Amex Platinum Mercedes-Benz cardholders get $100 MB gift certificate which can be used to buy various accessories like mugs, umbrellas, notebooks, wallets, and more.
Background
Many of us are proud new Amex Platinum cardholders, specifically Platinum Mercedes-Benz cardholders, due to the (still ongoing!) 75,000 Membership Rewards points signup bonus.
Aside from the regular Platinum benefits that come with all Amex Platinum cards ($200 airline reimbursement, etc.), this MB version comes with various benefits for Mercedes-Benz users.
- 5x Membership Rewards points on select Mercedes purchases
- Receive a $1000 certificate each year you charge $5,000 in purchases, good toward the future purchase or lease of a new Mercedes-Benz
- Up to 2,000 excess miles waived at lease-end on leases through Mercedes-Benz Financial Services
- $100 certificate at renewal of your Card account, good toward Genuine Mercedes-Benz Accessories
$100 MB Gift Certificate
Most of these benefits don’t help those who don’t have a Mercedes car, but Therewardboss and Mommypoints point out that the $100 MB gift certificate can be used to buy regular trinkets that all of us can use.
- Umbrella $25
- Different kinds of mugs, tumblers, and bottles
- T-shirts, polo shirts, golf shirts
- Leather notebooks
- Leather wallets, purse
- Men’s/Women’s Sports Watch $125/$198
- Nike Golf Balls $35
- Key rings, keychains $12-17
- Visor $15
- Cap $19
- Pen $15
- Thermometer (for outdoors) $19
- Teddy bear
- Sweater for $110
- Camping chairs
- Gum-ball machine
- Sun glasses $65
- Toy remote control car $98
- Clock
- Flashlight
All of the stuff come branded with the MB emblem. And some readers report in the comments here that they were able to have the Mercedes store order for them any accessory on the Mercedes website. If your dealer agrees to do that for you, it expands you options.
Let us know if you see anything else and we’ll add it to the list.
Image from Therewardboss.com
The $100 certificate comes automatically when you signup for the card initially (should come within a few weeks of signup), and again each year at your card anniversary. Many of us will cancel the card at year’s end and won’t get the second certificate which comes at renewal.
It should be possible, however, to wait for the certificate to come in the mail before cancelling the Platinum card. Amex will refund the annual fee if you cancel within 30 days of statement close (the statement that shows the annual fee). I imagine you can still use the certificate after cancelling the Amex MB card, but we don’t know that for certain.
Final Thoughts
We mentioned this $100 certificate in passing in the original post but I thought it was worth dwelling on it more since most people probably didn’t take notice.
The 75k Platinum bonus is a pretty good deal and I personally just signed up for it last week too. Nice to be able to add a bit of value to the card with the $100 MB certificate, and I’ll probably end up using it to buy a few umbrellas so that I can have the luxury of losing them. 🙂 We’ll see…
Remember, though, that after September 1, 2016, it will no longer be possible to get the annual fee prorated in mid-year so you’re committing to the $475 annual fee by applying for this card.
Hat tip again to Therewardboss
Does the Certificate come with the new card or come when I pay the annual fee? I cannot find it when I received my credit card.
This is a pain to use if you don’t have a MB car. When I went to use my $100 certificate, the dealer insisted on me giving them a MB VIN. I had to show them the fine print that doesn’t say anywhere that I have to actually have a MB car to use it. After an hour of them trying to figure how to process it in their computer without an MB VIN, they let me leave with my stuff and said they would figure it out later. They made a comment to me that I was the second person to use this without having a MB and they still hadn’t been able to process that one either (which is why I suspect they initially were trying to turn me away). Not sure if the problem lies with Amex or MB, but I was caught in the middle and felt like a jack ass. This was a year ago at a MB dealer in Ohio. I am now in Cali and have my certificate to use again, but am dreading the same scenario playing out.
can i use 4 gift certificate for one purchase ?
I don’t know, it will probably depend on the dealer. This might be the type of things with official rules.
I cancelled my Ameriprise exec plat before utilizing the $200 airline credit. Anyone else successful in getting it back after cancelling?
I got a MB clock for the house.
Had to order/wait …broke on receipt ….another wait Died a week later…….gave up.
The MB flashlight is great goes on all trips. Stays magnetically attached to cable box
How long does it take before you can ask for the $200 Airline Gift cards?
Normally I wouldn’t bother, but since Amex is changing it’s policy I might just go for it as long as I can cancel by August.
I’m a little nervous about the clause “This offer is not valid for existing Platinum Card Members from American Express.” I already have a platinum Amex Business card (but not a MB Platinum).
You can get it right after you get the card, just be sure to assign yourself an airline before you make the purchase for the airline credit.
I believe that history tells us that each Platinum product is treated differently and thus you can get MB Plat if you never had this specific product. Nothing is 100% guaranteed.
yeah, forgot to assign airline to my daughters card. did it 2 weeks later but before statement posted. Any data points on getting it in that scenario? I’ll post when I find out if you don’t know.
DP on Amex GC through United App Posting:
IF you select United AFTER the Purchase took place, it will NOT be reimbursed. The same day and later (in my experience) charges done on the same statement WILL be refunded in the usual 3 or so days.
You are correct – it didn’t post. I assigned United and did a amazon GC which did post in 3 biz days. First one never posted. Thanks for the reply.
@Chris How long after making the purchase did you select United as your airline?
What if I canceled MB Plat before I redeemed this voucher? Can I still use it after I cancel the card? Thx!
I don’t know. If you try it out, let us know.
Is this card different from the AMEX Platinum? I have already received the bonus for the AMEX Plat.
This is a separate product. You should be able to get the bonus for this card so long as you never had the Mercedes Platinum card before.
Does the card still have to be open in order to redeem the certificate?
Anyone have more information on how the lease certificate works? My mother has a mercedes lease and I live at the same address as her. If I get this card and spend the 5k, can I apply the lease certificate to her current car lease?