Most American Express credit card offers disallow those who have had the same card before. Language in the application offer terms usually state the following (and usually in bold text): “Welcome bonus offer not available to applicants who have or have had this product.” We describe this as Amex’s once per lifetime rule.
I often hear reports from people who have received targeted offers from Amex which do not include the once per lifetime rule. And plenty of data points have proven that you can get the signup bonus even if you’ve had the card before, as long as your offer doesn’t have the lifetime exclusion language.
My son regularly gets Amex credit card offers by mail (thanks to having setup a website domain a few years ago), but until very recently they all included the lifetime language. Then, about a week ago, that changed. In the past week, he has received three new by-mail offers and none have the once per lifetime language!
Each offer includes a one-time use code. In my experience, someone other than the recipient can use that code and the same offer terms apply. So, for example, I could apply for the Premier Rewards Gold 50K offer with my son’s targeted offer code, and I should be eligible for the signup bonus despite having had that card before. Same with the Everyday 25K offer.
I’m going to wait a bit to see if other even better offers come along, but I’ll most likely pull the trigger on some of these. While they’re not the biggest offers we’ve ever seen, the opportunity to get more points for cards we’ve had before is a rare gift.
Is this just me my son? I’m curious if others are also seeing more of these unrestricted targeted offers lately? Please comment below.
Want to learn more about miles and points? Subscribe to email updates or check out our podcast on your favorite podcast platform.
[…] first year. This all sounded to good to be true. I read through the terms and it did not include the dreaded one sign-up bonus per lifetime language. Woot! So of course, I applied. 50,000 Membership Rewards can be […]
[…] with a targeted AmEx offer that arrived in the mail. Frequent Miler wrote a while back that he’s noticed an uptick in targeted offers from AmEx that lack these exclusions. For as much as AmEx says their bonuses are once per product lifetime it’s nice when you can […]
I got a 60k offer in the mail – I cannot see any once in a lifetime language. Where would it be (if it’s in there?) Thank you.
Look for a section titled “Offer Terms” and then look for something like “Welcome bonus offer not available to applicants who have or have had this product.”
Thanks Greg. Checked again and no language in the Offer Terms. I think I’ll jump on this next week!
FYI – here is the language in the offer:
Earn 60,000 points after you spend $5,000 in purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership
To be eligible to earn the 60,000 Membership Rewards points, you must be enrolled in the Membership Rewards program at the time of purchase. 60,000 Membership Rewards points will be credited to your account after you charge a total of $5,000 (the “Threshold Amount”) or more of purchases on your Platinum Card® from American Express within the first three months of Platinum Card® Membership. Qualifying purchases can be made by the Basic Card Member and any Additional Card Members on a single Card account. Purchases to meet the spend requirement do NOT include fees or interest charges, purchases of travelers checks, purchases or reloading of prepaid cards, purchases of gift cards; person-to-person payments, or purchases of other cash equivalents. Additional terms and restrictions apply.
Points will be credited to your Membership Rewards account within 8-12 weeks after the last charge you made to meet the Threshold Amount appears on your monthly billing statement. If we in our sole discretion determine that you have engaged in abuse, misuse, or gaming in connection with the welcome bonus offer in any way or that you intend to do so (for example, if you applied for one or more cards to obtain a welcome bonus offer (s) that we did not intend for you; if you cancel or downgrade your account within 12 months after acquiring it; or if you cancel or return purchases you made to meet the Threshold Amount), we may not credit Membership Rewards points to, we may freeze Membership Rewards points credited to, or we may take away Membership Rewards points from your account. We may also cancel this Card account and other Card accounts you may have with us. If you have any questions regarding this offer, please call the number on the back of your Card.
Your account must not be canceled or past due at the time of fulfillment of any offers.
Purchases may fall outside of the three month period in some cases, such as a delay in merchants submitting transactions to us or if the purchase date differs from the date you made the transaction. (For example, if you buy goods online, the purchase date may be the date the goods are shipped). Points will be credited to your Membership Rewards account within 8-12 weeks after the last charge you made to meet the Threshold Amount appears on your monthly billing.
American Express reserves the right to modify or revoke offer at any time.
Terms and Conditions for the Membership Rewards® program apply. Visit membershiprewards.com/terms for more information. Participating partners and available rewards are subject to change without notice.
The value of Membership Rewards points varies according to how you choose to use them. To learn more, go to http://www.membershiprewards.com/pointsinfo.
