American Express India has sent out a targeted spend based offer to select credit card members today (16th Aug 2020). Here’s everything you need to know about it:
Offer Details
| Offer | Get Rs.X amazon voucher on spending Rs.Y |
| Max. Voucher Value | Rs.15,000 on Rs.3L spend (as far as I know) |
| Offer Variants | There are ~16 different variants 😀 |
| Spend Requirement | Dynamic (likely based on previous year Ac usage) |
| Offer Period | 16 August 2020 – 15 September 2020 |
| Fulfilment | 15th Dec 2020 |
| Return on Spend | 5% + Regular Rewards |
| Source | SMS & Email – T&C for 6K voucher Offer |
Its a simple and straight-forward offer from Amex as usual and the return on spend too is same as what we used to see before.
If you’re wondering on what basis the offer is rolled out, well, I think they’re trying to lift the card spends to your previous year spend levels. That’s what I could conclude after looking at ~5 card accounts.
But well, Amex have started using too many metrics lately with too many offer variants, like there are ~16 different variants for this campaign alone.
Looks like the lockdown gave them a lot of time to work on so many variants. So its getting tough to predict!
Hence, if your spends have dropped significantly you could have got a higher target.
What about Plat Charge?
I called up customer care to check on the same and I’m disappointed to know that Plat cards are excluded from the promo and there isn’t any sign for a separate offer.
So this offer is not targeted to my a/c.
The reasoning behind is that Amex Plat charge is already getting very good offers.
That was indeed true, especially with Double rewards & 18K cashback offer. But seems they also consider Rewards multiplier as a great offer, which I have to deny.
That aside, I wish they send something similar to18K cashback offer for those (like me) who was not eligible for it.
Final Thoughts
This is a very good move, especially because Amex usually does only 2 spend linked offers a year but this is the third one – thanks to Covid-19.
We will anyway get a good offer for 2020 Diwali, likely by mid-Oct 2020 or later. But its still sad to see that Plat charge is excluded from this promo.
So, what offer have you received? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
Update: This offer was fulfilled on 13th Jan 2021
Hi Sid,
1-For redeeming any offer on Amex card why they force us to en-roll in it through internet banking or some other way where we add card details and then proceed to a specific website. Why I can’t use my card on amazon and Flipkart and directly get the reward multiplier offer. Thoughts ?
2- when are you posting the article where you tell us how many cards do you have and how you manage them efficiently?
1. Enrollment reduces # of users availing the offer, therefore reduces the campaign expense.
2. As soon as I get more time.
I can answer your question 1 since I work in marketing (for another brand, not Amazon). These portals including intermiles and cashback sites, work on something called affiliate marketing where shopping sites like Amazon, Flipkart and Myntra pay them a percentage of the sale, usually 1% to as high as 12% of the sale if they direct the traffic. So when you use this portal, the shopping sites pay them a fee and a part of that is given to us as bonus points or vouchers.
In this case, Amex is a salesman for the website rather than just a payment processor. If you dont follow the portal, they are giving part of their own money since the shopping site will not give them commission.
So its just business. THat is exactly why they give out bonus points for their rewards portal are 60-90 days. Affiliate Marketing payouts are 60-90 days.
This thing is true only for the AMEX Rewards Multiplier program, else Siddhart points seems to be valid.
Because there are so many users in India who spends in lakhs every month and don’t know about offers.
Offers are to encourage users to spend. Offers are not for those who are already spending too much.
Actually for 14th and 15th August, on the rewards multiplier, they ran a 15x offer which was very good.
Good for non-plat’s as plat’s anyway get similar return anytime. Still the return is in single digit which is not that attractive yet.
40MR’s on Rs.100 spend would have been AMAZING!
40MRs on Rs 100? Has that happened before?
Just a wish 🙂
A good wish to have!!
What is the highest they have given ever and on which card?
Hi All,
Did anyone got this voucher?
It was great offer for MRCC holders. 4 Rs 1000 spends on multipler sites, say Amazon, we got 1600 MR points for rs 4000 spends. Great return in my view. Even on Plat Travel, we could have double dipped.
Valid on EMI transactions too ?
I have received this offer. Spend 25k and get Amazon Gift Voucher worth 1500.
Looks good. Amex pushing it’s card holders to spend more and earn more.
This offer seems amazing since you can triple dip!! Use Their multiplier portal, buy worth 25k from Flipkart to get 10% cashback, and get the 1500 voucher!!
