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BIG NEWS: American Express blocks multiple sign-up bonuses, starting immediately

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American Express unveiled massive changes to its UK card sign-up bonuses last night.

This will effectively end card churning for most people.

Before I go on, I want to stress one thing.  The new rules on bonuses do NOT stop you applying for any of these cards.  They simply influence whether or not you will qualify for a sign-up bonus when you do.

It is also worth remembering that, even if YOU no longer qualify for a particular bonus, your partner or other adult family members might.

What is changing?

Until today, American Express sign-up bonuses followed two basic rules:

Cards were grouped into families based on reward type (Membership Rewards points, Avios, Starwood points, Nectar points) and your eligibility for a bonus depended on whether you had recently had a card in the same ‘family’

There was a six month restriction in place between cancelling an American Express card and being able to re-apply – with a new bonus – for a card in the same ‘family’

This is what is changing for the personal American Express cards:

The concept of ‘families’ has gone for most products.  The eligibility rules now span ALL personal American Express cards in most cases.

The look-back period increases from six months to 24 months

Whilst there are two exceptions, in simple terms you cannot get a sign-up bonus on a personal American Express card if you have held ANY personal American Express card in the last 24 months.

Are there any exceptions to these new rules?

Yes.  There are a few exceptions to the above:

The British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card is only impacted by the change in the look-back period to 24 months.   The old rules on eligibility remain – you cannot have had either of the two British Airways American Express cards in the previous 24 months BUT American Express does not count any other card you may have had.

(In plain English: if you’ve had a Platinum / Gold / Starwood / Nectar / Platinum Cashback card in the last two years, but NOT either of the BA Amex cards, you are eligible for the bonus on the Premium Plus card – but not the free BA Amex)

The Platinum Card is only impacted by the change in the look-back period to 24 months.   The old rules on eligibility remain – you cannot have had a Preferred Rewards Gold, Green, Platinum or American Express Rewards card (all of which earn Membership Rewards points) in the previous 24 months BUT American Express does not count any other card you may have had.

(In plain English: if you’ve had a BA / Starwood / Nectar / Platinum Cashback card in the last two years but NOT a card offering Membership Rewards points, you are eligible for the bonus on the The Platinum Card – but not Preferred Rewards Gold)

Small Business and Corporate products are not impacted at all.  The existing rules apply for those.  Importantly, the six month rule continues to apply for these cards.

(In plain English: if you’ve not had any personal or business card offering Membership Rewards points in the past six months, you are eligible for the bonus on the American Express Gold Business and American Express Platinum Business, assuming you own a qualifying small business)

Can you summarise this by card?

Here you go:

If you currently have the free British Airways or British Airways Premium Plus credit card ….

You would need to cancel and wait 24 months before you can get a bonus on Platinum Cashback, Platinum Cashback Everyday, British Airways, British Airways Premium Plus, Preferred Rewards Gold, Starwood Preferred Guest, Nectar, American Express Rewards

You can get a bonus NOW on The Platinum Card IF you have not held a Preferred Rewards Gold, The Platinum Card, Green or American Express Rewards card in the previous 24 months

You can get a bonus NOW on American Express Gold Business or American Express Platinum Business IF you have not held a Preferred Rewards Gold, The Platinum Card, Green, American Express Rewards, American Express Gold Business or American Express Platinum Business card in the previous six months and meet the qualifying criteria for having a small business

If you currently have Preferred Rewards Gold, The Platinum Card or American Express Rewards credit card ….

You would need to cancel and wait 24 months before you can get a bonus on Platinum Cashback, Platinum Cashback Everyday, British Airways American Express, Preferred Rewards Gold, The Platinum Card, Green, Starwood Preferred Guest, Nectar, American Express Rewards

You can get a bonus NOW on British Airways Premium Plus IF you have not held a British Airways or British Airways Premium Plus card in the previous 24 months

You would need to cancel and wait six months before you can get a bonus on American Express Gold Business or American Express Platinum Business, assuming you meet the qualifying criteria for having a small business

If you currently have a Nectar or Starwood Preferred Guest credit card ….

You would need to cancel and wait 24 months before you can get a bonus on Platinum Cashback, Platinum Cashback Everyday, British Airways American Express (free version), Preferred Rewards Gold, Starwood Preferred Guest, Nectar, American Express Rewards

You can get a bonus NOW on The Platinum Card IF you have not held a Preferred Rewards Gold, The Platinum Card, Green or American Express Rewards card in the previous 24 months

You can get a bonus NOW on British Airways Premium Plus IF you have not held a British Airways or British Airways Premium Plus card in the previous 24 months

You can get a bonus NOW on American Express Gold Business or American Express Platinum Business IF you have not held a Preferred Rewards Gold, The Platinum Card, Green, American Express Rewards, American Express Gold Business or American Express Platinum Business card in the previous six months and meet the qualifying criteria for having a small business

If you currently have a Platinum Cashback or Platinum Cashback Everyday card ….

