When it rains, it pours. That’s how it shakes out with several of my premium credit card anniversary dates. My The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express are due for renewal decisions in early spring. Fall is for my Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
And that’s when I decide whether to keep or cancel a credit card. Or, at least, call a credit card company and gauge their interest in keeping me as a member.
My first stop on the retention call trip last week was the consumer/personal Amex Platinum Card.
Despite the card’s $695 annual fee, I’ve shown how it’s fairly easy not only to earn that back — but come out ahead.
I like the $240 Digital Entertainment Credit (enrollment required) and use that for purchases I’d normally make: Peacock and the Disney+ bundle. (Although, I can get the Disney+ bundle through my Verizon plan, and may do that.)
I’ve gotten good use out of the $200 Fine Hotels & Resorts credit, too. Plus, I still manage to get good value out of the $200 airline incidental credit (enrollment is required and terms apply.)
And I make the $100 Saks credit work (especially when first starting my shopping through Rakuten! Terms apply and enrollment is required).
My Grievances Against the Amex Platinum
This was my big reason: Centurion Lounges no longer allow Platinum Cardholders to bring in two guests for free.
Plus, I get complimentary access to Delta Sky Clubs through not just The Platinum Card® from American Express — but also The Business Platinum Card® from American Express and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card. And all three cards offer Centurion Lounge access (though the Delta Reserve cards’ terms are different from the Platinums’.)
Both Platinum cards offer complimentary gold status with both Marriott and Hilton (enrollment required).
I have Global Entry / TSA PreCheck credit through about five or six benefit cards — including the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card, which runs only $99 a year. We’ve gifted Global Entry to five friends or family members.
Plus, my Chase Sapphire Reserve® gives me a much better Priority Pass Select membership than either Platinum card. And Chase Ultimate Rewards® allows cardholders to redeem points for cashback for at least one cent per point — something American Express doesn’t.
The Amex Platinum Retention Call
I phoned the number on the back of my Platinum card and told the automated service I wanted to cancel my account.
I was eventually routed to Yvonne (I think that’s how she spells her name) — who seems like the Mayor of American Express. (I say that in a very positive way.)
I could tell she was smiling during most of the call. She was very friendly, we chit-chatted a little, and I learned she’s been with Amex for 25 years. She, too, is a Platinum Card member.
Yvonne understood the Centurion Lounge argument. She also brought up the $695 annual fee.
She talked up the card’s benefits — as is her job — without going over the top. I mentioned that I’ll probably move my Disney+ bundle from Amex and let my Verizon subscription handle that.
Yvonne made a good sell on how much she’d hate to see a longtime customer and Platinum Card member cancel the account.
Lo and behold, there were a couple of retention offers available!
- Earn 30,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $3,000 on eligible purchases within three (3) months of agreeing to keep the card
- Earn a $300 statement credit after spending $3,000 on eligible purchases within three (3) months of agreeing to keep the card
I accepted the Membership Rewards® offer. Because of the 35% Pay With Points rebate feature on my Business Platinum card, I can stretch those 30,000 MRs into a greater value.
(For what it’s worth, in 2021, I was offered: 30,000 Membership Rewards points to keep the card open or spend $2,000 on eligible purchases within the next three months and receive a $300 statement credit. I’ve found that I can get retention offers every other year.)
I needed to book a trip for my wife, daughter, and me to the San Francisco Bay Area — and knocked out part of the $3,000 paying for Southwest Airlines tickets soon after the call. Plus, I earned 5X Membership Rewards points for each dollar spent on that charge (the card awards 5X points for booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel, on up to $500,000 on those purchases per calendar year).
Have You Made a Retention Call on Your Amex Platinum?
Please let us know in the below Comments section if you’ve made a retention call on your Amex Platinum card — and what, if anything, you were offered.
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Nice.
If you don’t ask you don’t get. Nice work.
I called and was only given the 30,000 point option. I took it. Glad I read this post this morning and gave it a shot!
