We reported earlier this year that language on the American Express website indicates that the Dell benefit (along with Indeed and Adobe benefits) on the American Express Business Platinum card is scheduled to end 12/31/24. While we still see that language on the landing page for the card, a reader who activated the Dell benefit on a Business Platinum card today reports messaging that indicates that the benefit may be extended to 6/30/25 on their card, which might mean that there’s an opportunity to double dip with this benefit and whatever may come next.
The Business Platinum card from American Express comes with numerous benefits and “coupon” type credits. One benefit is up to $400 in statement credits for Dell purchases annually: up to $200 between January and June and up to $200 between July and December.
Since the beginning of this year, the wording on the Amex site has indicated that you can get up to $400 in statement credits for Dell purchases “through 12/31/24”, indirectly indicating that this benefit will likely cease at the end of this year. Oddly, we haven’t heard anything about any new benefit scheduled to replace it.
This has been particularly awkward for new cardholders. For instance, I just opened a new Business Platinum card last month. Since activating the Dell benefit (which I did right away), this is the message that’s been in my account regarding the Dell benefit:
Benefit Details
Enroll and get up to $200 in statement credits semi-annually on U.S. purchases with Dell Technologies on your Business Platinum Card through 12/31/24. That’s up to $400 back.‡
That’s awkward at best. The page describes the benefit in terms of using it twice when it says: “That’s up to $400 back”, except that I opened my card in September 2024, so if the 12/31/24 date is correct, it is only really up to $200 back for my new Business Platinum account. I’ve thought that messaging to be misleading for new cardholders. Based on the 12/31/24 end date, anyone who has opened the card since July 1st, 2024 could only get up to $200 in statement credits if the benefit will indeed end on 12/31/24. I’ve been surprised that they have continued to advertise it as “up to $400” if they intended to end the benefit.
However, a reader reports having activated the Dell benefit on their card today and they are seeing this message:
Earn up to $200 in statement credits between July and December and up to $200 in statement credits between January and June on U.S. purchases with Dell Technologies on your Business Platinum Card through 6/30/25
To be clear, I don’t see that messaging in my accounts. We haven’t received any official word from Amex about the benefit continuing through June 2025 (nor have we heard anything about the benefit ending apart from the date shown in the benefit terms). However, it seems logical to me that since Amex has continued to advertise the benefit as being “up to $400”, they should be offering all cardholders (including new ones) the chance to get up to $400 back with this benefit. Extending the benefit through 6/30/25 would accomplish that while giving them the chance to remove the benefit for new cardholders on 1/1/25.
My best guess at this point is that the benefit will indeed stop being offered after 12/31/24, but my educated guess is that it will remain through 6/30/25 for existing cardholders (again, I’m guessing, but I think that this will include all Business Platinum cardholders) in order to give everyone who has opened the card while the benefit has been advertised the opportunity to get the full $400. I very much doubt that the benefit will be extended beyond June 30th — rather, this extension makes sense to me as a reasonable move if they do intend to end the benefit.
Building a guess on a guess, my prediction is that we will see some sort of new benefit replace the Dell benefit. If we do, I further bet it is likely that there will be a chance to “double dip”, getting both the Dell benefit for the first half of 2025 and whatever new benefit comes in to replace it.
Of course there is also the possibility that the Dell benefit won’t be replaced. More likely is the possibility that it will be replaced with something less useful / more fragmented. I think it is more likely than not that we’ll see some sort of benefit replacing the Dell benefit (and the Adobe / Indeed benefits), but I’m surprised that we haven’t heard about what it will be. Maybe Amex is going to wait until 1/1/25 for us to find out.
guess upon guess, so we have a guess pyramid.
Let’s guess (or hope) what it could be replaced with.
NEWEGG could use a shot in the arm of revenue and brand rejuvenation — so how about a Newegg $400 benefit?
But maybe their prices aren’t inflated high enough like Dell. So who could it be?
Any kind of business with really high margins.Or low incremental cost of additional users. [Like Clear]
SaaS outfits stand out from a list of largest SaaS I just saw.
Intuit? Shopify?
Shopify may not be useful for a lot of people. Intuit is an easy use for tax software, but maybe not $400 worth. Could pay for Quicken. Oh scratch that…Quicken not owned by Intuit anymore. Shows how long I haven’t used it.
Hp? Acer? Sony? Asus? Lenovo? [Though may not want association with China-proper]
HP is neck and neck with Dell in USA laptop market share, this might be a good boost for them. Asus I think has good margins, might be a good way to grow their business. Acer would benefit from Amex association.
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At Dell, the inventory of things I’d actually want has been consistently declining. I’m ready to move on.
I was chastised for not knowing Amex’s FHR Free breakfast only covered up to $60, even though language just says “Free Breakfast” (did not cover the buffet, which was the only thing offered at the property).. So why are we surprised that their language here is misleading?
It varies per property. Others cover $75. Still others cover the entire breakfast.
I’m hoping they replace it! With Dell’s current products, there’s little value there to me. But hopefully they don’t replace it something truly useless like the Abode or Indeed credits!
When I called a few days ago to try for a retention offer, I mentioned that I was reluctant to pay the big AF that just posted when the Dell credits were due to go away in December 2024. The CSR did say that the Dell credits had been extended to 6/30/25. This of course means that only $200 credit is confirmed and a $200 Dell credit is/may be lost. I asked if another credit will replace the Dell credit and the CSR said she did not know, but expected something will replace it that has not yet been announced.
Given the lousy bizplat retention offer that I received (15K pts on $5K spend) and no identified offset for the loss of Dell credit in second part of year – which is increasingly hard to spend after the loss of many 3rd party options like Bose headphones- I will call in to cancel as soon as all my credits post.
Referral benefit to holding it?
My Platinum Bus offers 30k referral bonus, compared to 15k from my Gold and Platinum personal cards. That surplus and Amex’s generous refer to any card system makes it a keeper for me.