is often available. I did $250 with the AF due.

Approved 8/11/14
Upgraded 7/15/19
Charged $2.08 on 8/17/19
Charged $95 on 8/25/19

I have been offered the $150 upgrade with AF. It's been suggested I hold off for a better offer. Is that even a possibility?

Re: Does AMEX usually send an upgrade offer around annual fee time?

Wavester64 — Sun, 29 Mar 2020 19:46:10 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@AverageJoesCredit wrote:
Hey @K-in-Boston , i recently received my first upgrade offer for the BCP with a $150/$1000 spend . I know the AF is $95 . How does that work? Do they hit you up on the AF right away basically giving one a SUB of $55? Thanks

Sorry Op for hijack, im lonely tonight
Essentially correct, the full AF will post to the account around 2nd statement(at least in my case). So if you do not meet spend before it hits you will have to pony up the $95 out of your own funds. However, it will net you $55 once the SUB posts. Also as mentioned $150 is rather low considering all the different offers, I don't know how they arrive at any particular offer though. Mine was $250, which means 2.5 years of no AF out of pocket. I think it's a YMMV in regards to how much of the fee they will charge and when.

I will say that if you do grocery shop a lot at a place that will net you the 6%, it does add up rather quickly. I've already banked $85 since my upgrade, which is almost another AF paid for. So I probably won't play the downgrade/upgrade game that some have, at least until my situation changes.

For anyone thinking about upgrades they come and go, which is why it's important to wait it out and accept the right offer that suits you.
In the case of BCP, I kept waiting and finally got the $250 offer. But it goes for all Amex cards, my offer for Plat changes back and forth quite regularly from the 60K to 25K.

Thanks for this. I usually refuse to get a card with an AF, but its starting to make sense with all the grocery shopping done around here.
I never paid attention to the Amex offers to upgrade because of this, but just yesterday when I saw the offer again, I decided to take a peak and see what the offer was and it was $150 with $95 AF to upgrade from BCE to BCP. Since there is the possibility that offer could sweaten, I'll just wait for now. Would be nice to get the $250 so that covers using the BCP for a while. Every $1 counts

Re: Does AMEX usually send an upgrade offer around annual fee time?

MrDisco99 — Mon, 30 Mar 2020 14:57:12 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Thanks for all the insights!

I know I won't be pulling the trigger on this as the CSR is going to be my first "premium" card since it makes more sense for me.

Plus, AMEX needs to send me the 100K offer before I even think about a Platinum

You'll be waiting a long time. They only extend the 100K offer to select people with no existing Amex relationship. If you already have Amex cards, you'll probably never see that offer.