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Update: The changes discussed in this post are now in effect
American Express has announced sweeping changes to benefits across almost its entire range of business and personal cards, set to take effect on 01/01/2020.
Some of the updates, namely the addition of trip delay and trip cancellation & interruption insurance to premium Amex cards, are fantastic changes. However, the removal of roadside assistance perks, plus a significant shakeup of purchase protection benefits, are undeniably negative changes that may have an impact on which cards you choose to swipe for major purchases.
Premium Amex Cards Get Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation/Interruption Coverage
The most significant change is the addition of trip delay and trip cancellation & interruption coverage for premium Amex cards. These perks, which have set Chase cards apart for years, are well overdue for Amex's premium travel cards.
American Express Trip Delay Coverage
Amex is adding trip delay coverage to a handful of high-end, co-brand and Membership Rewards cards. There is a higher tier of protection for ultra-premium cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express, and a secondary level of protection for mid-tier cards like the American Express® Green Card. Some of the terminology in the sample Amex trip delay guides supplied by Amex is slightly ambiguous, particularly how they define a covered trip.
Amex defines a covered trip as “a period of round-trip travel to one or more destinations,” which reads as though they will only cover round-trip itineraries. However, when you dig into the terms, it includes “roundtrip, one-way, or combinations of roundtrip and one-way tickets.” So you could effectively book any combination of roundtrip and one-way flights and still retain coverage.
Covered reasons for trip delay to kick in include inclement weather, terrorist events, equipment failure, and lost or stolen passports or travel documents. The coverage will reimburse you for meals, lodging, toiletries, medication, and personal use items.
Tier-one trip delay covers you for up to $500 if your trip is delayed by more than six hours. Covered cards include:
- The Platinum Card® from American Express
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
- 14X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton Portfolio
- 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com, car rentals booked directly through select rental companies, and at U.S. restaurants
- 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card
Tier-two trip delay covers you for up to $300 if your trip is delayed by more than 12 hours. Covered cards include:
- American Express® Green Card
- American Express® Gold Card
- American Express® Business Gold Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That's up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made at restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 4X Membership Rewards® Points at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. (on up to $50,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
- 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels and other eligible travel booked on amextravel.com
- 1X on other eligible purchases
Cover applies to travel purchased after 01/01/2020, and you must buy the travel in full with your Amex card, using Pay with Points, or pay the fees and taxes on an award ticket.
Link: American Express trip delay sample benefits guides.
American Express Trip Cancellation & Interruption Insurance
From January 1, 2020, when you purchase travel using a covered card (same rules as mentioned above), and the trip is canceled or interrupted for a covered reason, you could be eligible for reimbursement of non-refundable travel expenses up to the value of $10,000 per trip (max $20K per 12 months). The same ‘roundtrip’ definitions mentioned above apply to this policy. However, the covered reasons differ slightly, including injury or illness to you or an eligible travel companion, inclement weather, a change in military orders, terrorist action, jury duty, your residence made uninhabitable, or quarantine imposed by a physician for health reasons.
Covered cards include only ultra-premium cards charging significant annual fees:
- The Platinum Card® from American Express
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
- Earn up to 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points. Earn 100,000 points after you spend $6,000 and an extra 50,000 points after you spend an additional $2,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- $300 Brilliant Dining Credit: Each calendar year, get up to $300 (up to $25 per month) in statement credits for eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card at restaurants worldwide.
- With Marriott Bonvoy® Platinum Elite Status, you can receive room upgrades, including enhanced views or suites, when the stay is booked with a Qualifying Rate at hotels that participate in Marriott Bonvoy, subject to availability upon check-in.
- Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Earn 3X Marriott Bonvoy® points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines and 2X Marriott Bonvoy® points on all other eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card.
- Free Night Award: Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Each calendar year after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, you will be eligible to select a Brilliant Earned Choice Award benefit. You can only earn one Brilliant Earned Choice Award per calendar year. See https://www.choice-benefit.marriott.com/brilliant for Award options.
- $100 Marriott Bonvoy® Property Credit: Enjoy your stay. Receive up to a $100 property credit for qualifying charges at The Ritz-Carlton® or St. Regis® when you book direct using a special rate for a two-night minimum stay using your Card.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®: Receive either a statement credit every 4 years after you apply for Global Entry ($120) or a statement credit every 4.5 years after you apply for a five-year membership for TSA PreCheck® (up to $85 through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider) and pay the application fee with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card you can receive 25 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express.
- Enroll in Priority Pass Select, which offers unlimited airport lounge visits to over 1,200 lounges in over 130 countries, regardless of which carrier or class you are flying. This allows you to relax before or between flights. You can enjoy snacks, drinks, and internet access in a quiet, comfortable location.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases.
