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Katie has been in the points and miles game since 2015 and started her own blog in 2016. She’s been freelance writing since then and her work has been featured in publications like Travel + Leisure an...
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If you’re a frequent traveler, you probably have at least 1 or 2 great travel rewards credit cards in your wallet. You love the ability to earn valuable points that you can turn into flights and hotel stays — plus, you love all the perks that can come with some credit cards.
It’s only natural to tell your friends about the amazing benefits you get from this credit card, right? We bet some of your friends have even followed in your footsteps and applied for a card or 2 of their own.
Did you know you can earn bonus points the next time this happens? The American Express Refer a Friend program rewards you each time a friend applies and is approved for a credit card through your link.
This post will go over everything you need to know: how to use the American Express Refer a Friend program, who you can refer, plus some other tips and tricks to help you maximize your referrals.
What Is Refer a Friend?
The American Express Refer a Friend program is a way for you to be rewarded for spreading the word about a particular credit card.
You will get a unique link to share with your friends and family. When someone is approved for a credit card through that link, you will earn bonus points for your efforts!
Referring friends and family to your favorite credit cards is a great way to earn extra Membership Rewards points. Plus, these refer-a-friend bonuses are available on Amex’s co-branded cards, too.
Image Credit: American Express
Who Can You Refer?
These referral bonuses are intended for friends, family, and acquaintances only. The American Express website states that you “should not publish or distribute your referral links in locations where the audience is likely to include individuals you do not know or who may not be interested in an American Express Card.”
However, they also provide links to publish your referral links on your Facebook and Twitter pages.
When posting your referral link on third-party websites like social media, you are required to comply with that website’s terms of use, and you must disclose that you will receive a referral bonus for anyone who applies for and is approved for the card through your link.
Why You Might Not Get a Referral Bonus
There are some situations in which you won’t receive a referral bonus:
If the recipient has opted out of American Express emails and you have Amex send an email on your behalf (in this case, you should copy your referral link and send it to them directly through a personal email or text).
Your friend receives the link but does not apply through the link.
Your friend was not approved for the credit card they applied for.
Your account is past due — you won’t receive any referral bonuses if you aren’t up to date on your payments.
You have reached the maximum number of points you can receive through referrals.
Referral Bonuses Are Taxable
Yes, the points you receive from a referral bonus can be taxed. American Express may send you a 1099-MISC, which you are required to file with your taxes. The Membership Rewards points you earn through referral bonuses are valued at 1 cent per point for tax purposes.
How To Refer a Friend to an American Express Card [Step-by-Step]
There are a couple of ways to find referral links for your Amex credit cards.
After logging in, select the card you want to refer in the upper right corner.
Scroll down until you see the referral section above your recent transactions.
Click on the Refer Now button.
Offer captured on April 9, 2019, and may not be available to all applicants. Image Credit: American Express
Here, you can enter an email address, and Amex will send a referral email on your behalf — or you can copy your personalized referral link to send out.
Image Credit: American Express
American Express Refer a Friend Page
The Amex Refer a Friend landing page is a better option if you want more flexibility with your referrals since you can easily see all your referral opportunities.
You can automatically push your referral links out to Twitter and Facebook, plus you will be able to send referrals for credit cards you don’t personally have.
Next, you will see your American Express credit cards and the referral offers they come with. Scroll through all of your cards using the arrow to the right side of the screen.
Offer captured on April 25, 2022, and may not be available to all applicants. Image Credit: American Express
Each card you have will list the referral bonus you can receive, plus the welcome bonus your friend can earn. Keep in mind these bonuses may be different from the public offers available.
Once you see the card you want to send a referral for, scroll down to see your options. You can refer your friends in 2 ways: an Amex email or your personalized referral link.Image Credit: American Express
Once your friend is approved for a credit card through your referral link, you should see your bonus points within 8 to 12 weeks.
Bottom Line: You can refer a friend to an American Express card through an Amex-generated email or your personalized referral link.
How To Refer a Friend to an Amex Card You Don’t Have [Step-by-Step]
Here’s the cool thing about the American Express Refer a Friend program: you can earn a referral bonus for a credit card that you don’t have. This is a nice feature that’s different from the other major refer-a-friend program offered by Chase.
Find your personalized referral link through your American Express online account or the Amex Refer a Friend website.
