Get The Most From Each Amex Card

American Express has a lot of excellent cards that offer some amazing welcome bonuses. But here’s the catch: You can only get each card's welcome bonus "once per lifetime." So since you only get one shot, here’s how to make the most out of it:

• Keep track. That’s probably the best piece of advice we can give you. (And thanks to Points Navigator, we’ll handle that part for you). Here is a little secret, Amex cards usually refresh every 10 years so your card “lifetime” could be only 10 years depending on what you’ve been able to take advantage of and when you signed up.
• Know where you stand. American Express will tell you during the application process if you’re going to be eligible or not for the specific card you've chosen. Normally Amex will limit you to having 5 of their cards open at one time. When applying, just make sure you’re getting approved for the sign-up bonus -- and not just the card.
• Don’t downgrade. If you do, you will not qualify for the sign-up bonus for the card you downgraded to.
• Check our “Special Offers” section. Since you can only get an Amex card once per "lifetime" you'll almost always want to wait for a special offer for Amex cards. This will ensure that you’re getting the highest possible welcome bonus for your Amex cards. If you're going to sign up for one of their cards just once, you might as well get the absolute most out of it.
• Don’t forget to refer a friend. While you’re hanging on to that American Express card, don’t let it just sit there. Make sure to add your referral link to your card page and refer friends when you know they can take advantage of a special sign-up bonus as well.




American Express cards are valuable for a few different reasons. They have great co-branded cards with flexible points that are useful across the board. Whether you’re booking flight, hotel, car rental, cruises or excursions Amex has a card for you. Just make sure you’re getting the right one, at the right time. Put simply, that means get your Chase points first and keep your eyes open for Amex sign-up specials.