AMEX BCP Referral Program Problem/Question

steve23111 · ‎12-21-2011

Does anyone have any experience with the Refer a Friend program for the Blue Cash Preferred card? I got one of these cards this month and have a co-worker who would like to apply and I would like to do a referral so I get the $75 credit upon approval. However, I'm having two problems with the web site.

I have a Blue Cash Preferred, Clear, and Zync. When visiting the Refer a Friend web page while logged in to my AMEX account, the only card it allows me to do a referral on is the Zync. The Blue Cash Preferred does not appear as a choice. (There is no referral program for the Clear, so its absence here makes sense.)

I called Customer Service and they transferred me to the "apply by phone department." The agent I spoke with was eager to help but couldn't do much to resolve the issue, though she did make an interesting suggestion: log out of the site, go back to the page, and use the option to verify my current card instead of actually logging back in. I tried that, giving my Blue Cash Preferred card information, and received a message "Your Card is not eligible to participate at this time. Thank you for your interest,and please check back with American Express OPEN SM for future promotions."

Is there a requirement that I have the card for a certain period of time before I can do the referral, or is this just another example of how screwy the whole AMEX web site can be? Any tips?

steve23111 · ‎12-23-2011

Nobody?

American Express manually credited my account $75 for a referral I've been trying to do, but ultimately the web site problem should be looked at. After making no progress with Customer Service (which I am becoming less impressed by with every passing day) I turned to Twitter and engaged a representative at @AskAmex. She couldn't figure out the problem and referred me to the Digital Assist department and gave a direct number. I called there, and after going around and around with the representative I was given a few different stories:

1. In order to refer a friend to Blue Cash Preferred, I must have been referred through the same program, otherwise it won't work.

2. Not all Blue Cash Preferred cardholders are eligible to participate (despite that it's advertised as a basic feature of the card).

3. Wait, there actually IS no Refer-a-Friend program for the Blue Cash Preferred, and the web page advertising it is wrong.

So which is it?

Is anyone here with a Blue Cash Preferred willing to just try to access the Refer-a-Friend web site and see if it lets them send a referral for that card? Log in to AmericanExpress.com, type "refer" in the search box at the top, and the link will be in a box at the top. Mine shows my Zync card, but not Blue Cash Preferred.

Anonymous · ‎12-23-2011

It seems like an scripting issue that thier IT department or Web administrators would have to look at. If they're willing to credit you manually then I'd say its not #2. #1 & #3 seem highly unlikely.

IOBA · ‎12-23-2011

I don't know what the problem is.

Ask for the manual credit. They should do it.

Sorry you are having such a tough time with them.

steve23111 · ‎12-23-2011

@Anonymous wrote:
It seems like an scripting issue that thier IT department or Web administrators would have to look at.

There seem to be a lot of those! The problem is that there seems to be no mechanism in place for anyone (customer or front-line associate) to report that sort of thing. I imagine if there was such a system in place, the overall functionality of the web site would improve considerably. Still curious if it works for anyone else.

The first agent I spoke to via the online messaging system at AmericanExpress.com issued me a $25 Refer-a-Friend Credit and commenced to tell me about the benefits of my Blue Cash Everyday card. That's nice, except it's a Preferred card. My online account management confirms it's in their system as Preferred, and that's what the card says, too. I replied back with that and was given the other $50. That first rep did at least confirm the $25 program for the Blue Cash Everyday.

The Twitter rep said she "impersonated me" and it took her to the right place when she followed the link. I've tried from several computers, several browsers -- as is usually the secret to making anything work on the AMEX site. Same result in every instance.

So... idunno.

Anonymous · ‎12-23-2011

@steve23111 wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
It seems like an scripting issue that thier IT department or Web administrators would have to look at.

The Twitter rep said she "impersonated me" and it took her to the right place when she followed the link. I've tried from several computers, several browsers -- as is usually the secret to making anything work on the AMEX site. Same result in every instance.

She asked for your account information so she could "impersonate" you on the AmEx website? Sounds Fishy..

steve23111 · ‎12-23-2011

@Anonymous wrote:
She asked for your account information so she could "impersonate" you on the AmEx website? Sounds Fishy..

It's interesting. Their Twitter reps only need the name on the card and the city & state to access accounts. Apparently they have a pretty decent level of access with just that, given her ability to "impersonate" me!

Anonymous · ‎12-23-2011

I wouldn't discout the possibility of someone with the same name with the same card in the same State.

And yeah, they appear to have alot of access.. Maybe I should complain on twitter when I have an issue..

steve23111 · ‎12-23-2011

@Anonymous wrote:
I wouldn't discout the possibility of someone with the same name with the same card in the same State.

And yeah, they appear to have alot of access.. Maybe I should complain on twitter when I have an issue..

It's effective with a lot of companies.

steve23111 · ‎12-23-2011

OK! I got it working, but what a PAIN!

I did some Googling tonight and found a couple of posts elsewhere complaining that the $75 BCP referral form was not working, but I eventually came across a post that provided a direct link to the proper BCP referral page, and that did in fact work.

For the benefit of anyone who may ever need it, here's the link to fill out the form. Your reality, of course, may vary.

https://www262.americanexpress.com/business-card-application/mgm/10570-CCSG

As soon as I went to that link, the web site knew immediately who I was and that I had the BCP card. The end of the URL is a little different than what the AMEX site was taking me to, which ended in 10471-CCSG for the Zync.