100k Business Platinum Card’s $450 Annual Fee Waived the First Year?!

There are data points rolling in from Reddit of people claiming the $450 annual fee on their American Express Business Platinum card is (unexpectedly) waived the first year.

This is not true of every single report, but many have noticed in their card agreements with American Express a line about the $450 annual fee being waived for the first year of card membership.

In case you missed the news: through January 25, 2017, the American Express Business Platinum Card is offering 100,000 total bonus Membership Rewards after spending $15,000 in the first three months.

Earn Double the Rewards On Your Amex at Small Businesses Through 2016

Through December 31, 2016, you can earn double the rewards on purchases that normally fall into the non-bonused category of spend when you use your Amex card at eligible small businesses. The only stipulation is that you register your card first.

You Can Get the Bonus Multiple Times on Amex Cards (Confirmed in Comments)

In 2014, American Express made it so you could get the bonus only once per lifetime on personal cards, and in February 2016 that rule was extended to business cards.

But there might be a targeted exception. Reader g passes along a targeted offer he got for the American Express Platinum Card.

The offer is to open the American Express Platinum Card with 50,000 bonus Membership Rewards after spending $5,000 in the first three months.

30% Transfer Bonus Membership Rewards to Virgin Atlantic + Award Sale =10,000 Miles to Europe Year Round!

American Express is offering a 30% transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic through May 31, 2016. For the next four weeks, 1,000 Membership Rewards will transfer to 1,300 Etihad Guest Miles.

 

This is huge news because there is also currently a 30% discount on Virgin Atlantic economy awards through May 11, 2016. Combining this transfer bonus with that sale means you can book awards from the Eastern United United States to London for 10,000 Membership Rewards plus $135 with great availability for the next 11 months if you act right now.

American Express Membership Rewards Now Transfer to Etihad Guest Miles

American Express added Etihad Guest miles as its 17th airlines transfer today.

You can send Membership Rewards in increments of 1,000 points to Etihad miles at a 1:1 rate.

 

Etihad Guest is already a 1:1 transfer partner of Citi ThankYou Points. In November 2015, we saw a 25% transfer bonus from many programs including Citi ThankYou Points to Etihad Guest miles. I expect if we see a future transfer bonus like that, American Express Membership Rewards would be included.
Uses of Etihad Miles
Etihad Guest miles are NOT good for booking Etihad flights.

Ends Today! Biggest Bonus Ever: 35,000 SPG Points on Personal and Business Cards

The Starwood Preferred Guest personal and business credit cards from American Express now come with 35,000 bonus Starpoints for spending $3,000 and $5,000 respectively in the first three months of cardmembership.

Links:

Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express (personal)
Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express

The normal sign up bonus is 25,000 points, the twice yearly limited time offer is 30,000 points. This is the highest public sign up bonus ever on these cards.

Earn 2x, 2.5x, or 5x on Amazon Purchases Through July 31, 2016

Enroll any Membership Rewards earning card today for 2x Membership Rewards at Amazon on purchases through July 31, 2016.

Sign into your American Express account, click on the card you want to enroll, and scroll down to see your "Amex Offers & Benefits."

For my AMEX Platinum, the Amazon offer was listed second.

You can enroll through July 31, 2016 and earn one bonus point per dollar on Amazon purchases made after enrollment through July 31, 2016. Bonus points will post by October 29, 2016.

Bonus points are not available at foreign versions of Amazon.

How to Get a List of Your Previous American Express Cards

You can only get the bonus on American Express credit and charge cards once per lifetime.

You Can Now Only Get One Bonus Per Lifetime on All American Express Cards

In 2014, American Express changed its churning rules so that you could only get the bonus on a personal credit card once per lifetime.

Now the rule has been extended to business cards.

This follows the general trend of tightening the giving of bonuses by banks. For instance, Chase is about to institute a rule that you'll be denied for a credit card automatically if you've opened five other credit cards in the last 24 months.

I expect to see further tightening, and I expect the changes to be profitable for the banks.

25% Transfer Bonus AMEX to Hawaiian Miles; Cheap Partner Awards

Until December 21, 2015, there is a 25% transfer bonus from American Express Membership Rewards to Hawaiian Miles. One thousand Membership Rewards transfer to 1,250 Hawaiian Miles.

This is actually the third ongoing offer at the moment, with transfer bonuses to Iberia (and indirectly British Airways) Avios and Virgin America points that I have already covered.
Good Deals with Hawaiian Miles
Hawaiian Airlines is not a member of any alliance, but it has a number of partners.