One of the easiest ways to earn a big stash of points or miles is by grabbing a strong sign-up bonus. Apply, hit the minimum spend, collect the rewards, repeat (responsibly).
But in real life, sign-up bonuses aren’t always available — or they’re not available to you, even if the offer looks great on paper.
Why sign-up bonuses don’t always work out
There are plenty of reasons you might not be able (or might not want) to go after a new-card welcome offer:
- You’ve had the card before. With American Express, that can be a problem thanks to the “once per lifetime” style language that often makes you ineligible for a welcome bonus on the same product.
- You get the dreaded “you can have the card, but not the bonus” message. Sometimes Amex will let you apply, but warns you that you won’t receive the welcome offer if you proceed.
- The timing just isn’t right. Maybe you’re spacing out new accounts, protecting your credit profile, or you’ve got another major application (mortgage, car loan, etc.) coming soon.
- You don’t want to open a brand-new account. Even if you’re approved, it’s still a new line, a new card number, and one more account to manage.
- The “best” offer isn’t available right now. If you know the public offer swings up and down, you may not want to jump on a mediocre bonus.
So what happens if you still want better benefits — but a sign-up bonus isn’t in the cards?
The underrated Plan B: upgrade offers
This is where American Express upgrade offers can shine.
If you already have an Amex card in a family (Delta, Hilton, Marriott, etc.), Amex will sometimes target you with an offer to upgrade to a higher-tier version. And occasionally, those offers come with a bonus for making the switch.
Not every upgrade offer is a good one. Some are basically just an upsell: “Pay a higher annual fee and get more perks.” But when the upgrade comes with a meaningful bonus, it can be an easy way to earn points without opening a new account.
My example: upgrading my legacy Marriott Bonvoy Amex to the Brilliant
I recently took advantage of an upgrade offer to move from my legacy Marriott Bonvoy American Express card to the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant.
Here were the terms of my upgrade offer:
- 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points after upgrading and spending $6,000 in purchases on the new card within the first 6 months.
- 1 bonus Free Night Award after spending an additional $3,000 in purchases on the new card within the first 6 months.
- The bonus Free Night Award had a redemption level of up to 85,000 points at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels (and yes, some hotels may still charge resort/destination fees).
- Annual fee: $650.
- Additional Cards: There was no annual fee for additional Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant cards on the account.
So why did I upgrade right then instead of waiting?
Simple: I had an upcoming Marriott stay where I needed more points, and the 85,000-point upgrade bonus would get me there much faster than earning points the old-fashioned way. I was already considering the Brilliant for the premium benefits, but needing those points for a real, near-term redemption pushed this from “maybe later” to “okay, let’s do it.”
Want the full breakdown? I went into the details (and why I was on the fence at first) in this post:
Targeted Offer: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant (and that $650 fee).
How the upgrade process worked (step-by-step)
In my case, the entire process was surprisingly straightforward because I was targeted for the offer in two places:
- Inside my American Express online account
- By email
Once I clicked through, Amex walked me through a short two-step verification process before I could request the upgrade.
Step 1: Confirm the invitation
The first screen asked for an RSVP/invitation code (from the email) and the last four digits of my Social Security number.
Step 2: Authenticate the card
Next, I had to enter the 4-digit Card Identification Number (CID) from my current card to confirm it was really me.
Final: A few clicks, then approval
After that, it was basically: confirm personal info, confirm card details, accept the terms, submit.
Then I got the approval notice.
Why upgrades can be so convenient
Here’s the part I really liked: with an upgrade, you’re not starting from scratch.
Amex explained it clearly on the upgrade flow: your login information, account history, and credit limit remain the same, and you keep the same account (and in my case, the same overall setup) — you receive the new physical card.
In practical terms, that meant:
- We could keep using our existing cards immediately while waiting for the new ones to arrive.
- Sharon is an authorized user on the account, and the upgrade flow showed that additional card members would be upgraded too.
- We could start working on the spending requirement right away.
- Our account was updated to show the new card image in Apple Wallet the next day.
And since the Brilliant is a premium card, Amex shipped the new cards to us via FedEx. We received them within four days — although in a funny twist, they shipped the cards separately, and my card arrived two days before Sharon’s.
Not all “upgrade offers” are created equal
Amex loves sending upgrade offers — and if you have a few Amex cards, you’ll probably see them pop up pretty regularly.
For example, I get an offer every month or so nudging me to upgrade to the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business card. One version I’ve seen includes an incentive like:
- 30,000 bonus miles + $100 statement credit after spending $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months.
On paper, that looks decent — but when you do the math, it’s not exactly a “drop everything and do it” kind of offer.
If you value SkyMiles at roughly 1 cent per point, 30,000 miles is about $300 in value. Add the $100 statement credit and you’re at roughly $400 back for $6,000 in spending.
Sure, that’s not nothing. But it’s also not amazing when you consider what $6,000 of spend could earn elsewhere. With other Amex cards, you can often earn rewards at a higher return and then transfer those points to Delta later (yes, with the small excise tax offset fee Amex charges on some transfers).
More importantly, I’m happy with the Delta Gold business card right now. And if I ever decide I want the Platinum version, I’d probably apply separately because I’ve never had that card — and I’d want a shot at a full sign-up bonus instead of an upgrade bonus.
On the flip side, some upgrade “offers” aren’t really offers at all. Sharon often sees an upsell from the Hilton Surpass to the Aspire that’s basically just: “Here are the perks if you pay a higher annual fee.” No bonus. No spend incentive. Nothing extra for upgrading.
Those are easy to ignore unless you already planned to upgrade anyway.
Reasons you might want to upgrade an Amex card
Upgrading can make sense when the higher-tier card gives you something you’ll actually use, such as:
- Better benefits (travel protections, credits, lounge access, etc.)
- Elite status with a hotel/airline program
- A better free night certificate (or a certificate with a higher cap)
- Statement credits that you can reliably use every year
- Better earning rates on the categories you actually spend in
- An upgrade bonus that makes the timing a no-brainer
Before you upgrade: a quick reality check
Upgrade offers can be great, but it’s still worth doing a quick checklist before you click “accept”:
- Can you hit the spend requirement comfortably? (Without buying stuff you wouldn’t normally buy.)
- Do the annual-fee math. If the fee is higher, are you realistically going to use the benefits that justify it?
- Are you giving up a better welcome offer later? If you’ve never had the higher-tier card before, upgrading now may mean you miss the chance to apply later and earn the full new-card bonus.
- Check the timing on benefits and credits. Some perks are annual, some are monthly, some reset by calendar year — and timing can matter.
How to see if you’re eligible for an upgrade
If you want to upgrade an Amex card, you’ve got a few options:
- Check your online account for targeted upgrade offers tied to your card
- Keep an eye on your email (that’s where many targeted offers show up)
- Call the number on the back of your card and ask if any upgrade options are available
American Express also has a helpful explainer here: How to upgrade a credit card
What about downgrading?
Upgrades can be as simple as clicking a targeted link. Downgrades… not so much.
In my experience, if you want to downgrade an Amex card, it almost always requires calling the number on the back of the card to see what your options are.
Final thought
Sign-up bonuses get the spotlight, and they’re still the fastest way to earn a big haul. But upgrade offers can be a genuinely useful Plan B — especially when you want better benefits and you’re either not eligible for a welcome offer, or you just don’t want to open a new account right now.
The key is to treat upgrades like anything else in the points-and-miles world: read the terms, do the math, and make sure you’re upgrading because it helps you — not because Amex put a shiny button in your account.
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