Quick Reminder: Make Sure Statement Credits are Actually Applied to Your Credit Card Accounts!

Credit card companies are usually pretty good about automatically applying statement credits to your account. But every now and then, something gets glitchy or doesn’t code correctly.

That’s what happened with my mother-in-law’s TSA PreCheck benefit on The Platinum Card® from American Express.

Global Entry or TSA Pre√ Credit on the Amex Platinum Card

The Platinum Card® from American Express gives cardholders up to $100 in Global Entry application fee credit every four years. (TSA Pre√ is included with Global Entry.) Or if they’d prefer to get just TSA Pre√, cardholders receive up to $85 in application fee credit every four-and-a-half years. (Enrollment required. See rates and fees. Terms apply.)

The benefit applies not only to primary cardholders but “fully paid” additional cardholders. Amex Platinum primary cardholders can add authorized users for $195 each. (See rates and fees.) They receive benefits such as the Global Entry or TSA Pre√ credit, Marriott Gold Status, Hilton Gold Status, and airport lounge access. (Enrollment required. See rates and fees. Terms apply.) I’m the primary cardholder of an Amex Platinum card.  I also added three people to my account: my wife, mother-in-law, and father-in-law. (Well, before Amex changed their authorized user policy.)

Applying and Paying for TSA Pre√

My mother-in-law’s Global Entry expired about a year ago. Instead of going through that application and interview process again, she elected to get plain ole Pre√ instead. Her international traveling days are, admittedly, most likely over. But she flies domestically several times a year. So Pre√ will be just fine for her needs.

I helped her apply on the government’s Universal Enroll site. We didn’t need to pay the $85 fee during the online application process. She then selected a late June interview date and IdentGO location near the Burbank airport.

Payment was due on interview day at IdentGO. So my father-in-law took out his Amex Platinum card and paid for his bride’s TSA application fee. (And they say chivalry is dead?! 🙂 Plus, she may have left her card at home, so…) Remember the cardholder doesn’t need to be the person applying for Global Entry or TSA Pre√.

As of couple of days ago, the $85 credit hadn’t posted to my Amex account. I thought that rather odd, give that Amex statement credit generally show up within a couple of days. More than a month had passed since her interview and approval.

Getting the Credit

I called Amex and spoke with a wonderful rep. She mentioned that I received the Global Entry credit within the past year. That’s true. But I pointed out that my father-in-law’s card hadn’t received a credit for at least five years.

She wasn’t sure why the credit didn’t post to my account. I wondered if IdentGO maybe doesn’t trigger the statement credit. In any case, she said she’d manually apply the $85 credit to my account. It’ll take a few days for the credit to post, she said. But it appears as though everything is solved.

Final Approach

So what’s the big deal?

Simply to just remind you to keep your eyes peeled on your credit card accounts. Make sure you receive statement credits to which you’re entitled. Glitches occasionally happen or something might not code correctly. Politely state your case, make sure you have any applicable backup, and everything should work out dandy.

Has anyone else had an issue getting their Global Entry or TSA Pre√ statement credits?

To see rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit this link. Terms apply.