How concerning that American Express are delaying points/rebate payments?
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Over the past few months it has become apparent that American Express have implemented changes that have increased the time they have to pay outgoings to card holders. Presumably this was a purposeful decision. Often you would expect to see this with businesses were facing issues. I assume Amex may be facing issues around card retention, especially with premium, fee charging cards as a result of Covid’s impact on travel and the hospitality sector. In balance it is perhaps worth noting that their share price has been strong with many pointing to the broader global shift to digital payments.
In the UK we have seen them give no-minimum-spend rebates (dining and Harvey Nichols) as well as a broad array of point bonus retention offers. However, we have also seen a significant shift in the “payment terms” for these. The formal T&Cs for some offers have changed from the long-held 90 days to 150. In addition it seems, if only anecdotally, that the payments of some rebates and points offers (such as supplementary card bonuses) are taking a lot longer than usual and without swift resolution when customer services are involved.
Does this raise wider questions about strategies for maximising Amex benefits? Previously their prompt payments and good customer service meant there could be a high level of trust in how aggressive one could be. That both gave confidence but also adjusted the calculation i.e. how long it would take for points or rebates to post. Like others I have been told to wait 90 days for a sup card bonus to post and up to 150 days for the Harvey Nichols rebate to issue. Given player 2 and I have already met our sign up bonuses on this rotation we now need to consider whether to hang on or not – it is a different calculation if we have to wait a rolling 150 days every time there is a good rebate offer.
What do others think?
Totally agree, they’ve made it very difficult to “trust” them. It was the case that you could spend and forget in the knowledge that Amex would honour rebates quickly. Now I end up keeping a list as inevitably end up chasing.
They’re no better than Voldemort right now, and this is definitely a deliberate strategy by them.
- This reply was modified 55 years, 4 months ago by .
The T&C for SUPP says “Please note, in rare circumstances it may take up to 90 days” for the points to post. Clearly I, my wife, my mother, brother and father and all subject to the same “rare circumstances” over the past 6 months as all of us have had to chase SUPP bonuses… None of which have actually posted within the 90 days and all which needed further chasing…
And on every occasion the CS rep couldn’t (or wouldn’t) say why there was a delay… Even when specifically asked about the “rare circumstances” wording on two occasions…
As you say, either the pandemic has caused something to mess up what I assumed was an automated process, or this is a deliberate move by AMEX. Either way, I’d argue they’ve breached the T&C on this multiple times
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