You would need to cancel and wait 24 months before you can get a bonus on Platinum Cashback, Platinum Cashback Everyday, British Airways American Express, Preferred Rewards Gold, Green, Starwood Preferred Guest, Nectar, American Express Rewards

You can get a bonus NOW on The Platinum Card IF you have not held a Preferred Rewards Gold, The Platinum Card, Green or American Express Rewards card in the previous 24 months

You can get a bonus NOW on British Airways Premium Plus IF you have not held a British Airways or British Airways Premium Plus card in the previous 24 months

You can get a bonus NOW on American Express Gold Business or American Express Platinum Business IF you have not held a Preferred Rewards Gold, The Platinum Card, Green or American Express Rewards card in the previous six months

Discussion of the American Express sign-up bonuses changes continue in a further articles here.

Want to earn more points from credit cards? – December 2021 update

If you are looking to apply for a new credit or charge card, here are our November 2021 recommendations based on the current sign-up bonus. 

You can see our full directory of all UK cards which earn airline or hotel points here. Here are the top current deals:

British Airways BA Amex American Express card

British Airways American Express

5,000 Avios for signing up, no annual fee and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending ….. Read our full review

British Airways BA Premium Plus American Express Amex credit card

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

25,000 Avios and the UK’s most valuable credit card perk – the 2-4-1 companion voucher Read our full review

Nectar American Express

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & two airport lounge passes Read our full review

American Express Platinum card Amex

The Platinum Card from American Express

30,000 points and an unbeatable set of travel benefits – for a fee Read our full review

Earning miles and points from small business cards

If you are a sole trader or run a small company, you may also want to check out these offers.

American Express Business Gold

20,000 points sign-up bonus and free for a year Read our full review

Amex Platinum Business American Express

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points sign-up bonus and a long list of travel benefits Read our full review

British Airways Accelerating Business American Express card

British Airways Accelerating Business American Express

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review

Capital On Tap Business Rewards Visa

The most generous Avios Visa or Mastercard for a limited company Read our full review

For a non-American Express option, we also recommend the Barclaycard Select Cashback card for sole traders and small businesses. It is FREE and you receive 1% cashback on your spending:

Barclaycard Select Cashback Credit Card

1% cashback and no annual fee Read our full review

Category

American Express Gold card, American Express Membership Rewards, American Express Platinum card, Amex Rewards Credit Card, British Airways American Express, Marriott Bonvoy American Express

Comments (1171)

This article is closed to new posts. Discussion continues in the HfP Forums.

  • Dominic says:
    21 Mar21 March 09:24

    Must say that the amount of people commenting saying that there is no point in them having an Amex now speaks volumes. If your only way of making an Amex useful was to churn churn churn, you are not the type of customer that Amex needs.

    Those that benefited from churning, whilst also continually spending large sums of money are the people that Amex needs; not those that spend to get a bonus and then stop.

    • Craig says:
      21 Mar21 March 09:31

      There are those of us that sit somewhere in-between, we keep three paid cards rolling year after year and top-up using other bonuses. We also advocate Amex to friends and colleagues, yes there’s something in it for us but also it can get people started on the same path. I’m probably responsible for Amex having around 30 customers they perhaps wouldn’t have done otherwise and I’m fairly certain most of them still are. I never mention the unspeakable strategy to them. I think there will still be a way forward; we probably spend around £35k a year across cards, however, it will need some careful thought as to how to maximise the rewards.

    • Freddy says:
      21 Mar21 March 09:31

      I churned and continued to spend 20-30k per year on amex. I’m of the view it’s not worth the hassle purely for the points based on spend especially when card fees are taken into account

    • Lumma says:
      21 Mar21 March 09:42

      The worst part in my opinion is that you can’t get the bonus from other families of card – I was thinking of getting the SPG card soon but now won’t as I won’t get a sign-up bonus

      Similarly, unless I’m going to get rid of every AMEX card I have (I’ve got an amex red card from 2006 which I keep as I get the best AMEX offers on it), I’m probably never going to give Platinum a try as I can’t effectively reduce the first year annual fee with a sign-up bonus

      One thing I hope they might have in the pipeline is more anniversary bonuses like the 10,000 points for £15k on gold l, to reward loyalty and high spend

      • Genghis says:
        21 Mar21 March 10:00

        Yep. First thoughts are perhaps Amex Gold for two years (basically paying 140/2 = £70 annual fee and switch to partner with BAPPs thrown in there as and when. I don’t generate too many external referrals. I’ll do the full numbers analysis in due course but I don’t think I’ll be doing regular Plats at £450 pa.

