Reports of Sweet Retention Offers From American Express

With all the reports of the Amex appreciation credits that are being sent out it’s worth noting that many people are reporting sweet retention offers being given by Amex when you call to cancel a card.

I’ve seen around 5 different reports on Platinum or Gold cards of a retention offer for 30,000 points with $4,000 spend. Sometimes there’s another option for $150 with $4,000 spend instead.

Many readers in the comments here are getting similar offers for 30k or even 50k points with no spend requirement at all. Reader Brian C reports getting a good spend offer or an annual fee waiver on the Marriott personal/business cards, respectively.

I assume these offers will be generated mainly for people whose annual fees are due or coming due. From some reports in the comments, it seems you can’t get retention offers two years straight, so if you got one last year it might not work this time.

Even after the appreciation credit, the card still might not make sense if it’s primarily a travel card, and the retention department might try offering you a nice spend offer or statement credit. Just be prepared for the possibility that the rep will mention the appreciation credit as it’ll likely filter to their consciousness eventually, if it hasn’t already.

Related: Retention Bonus Rules & Tips For Each Card Issuer – Get More Than One Bonus Each Year

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Jacob
Jacob (@guest_1323539)
January 30, 2022 13:11

DP for Jan 2022: AMEX Platinum (Vanilla) – Offered 40,000 points with $3,000 spend. 1st renewal fee for card just posted (still at $550). Minimal usage of card during year 1 after earning 100K sign-on bonus.

JM
JM (@guest_1223668)
July 16, 2021 14:15

Called yesterday to cancel a Schwab Plat card. Was offered 60k MR points after $4k spend in 90 days. I took the offer!

ETA: They also threw in a $200 credit for any travel reservations made through the Amex travel website through the end of the year.

Jonathan
Jonathan (@guest_1197411)
May 28, 2021 12:46

I was flat out told NO. Amex plat, 13 year card member. $30,000 spend. They covered $500 last year due to covid. I asked for them to cover additional card members and I would renew. I am waiting for a supervisor to call back to see if I have any luck there.

Dave
Dave (@guest_1095315)
November 21, 2020 16:53

Gold personal $250 annual fee posted late October. Called today and was offered $150 statement credit for $1500 spend in the next 90 days, which I accepted.

renorich17
renorich17 (@guest_1088216)
November 10, 2020 17:06

Platinum Personal $550 annual fee posted end of October.

Called 11/10/2020 to cancel due to COVID-19 impact on my travel (none since early March, none planned for another 4 months).

Was offered $500 loyalty retention credit (no spend) with 12 month claw-back. I accepted the offer.

Elliot
Elliot (@guest_1085760)
November 5, 2020 22:12

I called Amex for a Schwab Platinum retention offer in late September and the offer was 20k MR points which I declined. My annual fee posted this month and I called back and now the offer had increased to a $500 statement credit. I asked if I could instead receive 50k MR points and they said yes.

I’ve had the card for one year, had maybe $8-9K in total spend on it, and I consumed all of the non-airline benefits. It genuinely shocked me that they went so far as to essentially paying me $75 above the $550 AF to keep me for another year. I can only speculate that they are extremely nervous about the impact that this winter’s COVID projections will have on the retention numbers of its travel cards.

TaxEsq
TaxEsq (@guest_1080991)
October 28, 2020 17:48

Plat $550 annual fee recently posted. Called and was offered $500 loyalty retention credit (no spend) with 12 month clawback.

reinventingzero
reinventingzero (@guest_1065248)
September 30, 2020 15:27

Called when Plat fee posted a couple of weeks ago- 30k MR no spend
Called last week when Golf fee posted, no retention offer
Tried via chat today- CSR rep got confused and thought I was talking about Green, offered me 12.5k, told him I was talking about Gold, offered me 20k, got him to go ahead and extend Green 12.5k even though annual fee hasn’t posted yet

So, in the end 62.5k of retention points for $950 of annual fees (which worst case with the biz plat covers the annual fees in full)

DP Stuff:
Entering year 2 on all three cards
About $10k in total spend on Gold
About $2k in spend on Platinum beyond hitting $5k signup bonus ($7k total)
Basically just wireless fee credit spend on Green post-SUB

Fabian
Fabian (@guest_1051301)
September 9, 2020 19:14

Got 20k no spending req. for personal Gold. Tried a couple of times for the 30k, nothing. 20k is good 🙂

KL
KL (@guest_1044902)
August 28, 2020 20:09

DP for Amex Plat: $550 AF posted 8/16 called Amex today 8/28 and the retention offers were 1) 30K MR no spend required or 2) $200 statement credit to spend $1500 in the next 3 months. Took the first offer. Agent also said I can use 55K MR to pay for the AF (no thank you). Need to keep the card for another 12 months to avoid clawback.