Credit to FW:
Enroll today and use your Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express in October and November and earn 25% more miles on all eligible purchases.
Enrollment required by 11/30/06. If you prefer to enroll by phone, please call 1-800-653-6051.
Note that if you’re already enrolled in a Double Miles program, you’ll continue to earn double miles. To view all the fine print or to enroll, see this link.
Saw this one while browsing FT. Apparently American Express is rolling out a pilot program that will allow select customers to charge their condo down payments, earning rewards without adding a surcharge.
American Express Co. will begin allowing select customers to use its credit cards to charge their condominium down payments. Currently, the service will be limited to buyers of luxury condos in Manhattan, as American Express rolls out the program with New York real-estate firm Moinian Group for one its projects under construction.
Both companies say they plan to expand the service. The change will allow the customers a chance to earn reward points and frequent-flyer miles, getting one point for every dollar charged.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Moinian will pay a fee to American Express for every transaction. Condo buyers will not be charged any additional fees.
A really great credit card got just a bit better. As reported by FT, American Express is expanding the benefits of the SPG Amex. Effective October 1, 2006:
– You will receive one additional Starpoint for each US dollar of Eligible Spending charged on your Card Account at Starwood branded hotels and resorts then participating in the Starwood Preferred Guest loyalty program, and at standalone retail establishments and online stores that, in each case, are wholly-owned by Starwood.
– If during eny calendar year Eligible Spending on your Card Account is $30,000 or more, you will be enrolled for at least 12 months in the Gold Preferred Guest level of the SPG loyalty program. Please allow 12 to 16 weeks [for this benefit to take effect]. . .
The other day I wrote about how Amex has lifted spending caps on its Blue Cash card, making it more attractive for big spenders. Well, before you run out and get one, there is an important caveat to note. In the latest Blue Cash statement is the following verbiage (bolded for emphasis):
Using the Card Effective with billing periods beginning on or after September 1, 2006, the following sentences are added to the end of the second paragraph of the Using the Card section of your Agreement: “A maximum of 3 Additional Cards are permitted on your Account. You agree to use the Account only for legitimate purchases of goods and services for personal, family or household purposes.“
Since I suspect that a lot of the big spenders would be putting business spending on the card, this is an important restriction. How Amex would actually police this is another matter.
This thread at FW tipped off the news that Blue Cash no longer caps your rewards after $50,000 in spending. It’s now reflected on Amex’s website as well. The new redemption table looks like this:
| Total Annual Purchases | Gas stations, supermarkets, drugstores | All other puchases |
|---|---|---|
| $0-$6,500 | 1% | 0.5% |
| $6,500.01 or more | 5% | 1.5% |
This is great news for big spenders. With the impending doom of the Citi Dividend card, this card is a very viable alternative. You are sacrificing some return on the first $6,500 versus a flat 1.5% card like the Fidelity Investments Rewards card, but afterwards, you’re getting top dollar. If you’re a big spender looking for the simplicity of carrying a single card and charging everything on it, then these changes make Blue Cash very attractive.
Details on the Blue Cash rebate can be found here.
This offer is targetted to solicited Delta SkyMiles card holders:
Give your miles a boost in September and get to your next Delta reward flight even faster. Use your Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express from September 1 to September 30, 2006 to pay for all your purchases and earn double miles.
Enroll by September 30, 2006 either online or by calling 1-800-227-7081. To enroll online or to see more information, visit http://www.americanexpress.com/deltadouble.
Per FW, AMEX is hosting a sweepstakes centered around NYC experiences. What can you win? According to the FAQ:
Two complimentary tickets to an exclusive Cardmember-only concert performed by Kanye West on August 29, 2006, at the Nokia Theatre in Manhattan. Tickets are general admission.
Two Promenade seats to the evening session of the 2006 US Open on September 4, 2006, at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing, Queens.
Two tickets to select seats at one of sixteen available Broadway shows. Tickets are available for performances on September 15, 2006. The participating shows are 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Avenue Q, Chicago, The Drowsy Chaperone, Hairspray, Heartbreak House The History Boys, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, Mamma Mia!, The Phantom of the Opera, The Producers, RENT, Monty Python’s Spamalot, Wicked, and The Wedding Singer.
Up to four complimentary passes good for one movie at Fandango-participating New York Metro-area theaters for use between 9/18/06 and 9/24/06.
A table for two, four or six and a complimentary meal from the chef’s menu at one of the following New York restaurants on 9/26/06. The participating restaurants are Bar Americain, craftsteak, Fiamma and Tabla (either Main Dining Room or The Bread Bar).
Entering the sweepstakes is free but limited to eligible Amex cardholders. The Kanye West concert that was available today is already sold out, but you still
can enter for the other events. For more details, see http://www.membershipchangeseverything.com/.
According to the Wall Street Journal (subscription required), American Express is rolling out significant changes to its Membership Rewards program. Among the changes announced are:
The report indicates that American Express will start notifying customers of these changes, as well as others, in their August bills.
On the whole this is clearly a disappointing development, as there is almost no good news in the announced changes.
Reported by FW, this promo offer pushes the new Citi Dividend Amex:
- 5% Cash Back on supermarket, Drugstore, and gas station purchases
- 1% Cash Back everywhere else
- 0% APR on BT until 7/1/07, no BT fee with this offer***
- $5 Cash Back on BT more than $1500
- No annual fee
*** First BT and 100$ in purchases must post to account and not be returned within 3 months of becoming a cardmember to receive this rate until Oct. 1, 2007. Otherwise rate lasts until July 1, 2007. BT, Cash advances, and finance charges do not qualify as purchases under this offer.
To apply, visit www.signup.citicards.com and use offer code: P1G9
Or call 1-800-368-1265 by Sept. 15, 2006.
So it appears they’re making you jump through another hoop to get the 15-month balance transfer–namely, the $100 in purchases. It’s important to note that because of the “lower APR balances get paid off first” rule, it’s imperative that those purchases get paid off first before completing your balance transfer.
Here’s another promotion from AMEX encouraging users to start charging their monthly bills on their card, similar to this old one for business card holders. Basically, as discovered by SD, if you sign up for two automatic bill pays, you get paid $20:
This offer is good for solicited Cardmembers only. First, contact your service providers and have your bill charged to your eligible, enrolled American Express® Card. Then, log on to americanexpress.com/paytwobills to enroll for the promotion by August 31, 2006. Bonus points will be credited to your account 12-14 weeks after the charges appear on your American Express statement. 2,000 point/ $20 cash back/2,000 miles/2,000 Starpoints/2,000 Hilton HHonors bonus point maximum.
Visit americanexpress.com/paytwobills for more information.