ROFL .. I got ‘Spend 3000 Get 250’ on my Amex Plat travel card. I would like to understand the logic they use for deciding who gets what. I often get overlooked for other spend based offers and when I get one its a dud ( this is only the second one I have ever gotten in 5 years of holding this card)- although I have a pretty good history with them. Limit is 5L and my annual spends for past 5 years has also been in range on 4-5L per year.
Maybe because you spend too less on the card anyway. I have always recieved the highest spend targets with maximum vouchers because my annual spends are quote high on amex. I guess that’s how it is
I always use Amex card only to fulfill some ongoing offer 😀
So i got this offer – Get INR 6,000 by spending INR 1,20,000.
If they will give me target of 12 lac to get 60k, I will never loose.
Ahh no offer as usual for me again.
Maybe because i already spent more than last year already.
I almost have a perfect record of not getting a single targeted offer, whether I have used the card or not. Even for HDFC card, I rarely get any offer. Whatever offer I get are the generic ones only.
Haven’t got this offer on all 3 of my Amex cards, seems my spending this year is higher than previous 🙁
Paytm not accepting Amex cards for wallet load.
try amounts less than Rs 10,000/- , they will or wait for a few hours and then try
Could be a temporary issue, since I just used Amex to load my Paytm wallet 2 days back
Dear Friends
Are multiple transactions allowed? What kind of transactions are allowed. Is there any transaction, which is not allowed?
Hi sachin
Yes multiple txns are allowed. All transactions will be considered for this offer.
Can we buy Amazon gift card / vouchers and still be eligible?
This is the first time I have received a meaningful offer from AMEX.
1. I have already achieved Rs. 4 lac spends on my Travel card.
2. Not been using the card at all. The last meaningful spend on this was in March.
1. I got 3k amazon voucher offer against 60k spends for 1 of my cards
2. Since they have stopped spicejet vouchers for amex travel card. Any substitute to the same with similar value generation.
Wait for a while. Customer Care has confirmed that the Spicejet had to be discntinued due to corona. It will be replaced with something better like maybe Taj. They are talking to multiple brands.
Hey Siddharth,
Considering the offers, good rewards value and customer care service, I feel that I should own an Amex card. I mainly do online shopping through Amazon and pay bills through PayZap app.
Have more than 6L ITR.
Kindly tell, which Amex card will be best for me?
Thanks.
hi, You cannot use Amex cards on Payzapp. Only Mastercard/Visa/Rupay cards are allowed.
I didn’t get the offer. AMEX says it is tailor made programme and not mailed to every body.
Login to Americanexpress account on a computer and not on app. After login a popup should come. If not, then you are not eligible for this offer.
i got the offer on email. not on the website/app
thanks for your tip…was able to enroll. I didn’t get the offer on mail !!
@aka
Then you are not eligible for the offer.
Conditions saying that “The Offer is applicable for only select American Express Cardmembers. A Cardmember is eligible for this Offer only if he/she has received an Offer communication directly from American Express through any of its channels. In case a Cardmember did not receive any direct Offer communication from American Express but makes spends on his/her Card, the Card account will not be eligible for the Offer benefit.”
Does it include the transactions like NPS contribution etc?
Yes, This comes under milestone based offer. There is no restriction on the type of spend for a milestone base offer. However you will not get regular points for such transactions
Does amex platinum offer any benefit for renewal in covid times, how to justify 70k fees in current times? Siddharth please suggest.
Siddharth i also want answer for same question. I got mail to get platinum charge card. Kindly suggest. Should i have it?
Tough to say now, as the great offers are gone. But most likely we will see new ones soon.
do they offer points against the annual renewal fees or any reduction in fees for renewal during current times? please suggest.
Yes, retention offer is there but varies a lot based on profile.
I also got same offer from amex spend 1,20,000 and get 6,000 Amazon Voucher.
I got Get Rs.15k amazon voucher on spending Rs.3Lakh. I crossed 1Lakh today. Can someone share there ideas on ways to spending more 🙂
Load wallets if you have no other option. Try Ola Money Wallet or Amazon Pay.
Got no offers on Platinum Reserve Credit Card sadly even 30-45k spends per month don’t qualify me for this offer. BTW CC limit still at 2.5Lac now they say the limit enhancement service has yet to start up again, card is almost 8 months old now.
Didn’t get this mail . These days i hardly get promo mails from Amex.
But fulfillment by 15th Dec to 15th Jan , it s*cks !
Hi people,
Any offer running on payment of insurance premium currently?
Plz help. Thankyou
Amex waived Fee (5k plus GST) for my Platinum Travel card this month. <3
Did you have to use your bonus points? Also, did you reach your milestone benefits?
No, i have not given anything to them to waive fees. I just asked them to cancel my card as i am unable to pay such heavy fees. They simply hold me for few seconds and waived my fees without getting any points or anything.
