Introduction

Amex has always had strict rules about receiving welcome bonuses on their cards. Officially, you can only receive a welcome bonus on each Amex card once in a lifetime. In practice, this "lifetime" is more like once every seven years. Recently, Amex has tightened these rules further, especially within certain card families. To maximize your chances of earning multiple bonuses, you need to be strategic about how you apply for these cards. Let's dive into the details.

Amex Has Added Family Rules to Many of Their Cards

Amex has introduced new terms for several cards, stating that even if you’ve never had a particular card, you might still be ineligible for a welcome bonus if you received a bonus on a similar card within the same family.

For example, the new terms for the American Express® Gold Card state:

“You may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer if you have or have had this Card, the Premier Rewards Gold Card, the Platinum Card®, the Platinum Card® from American Express Exclusively for Charles Schwab, the Platinum Card® from American Express Exclusively for Morgan Stanley, or previous versions of these Cards. You also may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer based on various factors, such as your history with credit card balance transfers, your history as an American Express Card Member, the number of credit cards that you have opened and closed, and other factors. If you are not eligible for a welcome offer, we will notify you prior to processing your application so you have the option to withdraw your application.”

The New Rules

Here’s a breakdown of the new rules for different Amex card families:

Delta Cards Family

• Delta Platinum: You’re not eligible for the welcome offer if you’ve had the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card or Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card.
• Delta Gold: You’re not eligible for the welcome offer if you’ve had the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, or Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card.
• Delta Blue: You’re not eligible for the welcome offer if you’ve had the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card, Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, or Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card.

Gold/Platinum Cards Family

• Gold Card: You’re not eligible for the welcome offer if you’ve had the American Express® Gold Card or any of The Platinum Card® From American Express (including Morgan Stanley Amex Platinum or The American Express Platinum Card for Schwab).
• Platinum Card: You’re not eligible for the welcome offer if you’ve had The Platinum Card® From American Express, Morgan Stanley Amex Platinum, or The American Express Platinum Card for Schwab.

Blue Cash Cards Family

• Blue Cash Everyday: You’re not eligible for the welcome offer if you’ve had the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, Cash Magnet Card, Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, or the Morgan Stanley Blue Cash Preferred® American Express.
• Blue Cash Preferred: You’re not eligible for the welcome offer if you’ve had the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express or Morgan Stanley Blue Cash Preferred® American Express.

Amex Wants You to Climb the Ladder

To maximize your welcome bonuses, you need to apply for Amex cards in a specific order, starting with those that have lower annual fees and then moving upwards. For example:

• Start with the American Express® Green Card → Then American Express® Gold Card → Finally The Platinum Card® From American Express.

This approach ensures eligibility for the welcome bonuses on all three cards. If you start with The Platinum Card® first, you forfeit the opportunity to earn a bonus on the Gold Card.

This same strategy applies to the Delta and Blue Cash cards. Begin with the card with the lowest annual fee and move upwards. If Amex continues this trend, it will become the standard strategy for all their cards—climb the ladder upwards, not downwards.

Remember That the Popup Ultimately Decides

Amex has a well-known popup that lets you know if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus before they pull your credit. This popup considers the rules mentioned above and other factors to determine your eligibility. Some people, even those who have never had an Amex card, have seen this popup. Ultimately, this popup will determine whether you receive the bonus or not, so always be mindful of it when applying.