Send your link to your friend.
When your friend clicks on your link, have them select View all Cards with a Referral Offer at the top left of the screen.
Image Credit: American Express
They will then see all of the other cards they can apply for using your referral code. As long as your friend sees Referral Offer by the credit card details, you are eligible for a referral bonus.
Offer captured on April 25, 2022, and may not be available to all applicants. Image Credit: American Express
Credit Card Families
When referring a friend to a co-branded credit card you don’t have, it still has to be in the same “family” of credit cards. So, what does that mean exactly?
For example, if you have the Hilton Honors American Express card, you can refer someone to that card as well as any of the other Hilton Amex cards — including premium cards like the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card. But you couldn’t refer someone to the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card because it’s in a separate family.
Family of American Express Delta SkyMiles Credit Cards:
If you are referring a friend to a Membership Rewards-earning credit card, you aren’t limited to only cards that earn Membership Rewards.
You will be able to refer someone to any of the co-branded cards, like the Delta, Hilton, and Marriott American Express cards, plus the following other credit cards from American Express:
*All information about these cards has been collected independently by Upgraded Points.
Bottom Line: You don’t have to have the specific card to refer a friend; you can refer a friend to any American Express card as long as you hold a card in that family of cards.
Credit Cards With Refer a Friend Bonuses
Here are just some of the current Amex Refer a Friend bonus offers available now. These are subject to change and can vary by credit card, so be sure to check your specific offers online.
Earn 20,000 Marriott Bonvoy points each time a friend is approved using your Marriott Bonvoy Business card referral.
Earn up to 55,000 points per calendar year.
There are also other Amex Cards that may come with a referral bonus.
Final Thoughts
It’s great to know you can be rewarded for sharing your favorite American Express credit cards with your friends. In addition to earning a referral bonus for the credit card you hold, you can also earn a bonus for any card in the same family of credit cards.
You can find your personalized referral link online, which you can send out to friends and family.
The information regarding the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the American Express Cash Magnet® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information for The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card has been independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Card, click here. For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, click here. For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, click here. For rates and fees of Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, click here. For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card, click here. For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card, click here. For rates and fees for the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, click here. For rates and fees of The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, click here. For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® card, click here. For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, click here. For rates and fees of The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, click here. For rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, click here. For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here. For rates and fees of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, click here. For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® from American Express, click here. For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, click here. For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, click here. For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here. For rates and fees of The Plum Card® from American Express, click here.
Featured Image Credit: Upgraded Points
Frequently Asked Questions
After a friend is approved for a credit card through your personalized referral link, you should see your bonus points post to your account within 8 to 12 weeks.
Referring a friend or family member to an American Express credit card is easy. You can find a link to your personalized referral code in your Amex account online, right above your recent transactions. Or you can visit the Amex refer a friend website to see all of your referral links.
Yes, as long as you have a card in the same family. Families of credit cards are typically cards that earn the same type of points. All Amex Delta cards are in the same family, for example. If you have a Delta American Express card, you can refer your friend to ANY Delta Amex card, not just the specific one you have.
Katie has been in the points and miles game since 2015 and started her own blog in 2016. She’s been freelance writing since then and her work has been featured in publications like Travel + Leisure and Forbes Advisor.
Disclaimer: Any comments listed below are not from the bank advertiser, nor have they been reviewed or approved by them. No responsibility will be taken by the bank advertiser for these comments.
58 comments
FLN
September 29, 2019
Hello – Thanks for the great article. I have a question about these referrals – I’ve had AMEX cards for decades and have referred a number of family and friends for Delta Skymiles cards and have been able to offer them the same bonuses as periodic special offers that frequently occur; however, when I try to refer from my business platinum card (current PUBLIC offer is 100,000 points), it only offers 50,000 plus additional 25,000 points to the person I’m referring to (i.e., 75,000), rather than the public 100,000 points offer.
Any ideas why this would be so? Is there any way to refer a friend and have them get the “public” limited time offer, either by calling AMEX or some other way?
Unfortunately, it is not possible to switch your referral offer to the current public offer. I would recommend you have your friend apply for the current public offer so that they don’t miss out on those extra points.
Thanks for reading!
