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Upgrading an American Express Card: Comprehensive Instructions for the Year 2025

Contemplating an Amex card upgrade? In this discourse, we delve into the process of upgrading your Amex card and evaluate the pros and cons of making this move.

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Upgrading an American Express Card: Comprehensive Guide for 2025
Upgrading an American Express Card: Comprehensive Guide for 2025

Upgrading an American Express Card: Comprehensive Instructions for the Year 2025

American Express offers a variety of credit cards, each with its own set of benefits and rewards. If you're an existing cardholder and feel that your current card isn't meeting your needs anymore, you might consider upgrading to a different card within the same family. Here's a simple guide to help you navigate the upgrade process.

Upgrading Within the Same Card Family

To upgrade your American Express card, you generally need to contact American Express customer service. You can do this by calling the number on the back of your card or using their online chat. Request a "product change" or upgrade to a higher-tier card within the same card family, such as upgrading from the Amex Green Card to the Amex Gold Card. If approved, your account number and credit history stay the same, but you receive the benefits and rewards of the new card [1][2].

Key points about upgrading Amex cards:

  • The upgrade process can be done via phone call or online chat. Sometimes, Amex may require a phone call to finalize the upgrade and explain disclosures [1].
  • There is typically no hard credit inquiry, and no new account is opened, so your credit report remains unaffected by the upgrade [1].
  • For certain cards, having separate logins for different cards might make online upgrade requests easier, especially with product lines like Delta Amex cards [4].
  • Upgrade offers may sometimes come with bonus Membership Rewards points [1].
  • If you want to maximize welcome bonuses, applying for a new card rather than upgrading might be better, because upgrades usually don’t qualify for new card welcome bonuses [4].

Upgrading to a Different Family of Cards

It's important to note that you can only upgrade to a card within the same family of cards. For example, you cannot upgrade a Hilton credit card to a Marriott credit card. Similarly, you cannot upgrade a personal card to a business card and vice-versa [5].

Benefits of Upgrading Your Amex Card

Upgrading your Amex card might make sense if you receive a targeted upgrade offer, if you need a specific benefit that your current Amex card doesn't have, or if your spending habits change. For instance, the Amex Platinum card offers up to $200 in airline fee credits, up to $200 in prepaid hotel credits, and up to $200 in Uber Cash, among other benefits [6].

Checking for Upgrade Offers

To check for upgrade offers, first, log into your online account at americanexpress.com and check for upgrade offers on the account dashboard. Keep in mind that you need to have your card open for at least 1 year to be eligible for an upgrade [3].

If there's no online offer, you may be able to request an upgrade without an offer by calling the number on the back of your card.

List of American Express Cards and Their Benefits

Here's a list of some popular American Express cards and their benefits:

  • The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card offers up to $200 in Hilton credits every year.
  • The Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card offers 3x miles on Delta purchases made directly with Delta and hotels.
  • The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card offers 15 Elite Night Credits every calendar year.
  • The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express offers 3% cash-back on transit and at U.S. gas stations (up to $6,000 per year).
  • The Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express offers 3% cash-back at U.S. gas stations (up to $6,000 per year).
  • The Delta SkyMiles Blue Business American Express Card offers 2x miles on Delta purchases made directly with Delta.
  • The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card offers automatic Platinum Elite status.
  • The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card offers 4x points at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (up to $15,000 in combined purchases per calendar year, 2x thereafter).
  • The Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card offers 3x miles on Delta purchases made directly with Delta.
  • The Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Express Card offers 3x miles on Delta purchases made directly with Delta and hotels.
  • The Amex Platinum card offers up to $200 in airline fee credits, up to $200 in prepaid hotel credits, and up to $200 in Uber Cash, among other benefits.
  • The Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Card offers 2x miles on Delta purchases made directly with Delta.
  • The Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express offers up to $180 in Home Chef credits (enrollment required).
  • The Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card offers 3x miles on Delta purchases made directly with Delta.
  • The Amex Business Platinum card offers up to $1,150 in Dell credits per year, up to $360 in Indeed credits per year, and up to $250 in Adobe credits per year after qualifying purchases, among other benefits.
  • The Hilton Aspire card offers automatic Hilton Diamond status.
  • The Amex Gold card offers up to $120 in dining credits and up to $120 in Uber Cash.
  • The Amex Green card offers up to $209 in CLEAR Plus credit.
  • The Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express offers 3% cash-back on U.S. online retail purchases (up to $6,000 per year).
  • The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express offers 6% cash-back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year).
  • The Amex Business Gold Rewards card has no statement credits.
  • The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express offers 6% cash-back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.

[1] Source: American Express Upgrades [2] Source: Upgrading American Express Cards [3] Source: Upgrading American Express Cards [4] Source: Upgrading American Express Cards [5] Source: American Express Upgrade Rules [6] Source: American Express Platinum Card Benefits

  1. If you're a food enthusiast with increasing dining expenses, you might consider upgrading your Amex Green Card to the Amex Gold Card to take advantage of up to $120 in dining credits.
  2. Conversely, if you're a traveler who frequently books business trips, upgrading your personal Amex card to a business card like the Amex Business Platinum card could provide benefits such as up to $1,150 in Dell credits per year and up to $360 in Indeed credits per year.
  3. If you're a news junkie or an avid reader, staying informed and entertained could be made easier with the Amex Gold card, which offers up to $120 in Uber Cash, allowing for unlimited Uber One membership, access to news and entertainment through Uber One Ride Pass.

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