AMEX Platinum question

[bgula]

I'm an AMEX gold card holder and my wife is a supplementary card holder. Can I refer her for a Platinum card to which she'd be the main card holder? If yes, would she automatically be eligible for the 2000 AM's once she spends $1500? And would I be therefore eligible for the 500 AM's for referring her?

 

[efrant]

Are you talking about the Amex Gold Rewards card and the Amex Platinum card, or are you talking about the Amex Air Miles card and the Amex Platinum Air Miles card?

 

[bgula]

Air miles

 

[efrant]

I can't speak from first hand knowledge about the Amex Air Miles cards (I have the Amex Gold Rewards and Platinum cards, i.e., the Amex Membership Rewards cards), but according to the referral section of Amex's site, you could refer your wife, and you would get 200 Air Miles for referring her. And yes, she would get the sign-up bonus once reaching the minimum spend. (Not sure if Amex Air Miles cards are similar to the Gold/Platinum cards, but with the Gold/Platinum cards, the sign-up bonus is actually higher if you use someone's referral link, rather than applying directly online.)


The American Express® AIR MILES®* Credit Card

As the Basic Cardmember, refer a friend and you1 could earn a bonus of 200 AIR MILES Reward Miles for each approved referral up to a maximum annual referral bonus of 3,000 AIR MILES Reward Miles. Offer subject to change at any time.

 

[bgula]

For the airmiles cards, it's a 500 bonus for referring. My biggest concern is whether she can sign up for her own card while still being a supplementary on my card. Is this allowed?

 

[efrant]

For the airmiles cards, it's a 500 bonus for referring. My biggest concern is whether she can sign up for her own card while still being a supplementary on my card. Is this allowed?

Yes, it is allowed. My wife was a supplementary on my Amex card and I referred her for her own card. Amex allows this. (Visa and MasterCard do similarly as well, i.e., someone can get their own card even though they have the same card as a supplementary user, though there is no referrals).

For the referral bonus for Air Miles cards, Amex's website says you get 200 if you are referring from the Air Miles card (the gold-looking one), 500 if you are referring someone from the Air Miles Platinum card, and 800 if you are referring someone from the Air Miles Reserve card. The bonus depends on which card you have, not which card the person is signing up for. (For example, if you have the gold card, and you refer someone to gold or Platinum or Reserve, you get the same 200 bonus. If you have the Platinum card and refer someone to the gold or Platinum or Reserve, you get 500.)