[…] language. In those cases, you can get the bonus even if you’ve had the card before. See: Is Amex increasing exceptions to their Once Per Lifetime Rule? and Targeted personal Platinum offer w/o once in lifetime […]
[…] based on past targeted data points via mail, it certainly could be possible. At least anecdotally, Amex seems to be increasing exceptions to the once-per-lifetime limitations. If you’re interesting in trying for it, keep your eye out for a targeted email. The subject […]
[…] Is Amex increasing exceptions to their Once Per Lifetime Rule? […]
[…] Is Amex increasing exceptions to their Once Per Lifetime Rule? – This would be awesome because I’ve had just about every Amex card available, and I’m running out of options. […]
This would be awesome because I’ve had just about every Amex card available, and I’m running out of options.
[…] offers that do not have this language in the fine print, then you should get the bonus (see: Is Amex increasing exceptions to their Once Per Lifetime Rule?). Upgrade offers, in particular, often do not have these […]
[…] Maybe this is wishful thinking, I don’t know…Is Amex increasing exceptions to their Once Per Lifetime rule? […]
Did anyone who didn’t have once in a lifetime language but didn’t get bonus points send a copy of the sign up terms to amex to prove your case?
[…] Is Amex increasing exceptions to their Once Per Lifetime Rule? […]
That happened to my wife and so she applied for the biz Platinum the second time (after cancelling it last year) to get the 100k bonus. Card arrived fine but no bonus points were seen. Called them and amex told her about the once per lifetime rule and told her she wouldn’t be eligible for another 100k points
Interesting. You’re sure she received a mailer that did not include the once-per-lifetime language?
I would think my experience/relationship with AMEX is almost second to none, but it could be my ego… anyways. i have biz gold, biz plat, simplycash, spg biz, spg, old blue cash, everyday, and mercedes plat as of June 2016. Since Oct 2016, I’ve been receiving card offers in amex offers section in my online account, old blue cash gave me a 75K biz plat offer and a 75K biz gold offer at the same time; meanwhile, my existing gold biz (AF due in Dec) gave me a 50K upgrade offer to biz plat. When amex considered that’s not good enough for me, they kept sending me mail offers with RSVP codes: a 75K biz plat (I let it expire), a 100K biz plat, and later a $300 simplycash PLUS with 0% APR for 9 months.
So with all that said, back on Dec 20, I applied for the 100K biz plat mail offer, instant approval; Then applied 75K biz plat in online account, instant approval; applied $300 simplycash plus, instant approval; applied 75K biz gold in online account, pending, called in 2 hours later, approved; upgraded existing biz gold to plat, 50K. all went well. I can’t really believe it happening, and my friends say amex just spoiling me.
I thought it would be an end. Now it’s is March, and I kept receiving two 75K biz gold mail offers in Jan and Feb. I let one expired accidentally. My old blue cash again gives a 75K biz plat, and occasionally it becomes 75K biz gold, and my newly approved biz gold gives me another 50K upgrade offer… I’m a bit overwhelmed. Today 3/17, I applied for the 75K biz gold in my account and 75K biz gold in mail offer, along with another SPG biz from a referral, which might not be eligible for another welcome bonus, but worth a shot – i’m applying for cards with amex anyway.
Recap, now I have a total of 6 CC now with AMEX. The rest are 1 Mercedes plat, 4 biz plat, 1 biz gold. And I just applied for 2 biz gold, 1 spg biz. I’ll see what’s happening.
a few useful tips people may already know:
1. you can double dip biz plat’s 50% points back and plat’s 5x on airfare at amextravel.
2. with four/more biz plat cards, you can maximum 50% points back benefit by setting each card to a different carrier (I currently have AA, UA, DL, AS)
3. To max out spending requirement on biz plats (5K or 10K), I do Simons mall VISA cards at 5K intervals so you get 1.5 points on charges over $5K.
4. cash equivalent language was never enforced on all my cards, yet.
5. I believe the old bluecash card is the one kicking most online account offers for me. I’m keep the card no matter what CSR say.
BTW, I plan to max $200 airline credit with those biz plats approved in Dec 2016 three times and finally cancel most of them, in Jan 2018.
None of your offers had the lifetime bonus language, and you’ve gotten the bonus for everything? That is quite the story with Amex, I’m sure everyone here will be jealous.
thanks, i guess you don’t get everything. last round, i lucked out. this time, spg biz was shot down cuz i have the “limit of lending products” (5 credit cards). I forgot to mention that one of the six CC was applied using a biz EIN instead of my SSN.
the other two BRG is pending executive decisions, which CSR cannot do anything at this point. So fingers crossed.
So you actually got approved and hold several Business Platinum cards at one time? Thanks.
[…] Is Amex increasing exceptions to their Once Per Lifetime Rule? by Frequent Miler. Probably more a function of none of the previous offers having been used. […]