When your American Express credit card anniversary date is approaching, you need to consider the annual fee. Is the card worth keeping? Even if it was a good decision before, your spending habits or travel style could have changed. That’s what happened with several of my American Express cards, and through my experiences, I learned an important lesson: how to avoid losing Membership Rewards points when canceling an AMEX card.
My Experience Canceling an AMEX Card
When I decided to cancel my American Express Business Gold card, I wasn’t sure what to expect when calling AMEX. I prepared myself for a long wait but when I called the number on the back of my card, I was speaking to a representative within a minute.
The agent I spoke with was among the nicest and most considerate phone reps I’ve ever encountered.
I confirmed that I wanted to cancel my card, and she asked why. I answered honestly:
- I wasn’t using the card.
- AMEX offers cards with better earning potential and lower annual fees.
She acknowledged that those were valid reasons and noted that I hadn’t been using the card over the past year. She also reassured me that AMEX wasn’t losing me as a client, just this particular card.
The Importance of Checking Membership Rewards Status
Then we got to the legal disclosures, and she mentioned that some of them might not apply to me since they involved the potential loss of Membership Rewards points. She paused for a second—I could almost hear her checking my account.
When she returned, she said, “Since you have another card that earns Membership Rewards and allows transfers to partners, you don’t have to worry. Your points are totally safe.”
This phone rep, who had no obligation to check if I was making a huge mistake, took the time to verify that I wouldn’t lose my points. That simple act of diligence saved me from potentially forfeiting my entire rewards balance, and I truly appreciated her for it.
AMEX’s Policy on Membership Rewards When Canceling a Card
If you cancel your last linked Membership Rewards-earning card, you will immediately lose all your Membership Rewards points. However, if you still have another eligible card that earns Membership Rewards and allows point transfers to travel partners, your points will remain safe.
Here are AMEX’s Rules for when you cancel your account:
When you cancel or unenroll your Product:
What happens to the points in your Rewards Account when you cancel or unenroll your Product from the Membership Rewards program depends on whether you keep another Product linked to your Rewards Account. You will immediately lose all of the points in your Rewards Account if you cancel or unenroll your last linked Product. However, if your last linked Product is a Corporate Card, you may be able to redeem points for up to 30 days after cancellation or unenrollment.
How to Protect Your Membership Rewards Points
Before canceling an AMEX card, ensure you have another Membership Rewards card open or use your points before making the call. If you’re considering a downgrade instead of outright canceling, keeping a low- or no-annual-fee Membership Rewards card (like the Green card) can be a smart move to protect your points.
When the rep finished the script, she asked if I still wanted to proceed. I confirmed, and just like that, my Business Gold card was gone. But thanks to her diligence, I knew my points were safe.
Final Thoughts
This experience was a valuable reminder: Always check your Membership Rewards situation before canceling an AMEX card. A quick call with a knowledgeable agent can make all the difference in keeping your hard-earned points.
Want to comment on this post? Great! Read this first to help ensure it gets approved.
Want to sponsor a post, write something for Your Mileage May Vary, or put ads on our site? Click here for more info.
Like this post? Please share it! We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and sign up to get emailed notifications of when we post.
Whether you’ve read our articles before or this is the first time you’re stopping by, we’re really glad you’re here and hope you come back to visit again!
This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
