AMEX Business Platinum: apply for the 40K bonus now or hope for a targeted 150K signup bonus later? A TravelSort reader tweets “Do you think I should wait to get the [American Express] Platinum or should I get it now for 40,000 points?”
It's possible the reader was asking about the consumer AMEX Platinum, since both the personal and business AMEX Platinum are currently available with a 40,000 signup bonus, and that's a public offer, available to everyone.
Who's Eligible for the AMEX Business Platinum and AMEX Platinum Signup Bonuses
The terms of the 40K AMEX Business Platinum card bonus offer note “Welcome bonus offer not available to applicants who have had this product or any other Business Gold or Green Card account within the last 12 months.”
Note that you ARE eligible if you've only had consumer AMEX Platinum, gold or green cards within the last 12 months. But if you've had the AMEX Business Platinum, AMEX Business Gold card, etc. sometime within the last year, you're not eligible for the signup bonus, and this dilemma on whether to sign up now or wait becomes a moot point.
Note that the personal AMEX Platinum eligibility is even more restrictive–it excludes ALL current and former AMEX Platinum cardholders, and even says you may not receive the signup bonus if you currently have an AMEX account: “If we identify you as currently having an American Express® Card account, you may not be eligible for this welcome bonus offer. This offer is also not available to applicants who have or have had a Platinum Card® account enrolled in the Membership Rewards® program.”
Who May Want to Apply Now
If you *have* had an AMEX Business Platinum in the past, but *haven't* had it, or any other AMEX Business Gold or Green card within the last year, you may want to sign up now for the 40,000 bonus, just in case AMEX ends up making business card signup bonuses once in a lifetime starting May 1, as AMEX plans to do for consumer cards. See AMEX Signup Bonuses Becoming Once in a Lifetime?
Why It Could Be Best to Wait for a Targeted Offer
If you've never had the American Express Business Platinum Card, it could make a lot of sense to wait and hope for a targeted offer. We don't yet know whether AMEX will tighten the signup bonus eligibility for AMEX business cards to once in a lifetime, the way AMEX will for consumer charge cards and credit cards. But if business card eligibility tightens in that way, and you've already had the AMEX Business Platinum card, you won't ever be eligible for another signup bonus for that card. That's a lot of points to give up: 60,00-110,000 points, if you were later targeted for the 100K or 150K signup bonus offers, respectively.
Unless you have high business spend such that 60K-110K points aren't difficult to generate, you may want to pass on the current 40K offer, even though it's higher than the usual paltry 25K signup bonus.
What is the 150K AMEX Business Platinum Offer?
The targeted 150K AMEX Business Platinum offer is reportedly 100,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $10,000 within 3 months, and an additional 50,000 points after spending an additional $10,000 within the same 3 months. So you're looking at $20,000 spend within 3 months to receive the full 150,000 points bonus. At least one person claims to have received a 150K offer for $10,000 total spend within 3 months.
What is the 100K AMEX Business Platinum Offer?
The targeted 100K AMEX Business Platinum offer is for 100,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $10,000 within 3 months.
Who is Targeted for AMEX Business Platinum 100K and 150K Signup Bonus Offers?
Check out this Flyertalk thread for several who have been targeted for these 100K and 150K AMEX Business Platinum bonus offers. They seem to be:
- Snail mail offers (not via email)
- Targeted to those who currently don't have any AMEX cards
- Targeted to those who have high monthly spend
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