60,000 POINTS BONUS: If you cancel Platinum, the Amex Rewards Card will keep your points alive

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• Pjaw says:

  31 Aug31 August 04:56

  When I decided to ditch my paying card during zero travel times I just rang Amex and they did the transfer to the free card there and then. It was quick and hassle free.

• Pjaw says:

  31 Aug31 August 06:59

  When I decided to drop the paying card during zero travel times I rang Amex and they did the swap there and then. Quick, efficient

• JDB says:

  31 Aug31 August 08:26

  I get ever more confused about Amex UK’s (vs say Amex US or France) business strategy when I read this article which I assume has at least their tacit approval. The current focus seems to be on showering the apply/earn SUB/ask for retention bonus/cancel (then get some purchases refunded) brigade with MR or Avios. They also allow the BA free/PP upgrade/downgrade charade. If Amex is concerned about Chase or ANother, why look after these people (or grifters as another reader called them) who will jump ship anyway vs the loyal cardholders who are essentially funding this lunacy? Amex has all the data and must be able to see that they are being endlessly played, yet they seem to treat these people as their best friends. All this isn’t unnoticed by longer term cardholders and may have an even higher cost than Amex realises.

  The only explanation I can think of is that some Amex staff are paid on gross sign ups, referrals etc. and/or how many ‘points’ you manage to give away. At this stage, the number of personal customers that stick must be worse than old fashioned mail order.

  • JohnT says:

    31 Aug31 August 11:27

    Perhaps they recognise them as still regular customers who stay loyal even though they play the game?

    • JDB says:

      31 Aug31 August 11:33

      What’s loyal about ‘playing the game’?

• Wally1976 says:

  31 Aug31 August 08:29

  It’s worth noting that sometimes you will end up with a separate Membership Rewards account associated with the ARCC. However, it is a simple case of asking Amex to merge the two MR accounts before cancelling your Platinum card.

• JDB says:

  31 Aug31 August 08:39

  Also, Amex’s focus on allegedly ‘new’ customers (cf ‘member since’ dates) seem contrary to the FCA’s current thematic regulatory focus on what they call the loyalty penalty, starting with the insurance sector but they say they will extend this. Obviously they stopped the better savings interest rates for new customers a while ago. I don’t think anyone has issues about ‘loyalty’ bonuses that tie you in as say a broadband provider offers, but Amex give them largely unconditionally which is bizarre. Obviously, the pro rata refund policy facilitates all this; can it last?

  • swifty says:

    31 Aug31 August 12:02

    Personally I come here for fun times, little ruses and wiggle room, like most others I imagine…have you seen what Amex gives away stateside? We are poorly treated over here, and yet you seem to think we need greater penalties that make having the card- pointless. Literally

    • JDB says:

      31 Aug31 August 12:09

      In the US don’t they only give SUBs once in a lifetime etc? They actually don’t allow all the shenanigans that go on here. Nor does Amex allow them in other European countries, so why in the UK? My point was really that Amex, unlike virtually every other company on the planet rewards the disloyal more than the loyal which seems an absurd waste of money, that the rest of the cardholders have to pay for. And that’s quite apart from the fundamental dishonesty of some of the stuff one reads on here, within all the good things I do want to read.

      • swifty says:

        31 Aug31 August 16:32

        all fair points, JDB.

• sayling says:

  31 Aug31 August 09:16

  Presumably, if you hold the Business Plat, you could get the personal Plat and the MR points would just sit nicely in the Business MR account?

• Andy says:

  31 Aug31 August 09:32

  I don’t really see the point of this approach. I’ve transferred my points out and am going to cancel my Amex Plat assuming no retention offer is forthcoming. (Nothing on chat yesterday)

  I’ve got no foreign travel booked for a few months and it’s been a bit rubbish offer wise. So I think I’ll cancel and reapply in a few months time. It’ll save me £50 a month and allows me to reapply and reset the referral bonus counter as well. I’ve maxed out this year already so assume if I cancel and reapply in a few months it’ll reset..

  • Rob says:

    31 Aug31 August 11:06

    I agree that if you can max out the referrals then you’d be better off transferring your points and applying cleanly, yes.

• AlanC says:

  31 Aug31 August 12:11

  Called about cancelling and the usual many great benefits coming in the Autumn garb. Offered to downgrade me to the Gold card as fee free in the first year until travel picks up. No retention bonus as one in my last membership year.

  • Andy says:

    31 Aug31 August 13:08

    Yeah nothing for me as had one in Feb. They persuaded me to stay back in June with all the “very exciting offers” coming up but there’s been bugger all that I haven’t had on my BA card. So have cancelled and will reapply in a few months time if it looks like I’ll actually be able to go long haul again

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