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If you missed the news, Amex announced a Biz Plat devaluation. Starting January 1st, 2020, the 10 GoGo passes, Boingo, WeWork, and roadside assistance benefits will end. Pretty much everyone and their mother pronounced the Amex Biz Plat dead.
Really?
Let’s be honest, aside from GoGo ( that loss hurts ) were THAT many people actually using Boingo, WeWork, and the roadside assistance so much that it’s a massive loss? I’d argue not. Certainly not for me. In fact, a lot of people were complaining that they really didn’t get great use out of Gogo because their flights weren’t equipped ( hello Southwest ) or as I’ve experienced, fly on planes that have been upgraded to Satellite wifi and therefore couldn’t redeem.
For the record, I burn through them quite quickly and easily saved $200+, but the relationship is over and we must look forward.
I have a feeling Amex will introduce additional benefits before 1/1/2020 and here are 3 that I’d like to see happen that I don’t feel are preposterous.
$179+ Clear membership credit
This would mimic what Amex did with the Green card, but instead of a $100, it would completely reimburse one person for a full year ( assuming they have a Delta account ).
$200-$250 travel credit without incidental fee limitations
This would be on par with Chase Reserve and Citi Prestige and be a great step in the right direction for cardmembers. I’d be excited even if the fee stayed the same, but travel was categorized in the same way as the new Amex Green. It would be a clean credit. If they wanted to make a splash…up it a bit.
5x in top two categories, up to $300k
Amex Biz Gold already offers 4x on the following categories up to $150k
- U.S. purchases for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio)
- U.S. purchases made directly from select technology providers of computer hardware, software, and cloud solutions
- U.S. purchases at gas stations
- U.S. purchases at restaurants
- U.S. purchases for shipping
Add travel to the list with the same categorization as the new Amex Green and make it 5x – everything changes. Like the earth shifts on its axis, Browns win the superbowl, and kale tastes good kind of changes.
In fact, if Amex Biz Plat were to offer 5x on even one selected category it would set a new precedent and become the best business card in anyone’s wallet. Top 2…done deal.
Adding 1 extra point, travel, and doubling the limit would easily justify the higher annual fee compared to the Biz Gold IMO. If you spend in excess of the $300k it would also justify keeping an Amex biz gold in which you could earn 4x on two more categories up to $150k.
A bonus 4th? Up the referral bonuses to 110k
The Chase Ink Business Preferred allows referrals up to 100k a year when most other Chase UR cards are capped at 50k. Why would Amex not double the max referral amount on their most expensive card offering? The ability to earn more referral points helps to offset the annual fee when benefits are decreased, plus referrals points are far cheaper to Amex than other means of marketing…I’d assume.
What would you like to see Amex Biz Platinum add as benefits?
Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Welcome Offer
60k Points after $4k spend in 3 months
Annual Fee
$95
Points Earned
Transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 60k points after $4k spend in 3 months
- Worth $750 in Chase Travel℠ and way more if you maximize transfer partners
- 5x on all travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3x on dining, including eligible delivery services for takeout & dining out
- 3x on select streaming services
- 3x on online grocery purchases
- (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
- $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit via Chase Travel℠
- The begins immediately for new cardmembers and after your account anniversary for existing cardmembers
- 2x on all other travel
- 10% Anniversary Bonus
- Every year you keep the card, your total spend will yield a 10% points bonus. If you spend $10k in a year, you’ll get 1k bonus points
- Chase Sapphire Preferred continues to redeem at 1.25c in the Chase Travel℠ and the slew of other benefits remain in tact including Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver ( primary ), purchase protections, etc.
- Points are transferrable to 14 Ultimate Rewards partners
- Redeem in Chase Travel℠ for 1.25 cents per point
- No foreign transaction fees
- Suite of Travel and Purchase Coverage
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver is my favorite
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024
- $95 Annual Fee
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists the best ever offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Historically 80k is a very, very good offer and hit in both 2022 and 2023. In 2021, we saw the offer hit an all time high of 100k. Who knows if that will ever come back.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® is exceptional starter card and offers transferrable Ultimate Rewards, and pairs well with other Chase cards.
If you carry this card alongside Chase’s cashback cards like the Chase Freedom Flex℠and Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the business versions: Ink Business Cash® , Ink Business Unlimited® you can combine the points into Preferred account and transfer into hotel and airline partners
Annual fee is quite low at $95 a year + you get a 10% anniversary bonus on points + $50 hotel credit in Chase travel.
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