Amex is continuing to tighten up the welcome offer restrictions associated with some of its cards. In recent months we’ve seen new restrictions on the Amex Gold Card and the Amex EveryDay Card, and now we’re seeing new restrictions added to the Amex Green Card, as flagged by Frequent Miler.
Amex adds limits on Green Card welcome offer
The American Express® Green Card (review) is a a lucrative card, and one of the best cards for earning Membership Rewards points.
Card issuers have different policies when it comes to getting approved for and earning welcome offers on cards. Historically it has been possible to earn the welcome offer on the Amex Green Card as long as you don’t have (or haven’t had) that exact card. This is in line with Amex’s “once in a lifetime” policy.
Well, that’s no longer the case. The terms of the welcome offer on the Amex Green Card now state the following:
You may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer if you have or have had this Card, the Platinum Card, the Platinum Card from American Express Exclusively for Morgan Stanley, the Platinum Card from American Express Exclusively for Charles Schwab, the American Express Gold Card or previous versions of these Cards.
Ouch. So now if you have or have had any version of The Platinum Card® from American Express (review) or the American Express® Gold Card (review), you’re no longer eligible for the welcome offer on the Amex Green Card. Note that you can still apply for and be approved for the card, you just can’t earn the welcome offer.
What’s the logic for this new restriction?
In general, credit card issuers add restrictions to credit card welcome offers in order to encourage profitable behavior, and avoid gaming.
The trend here from Amex seems to be that if you have (or have had) a more premium card, then you’re not eligible for the welcome offer on a less premium version of that card. I sort of get the logic of that for a Delta Amex Card — for example, if you have the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card (review), there’s almost no incremental value to having the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card (review). So if you choose to apply for it, the welcome offer might be a major motivation, rather than an intent to spend on the card in the long run.
However, you’d think it would be a bit different in this case. The Amex Platinum Card has strong perks but not a very compelling rewards structure, while the Amex Green Card has an incredibly compelling rewards structure. The two cards are great complements to one another, and I think there’s a great case to be made for having both cards.
Amex seems to have a different perspective. I’m sure this is based on some data that we obviously don’t have access to, so I’d be fascinated to know what that is…
Bottom line
There are significant new restrictions for earning the welcome offer on the Amex Green Card. Previously you were eligible for the welcome offer on this card as long as you don’t have or haven’t had the exact card.
Meanwhile now you’re not eligible for the welcome offer on this card if you have or have had the Amex Platinum Card or Amex Gold Card. We’re continuing to see these restrictions added to more Amex cards, and I suspect Amex isn’t done yet…
What do you make of these changes to the Amex Green Card welcome offer language?
This does not apply to cards approved before the change, but welcome offer not delivered yet, correct?
@ Zack -- Correct, restrictions are based on what is shown when you apply for your card.
Anecdotally, I have the gold card and applied for the green card a few months ago and I was told I couldn’t get the welcome offer. So I cancelled it and went for the everyday preferred instead. Which is ultimately what I wanted for my portfolio so I guess I get in, since I would have cancelled or downgraded after a year anyway.
This restriction makes perfect sense to me. The applicant is already a customer and a member and it is not completely a new account.
@ Ben - I've never had any of theses cars. Am wanting AMEX business Gold + Amex business platinum. Will I be bale to get the signup bonus for both those cards? thx
I'm not really surprised. When the green card had that awesome bonus last year I tried to sign up and got into pop up jail. I wasn't really getting the card because I expected to use it a lot. Maybe some of the travel stuff at 3X from time to time, but I already get that or better elsewhere; I was just getting it for the bonus. So I stopped my application, figure the amex...
I'm not really surprised. When the green card had that awesome bonus last year I tried to sign up and got into pop up jail. I wasn't really getting the card because I expected to use it a lot. Maybe some of the travel stuff at 3X from time to time, but I already get that or better elsewhere; I was just getting it for the bonus. So I stopped my application, figure the amex gravy train was pulling into its final station. The writing had been on the wall for a while, which was why I went ahead and got the gold, which I do actually put a fair amount of spend on. My platinum is on the chopping block, pending any retention bonus at this point since my spending has changed.
I was surprised they didn't include the Green Card restriction at the same time when they restricted the Gold Card.
