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Rumor: AMEX to Make It Easier to Earn Same-Card Sign-Up Bonus Twice

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    Via Reddit, the rumor mill is blowing unsourced news that American Express will be scrapping its current policy to disallow you from earning the sign-up bonus on a card if you’ve ever had the card before.

    I’m selective about the unsubstantiated buzz I post because it sometimes turns out to be incorrect!

    In this case I’m writing about it because it makes sense that AMEX would relax their strict policy based on what else has been happening with them.

    If the Rumor Is True, Folks Who Closed Cards Like the Premier Rewards Gold and Starwood AMEX Would Be Eligible to Earn the Sign-Up Bonus Again. That’d Make It Easier to Get Free Stays at Places Like the St. Regis Princeville Resort

    Also, I want it to be true so very, very badly! 🙂

    Whispers About the Demise of the “Once-in-a-Lifetime Rule”

    The officially-stated policy of American Express is to NOT award you the welcome bonus on a card if you’ve ever had the card before.

    But a Reddit contributor says that as of now, you can actually get the bonus if you canceled your personal card 7+ years ago.  Or if you canceled your small business card over a year ago.

    And that on an undetermined date in May 2016, you’ll be able to earn the bonus on personal and small business AMEX cards that you have not held for at least 4 years.

    Why It Makes Sense

    Sign-up bonuses are designed to attract new cardholders.  And American Express might be looking to add after:

    That said, as of yet, there is NO confirmation of this policy change.  I’ll let you know as soon as there’s more news.

    How to Think About AMEX Applications Now

    The current rules for earning American Express welcome bonuses are in writing on their sign-up pages:

    Welcome bonus offer not available to applicants who have or have had this product.

    So if you’ve had a particular AMEX card in the past, you can try to qualify for the bonus at your own risk!

    If the 4-year rumor becomes a reality, that’d be very helpful for those of y’all who’ve had their longstanding cards in the past and would like to own those cards again.

    In the Very Short-Term

    Could there be a temporary policy until May to allow folks to pick up the welcome bonus on a small business card they closed over a year ago?  That sounds more suspect, but anything is possible.

    If you apply and are able to earn a bonus again on an AMEX card you’ve had in the past, please share your good news in the comments!

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)