Astonm
November 09, 2019
Does the referral also work for someone who has currently a partner card on my account? We have the blue cash preferred and spending way over $6000 at supermarkets. So instead of using a partner card we are thinking of opening a second CC account.
Yes, you can still refer this person to a new card.
PK
November 27, 2019
Do you know if I will still get the referral points if I product change my card after a friend’s application has been approved? What about before a friend even applies? I know with Chase it works in both cases since the referral is active for a month or two after the product change but I’m unsure about Amex. Thanks!
I would wager that you will likely still receive the referral points if you product change your card after your friend is approved, but I don’t think it’s likely that you’ll receive a referral if you change it before they apply.
Thanks for reading!
CS
December 10, 2019
Is the referral bonus tax just for membership points or also for statement credit such as the blue cash?
Most data points people have shared seemed to center around receiving a 1099 if they earned referral points in the form of Amex Membership Rewards, Hilton points, or Delta Sky Miles.
Syed
January 01, 2020
I am a new Amex Blue Cash Everyday card holder. I have using this card for 15 days. When I try to refer Amex card for my friend, the link says, “You are not eligible to access this referral offer at this time.” When/How will I be able to refer?
I cannot say definitively why you are unable to generate a referral link. For assistance with this, I recommend you contact American Express directly.
Thanks for reading!
Bartholomäus
January 29, 2020
Nice site.
Had a question. I have an AMEX platinum that will be coming up for the annual fee. I see that referrals can take 12 weeks. If someone applies today through my referral link and I close the card, what will happen?
They want a Delta card. Would I get MR or skymiles?
My fee will probably be assessed this week. Thanks
As long as they apply and are approved before you close the card then you should still receive the referral bonus. If you send them the referral through your Amex Platinum card then you will receive Membership Reward points no matter which card they decide to sign up for.
John S
January 31, 2020
Hi there,
A friend was approved but realized they applied directly on the site instead of my referral link (the opened a new window to read benefits). What are the chances Amex will link their application and give me the referral bonus if I called?
Hi John,
The chances are pretty slim, but it’s worth a try. Good Luck, and let us know if you get them to give you the referral bonus!
John M
March 09, 2020
I currently have a Gold Delta Amex and my father has the platinum version. He sent me a “Refer A Friend” link for the Platinum Delta Amex version, but when I click on the link the offer shown is for new customers who have never previously had a Delta Amex card. I know as an existing card holder the bonus to upgrade is much smaller than the brand new introductory bonus. I guess my question is, can I use his link to upgrade to the Platinum version and get a smaller sign up bonus while he receives refer a friend points too or is this not possible since I’m upgrading to a higher card as an existing Delta Amex card holder?
Are you receiving a pop up saying that you are not eligible for the sign-up bonus on the Delta Platinum card? This should not be the case, and you should still be able to receive the sign-up bonus on the Delta Platinum card since the Delta Gold and Delta Platinum cards are separate products.
Justin
August 10, 2020
I found the DP’s from one blog: If you have or had any Amex card (especially if it’s another card within the same line like Delta), and apply through a referral link, it has a much higher chance to trigger no bonus pop-up. If you just apply for a regular offer with a lower bonus, it won’t trigger any bonus pop-up unless there are other conditions that may trigger a pop-up. If you think about it, it’s very reasonable. I bet Amex wants you refer the cards to someone who never really knows about the product, not the one who already has multiple Amex cards and just wants more bonus points. I am sure there are exceptions for high $$ spending users. It seems Amex won’t care if you spend several thousands of dollars on AMEX cards every month.
ALEXANDRA E PETROVA
March 26, 2020
They have just reduced the reward to just 5,000 Membership Rewards® points for each approved referral.
Harry M Lothridge
June 20, 2020
I have gone through most AMEX Delta cards. With AMEX dropping earning miles for bonus thresholds, but adding MQM, I will be dropping all my (but one) Delta cards for regular AMEX cards. FYI I’m a million miler with Delta, and MQMs mean nothing to me. I want points. So I secured an AMEX Business Gold card. Then I referred my wife who received the offer which she will get an AMEX Gold card (groceries/dining 4 X points!!!). Finally to my question, can she refer (back to) me for a regular AMEX card with no alarm bells going off? I want a Platinum card. Thanks
1099’s are usually delivered in the year following, just as you usually receive your W2 for the previous year after the new year. Unless I am misunderstanding your question?
