Since most of you have already done your holiday shopping, I figured I would give an update on what is in my wallet rather than recommending a card (don’t worry, I still have plenty of suggestions)!
New Additions:
- American Express Platinum Card [Unbranded] [$550 AF]
- American Express [Rose] Gold Card [$250 AF]
- American Express Gold Delta Skymiles Card [$0 AF First Year, $95 AF After]
- Citi Premier Card [$0 AF First Year, $95 AF After]
- Wells Fargo Propel Card [$0 AF]
Product Changes:
- Chase Sapphire Reserve to Chase Freedom Unlimited [$450 AF to $0 AF]
Cancelled Cards:
- American Express Gold Delta Skymiles Card [$0 AF First Year, $95 AF After]
- Chase Southwest Premier Card [$99 AF]
Did you say you cancelled and opened the same card?!
I did. I cancelled my Gold Delta Amex when the annual fee came due back in April and didn’t think I would have it again. American Express has some very specific rules with their cards and sign up bonuses, called “Once per Lifetime.” The basic rule is that while you can sign up for a card “product” as many times as you want, you are only eligible for a new cardmember bonus once per lifetime. However, there are some ways around this rule, namely targeted offers.
I received an email from Delta/Amex offering me the same card with a 60,000 Skymile bonus for $1,000 in spend in 3 months, and there was no lifetime language mentioned in the terms and cardmember agreement that was linked to the targeted offer. Because of this, I hit the spend easily, and the miles should post to my account with no issue (if they don’t, I will update this post).
Elevated American Express Sign Up Bonuses
Right now is one of the best times of the year to sign up for an American Express card, as their referral offers are showing elevated sign up bonuses which are significantly higher than their normal counterparts if you apply directly. If you are in the market for ANY new cards, take a look and apply here!
Some definite winners are:
- American Express Platinum Card
- 75,000 Membership Rewards Points when you spend $5,000 within the first 3 months
- The standard signup bonus is 60,000 Membership Rewards Points for the same spend
- I will note it is possible to be targeted for a 100,000 Membership Rewards Points offer, but I have never been targeted for it. You can check to see if you are via the CreditCards.com CardMatch tool
- American Express Gold Card
- 50,000 Membership Rewards Points when you spend $2,000 within the first 3 months
- The standard signup bonus is 25,000 Membership Rewards Points for the same spend
- This is my new favorite card. It earns a whopping 4X Membership Rewards Points per dollar on spend at US Restaurants and Grocery Stores. When you can buy a gift card for almost any retailer at your local Publix, you can basically earn 4 points per dollar on ALL spend, which can offer an insane return
- American Express Everyday Card
- 25,000 Membership Rewards Points when you spend $2,000 within the first 3 months
- The standard signup bonus is 10,000 Membership Rewards Points for the same spend
- This card also comes with 0% interest on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, which can be very helpful for those unexpected expenses in life
Ramblin' Rewards 