New Amex Authorized User Rules
One of my favorite things to see is a new authorized user bonus offer from American Express. I have racked up hundreds of thousands of points over the last 10+ years from these generous offers. It is a big reason why my latest credit card snafu ended up being one of my biggest wins. It appears Amex might have finally caught on to the deluge of points that has been happening with these new Amex authorized user rules. At least I can't remember ever seeing this in the authorized user bonus terms before.
New Bonus Terms
Yesterday, I shared a new Amex authorized user bonus that a friend had received so people could check their accounts. My buddy Ryan noticed something interesting buried at the bottom of the terms though. There were new Amex authorized user rules that made this offer much less enticing.
In the past you could always add Green (now White) versions of the card for no fee. This let you recoup the points without incurring any additional cost. While you can still do this when adding a new authorized user, it will no longer trigger the bonus. At least not for some of these offers. Here are the terms at the bottom of the offer:
You will not be eligible to receive this bonus for Companion Platinum Card Members that you may add to your account.
I have to think these terms are why the new 20K after $2K in spend offer is better than what we have seen in the past. Oftentimes it has been 5K after $2K in spend, which is noticeably less rewarding.
New Amex Authorized User Rules: ToP Thoughts
There is a potential good side to these new Amex authorized user rules. The fact that it makes adding the authorized user basically free for a year ($195 per year). That could still make it worthwhile if you can add someone who could use the perks of a Platinum card.
If you just wanted the points for no cost, like it has worked in the past, then these new authorized user rules are a bummer. You essentially have to pay 1 cent per point with this set up.
Let me know what you think of these recent changes. Do you think it will be more widespread going forward? Share your thoughts over in the ToP Facebook Group.