Mary Kanyingi
March 22, 2021
I’ve been trying to refer a friend but the referral email is not going through. Something is wrong with your referral website. I have been trying for 3 days.
We are not, nor do we represent, American Express. You’ll want to contact their customer service team directly for assistance with this. Their number is 1-800-528-4800.
Aries
March 26, 2021
My friend sent me the referral link through text and I clicked on the first “apply now” that I saw but when I applied it didn’t ask me anything about my friend or say anything in the approval email. How do I know if I properly applied so that he would get the referral points?
If you applied through the link that your friend sent you then he will get the referral points. Each referral link has a specific URL that lets Amex know who referred you.
Jesse
March 29, 2021
If I refer a friend to an Amex Card I don’t have (I have AMEX Plat, and my friend is applying for the Amex Gold) how do I know how much of a referral bonus I can receive if my friend is approved for the Amex Gold through my referral link?
The Amex website, or mobile app, should tell you how many points that you’ll earn if your friend is approved through your link.
For example, if your Amex Platinum card referral says “You can earn: 15,000 Membership Rewards® points for each approved referral – up to 55,000 Membership Rewards® points per calendar year.” Then you will earn 15,000 Membership Rewards points if your friend applies and is approved for the Amex Gold card, or any other Amex card, through your link.
Jay
April 25, 2021
So I have multiple AMEX cards. Can I get max of 55,000 referral bonus for each card? If I have PLAT, GOLD, and GREEN, can I get 55000 * 3 = 165,000 points?
Yes, that is correct. You can max out the referral offers on each card.
Matt
May 16, 2021
I am going to refer a friend on a particular card that gives them 65,000 points and myself 40,000. The normal sign-up bonus promotion for this card for someone to apply normally is to receive 120,000 Qantas points. Does the referral add 65,000 points to this, giving them a total of 185,000 points? Or does the referral void the promotional offer?
Yes, you should receive bonus points for referring your wife. Thanks for reading!
Gaurav
February 08, 2022
Would you know why the referral section has disappeared from my account? I could see the links a couple of days ago but when I went to send the link today it had vanished from my account.
I’m not sure why that would have happened. Have you contacted the Amex customer service team?
Gaurav
February 08, 2022
I did, they said wait a few days but I got the sense that they had no idea and were trying to fob me off. The offers disappeared from all the cards except her Marriott Business. I tried doing some research and it seems like about a year ago people who had self referred lost referral links but that is not the case here…
Also FYI, the americanexpress.com/refer doesn’t seem to be working for me.
thribhuvan
March 21, 2022
Does your credit limit depend on whom I was referred by? If I was referred by someone who has a higher credit limit, is there a chance I’ll get a high limit?
The credit limit you receive should have nothing to do with who you are referred by. Your credit limit is determined by your credit score, your stated income, years of credit history, amount of credit already extended to you, and other factors.
nicola
April 21, 2022
If I am an authorized user on my parent’s Amex account, can they still refer me and receive the bonus if I apply for my own account?
Yes, you can still receive the bonus even if you are currently an authorized user.
kayexelate
August 18, 2022
I have both the AMEX gold and platinum personal cards. I have already referred 2 friends for the gold card and received 30k for one person and I assume 25k for the other person (since it’s 55k max).
When I try to generate a referral link for the platinum card (so I can maximize my bonus referrals), it still only shows the gold card referral link. I know that the recipient can click on the link and choose another card like the platinum card, but will that still link back to my gold card and limit my bonus MR points to 55k?
Yes, if only the gold card is showing it will count against your 55k limit for that card.
Jim Worrall
August 31, 2022
Great article but I’m unclear about one thing. The article states you can only refer others to a card in the same family as your current card(s). However, this appears to be contradicted by the following:
“If you are referring a friend to a Membership Rewards-earning credit card, you aren’t limited to only cards that earn Membership Rewards.
You will be able to refer someone to any of the Delta, Hilton, and Marriott American Express cards, plus …”
My card is in the Membership Rewards family. Can I refer someone to a Hilton card and receive a referral bonus. Thank you.
A time sensitive question for these last days of the year. How does the 55000k yearly limit work? Does the referred application approval date counts or does the day that the referrer bonus post?