I became ineligible for the Gold SUB when that happened, so I immediately signed up for the Green while I could still get that SUB and hopefully a future upgrade offer from there to the Gold. I'm glad I did that while I could.
I have all three cards, or as I refer to them as my “AMEX PGG’. I never took a SUB when I got my Gold Card (my first ever Amex card) because I never knew about them and never was educated about them. I got my AMEX Plat 100k SUB in 2021. I got the AMEX Green last May with the 60k SUB with no problems, no AMEX pop ups, etc. I use all three cards regularly for various reasons and love them. I hate they’re doing this.
This has been unofficially going on since at least last summer. When the Green Card had that great welcome bonus last summer, many of us commented on your posts about the card talking about being denied the bonus. I’ve never had the Green Card in any form but got a pop up when I submitted my application saying I was ineligible for the bonus. I have had the Platinum in the past and continue to hold the Gold. The noose is tightening in so many ways.
I’m a perfect data point as to why they may have made the changes. I have all three (green, gold and platinum) and after I hit the spending threshold for the green I have put almost zero spend on the card. I get a better return on dining with the gold, travel with the platinum and rideshare with Chase reserve using Lyft. I have also found it near impossible to use the lounge buddy credit...
I’m a perfect data point as to why they may have made the changes. I have all three (green, gold and platinum) and after I hit the spending threshold for the green I have put almost zero spend on the card. I get a better return on dining with the gold, travel with the platinum and rideshare with Chase reserve using Lyft. I have also found it near impossible to use the lounge buddy credit as I generally fly delta and have access to skyclubs. I do not have a compelling reason to spend on it other than the occasional purchase to ensure my account remains active.
Right, but that's because you utilize Chase. If Amex is trying to allure people to their 'trifecta"... and pull them away from Chase and/or CapOne... then it should be encouraging spend on the green card (which for all intends and purposes is Amex's equivalent of the CSP/R in regards to point earning).
In other word, it seems odd to prioritize cracking down on "abuse" of the system rather than incentivizing increased spend.
I'd *sort* of get the logic behind not letting you get a bonus on a Green if you already hold a Platinum, or held one recently. If you want the benefits of the combo, that's fine, but they only want to give out one bonus.
What I don't get is why they'd make this restriction if you've *ever* owned a Platinum. Plenty of people close Platinum cards because they cost too much. Don't they want to incentivize people to sign back up, for whatever card?
Yet you are still paying an annual fee on a card you don’t use. Still a win from Amex.
Forgot to mention that part, card will be canceled as soon as it renews. So I’m not on the hook for the fee. But your point is valid if folks keep the card and pay the annual fee.
Green card for travel from taxis to cruises is second only to Amex Business Gold. P2 received the Bus Gold getting 4X and I canceled my personal Green at 3X. I had the green card some 3-4 years and received a ton of points. Now if you exceed $150K spend on the Business Gold in the 4X categories, then it drops back. I would think 600,000 points would justify the AF.
What's a P2?
In video gaming, think two-play mode. Borrowing the term for use in the points game, Player 2 refers to one's spouse, partner, significant other, etc. P3, P4, etc. can refer to children, other family members, friends, etc. if one is playing the game as part of a larger group.
partner/wife/husband ie if playing in p2 ( two partner ) mode. so you can swap between cards and open close to improve timing to receive more bonus signups
"The trend here from Amex seems to be that if you have (or have had) a more premium card, then you’re not eligible for the welcome offer on a less premium version of that card"
That makes sense for delta cards but not the plat, gold, and green. They are completely different cards with the platinum giving bonus for airfare and hotels and the gold being for dining and groceries. The platinum is absolutely not...
"The trend here from Amex seems to be that if you have (or have had) a more premium card, then you’re not eligible for the welcome offer on a less premium version of that card"
That makes sense for delta cards but not the plat, gold, and green. They are completely different cards with the platinum giving bonus for airfare and hotels and the gold being for dining and groceries. The platinum is absolutely not a more premium version of the gold, nor the gold to the green. They have completely different benefits, and one could justify holding all three long term if it meets their spending needs. The delta cards are a stepwise increase of benefits in the same category for a step wise increase in annual fee with no benefit of holding two cards long term.
Did you read the next couple sentences? That’s literally what Ben says…