Amex has been bending over backwards lately to encourage me to keep my Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) business credit card open.
I had been set to cancel the card when the annual fee went up from $65 per year to $95.
But American Express has been wooing me back with special offers.
First, I received a targeted offer for 5,000 bonus points if I spent $5000 on the card, and 10,000 bonus points if I spend $10,000.
Ordinarily, those spending thresholds would be far out of reach.
But thanks to a number of concurrent Amex Offers, that provide statement credits for purchases at popular vendors, such as Staples and Home Depot, I hope to qualify for these bonus points.
Amex SPG Surprise Retention Bonus
Amex is reluctant to waive the annual fee on their SPG credit cards, but it never hurts to ask!
In my case, after talking to a customer service representative, I was transferred to a “loyalty representative.”
The second representative offered me a $25 statement credit if I agreed to keep my credit card account open. That doesn’t bring the annual fee down to the original $65, but it is close.
I believe I can more than offset the $70 fee with rebates via “Amex Offers,” but it remains to be seen what the offers will be in the coming months. I can usually take advantage of offers for pet food or groceries, and Amex has has been pushing a number of travel offers lately.
Have you snagged a retention bonus for an Amex card?
Remember, it never hurts to ask!