In a move to provide additional coronavirus relief, Amex announced it will give its new cardholders extra time to earn the welcome bonus on credit cards. This announcement comes just a short while after the issuer began waiving late fees and interest for customers facing financial hardships due to the virus.
Typically, credit cards have a 3-month deadline in which the spending requirement must be met to earn a signup bonus. With travel coming to a near-halt and unemployment rates soaring, many new cardholders would lose out on one of the biggest perks of their Amex cards. Now, the issuer will provide an additional 3 months to meet this requirement on certain card offers.
Who is Eligible for the American Express Welcome Bonus Extension?
As a “welcome” bonus, Amex reserves credit card signup bonus offers for recently approved applicants. To determine who qualifies for this extension, the issuer established cut-off dates. Only applicants approved for cards between Dec. 1, 2019 and May 31, 2020 get the 3-month extension on spending requirements.
This means that applicants still waiting for approval may qualify, as long as they get approved by the end of May. Those who fall into this timeline have a total of 6 months to put purchases toward earning their signup bonuses.
Which Credit Card Signup Bonus Offers Qualify?
All Amex credit card offers with these bonuses qualify for the extension, including cobranded cards. Corporate cards are the only exceptions. This is especially beneficial for those who recently applied for the Platinum Card® and the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™.
Both of these American Express signup bonus offers usually require you to spend at least $5,000 in the first 3 months. That comes out to just over $1,660 in monthly spending. Now, cardholders can stretch that out to just over $830 per month. Smaller signup bonuses become even easier to meet, especially for those relying on their credit cards to get by now more than ever.
Related article: COVID-19 Credit Advice: Tips for Using Credit Cards During Coronavirus
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