      • Doug M says:
        21 Mar21 March 10:02

        If things appear in offers you want and can use the £450 sort of comes back to. I got £200 of Amex Travel twice in the last year (once may have been on BAPP, but you get the idea), and each time been able to find flight through them at same cost as with airline. Prefer to book direct with airline, but £200 is well worth hassle of travel agent. Took a friend to Amex Stadium this week for Q&A with the Brighton manager, whilst free it was easily worth £100 to me as an experience. Couple of referrals, bit of lounge use the Platinum can make sense. It’s just thinking about it’s real value and not going no way am I paying £450 for a credit card, well charge but you know what I mean.

    • Doug M says:
      21 Mar21 March 09:56

      My thoughts exactly. Amex looking to switch things in the era of fees cap on BA Amex, shift to a more spend orientated customer base, and weed out the multiple churners. Understandable, sadly feel I may be in the weeded out section.
      I guess the follow on from this should IT be capable will be limited referrals for same person. Otherwise you just refer partner and they cancel, repeat every two months on the Platinum whilst doing a much slower 24 month+ switch between partners on the BA Amex for the 2-4-1.
      My guess is this will drastically reduce the Amex cards in circulation, and the spend, but lead to better per card numbers for Amex. Could be be quite damaging to the scale of Amex use in the UK? Or are we churners a small subset not understanding the real world pattern of use.

      • Polly says:
        21 Mar21 March 10:09

        We are 5% of amex base customers. So they don’t really need us v the huge biz spenders out there.
        Also such regular referring and cancelling, say every 2 months, would def damage the credit rating.

        • Doug M says:
          21 Mar21 March 10:52

          I don’t care about my credit rating. Amex seem to care about your relationship with them, not what Experian or whoever think. Cancel a few cards and wait 3 or 4 months and credit rating repairs in my experience.

        • Symon says:
          21 Mar21 March 22:27

          I disagree. The more people holding the card, even for short periods, increases it’s usage and visibility. Fewer active users will impact on acceptance rates. And Amex can’t piggyback on another network like Diners has done to increase acceptability. I’d also like to know if is this the start of Amex reducing their exposure to a post-Brexit UK.

    • Bazza says:
      21 Mar21 March 22:06

      They also not the big spenders who earn rob any money do I’m sure he won’t miss them

  • r* says:
    21 Mar21 March 09:27

    The comments about 2 for 1 on ba, is that suggesting that cancelling the bapp will now potentially mean the 2 for 1 voucher will be cancelled?

    • Jimbob says:
      21 Mar21 March 09:29

      There’s nothing in today’s article that suggests that.
      Rob, however, may know otherwise

    • Grant says:
      21 Mar21 March 09:30

      I don’t see that as the point being made. I think it is more a suggestion that the requirement to have a BA Amex at time of travel on a 2-4-1 voucher may now be more rigorously enforced.

      • Jimbob says:
        21 Mar21 March 09:33

        I’m assuming it’s guess work. Anyone with insider knowledge probably can’t say anyway.
        Time will tell

      • ed says:
        21 Mar21 March 09:33

        for clarification has amex ever given anyone a steer on whether the BA blue meets its requirements if voucher earned on BAPP?

        • Shoestring says:
          21 Mar21 March 09:40

          it would have been fine in the past, any Amex would have done

          I think Jeff (he’s got an inside track to Amex, probably works for them) has given a decent steer in comments above, I think Amex will be trying to enforce same card is kept until 2-4-1 is redeemed, not sure how they will manage that as currently any Amex card will do

        • Mark2 says:
          21 Mar21 March 09:55

          it would be very simple: just hardcode the card number on the payment form.

        • Alan says:
          21 Mar21 March 21:28

          @Mark2 although they’ll then have lots of hassle with reissued cards, telephone bookings, etc. I don’t have much faith in BA or Amex IT! Still trying to get them to work out which random Hilton Honors number they appear to have added to my account!

    • Ronal says:
      21 Mar21 March 09:34

      There is no suggestion, just you jumping to conclusions that aren’t there

  • ed says:
    21 Mar21 March 09:28

    If you’re paying £35pa for the BAPP no question you’d keep it.

