AMEX Green PC

[Anonymous]

OK - Need a little help here.

Currently have AMEX Green card and I'm eligable to upgrade to PRG or Platinum.  I already have a Chase United Club card, so I feel like I'm covered on travel (club access ect.).  So for me doing a PC from the Green to PRG makes scense, given the rewards structure and my spending.  I also don't want to pay the $95 upcoming annual fee any day now.

An important note - I am back-dated to 1996.  Since I've had the card over a year, I still am under the old credit reporting agency "AMEX" rule.  This is helping my credit score a lot.  Probably 30-40 points.  I DON"T WANT TO LOSE THIS.

Option 1.

Do I PC from the Green to PRG keeping my credit reporting from the current AMEX account intact?  If I can get them to waive the first years fee and give me the 25K miles bonus for doing a PC rather than a new app, I think Option 1 would be a no brainer.  They obviously may not do that (most likely not) but I'll give it a try anyways.

Option 2.

Keep the Green card open and the reporting intact.  App for a new PRG card, get the first year free, and the bonus.  Use the card exclusively for a year (maximizing the rewards), then cancel the card at the one year mark.  Transfer the points to the Green account, and then PC from Green to PRG and go on with life as usual.

What do you guys think?

Am I missing anything?

[Anonymous]

option 2 sounds better as option 1 probably won't happen. idk if they'll let you PC to the PRG if you open it and close it though (i just don't know the rules on that)
regardless, the backdating is nice. it sounds like you're just against paying the $95 fee for a subpar card (i don't blame you) so i would get the PRG, get the bonus, xfer points to green and let that card hold your MR points and there ya go

[deltatee]

If you don't mind taking a new inquiry and taking a hit on your AAOA, I think option 2 makes the most sense.  It would be a real bummer to never get the sign up bonus from PRG.  Plus, I think option 2 allows you be patient and wait for a good sign up bonus offer. I think they'll do 50,000 point offers occasionally 

[Mattopotamus]

Option 2.  

I do not know if anyone has ever sucessfully been given bonuses for a PC.

[Anonymous]

One question about option 2.

I know that one of the responses questions if I would be able to PC from Green to PRG if I closed another PRG.

In other words:

If I keep the Green card as is, app and get the PRG (new card), get the 25K/50K bonus offer, first year free on the annual fee, and then close it after a year before the annual fee hits, would I then be able to go back to my Green card and PC to the PRG?

[Mattopotamus]

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@Anonymous wrote:

One question about option 2.

I know that one of the responses questions if I would be able to PC from Green to PRG if I closed another PRG.

In other words:

If I keep the Green card as is, app and get the PRG (new card), get the 25K/50K bonus offer, first year free on the annual fee, and then close it after a year before the annual fee hits, would I then be able to go back to my Green card and PC to the PRG?

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That may be like playing with fire for Amex.  I am sure it is doable, but it could be risky.  You could burn your bridge getting the PRG if that is ultimately what you want.

[Anonymous]

Well I had the big talk with AMEX customer retention.  Option 2 it is, no big surprise to anyone I'm sure, including myself.  I knew it was a long shot.

I spoke with the retention department and giving a sign-up reward for a product change is something that just isn't possible.  I spoke with the CSR, who was very friendly, and honestly told her that if option 1 wasn't available then I would be doing option 2.  The reason I told her was to make it clear how ridiculous it was that I would have to jump through all of the hoops when the net result is basically the same.  She said that she can't actively encourage people to do option 2, but that being said there's nothing preventing me from doing just that.

The CSR did offer me 5K points just for calling in and keeping the Green card open.  I would have done this anyways since this AMEX legacy account is very important to me.

[Anonymous]

Option 4 would be to apply for the PRG and the everyday ED at the same time for MR. I see that you are with United. Isnt there is a tricky way to use United to your benefit by buying Amazon gift cards with the airline credits, which even out its double annual fees. By that its worth more than the green card.

[UncleB]

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@Anonymous wrote:
Option 4 would be to apply for the PRG and the everyday ED at the same time for MR. I see that you are with United. Isnt there is a tricky way to use United to your benefit by buying Amazon gift cards with the airline credits, which even out its double annual fees. By that its worth more than the green card.

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I've read on other sites that purchases made using the United MileagePlusX app are billed as an airline charge thus qualifying for the airline incidental reimbursement, with the most popular choice being the Amazon gift card.  Being that I don't have a PRG, I can neither confirm nor deny if this works.

The attractive part about this (other than the obvious) is that if something goes wrong, Amazon gift cards are like cash to most people, so there's no 'loss'.  Of course the negative part of the deal is if there is a problem, you can't call since it's not really supposed to work anyway (similar to buying airline GCs) so you're at the mercy of the loophole continuing to work. 

All that being said, if I had a PRG I would probably try it, since there's really nothing to lose.  There are several other sites that talk more about this (easily found using Google, search United MileagePlusX PRG).  As an added 'bonus', you would earn miles on United for making the purchase as well. 

[deltatee]

That is really interesting UncleB! That would make it a lot easier to get the airline reimbursement versus purchasing an airline card, which I've heard can be hit or miss.  I wonder if purchases made on the app are billed as airline purchases on other cards as well.