You are very lucky with that. I spent more than 5 lakhs on that card for mostly reimbursed travel expenses and other purchases. Still they didn’t waive the fees. Eventually, I redeemed the points and cancelled the card.
Due to COVID, I wasn’t planning to renew the card anyway if the fees were not waived off.
Pal, there is a way you can get the fee waived off. You can voluntarily tell them that you are planning to spend 2 lakhs in next months. They will enroll you into an offer where you get fee waived off if you spend 2 lakhs in next 2 months. This worked for me 🙂
Is it first time you have asked for fee waiver? Please share.
Himanshu, they did give me that option. However, with no travel expense and other purchases planned ahead, there was practically no way I could spend that amount. Hence, I declined that offer.
Satendra, Yes. It was my first year with Amex Platinum Travel.
Yes, i have reached spent >4 lakh in previous membership year, and availed 10k Taj Voucher + 30k Taj Voucher + Bonus Points + Regular points + Fee waived.
30K Taj Voucher? Is it spend based offer?
@Sai Ranga
Yes, It was spend based offer during Feb and March 2020.
I was offered the same old 10k points for waive off. Did you get waive off without sacrificing points?? If yes, what was your spend like?
Yes i have fees waived without sacrificing points. I have spent around 4.5 lakh in membership year. Out of which approx 1 lakh was on LIC, 1.5 lakh on E Commerce, 1 lakh was on utility bills, 1 lakh on wallet loads (Ola+Amazon).
One more risky tip: I have got my Ola Money approx 30k refunded to source (my Amex card) on my request to Ola Care, after getting all spend based benefits from Amex i.e. 10+30k Taj Vouchers + Bonus + Regular points.
Satendra, how did you manage to get 10+30k taj vouchers.
@Himanshu
There was an offer in Feb2020 to Get Taj Voucher of INR 30k by spending 4.5 lakh during offer period. 10k Voucher is always available by spending 4 lakh in membership year. So this way i got 30k+10k by spending >4.5 lakh during offer period only.
Sree,
You can refer my comment above if that helps
No such offers on Platinum Travel card for me. However in the offer section there are additional offers frequently these days. Got 10% off on Flipkart up to 2500. Usually other cards offer only up to 1500 or 1750. This is a welcome change.
will spends prior to enrollment in the given period be considered ?
Read Terms and Conditions carefully. It is clearly saying that “Spends (Net of cashback and reversals) on the enrolled Card from the date of enrollment or August 16, 2020 (whichever is later) to September 15, 2020 will be eligible under the Offer”
Means spends prior to enrollment will not be considered for offer
thankyou !! appreciate the response.
Sid, Thanks a lot sharing the info. Amazing work.
I have a question. This offer, is it there per account or per card we hold ?
example: I have a platinum travel card and 1 supplementary card. The offer is there just for primary card or separately for primary card and addon card ?
Offer is applicable on only primary card, though spends on supplementary card will be considered for offer
I too got the offer of spending 60K for 3K Amazon vouchers. I believe we still do not earn RP on spending on insurance/NPS subscriptions. They had an offer till 15th that you would get 2X or 3X RP spend on insurance/utility bills, but I guess this offer came from 16th Aug and we are back to no RP on insurance/utility payments.
I am regularly using my Amex card as my primary one, especially during the pandemic. Didn’t get this offer on my Amex MRCC. But got an offer for bigbasket spends: 15% instant discount upto ₹500 with a minimum spend of ₹2500. Saved a sweet ₹391 on a regular grocery spend. 😀
This offer should be accessible to everyone, I don’t think it’s targeted. Amex cards are worth holding for such offers.
I’m one of the unlucky ones to get the 3L target 🙁
Got the offer on my platinum reserve “spend 2.5L & get 12k Amazon voucher “
Has anyone received the gift voucher for the spends?
I had received the 50K/2.5K offer. And most of my spends were on wallet reloads. And I haven’t received the GV yet.
Now I have received the 1L/5K diwali offer. Wondering if it’s worth loading 1Lac in Paytm wallet by paying 2% additional charges!?!
Gift Card will be sent to eligible Cardmembers on their registered email addresses with American Express by December 15, 2020.
Did anyone get the vocuhers. I haven’t yet received any communication in this regards
@ Mani
In extreme circumtances, it may take upto 15th January. So we have to wait till 15th January 2021.
Above is the reply from Amex cc.
Me to waiting for Vouchers….
Offer fulfilled today.
Interesting that I have not received it yet. Anyone else in the same boat?
Ask Amex CC. They will surely help if you qualified.