  • Colin MacKinnon says:
    21 Mar21 March 09:32

    Looking to fly to Denver in August for birth of grandchild. Google flights have just told be a CW return AMS-LHR-DEN is now under £1,000 !

    So why both with points and Amex fees when you get deals like this and BA wants £600+ in fees on a redemption ticket?

    That’s the way it is going folks: great deal to Melbourne ex LHR on Garuda in business for £1100 – ticked off a box. Iberia 9 flights for £180 gave me the 90,000 points for business MAD-Havana. Another box ticked.

    Deals like these are now the way ahead.

    • Craig says:
      21 Mar21 March 09:36

      I agree completely, ex-EU possibly combined with TP runs but only if you can use the BA status and Avios.

    • marcw says:
      21 Mar21 March 10:02

      The point in this hobby is to use miles/points when fares are high. Usually you get more value from short haul redemptions, especially if you have to travel during Easter, Christmas, Peak Summer holidays, half term… etc.etc.etc

      • Doug M says:
        21 Mar21 March 10:13

        Yes it’s all very much each to their own needs. Ex-EU never going to be optimal for families, especially young kids, and we don’t know where these fares will go anyway. I’ve had Lloyds for a while and those vouchers, and BA 241 and never yet used a voucher long haul. It’s just what has worked for me. I don’t kid myself Avios are worth 8p because I happened on some particularly expensive time to fly, I just go nice, I had the Avios otherwise that would never have happened. All of these things are indirect devaluations of Avios, or are they? If it’s harder to earn points through Amex, does that really increase the value of Avios to those that earn from flying. My guess is that on FT they’ll be some very positive things said about this, there’s a lot of people there that feel redemptions are hard because too many Tesco/Amex flyers competing with the ‘real’ BAEC members earning their Avios from flying.

        • marcw says:
          21 Mar21 March 10:33

          You can’t have everything, and there’s no guarantee that having had something in the past, you will get it i the future. As has been said many times, this hobby is very dynamic – changes is the only constant. In order to succeed, you need to adapt.

          The only thing is you will be more conservative about how you spend Avios, if the big Avios income came from churning.

  • Ammar says:
    21 Mar21 March 09:34

    My Strategy to maximise points collection via sign up bonus
    I currently Hold Platinum Card & BA Amex. I have had SPG, Platinum, Gold, Nectar, Costco in last 24 months
    My strategy:
    Sugg cancel Plat and Ba Amex – wait 24 months to reapply then follow strategy 3 to maximise
    Apply for Gold/Plat Business card after 6/12 since MR points card cancelled and churn up to 18 months then wait 6/12 before applying for SPG > Plat > BAPP

    My partner
    Currently Holds Amex PRG, SPG,
    Cant recall cards in last 24 months so will check BUT
    If not had BAPP/Free BA Card in last 24 months then refer from Plat for that and spend 3k
    If had BAPP in last 24/12 then cancel all cards after maximising Gold PRG 10k Bonus if possible or max MR points then wait 24 months to follow strategy 3

    PS. We both hold supplementary cards for our partners current Amex cards

    Any holes/thoughts in my strategy?

  • Evan says:
    21 Mar21 March 09:37

    I cancelled a Gold last month – how long do I have to wait till my O/H can refer me for another one from a PLAT? Not worried about the sign up bonus from the Gold as we would get the 18K from PLAT referral etc. Interested to know if I’d pay the Gold 12 months + fee though ? Don’t have a mortgage so not worried about credit checks going forward.

    • Shoestring says:
      21 Mar21 March 09:42

      no particular period to wait, except you do actually have to be accepted for the card, they might turn you down if you re-apply so quickly

      a new card gives you a new fee-free 12 month period & 2 Lounge Club passes

  • Lee says:
    21 Mar21 March 09:38

    Will the comments on this Article surpass the one Amex pulled from Curve? Let’s see.

  • Sue says:
    21 Mar21 March 09:42

    Sorry if this has been answered already. So my husband referred me for a BA Premium plus last week as it had been 6 months since I had one. I’ve been accepted but yet to receive card. Presume he’ll get referral bonus but will I get bonus for spend? Thanks

    • Michael says:
      21 Mar21 March 09:44

      You should do as you applied under old terms. This new policy came into effect today or yesterday.

      • sue says:
        21 Mar21 March 12:20

        So my card just arrived. I registered it but no banner on my page regarding spend bonus. Called Amex and they were not sure but said it SHOULD be ok as I applied before the change. time will tell i guess

    • BlueHorizonuk says:
      21 Mar21 March 09:45

      If you applied and been accepted before 9pm last night (I think that’s when Rob said the change happened) then you are good to go

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