Strategy to obtain US Amex

[_TheTraveller_]

Sorry, haven’t really noticed or tried using it for fuel as it doesn’t have a multiplier for that category.

I’ve looked at Google Fi but it’s really expensive, I mean the monthly costs are pretty high comparatively to like some of the prepaid SIMs. Do you have an account but not activated it/used it before?

I've had an account since 2014 and I've used it on and off. It's expensive but it suited my needs back then when I would visit multiple countries in one trip and it was frustrating to constantly need to buy sims in each country. It was easier to use 1 sim across my entire trip and it's a fairly seamless experience.

One of the key benefits was I could pause the service when I didn't need it. So for example, if I was overseas for 1-2 months then I would activate it before I left and it would automatically connect when I landed at my 1st destination. I deactivate it when I'm back but it did give me a number to get GV with.

 

[ETW]

All good. Ah right, yeah you could definitely look at using your T-mobile to activate GV. Yeah it’s just an app on my iPhone now, no extra SIM card or esim required.

I went down this path and GV wouldn't authenitcate with using my T-mobile (eSim) number. Did some googling and the answer was pretty much 'becuase they cycle numbers so much in the US there is a chance someone else has linked that number to GV so bad luck, not everyone gets a GV'

Talkatone however has been working a treat to recieve auth codes when online shopping

 

[mrsquare]

I've had an account since 2014 and I've used it on and off. It's expensive but it suited my needs back then when I would visit multiple countries in one trip and it was frustrating to constantly need to buy sims in each country. It was easier to use 1 sim across my entire trip and it's a fairly seamless experience.

One of the key benefits was I could pause the service when I didn't need it. So for example, if I was overseas for 1-2 months then I would activate it before I left and it would automatically connect when I landed at my 1st destination. I deactivate it when I'm back but it did give me a number to get GV with.

Fair enough, that seems like a pretty good use case. I haven’t looked into the ability to pause the service, is there a limit to how long you can put it on hold and do you still need to pay a servicing fee or something? I’ll need to dive into that a bit more.

I went down this path and GV wouldn't authenitcate with using my T-mobile (eSim) number. Did some googling and the answer was pretty much 'becuase they cycle numbers so much in the US there is a chance someone else has linked that number to GV so bad luck, not everyone gets a GV'

Talkatone however has been working a treat to recieve auth codes when online shopping

Ah that’s unfortunate, I have heard of people having that issue. Talkatone a free service?

 

[mrsquare]

Fair enough, that seems like a pretty good use case. I haven’t looked into the ability to pause the service, is there a limit to how long you can put it on hold and do

Looked up their FAQs, looks like a max of only 3 months pause? That’s not very long.

 

[Viridis]

@mrsquare

I have had that same issue with TextNow so swapped over to GV, been working a charm so far. Activation’s a bit more involved though, you have to pay a few dollars for a service that enables you to get OTP to activate GV.

Managed to set up my GV number. Changed my mobile number on my Amex profile and received the Authentication text but was still unsuccessful in sending back the confirmation "YES".

I suppose the next step is to call Amex Customer Services and get them to verify over the phone

 

[albyd]

When you open a US Premier account, do you need proof of address to put down a US address for the account?

I opened it over the phone with HSBC. They opened it in my AU address as was on the basis of qualifying for Premier in AU.

 

[_TheTraveller_]

Looked up their FAQs, looks like a max of only 3 months pause? That’s not very long.

You can pause it for 3 months and immediately pause it again

Question re the gold card, does your gold card earn supermarket bonuses in Australia?

 

[mrsquare]

@mrsquare


Managed to set up my GV number. Changed my mobile number on my Amex profile and received the Authentication text but was still unsuccessful in sending back the confirmation "YES".

I suppose the next step is to call Amex Customer Services and get them to verify over the phone

Ah that’s weird. I was able to reply confirmation when swapping to the GV number early last year. Haven’t had the need to do so recently though.

You can pause it for 3 months and immediately pause it again

Question re the gold card, does your gold card earn supermarket bonuses in Australia?

Ah and that doesn’t trigger any of their internal systems? That’s alright then haha.

Unfortunately not, would be great if it did, but only US supermarkets.

 

[_TheTraveller_]

Ah that’s weird. I was able to reply confirmation when swapping to the GV number early last year. Haven’t had the need to do so recently though.


Ah and that doesn’t trigger any of their internal systems? That’s alright then haha.

Unfortunately not, would be great if it did, but only US supermarkets.

Ever since I had it I've never had an issue

 

[mrsquare]

Ever since I had it I've never had an issue

That’s good to know, I’ll give it a whirl perhaps.

 

[lunne]

I had my Marriott Bonvoy for about 1 year or so maybe and had my FICO when I applied for my 2nd, which was the Amex gold via Resy too. Logged into my U.S. account and applied. Can’t recall the specifics but I must have clicked no SSN. I think I got called for some verification questions but they weren’t a big issue.

There are referral links floating about for 90k if you’re more interested in the points as opposed to the statement credit.

I just tried going through the Resy link. Filled out my details while being logged in under my US Amex account. Their preliminary decision was:

"Lunne, you are not eligible to receive the welcome offer.
Would you like to proceed?"

Then the system allows you to withdraw the preliminary application without consequence or continue.

I'm thinking it might be
a) the referral link, in combination with
b) the fact that I don't have SSN

that prompts the system to pre-determine a rejection.

Has anyone gone through this process recently and knows whether it's even worth pushing forward, i.e. could one get a positive outcome even though the system suggests that I'm not eligible?

Or is it better to simply do a 2nd Global Transfer process instead (even though I get less points than through referral links)?

