AMEX Annual Fee

[RootDet]

Hi All,

What s everyone's tricks on the annual fee? I have seen people post they got partial refunds, or even some sort of offer to keep in the account. In past years when i asked about such things, I was always told to pound sand and cancel the card.

Looking for insights as my annual platinum fee just hit. 

[wasCB14]

I don't know if there are really "tricks" to share. The offers come from a computer and aren't at the CS rep's discretion. But a few basics...

Don't be a jerk to the CS rep. Be polite and direct. Be clear about what you don't like about the card and how you think the rep can help.

Don't expect one every year. Maybe every other year or third year, depending on the card and your spend. And the offers may not be worth as much as the annual fee.

Call after the annual fee has posted (but before you pay the annual fee as part of the bill). Some people suggest trying to call every 13 months but I stick to the AF schedule.

Your odds are better if you spend a lot with Amex. Amex does seem to consider what you spend on other Amex cards, not just the one you're calling about.

If you're mostly just fishing for an offer and would prefer to keep the card without an offer, choose your words carefully. "I see the annual fee posted and I was wondering if I had any offers on the account" vs "I want to close my account".

Understand the CS rep may be inexperienced or in a grumpy mood and uninterested in playing games. Understand there is always at least the slim possibility of immediate closure when you call. So if you're desperate to keep a card, maybe don't call for that one.

Downgrading to a lower or no-AF card can be a good option at times since Amex will often give re-upgrade offers (very YMMV).

*Also, offers depend on "seasonality" to some degree. In early 2020 in the pandemic with the demand for travel falling, Amex was giving out great retention offers on Platinum. I got 50k MRs with no spend requirement. After they added PayPal/Instacart/Home Depot credits and the like a few months later, the offers weren't quite as good.

[RootDet]

yea, as usual, in my 12 years of membership .. "no offers". Then i found out since my own night stays did not qualify me for gold status at hilton, AMEX never actually sent my enrollment to hilton. noticed when i logged in to book travel that i was dropped to silver.

Of course, AMEX claims no responsibility for not sending hilton the info. When they resent it, hilton reflected it in a few minutes. That really ticked me off. 

Honestly, for me, AMEX is quickly becoming sub-prime. They make customer service at Comenity look to be fair superior than them. 

Across all the AMEX cards, looks like i had about $19k in 2022 spend, and about $10k in spend this far. But that is not enough for AMEX offers.  

[Gollum]

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@RootDet wrote:

Hi All,

What s everyone's tricks on the annual fee? I have seen people post they got partial refunds, or even some sort of offer to keep in the account. In past years when i asked about such things, I was always told to pound sand and cancel the card.

Looking for insights as my annual platinum fee just hit. 

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If there's an annual fee, I don't apply for that credit card.

[OmarGB9]

No tricks really. Just retention offers, if anything.

[GhostCredit]

I've been a member for 7 years with amex. I don't think I will ever get a charge card. It never made sense to me.

[OmarGB9]

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@GhostCredit wrote:

I've been a member for 7 years with amex. I don't think I will ever get a charge card. It never made sense to me.

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Because of the annual fee or because of something else?

[Anonymous]

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@Gollum wrote:

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@RootDet wrote:

Hi All,

What s everyone's tricks on the annual fee? I have seen people post they got partial refunds, or even some sort of offer to keep in the account. In past years when i asked about such things, I was always told to pound sand and cancel the card.

Looking for insights as my annual platinum fee just hit. 

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If there's an annual fee, I don't apply for that credit card.

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Yes, but for a lot of us, paying an AF (on the right card!) makes a lot of sense,   If the value proposition is more shaky (or just anyway if so inclined) it also makes sense to ask for retention or other offers to readjust the balance.  If unsuccessful, and the AF really isn't justified, time to downgrade or close.       But, lots of AF cards can be very valuable to people with the right needs and spend.

[SouthJamaica]

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@GhostCredit wrote:

I've been a member for 7 years with amex. I don't think I will ever get a charge card. It never made sense to me.

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I'm of the same view. I've had a few, but they were just a waste of money for me.

[GhostCredit]

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@OmarGB9 wrote:

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@GhostCredit wrote:

I've been a member for 7 years with amex. I don't think I will ever get a charge card. It never made sense to me.

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Because of the annual fee or because of something else?

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It's because over the years I see people use it for a couple of years and never keep it.