American Express is targeting many Amex Gold Card members with an offer to upgrade to the Amex Platinum Card. These offers are showing up in the Amex Offers section, or they pop up when you first log into your account.
Until two days ago many cardholders were seeing an offer of 50,000 points to upgrade to the Amex Platinum Card. This is an offer that shows up frequently, and is on the lower end of what you can get. But then yesterday the offer changed, with bonuses varying from 75,000 to 125,000 points. Check out the details below.
Amex Platinum Card Upgrade Offer
Here are some of the offers that we have seen so far:
- Earn 125,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your on your Platinum Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your on your Platinum Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 75,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your on your Platinum Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
As mentioned above, you should log in and see if you are eligible for on of these upgrade offers. You should see them pop-up when you first log in, or might find them under the Amex Offers section.
Annual Fee
When you take an upgrade offer, you will pay a prorated annual fee on the Amex Platinum Card. So let’s say that you are halfway through your Amex Gold cardmember year. After upgrading you will receive a refund for half the annual fee on the Amex Gold Card and will be charged half the annual fee on the Amex Platinum Card.
How It Affects Signup Bonus Eligibility
Normally, if you don’t have or never had the Amex Platinum Card then taking this upgrade offer will trigger the once per lifetime language on the welcome bonus.
So technically you will not be be eligible for a future welcome offer on the Amex Platinum Card for 5-7 years. That’s what American Express usually considers a lifetime. But it’s worth noting that the enforcement of the lifetime language in this case doesn’t always match the terms.
Must Keep Upgraded Card for 1 Year
One thing to keep in mind is that once you accept an upgrade offer, you need to keep that card for 12 months. The 12-month clock starts from the date you accept the offer, and is different from the anniversary date of you current card (Amex Gold in this case). That anniversary date will not change.
So following the example that we used for the prorated annual fee, you will pay the full annual fee on your Amex Platinum Card six months since that is your anniversary date. You will then need to keep the card for another six months at least. After 12 months from your upgrade date, you can then downgrade the card, and will receive a prorated refund. Hopefully that all makes sense.
Taking Upgrade Offer After Retention Offer
American Express often offers sweet retention bonuses on their cards. So it’s a good idea to always ask for a retention offer when the annual fee is due.
But what if you already took a retention offer on your Amex Gold Card? Can you still take advantage of one of these upgrade offers? The answer is yes!
Taking an upgrade offer will not affect the retention offer. When you take a retention offer, you agree that you will not close or downgrade the card for at least 12 months. But you can upgrade it, and earn a bonus while doing it.
Card Details
- Earn
- 5X MR points on airfare booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel
- 5X MR points on eligible hotels booked through Amex Travel
- 1X MR points on all other purchases
- $200 in annual Uber savings ($15 in Uber Cash for U.S. rides every month plus a bonus $20 in December)
- $200 in statement credits per calendar year for airline incidental fees. Enrollment required.
- $200 Hotel Credit for prepaid bookings at Fine Hotels + Resorts(R) or The Hotel Collection bookings, which requires a minimum two-night stay, through American Express Travel.
- $100 in statement credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue or Saks.com. That’s up to $50 on a semi-annual basis. Enrollment required.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit ($20/month) on eligible purchases or subscriptions: The Disney Bundle, Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, Audible (going away Oct 2, 2023), SiriusXM, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal.
- Receive one Global Entry ($100) statement credit or one TSA Precheck ($85) statement credit
- $189 CLEAR Credit annually.
- Access to over 1,400+ airport lounges, including The Centurion lounge, Delta Sky Clubs, Airspace Lounges and Priority Pass Select membership
- Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status
- Hilton Honors Gold Status
- Walmart+ Monthly Membership Credit ($12.95/month)
- $300 SoulCycle At-Home Bike Credit
- Get up to $300 in statement credits each year on a digital or club membership at Equinox.
- Complimentary membership in premium car rental programs, including Hertz President’s Circle status and other upgrades and discounts.
- 20% discount on Wheels Up Connect and a 40% discount on Wheels Up Core memberships. Plus, get a $500 or $2,000 credit added to your Wheels Up account to use toward your initial flight
- Resy Dining Benefit
- Platinum Card Concierge available 24/7 to help with anything from special dinner reservations to finding the perfect gift.
- More perks and benefits.
- Primary Card Annual Fee: $695
Guru’s Wrap-up
Upgrade offers are a good way to earn a bonus without getting another credit card. You should also evaluate the benefits of each card, annual fees, and the value of the upgrade bonus when deciding if an upgrade offer is worthwhile. I would say that all three bonuses listed above are worth it, as it’s not guaranteed that you will find something better.
Are you targeted with an upgrade offer for the Amex Platinum Card? Are you taking the offer? Let me know in the comments!
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