@Sue – Well done and congrats!
I called last month, before the payment including annual fee was due. I was offered a $200 credit on $1500 spend in 90 days or 20,000 MR. Took the MR.
I read just today that a reader on the FB AmEx Platinum group called and pushed for retention on all cards simultaneously…though it reads a bit far-fetched, as does the card holder of exactly one year pushing and getting a retention bonus. But it could have happened…
Thanks for the data point!
I just tried the ‘Are there any incentives you can offer me BEYOND what I know comes with Delta Reserve (companion ticket, Sky Club access and now AmEx lounge access, Delta AmEx offers when logged into the AmEx web server)?’ and either I wasn’t asking the question in plain English like I wrote and like you did above, or they just don’t care anymore, as I effectively got a flat “NO”. The lady kept going back to the ‘well, there are the AmEx ‘offers’ (and not at all the retention offers like you mention above) and I kept saying ‘no, what kind of RETENTION offers do you have for me for the $550 that I need to pay in the next couple of weeks???’ and I got nothing.
I’d wait until a day or two before your payment is due — and then try again. If you don’t get an answer you like, HUCB. It’s possible there aren’t any retention offers for your account. But you might as well try it again.
I did this with my Reserve card a year ago, and got 50K miles. I have been with Amex Delta cards since 2015.
Thanks for the snappy and good response Chris! I’m fine with calling back several times until I get the answer I want, and I’ll wait until closer to the due date (11Apr).
My pleasure, Dave! I let the account rep talk for a while about the card is great, etc (because everyone loves to be heard, right?). But unless he/she proactively gives me a retention offer, I tell them to cancel the card. Then they start reading the (long) disclaimer they must give before asking your consent to close the account. Somewhere during that, I’ll do the “Excuse for a second. Will you give me any incentive such as a retention offer or spending challenge to keep the card?”
If they say no, then it’s up to you. You may wish to cancel (and I have several times), downgrade, or keep the card.
Let us know what happens!
I called them two days before the annual fee pop up, asked ‘are there any retention offers available on my account that helps me make up my mind to keep the card?’ they said no….I will try again when that fee shows up.
Good luck!
Received 55K MR for $4,000 of purchases over the next three months.
“Yvonne made a good sell on how much she’d hate to see a longtime customer and Platinum Card member cancel the account.”
I’m $ure! Lol! 😀
Every year I call to cancel my DL Reserve card and every year I get a $300-$550 credit or equivalent in SM offer to keep it open. I always say yes. Easiest money I make all year for 10 minutes of my time.
For me, simplicity has a value . . . or should I say for my wife. Ha. To keep (or add) a card, it has to provide $X or more in incremental value. If it doesn’t, hasta la vista.
I happened to be up for renewal on my Amex Platinum last week. I used the chat function. The person assisting me didn’t offer anything. But I had received a 40k points retention last year. I went ahead and cancelled. I still have an “additional card” associated with my wife’s Amex Platinum account.
I called about my Reserve card 3-4 weeks ago. I was told there were no offers available. While I was going back and forth on whether I cancel the card, which I’ve had 10-15 year, the line went dead to the person in India I was speaking to. I few minutes later I got an email saying my card had been cancelled. I called back and the gentleman from India (he told me) said (after a 20 minute conversation) they could possibly reinstate the card, but with a new account number. At that point with no retention offer and already having to change all of my auto pays, I just left it be cancelled.
It was a really bad experience, was left with no recourse and has left a really bad taste in my mouth for Amex.
I opened the chat last June and asked for a retention bonus on personal platinum and got 45,000 points for spending $4k in the next 3 months. I think that they were being generous with the retention offers last year because a lot of people had trimmed their travel, even post pandemic, and were thinking of cutting their memberships. I kinda doubt that I’d get another offer if I were to ask this year.
I received 100K RP with a $3000 spend in 3 months on my Platinum Card.
Wow, nice. Do you spend a lot of money that card each year?