Amex preapproval question

[Anonymous]

I currently have a Amex Green opened in 12/1/2010.  On the Amex website (on the "additional cards" tab) it is now saying I am preapproved for Platinum and can keep my original card account number.  I really want the gold premier rewards.  Anyone know if pre approved for plat means preapproved for any charge card with them?  I don't want to take a hard for the gold, but I will if I have to.  The rewards difference between green and gold pr would be about 25000 points per year due to gas and grocery double points

[alph4]

I have a Blue Cash, and it has said for the past year or so since I've checked that I'm pre-approved for Zync, Green, and Platinum.  However, it doesn't say pre-approved for Gold or Gold Premier.  I always thought that was strange.

I'm sure you could always call and ask what you can switch to.

[Anonymous]

Until you've had your Green Card for at least 12 months you won't be able to upgrade to Gold, PRG or Platinum and keep the same account number. You can apply for either one but it will be a hard and you'd get a new acct num. 

[Open123]

For some reason, the "premiere gold" invitation is better than their vanilla Platinum.

For instance, the "premiere gold" offer waives first year fee, and then only $175 thereafter with a bonus 15k points once 30k is charged in a calendar year. Furthermore, you receive triple points on airfare, double on gas and groceries, and whatever is awarded when using their merchant site. Finally, once you spend $500 in the first 3 months, you're awarded a 50k point bonus.

Compare to the Platinum, which has a similar 50 bonus, but requires one to spend $1,000 after the first 3 months; not to mention the $450 fee per year henceforth. Aside from the airport/concierge services, there isn't much difference between the two cards. I've never received any "invitations" for platinum, but always receive the one for Premiere Gold.

Not sure why, maybe the "invitation" Platinum has a better offer than what is offered through their website?

[Walt_K]

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@Open123 wrote:

For some reason, the "premiere gold" invitation is better than their vanilla Platinum.

For instance, the "premiere gold" offer waives first year fee, and then only $175 thereafter with a bonus 15k points once 30k is charged in a calendar year. Furthermore, you receive triple points on airfare, double on gas and groceries, and whatever is awarded when using their merchant site. Finally, once you spend $500 in the first 3 months, you're awarded a 50k point bonus.

Compare to the Platinum, which has a similar 50 bonus, but requires one to spend $1,000 after the first 3 months; not to mention the $450 fee per year henceforth. Aside from the airport/concierge services, there isn't much difference between the two cards. I've never received any "invitations" for platinum, but always receive the one for Premiere Gold.

Not sure why, maybe the "invitation" Platinum has a better offer than what is offered through their website?

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Are they reopening the 50K bonus for the PR Gold?  It might be a targeted offer that you received.  I had read about a previous offer like that, but I had only seen 25K offer for PR Gold when I applied (which I stupidly missed because I forgot to go through partner website).  If you're getting a 50K bonus offer for the PR Gold, that is a pretty great deal.

If you're looking to just earn rewards, PR Gold does seem like a better deal to me as well.  I almost, but not quite, travel enough to make the Platinum airport lounge access worth it for me to switch.  Another nice benefit of Platinum for travelling is automatic Gold elite status in Starwood Preferred Guest program (I think). 

If the Platinum 50K offer is available when my PR Gold AF comes due, I might upgrade for at least one year.  I figure at that point, I would already be paying an AF of $175, so the cost to me would be $275 (difference in Platinum AF).  I doubt the 3x2x bonus and the 15K kicker will add up to more than 50K points for me in a year, so it would be worth taking the Platinum card for a test-drive.    

[Open123]

Yeah, it's the 50k bonus for Premier Gold once you spend $500 the next 3 months.  I've been receiving that offer almost quarterly for the last 3 or 4 years, but I've never bothered taking them up on it because I assumed I was blacklisted from a C/O on a green card 20 years ago during my college days.

Fast forward to today (a few days ago), they send me another invitation for the PR deal.  So, I just applied to see if I'm still on the blacklist.  I was instantly approved, but once they review my account, they may rescind their offer once they realize I reneged on $600 way back in 1988.

At the same time, my partner (who insists on using Amex) insisted on adding me as an AU for our firm.  Initially, I was reluctant given the possibility of having to explain I was declined because of an old college debt.

PS - That's what I was thinking too.  After the PR Gold deal, upgrade the next year to Platinum for 50 k points when the $175 becomes due.

[Open123]

update - There's an offer by invitation for the Platinum card with a bonus of 100k points, but first year fee isn't waved, and one has to spend $1,000 (which isn't exactly difficult) within the first 3 months.

I've never gotten this offer, but it seems others have recently. 

[Anonymous]

Can a Zync be upgraded to any other charge product?

[Open123]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Can a Zync be upgraded to any other charge product?

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Sure, I don't see why not.  Eventually, I'd imagine "pre-selected" offers will start showing up on your cardmember's section.

[Anonymous]

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@Open123 wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

Can a Zync be upgraded to any other charge product?

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Sure, I don't see why not.  Eventually, I'd imagine "pre-selected" offers will start showing up on your cardmember's section.

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I've asked this question once before, but the informations seems to mixed.

I heard Zync can't be upgraded, only green, gold & plat can.