If you are an American Express Platinum Travel card member in India and would like to save on your annual renewal fee, this article will guide you through my experience of getting a 50% waiver and paying the remaining amount by using Membership Reward Points.
A few weeks prior to when my renewal date was due, I had an invitation from Amex to forego 50% of the Platinum Travel Card’s annual fee. The other 50% could be paid out of Membership Reward Points. I was told at the time that approximately 11,800 points would be needed to pay for the balance.
But as the due date of the payment neared, I called up Amex customer care again just to confirm that everything was fine. To my astonishment, I was told that the waiver could now be paid with only 10,000 points and not 11.8k. Of course, I did that.
After the post statement generation, the total annual fee (GST included) was posted to my account. I contacted Amex to get to the bottom of the difference, and the representative assured me that the 10,000 points had already been deducted, but the reversal of the fee is a manual process, so it takes time to be posted.
Even though the agent told me I could pay the remaining bill excluding the annual fee, I decided to pay the entire bill in advance to ensure I didn’t lose any interest or delay. I didn’t want to incur a late fee or jeopardize my credit history.
Refund and Final Outcome
As promised, in a matter of business days, the reversal was executed and reflected in my account. I was refunded ₹5,450, including the paid GST.
As a whole, the process was seamless and clear. If you’re renewing your Amex Platinum Travel card, it’s worth getting in touch with customer service you may qualify for a waiver or at least a pro-rated fee reduction based on your points. And if the fee does appear on your bill, don’t worry simply follow up for manual reversal.
This is a great example of maximizing the value of your reward points, especially for premium cards like Amex. Just make sure to stay proactive, communicate clearly with Amex support, and keep track of the changes.