 

[mrsquare]

I just tried going through the Resy link. Filled out my details and seemed to be logged in under my us Amex account. Their preliminary decision was:

"Lunne, you are not eligible to receive the welcome offer.
Would you like to proceed?"

Then the system allows you to withdraw the preliminary application without consequence or continue.

Has anyone gone through this process recently and knows whether it's even worth pushing forward? Or is it better to simply do a 2nd Global Transfer process instead?

Was the wording something like in this link?

There’s something called a pop-up jail, haven’t (thankfully) encountered it, but it seems to be occurring for some people. The link goes into a bit of detail on potentially why people encounter it, but no one ever really knows for sure.

May be worth trying a 90k referral link and seeing if the same issue persists.

 

[levelnine]

Has anyone gone through this process recently and knows whether it's even worth pushing forward, i.e. could one get a positive outcome even though the system suggests that I'm not eligible?

mrsquare is correct. It is the pop-up jail message.

If you proceed with the application, you'll likely still be approved, but will receive no sign-up bonus.

Try with an individual referral (rather than Resy) link or without any referral as a first step.

 

[lunne]

Wow, thank you for the link. Feels like something out of the Twilight Zone!

 

[ETW]

@mrsquare


Managed to set up my GV number. Changed my mobile number on my Amex profile and received the Authentication text but was still unsuccessful in sending back the confirmation "YES".

I suppose the next step is to call Amex Customer Services and get them to verify over the phone

Do you actually need to reply 'Yes' to have that mobile number on the account or is it just to turn on Text Alerts? I was not able to reply so I just left it and I still get 2FA codes ok.

 

[Viridis]

Do you actually need to reply 'Yes' to have that mobile number on the account or is it just to turn on Text Alerts? I was not able to reply so I just left it and I still get 2FA codes ok.

You may be right - I haven’t needed a 2FA yet but I get an email each day saying I need to verify my mobile number. That being the case, I’m not sure they’d be keen to use it for 2FA. I’d have thought 2FA would be a higher security clearance than text alerts but can’t speak with any knowledge of the process

 

[Finale]

I just tried going through the Resy link. Filled out my details while being logged in under my US Amex account. Their preliminary decision was:

"Lunne, you are not eligible to receive the welcome offer.
Would you like to proceed?"

Then the system allows you to withdraw the preliminary application without consequence or continue.

I'm thinking it might be
a) the referral link, in combination with
b) the fact that I don't have SSN

that prompts the system to pre-determine a rejection.

Has anyone gone through this process recently and knows whether it's even worth pushing forward, i.e. could one get a positive outcome even though the system suggests that I'm not eligible?

Or is it better to simply do a 2nd Global Transfer process instead (even though I get less points than through referral links)?

Nornally happened to those who opened/closed many cards in a short time and/or having a card that was hardly used after getting SUB. Did you use your first card much? If not, start spending on the card and the popup will be gone fast. If you use the card frequently, I'm not sure what could trigger it. It also happened randomly to some people. Maybe leave it a bit and try later in a couple of weeks.

 

[dein_gesicht]

As much as we like to complain about cards in Australia, we have it pretty well. I was just approved today for HSBC premier and looking at US amex cards. I am basing these calcs on the AU plat charge card.

If I have 100k Amex points, it can be moved to 50k Krisflyer in Australia. However, if you had a US card and could transfer MR points at the current FX rate, you could have ~69.7k Krisflyer. There is some arb on the Marriot, but given the rate is 3:2 and not 2:1, it doesn't really add up

	Marriot	Krisflyer
AU Amex points	100,000​	100,000​
AU convert	0.67​	0.50​
Hotel/airline points	66,667​	50,000​
AU/US convert rate (FX)	0.6971​	0.6971​
US Amex points	69,710​	69,710​
US convert	1.00​	1.00​
Hotel/airline points	69,710​	69,710​
Difference	3,043​	19,710​
Difference	4.6%​	39.4%​

Then I worked out, if I have both the US and AU amex card, then the bonus (on the US card would need to be >2x to justify using the US card over the AU card

	AUD card	USD card
Spent in AUD	100,000​	69,710​
Points per $ spend	2.25​	1.00​
Total Amex points	225,000​	69,710​
Marriot points	150,000​
Marriot points (US convert)	156,848​	69,710​
Krisflyer points	112,500​
Krisflyer points (US convert)	156,848​	69,710​

 

[Igreen]

mrsquare is correct. It is the pop-up jail message.

If you proceed with the application, you'll likely still be approved, but will receive no sign-up bonus.

Try with an individual referral (rather than Resy) link or without any referral as a first step.

I had a similar experience when i used P2 referral link (same pop up) as P2 is a GT transfer Amex customer. Once I signed up without the referral it worked like a charm. Now I just use my US relos referral for my application as I cannot use P2 referral.

 

[levelnine]

As much as we like to complain about cards in Australia, we have it pretty well. I was just approved today for HSBC premier and looking at US amex cards. I am basing these calcs on the AU plat charge card.

Good calculations, but the real advantage the Americans have over us is their ability to access many, many, many more sign-up bonuses.

Ignoring Chase for one moment (which, in my mind, is superior to Amex for its bonuses), you can attain multiple Amex MR sign-up bonuses in the US at a rate of about one every 30-90 days: Plat, Gold, Green, Biz Plat, Biz Gold, BBP, etc etc. Then you can get multiple sign-up bonuses of the same card due to the presence of NLL (no lifetime language) offers. Then you can get Amex MR from simply opening a savings account. And so on.

By contrast, in Australia you can get a single MR sign-up bonus once every ~19-20 months.

It's relatively easy for a smart US churner to hit 500K MR a year (I recently did half of that with just one card and one savings account). Many do well over 1M per annum. Try doing that in Australia without sizeable business spend.