Asking to see if I refer someone and get approved today, the bonus will post to my account sometime in 2023. does the referral bonus counts toward my 2022 cap or 2023?
The yearly limit should be based on the approval date of the person you referred.
Jeremy
February 22, 2023
Hi! Do the referral links work for upgrade offers within a family of cards or only new card applications? The person being referred understands that new applications are more lucrative, but prefers the simplicity of upgrading. Thanks.
As far as I know, referral link do not work for upgrade offers.
Jeremy
February 23, 2023
Thank you Jarrod, appreciate it!
Jonathan
March 28, 2023
If you refer a friend and they are not eligible for the new account welcome bonus but they are approved for and open the new account. Does the referrer still receive the referral bonus?
Currently both my Platinum and Gold card show a max of 100,000 referral bonus points per calendar year. I have hit my 100,000 referral bonus from referring my Platinum card this year. My question is, is the 100,000 across ALL Amex cards, per calendar year? Or per card referral? I ask because I also show a 100,000 referral bonus for my Gold card, but have never referred that specific card. I have received conflicting answers from Amex representatives. One rep told me the 100,000 bonus is total, across the board, per calendar year, and the other rep told me it’s 100,000 per card, per calendar year. The latter sounds overly generous. Thoughts?
The second rep was correct, it is per card, per calendar year.
Pat
May 22, 2023
Amex chat can’t give me a straight answer, even after a bunch of LOCA (log off chat again). I’ve the Amex Hilton personal. I want to get P2 Hilton Business. I believe I can send Hilton personal referral, P2 can sign up for Business card, and I’d get 20k Hilton points. Amex chat is saying nope (but they can’t seem to understand what I’m trying to do – use a personal Hilton referral for a business Hilton signup). But it got me thinking. Can I send my 25k Amex Bus Plat referral, have P2 then signup/jump to another family ~Membership rewards referral signing up for a Hilton card? Above you mention you’ve got to stay within the family – makes sense. But they you write: If you are referring a friend to a Membership Rewards-earning credit card, you aren’t limited to only cards that earn Membership Rewards.
You will be able to refer someone to any of the co-branded cards, like the Delta, Hilton, and Marriott American Express cards, plus the following other credit cards from American Express:
Hi Pat. I have sent referrals from one Amex branded card (Amex Platinum card, for example),the person signed up for the Hilton Honors Aspire card, and I received the referral bonus. I was sent a referral from an Amex Platinum card and signed up for the Amex Green card and the person who referred me got the bonus, so it can be done.
Any thoughts or questions? Comment below!
Email needed if you'd like comment updates. It will NOT be published.
This bonus value is an estimated valuation calculated by UP after analyzing redemption options, transfer partners, award availability and how much UP would pay to buy these points.
![The American Express Refer a Friend Program [Earn 50,000+ Points Every Year]](https://upgradedpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Amex-Platinum-Amex-Business-Platinum-Amex-Gold-Laptop-Upgraded-Points-LLC.jpg?auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=1420&height=650&fit=crop)
58 comments
FLN
September 29, 2019
Hello – Thanks for the great article. I have a question about these referrals – I’ve had AMEX cards for decades and have referred a number of family and friends for Delta Skymiles cards and have been able to offer them the same bonuses as periodic special offers that frequently occur; however, when I try to refer from my business platinum card (current PUBLIC offer is 100,000 points), it only offers 50,000 plus additional 25,000 points to the person I’m referring to (i.e., 75,000), rather than the public 100,000 points offer.
Any ideas why this would be so? Is there any way to refer a friend and have them get the “public” limited time offer, either by calling AMEX or some other way?
Jarrod West
September 29, 2019
Hi FLN,
Unfortunately, it is not possible to switch your referral offer to the current public offer. I would recommend you have your friend apply for the current public offer so that they don’t miss out on those extra points.
Thanks for reading!
Astonm
November 09, 2019
Does the referral also work for someone who has currently a partner card on my account? We have the blue cash preferred and spending way over $6000 at supermarkets. So instead of using a partner card we are thinking of opening a second CC account.
Jarrod West
November 11, 2019
Hi Astonm,
Yes, you can still refer this person to a new card.
PK
November 27, 2019
Do you know if I will still get the referral points if I product change my card after a friend’s application has been approved? What about before a friend even applies? I know with Chase it works in both cases since the referral is active for a month or two after the product change but I’m unsure about Amex. Thanks!
