The sad news just broke that Amex has added their once-per-lifetime limitation to the terms of their business credit cards.
Previously, only the personal Amex cards were limited (as of the past few years) to getting the bonus just once-per-person per lifetime whereas business card bonuses could be had once every 12-months. Now, all business credit cards have the once-per-lifetime lingo.
Here’s what it looks like (highlighting mine):
Welcome bonus offer not available to applicants who have or have had this product.
Milestomemories notes that the SPG business card does not yet have the new terms, and still shows the 12-month limitation (after 12-months you can get the bonus again). Â On the application page, the new rules are showing.
Will the limit materialize?
The big question is if Amex will enforce the limit. I assume they will implement it, and this is part of a push to limit churning the bonuses. It’s still possible that it will take time until it becomes actual policy so you may be able to apply now and still get the bonus. Of course, we won’t know for certain until the spend is done and we’ll see if the points do or don’t post.
Also, note that we’ve discussed how certain targeted offers sent out by Amex (via mail or other means) often don’t have the once-per-lifetime lingo, and those will work to get the bonus a second time.
Thanks to Milestomemories and Dansdeals for reporting this changeÂ
If you close one account, and sign up for a different card still in the AMEX lineup (Platinum vs Gold vs OPEN, etc), are you still eligible for a bonus?
Or this is just so you don’t open and close the same Platinum card every year?
Thanks
You can get the bonus once on each card. So if you got the bonus on Platinum, you can still get the bonus on Gold, whether Platinum is still open or already closed.
I just got an offer for 150k Platinum Business for 15k spend. Has absolutely no language on restricting per 12 months, 24 months or “not eligible if you’ve had the card in the past “. Called the application dept to apply over the phone. Rep plus his manager confirmed that per terms, basically if you have the card or not, you’re eligible, doesn’t matter. No restrictions whatsoever.
Would you say that only credit cards have the new terms and not their charge cards?
Nice! Targeted offers don’t always have the lingo, as we noted in the post.
No. Targeted offers often don’t have this language, doesn’t matter if it’s charge or credit. Would love that offer.
In fact, I have 2 150k Platinum Business offers and 2 to 4 gold offers with the same “no restriction”. this can’t possibly be only me…anyone else seen these? Received I the mail this week
Can you email me? [email protected].
BofA will die too because of all the chatter on here. They do read this.
Dead things don’t die. For all practical proposes, BoA churning is dead m
Lol u expect him to spill the beans here? Might as well call up the credit card company and tell them what he’s up tonot according to Stephen. He posted here that he got 5 alaska cards in 2015. Just cuz ur unable to churn these with BofA don’t mean it’s not possible.
I won’t elaborate, but let me just say that there are things done in this game that would blow the minds of many. 99% of the population doesn’t even know when an opportunity gets shut down, because they didn’t know it ever existed. Too much said already, I’ll stop here.
I won’t elaborate, but let me just say that there are things done in this game that would blow the minds of many. 99% of the population doesn’t know when am opportunity is shut down, because they were never aware that it existed. Enough said, I’ll stop here.
It’s good to be (happily) married.. 🙂
I guess this is just a part of cutting $1 billion in costs plan.
Bummer. At least there are still other churning opportunities.
Cheers,
PedroNY
Such as? What lucrative churning opportunities are still out there?
Chase, BOA.
Chase? Ever heard of 5/24? And not much left in BoA.
SPG has the language on the application page too.
Does anyone think with Amex’s “one per a lifetime” policy on both business and personal I should close down all existing accounts with Amex and then hope that they send me a targeted offer in the mail for cards that I’ve already had without that language in the future?
There is more value to credit lines and opened accounts than just sign up bonuses…those who are late are simply late and those who understood how to sail during the past several years are well ahead… Of course only until the future flights and hotel stays deplete our accounts. The sign up bonuses will not be enough to replenish them.
Curious as to how this will work with similar personal/business cards.
Example: If I have an SPG personal card already, will I receive the bonus for the business version now?
Yes, shouldn’t be an issue since they are considered a different product by American Express.
AMEX stock is not doing well, why keep coming negative changes?
Because churners aren’t profitable customers?
i wonder if anyone who pays their bill on time and redeems the rewards wisely is actually profitable for them. they want customers who carry a balance or redeem the points for toasters or ideally both.
Anyone who pays on time is considered a “deadbeat” in the credit card industry. Name says it all from their perspective.
The ideal customer is someone in the 660-720 FICO range – good enough metrics to get a card, but poor enough credit to have a balance. That’s the “sweet spot” for credit card companies.
Depends on the reward structure of the card, they make a lot of money on interchange fees.