- With Cell Phone Protection*, you can be reimbursed, the lesser of, your repair or replacement costs following damage, such as a cracked screen, or theft for a maximum of $800 per claim when your cell phone line is listed on a wireless bill and the prior month's wireless bill was paid by an Eligible Card Account. A $50 deductible will apply to each approved claim with a limit of 2 approved claims per 12-month period. Additional terms and conditions apply. *Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 6X points on purchases at Marriott Properties
- 3X points at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery
- 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines
- 2X points on all other eligible purchases
You must purchase the travel in full with your Amex card, using Pay with Points, or pay the fees and taxes on an award ticket if using points or miles from a loyalty program.
Link: American Express trip interruption & cancellation sample benefits guides.
Updates to Existing Amex Travel & Purchase Protection Policies
Amex is making multiple updates to existing card benefits, with changes inbound for purchase protection, extended warranty, return protection, and lost luggage policies.
Purchase Protection
Purchase protection coverage will be reduced from 120 days to 90 days across all Amex cards. This is a bizarre change considering Amex increased this policy from 90—>120 days in August 2018. This move pushes Chase back to the top of the rankings for the best credit cards for purchase protection benefits.
Extended Warranty
Another policy that Amex rewired in August 2018, extended warranty will be removed from select no-annual-fee cards (consumer cards only, from our research), and the remainder of Amex’s rewards card lineup has the policy reduced from two years coverage to an additional one year of warranty coverage at the end of the manufacturer's warranty. Again, Amex only increased its policy to two years mid-way through 2018, so it is a curious move for them to cut it so quickly. Check out our head-to-head review of the best cards for extended warranty.
Return Protection
Amex will cut return protection from most of its cards come January 1, with the policy being retained on just a handful of cards. The following cards will keep an unchanged return protection benefit:
- The Platinum Card® from American Express
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
- The Plum Card® from American Express
- Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card
- Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
- Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
- $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
- Buy Now, Pay Later: Enjoy $0 intro plan fees when you use Plan It® to split up large purchases into monthly installments with a fixed fee. Pay $0 intro plan fees on plans created during the first 12 months from the date of account opening. Plans created after that will have a monthly plan fee up to 1.33% of each eligible purchase amount moved into a plan based on the plan duration, the APR that would otherwise apply to the purchase, and other factors.
- Low Intro APR: 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening. After that, your APR will be a variable APR of 20.24% - 29.24%.
- 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%).
- 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.
- 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more).
- 1% Cash Back on other purchases.
- Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
- $84 Disney Bundle Credit: With your enrolled Blue Cash Preferred® Card, spend $9.99 or more each month on an auto-renewing Disney Bundle subscription, to receive a monthly statement credit of $7. Valid only at Disney Plus.com, Hulu.com or Plus.espn.com in the U.S.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions
- 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%)
- 3% Cash Back on transit including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more
- 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations
- 1% Cash Back on other purchases
- Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
Lost/Damaged Luggage Protection
In a case that is going to leave Amex EveryDay Preferred cardholders feeling decidedly singled out, it's the only card to lose baggage insurance as a card benefit. All other cards that had the policy retain it.
Amex Cutting Roadside Assist and Travel Accident Insurance
From January 1, Amex is cutting roadside assistance (both the full service and dispatch services) and travel accident insurance entirely from all cards. While the loss of travel accident insurance is unlikely to cause many folks sleepless nights, we see cutting roadside assistance as a genuine loss to Amex cards. Particularly those that provided full-service roadside assistance. Keep an eye on our post covering best cards for roadside assistance when the changes go into effect for alternative cards if this is a benefit you value.
Business Platinum Card Losing Boingo, GoGo, and WeWork Memberships
Last on the list is changes to the Business Platinum Card, which will lose the annual Boingo Wi-Fi membership, complimentary GoGo Wi-Fi passes, and the one-year WeWork subscription. If you haven’t registered for your WeWork subscription by 12/31/2019, you will no longer be eligible as a Business Platinum Card cardholder.
Our Take
Premium Amex cardholders should be pretty happy with these changes. The addition of trip delay and cancellation/interruption insurance is huge news. After the Prestige card lost these benefits, those with multiple premium cards were forced to choose between 5x earning on airfare without coverage (on $500,000 of airfare purchases per calendar year booked directly with airlines), or 3x earning from the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. With this change, the personal and business Platinum take a commanding lead as the best cards to swipe for airfare.
If you hold a low- or no-annual-fee card that will have benefits removed, your take on these changes will likely be negative. These updates went into effect on January 1, 2020.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: American Express® Gold Card (Rates & Fees), Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees), and Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express (Rates & Fees)
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