Jarrod West
November 27, 2019
Hi PK,
I would wager that you will likely still receive the referral points if you product change your card after your friend is approved, but I don’t think it’s likely that you’ll receive a referral if you change it before they apply.
Thanks for reading!
CS
December 10, 2019
Is the referral bonus tax just for membership points or also for statement credit such as the blue cash?
Jarrod West
December 11, 2019
Hi CS,
Most data points people have shared seemed to center around receiving a 1099 if they earned referral points in the form of Amex Membership Rewards, Hilton points, or Delta Sky Miles.
Syed
January 01, 2020
I am a new Amex Blue Cash Everyday card holder. I have using this card for 15 days. When I try to refer Amex card for my friend, the link says, “You are not eligible to access this referral offer at this time.” When/How will I be able to refer?
Jarrod West
January 02, 2020
Hi Syed,
I cannot say definitively why you are unable to generate a referral link. For assistance with this, I recommend you contact American Express directly.
Thanks for reading!
Bartholomäus
January 29, 2020
Nice site.
Had a question. I have an AMEX platinum that will be coming up for the annual fee. I see that referrals can take 12 weeks. If someone applies today through my referral link and I close the card, what will happen?
They want a Delta card. Would I get MR or skymiles?
My fee will probably be assessed this week. Thanks
Jarrod West
January 29, 2020
Hi Bartholomaus,
As long as they apply and are approved before you close the card then you should still receive the referral bonus. If you send them the referral through your Amex Platinum card then you will receive Membership Reward points no matter which card they decide to sign up for.
John S
January 31, 2020
Hi there,
A friend was approved but realized they applied directly on the site instead of my referral link (the opened a new window to read benefits). What are the chances Amex will link their application and give me the referral bonus if I called?
Katie Seemann
January 31, 2020
Hi John,
The chances are pretty slim, but it’s worth a try. Good Luck, and let us know if you get them to give you the referral bonus!
John M
March 09, 2020
I currently have a Gold Delta Amex and my father has the platinum version. He sent me a “Refer A Friend” link for the Platinum Delta Amex version, but when I click on the link the offer shown is for new customers who have never previously had a Delta Amex card. I know as an existing card holder the bonus to upgrade is much smaller than the brand new introductory bonus. I guess my question is, can I use his link to upgrade to the Platinum version and get a smaller sign up bonus while he receives refer a friend points too or is this not possible since I’m upgrading to a higher card as an existing Delta Amex card holder?
Jarrod West
March 10, 2020
Hi John,
Are you receiving a pop up saying that you are not eligible for the sign-up bonus on the Delta Platinum card? This should not be the case, and you should still be able to receive the sign-up bonus on the Delta Platinum card since the Delta Gold and Delta Platinum cards are separate products.
Justin
August 10, 2020
I found the DP’s from one blog: If you have or had any Amex card (especially if it’s another card within the same line like Delta), and apply through a referral link, it has a much higher chance to trigger no bonus pop-up. If you just apply for a regular offer with a lower bonus, it won’t trigger any bonus pop-up unless there are other conditions that may trigger a pop-up. If you think about it, it’s very reasonable. I bet Amex wants you refer the cards to someone who never really knows about the product, not the one who already has multiple Amex cards and just wants more bonus points. I am sure there are exceptions for high $$ spending users. It seems Amex won’t care if you spend several thousands of dollars on AMEX cards every month.
ALEXANDRA E PETROVA
March 26, 2020
They have just reduced the reward to just 5,000 Membership Rewards® points for each approved referral.
Harry M Lothridge
June 20, 2020
I have gone through most AMEX Delta cards. With AMEX dropping earning miles for bonus thresholds, but adding MQM, I will be dropping all my (but one) Delta cards for regular AMEX cards. FYI I’m a million miler with Delta, and MQMs mean nothing to me. I want points. So I secured an AMEX Business Gold card. Then I referred my wife who received the offer which she will get an AMEX Gold card (groceries/dining 4 X points!!!). Finally to my question, can she refer (back to) me for a regular AMEX card with no alarm bells going off? I want a Platinum card. Thanks
Jarrod West
June 20, 2020
Hi Harry,
Yes, your wife can refer you for an Amex card, even if you referred her originally. It is self-referrals that Amex is cracking down on.
