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Welcome to a regular feature on the Renés Points blog. This blog series covers in a “rookie” way either a Delta or travel-related theme and attempts to break down to a basic level each topic. You can read up on all the previous posts HERE. Now on to this featured topic.
The above is my statement of spend from my Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. You will notice I have reached both the $30,000 spend goal as well as the $60,000 spend goal for the year resulting in two 15,000 bonus MQM awards as well as two 15,000 SkyMiles awards. (Terms apply. See Rates and Fees)
But there is one glaring problem with the above numbers: the yearly fee!
You see Amex, when you look at the POSTED TOTAL, includes the yearly fee as part of your running spend number. But….
IT DOES NOT COUNT FOR BONUS SPEND!
Errr what? Wait… Are you telling me that Amex posts I have spent some total and it, in reality, is lower than what is posted online or on my statement?
Yep! And every single year I get readers who spend only a dollar or two over the 60k spend goal and do NOT get the second bonus because the annual fee did not count! (See Rates and Fees)
But that is not fair? That is dirty! Amex says it counts on my statement but it does not count at the end of the year when it really matters! Really?
Really! And I agree! It is really nasty, but as we know with so many things travel posted things may not always jive with reality on the ground.
But I am reading this post in January / February and now I am stuck because I am short now!
I feel for you. Amex is unlikely to budge. You have learned a nasty lesson. Next year be sure you overspend AT LEAST by the annual fee. Notice what I overspent (in the shot at top of post) to make sure I was all set and I did well before the 1st of the year. Please do the same! – Rene
Advertiser Disclosure: Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc., is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact how and where card products appear on the site. This site does not include all card companies or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some of the links on this page are affiliate or referral links. We may receive a commission or referral bonus for purchases or successful applications made during shopping sessions or signups initiated from clicking those links.
Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Only an idiot wouldn’t realize this.
@Gene – Many each year are fooled by Amex from their misleading posted spend numbers. Beyond that, I do not consider blog readers fools!
@Rene: I second what you said.
It’s very easy to see how much you have spent, it’s in very easy to understand language on every statement. I used that information from my previous statement to spend exactly, to the dollar, what I needed to spend to get my next MQM boost on my Platinum card before moving my spending to another card.
@Barry – You do get they include the yearly fee in the running total but it does not count.