I want to start off by saying that this trick is very YMMV, but I think it’s worth putting out there. For two American Express business cards, Amex Business Gold and Amex Business Platinum, it’s possible to get a better sign-up bonus by simply calling and asking. Normally, the sign-up bonus for the Amex Business Gold is 50,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months and the bonus for Amex Business Platinum is 75,000 points after spending $20,000 in the first 3 months. That’s some serious spending!
Doctor of Credit has many data points showing that you can call 1-800-971-6735, press 1 to “apply for a new card”, and ask the customer service representative for a better offer. The offers they might be able to extend are:
- 75,000 points after spending $10,000 in the first 3 months on Amex Business Gold
- 100,000 points after spending $10,000 in the first 3 months on Amex Business Platinum
No code, no problem!
When applying over the phone, the rep will ask if you have a code from a mailer showing this offer. Depending on the rep, they may be unwilling to help if you don’t actually have a mailer. I didn’t have one but called and said I misplaced it. The rep asked for my address and luckily was able to pull up the offer! I live in a large apartment building and didn’t specify my unit number so I’m thinking maybe one of my neighbors had received a mailer at some point. Either way, it’s definitely worth a try. The worst they can say is no.
Final Thoughts
This is by no means a foolproof method for getting a better sign-up bonus on the Amex Business Gold or Amex Business Platinum cards. However, since it only takes a few minutes to call and ask, there’s really no harm in trying. If they so no, HUCA and you may get lucky. Given how high the spending requirements are, I think a little extra effort on the phone is worth the additional points.
Have you applied for the Amex Business Gold or Amex Business Platinum cards using this method?