Thanks for reading!
Eric Lipkind
February 04, 2021
Anybody seen 1099s for 2020 issued in 2021?
Jarrod West
February 04, 2021
Hi Eric,
1099’s are usually delivered in the year following, just as you usually receive your W2 for the previous year after the new year. Unless I am misunderstanding your question?
Mary Kanyingi
March 22, 2021
I’ve been trying to refer a friend but the referral email is not going through. Something is wrong with your referral website. I have been trying for 3 days.
Jarrod West
March 22, 2021
Hi Mary,
We are not, nor do we represent, American Express. You’ll want to contact their customer service team directly for assistance with this. Their number is 1-800-528-4800.
Aries
March 26, 2021
My friend sent me the referral link through text and I clicked on the first “apply now” that I saw but when I applied it didn’t ask me anything about my friend or say anything in the approval email. How do I know if I properly applied so that he would get the referral points?
Jarrod West
March 26, 2021
Hi Aries,
If you applied through the link that your friend sent you then he will get the referral points. Each referral link has a specific URL that lets Amex know who referred you.
Jesse
March 29, 2021
If I refer a friend to an Amex Card I don’t have (I have AMEX Plat, and my friend is applying for the Amex Gold) how do I know how much of a referral bonus I can receive if my friend is approved for the Amex Gold through my referral link?
Jarrod West
March 29, 2021
Hi Jesse,
The Amex website, or mobile app, should tell you how many points that you’ll earn if your friend is approved through your link.
For example, if your Amex Platinum card referral says “You can earn: 15,000 Membership Rewards® points for each approved referral – up to 55,000 Membership Rewards® points per calendar year.” Then you will earn 15,000 Membership Rewards points if your friend applies and is approved for the Amex Gold card, or any other Amex card, through your link.
Jay
April 25, 2021
So I have multiple AMEX cards. Can I get max of 55,000 referral bonus for each card? If I have PLAT, GOLD, and GREEN, can I get 55000 * 3 = 165,000 points?
Jarrod West
April 26, 2021
Hi Jay,
Yes, that is correct. You can max out the referral offers on each card.
Matt
May 16, 2021
I am going to refer a friend on a particular card that gives them 65,000 points and myself 40,000. The normal sign-up bonus promotion for this card for someone to apply normally is to receive 120,000 Qantas points. Does the referral add 65,000 points to this, giving them a total of 185,000 points? Or does the referral void the promotional offer?
Jarrod West
May 17, 2021
Hi Matt,
The referral would void the promotional offer, and your friend would receive just 65,000 points when using your link.
arthur J Arlotta
September 09, 2021
I referred my wife to the Amex Hilton credit card. Am I entitled to bonus miles?
Jarrod West
September 09, 2021
Hi Arthur,
Yes, you should receive bonus points for referring your wife. Thanks for reading!
Gaurav
February 08, 2022
Would you know why the referral section has disappeared from my account? I could see the links a couple of days ago but when I went to send the link today it had vanished from my account.
Jarrod West
February 08, 2022
Hi Gaurav,
I’m not sure why that would have happened. Have you contacted the Amex customer service team?
Gaurav
February 08, 2022
I did, they said wait a few days but I got the sense that they had no idea and were trying to fob me off. The offers disappeared from all the cards except her Marriott Business. I tried doing some research and it seems like about a year ago people who had self referred lost referral links but that is not the case here…
Also FYI, the americanexpress.com/refer doesn’t seem to be working for me.
thribhuvan
March 21, 2022
Does your credit limit depend on whom I was referred by? If I was referred by someone who has a higher credit limit, is there a chance I’ll get a high limit?
Jarrod West
March 21, 2022
Hi Thribhuvan,
The credit limit you receive should have nothing to do with who you are referred by. Your credit limit is determined by your credit score, your stated income, years of credit history, amount of credit already extended to you, and other factors.
nicola
April 21, 2022
If I am an authorized user on my parent’s Amex account, can they still refer me and receive the bonus if I apply for my own account?
Jarrod West
April 25, 2022
Hi Nicola,
Yes, you can still receive the bonus even if you are currently an authorized user.
kayexelate
August 18, 2022
I have both the AMEX gold and platinum personal cards. I have already referred 2 friends for the gold card and received 30k for one person and I assume 25k for the other person (since it’s 55k max).
When I try to generate a referral link for the platinum card (so I can maximize my bonus referrals), it still only shows the gold card referral link. I know that the recipient can click on the link and choose another card like the platinum card, but will that still link back to my gold card and limit my bonus MR points to 55k?
Jarrod West
August 22, 2022
Hi Kayexelate,
Yes, if only the gold card is showing it will count against your 55k limit for that card.
Jim Worrall
August 31, 2022
Great article but I’m unclear about one thing. The article states you can only refer others to a card in the same family as your current card(s). However, this appears to be contradicted by the following:
“If you are referring a friend to a Membership Rewards-earning credit card, you aren’t limited to only cards that earn Membership Rewards.
You will be able to refer someone to any of the Delta, Hilton, and Marriott American Express cards, plus …”
My card is in the Membership Rewards family. Can I refer someone to a Hilton card and receive a referral bonus. Thank you.
Jarrod West
September 01, 2022
Hi Jim,
Yes you sure can!
HG
November 13, 2022
Can you refer same person to both amex platinum and amex gold to qualify for bonus on each card? Even though they are from same family?
Jarrod West
November 14, 2022
Hi HG,
Yes, that is allowed.
Reza
December 28, 2022
A time sensitive question for these last days of the year. How does the 55000k yearly limit work? Does the referred application approval date counts or does the day that the referrer bonus post?
Asking to see if I refer someone and get approved today, the bonus will post to my account sometime in 2023. does the referral bonus counts toward my 2022 cap or 2023?
Jarrod West
December 30, 2022
Hi Reza,
The yearly limit should be based on the approval date of the person you referred.
Jeremy
February 22, 2023
Hi! Do the referral links work for upgrade offers within a family of cards or only new card applications? The person being referred understands that new applications are more lucrative, but prefers the simplicity of upgrading. Thanks.
Jarrod West
February 23, 2023
Hi Jeremy,
As far as I know, referral link do not work for upgrade offers.
Jeremy
February 23, 2023
Thank you Jarrod, appreciate it!
Jonathan
March 28, 2023
If you refer a friend and they are not eligible for the new account welcome bonus but they are approved for and open the new account. Does the referrer still receive the referral bonus?
Jarrod West
March 28, 2023
Hi Jonathan,
Yes, you should still receive the referral bonus.
Mare
April 17, 2023
Currently both my Platinum and Gold card show a max of 100,000 referral bonus points per calendar year. I have hit my 100,000 referral bonus from referring my Platinum card this year. My question is, is the 100,000 across ALL Amex cards, per calendar year? Or per card referral? I ask because I also show a 100,000 referral bonus for my Gold card, but have never referred that specific card. I have received conflicting answers from Amex representatives. One rep told me the 100,000 bonus is total, across the board, per calendar year, and the other rep told me it’s 100,000 per card, per calendar year. The latter sounds overly generous. Thoughts?
Jarrod West
April 17, 2023
Hi Mare,
The second rep was correct, it is per card, per calendar year.
Pat
May 22, 2023
Amex chat can’t give me a straight answer, even after a bunch of LOCA (log off chat again). I’ve the Amex Hilton personal. I want to get P2 Hilton Business. I believe I can send Hilton personal referral, P2 can sign up for Business card, and I’d get 20k Hilton points. Amex chat is saying nope (but they can’t seem to understand what I’m trying to do – use a personal Hilton referral for a business Hilton signup). But it got me thinking. Can I send my 25k Amex Bus Plat referral, have P2 then signup/jump to another family ~Membership rewards referral signing up for a Hilton card? Above you mention you’ve got to stay within the family – makes sense. But they you write: If you are referring a friend to a Membership Rewards-earning credit card, you aren’t limited to only cards that earn Membership Rewards.
You will be able to refer someone to any of the co-branded cards, like the Delta, Hilton, and Marriott American Express cards, plus the following other credit cards from American Express:
Christine Krzyszton
May 22, 2023
Hi Pat. I have sent referrals from one Amex branded card (Amex Platinum card, for example),the person signed up for the Hilton Honors Aspire card, and I received the referral bonus. I was sent a referral from an Amex Platinum card and signed up for the Amex Green card and the person who referred me got the bonus, so it can be done.
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