Update: Friendly reminder that this is until 5/31
Update: Here’s a direct link
American Express is adding 3 months onto the minimum spend requirement timeline for those who signed up for American Express cards between December 1, 2019 through May 31, 2020.
Due to the impact of COVID-19, for eligible Card accounts approved from December 1, 2019 through May 31, 2020 for which you are eligible for a welcome offer, the period to make eligible purchases to earn your welcome bonus will be extended for an additional 3 months. Eligible Cards are U.S. Consumer and Business Cards issued by American Express National Bank to a Basic Card Member.
You should be able to see the pop-up message at this link on the American Express site.
This is valid on both personal and business Amex cards. Reports indicate this extension is automatic by the Amex system, though it might be worthwhile chatting and confirming so that you have confirmation for your own account.
What this means:
- If you signed up for a card since December 1, 2019, you can add 3 months extra to meet your spend requirement. That would include even people who have already past their spend requirement deadline and did not meet. Second chance points here.
- Someone interested in an American Express cards who has difficulty meeting the signup bonus in the requisite 3 months, now is your chance to signup and have 6 months for the spend requirement. Likewise, if you always avoided the cards with large spend requirements, now you might want to consider them.
- Some report indicate that upgrade offers are not eligible for this extension whiles others report upgrade offers are eligible for the extension as well.
New Amex applicants are still shown the regular 3 months timeline, but internally it’s been extended to give new cardholders 6 months instead of 3. Some are reporting seeing pop-ups in their Amex applications showing that it’s extended for 3 extra month, though the main landing pages will still show the regular 3 month limit, it doesn’t show the 6 months clearly. (I can’t seem to get this pop-up, but others can.)
This is a really nice gesture from Amex, I’d be surprised if we don’t see other issuers follow suit, either with an automatic extension or at least granting it upon request.
Hat tip to intervested99
Just FYI I was calling amex to check if my spending meets the upgrade offer requirement, and I double checked my spending deadline and the rep told me I am not qualified because my upgration was “in the pandemic, not prior”. So be careful. I guess you will also need to double check if you signed up for amex cards thinking you got 3 more months to spend. Maybe NOT TRUE.
Chuck 
William Charles
Seconding this!!! I called in regards to a newly opened AMEX Blue Cash Preferred, approval 4/16 and was told my time to collect the welcome offer was over. Now they’re filing with the “back office” to see if I qualified for the extension or not.
I’m surprised they haven’t extended it.
1. Platinum Card application submitted 11:04pm PST with instant approval. The physical copy of cardmember agreement that came with the card has 5/31 as the date of agreement. This showed that Amex uses PST for this purpose, if not Hawaii time (I doubt it though)
2. Platinum Card application submitted 11:30pm PST with instant decline. Called recon the next day (6/1, Monday) and was approved. The physical copy of CMA has 6/1 as the date. They’re still trying to confirm whether the extension applies.
americanexpress.com/en-us/company/notice/covid-19/
“If I apply by May 31, 2020, but my application isn’t approved immediately and is approved on or after June 1, 2020, will I be still be eligible?
Yes, you will be eligible for a 3-month extension if you apply by May 31, 2020 and are subsequently approved.”
Print out the website as a PDF and save it in case you have trouble in the future
WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO DID UPGRADES?
Upgrades also count under this, unless it was a retention offer.
https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/company/notice/covid-19/#welcome-offers
“What offers does this extension apply to?
This 3-month extension only applies to welcome offers to earn a bonus after making eligible purchases as part of welcoming you to Card Membership upon opening or upgrading a Card account.
This extension does not apply to any other offer, such as offers related to adding Additional Card Members or offers related to promotional APRs, balance transfers, or other pricing terms.
Welcome offers for non-US Cards or with respect to American Express Cards issued by other financial institutions are not eligible.”
But if you already did the upgrade, you might as well check to make sure. Check by chatting Amex while logged in, and asking by what date you have to complete the spend to get the bonus. By asking for the date (instead of how long), you force them to look up your account and get info specific to your account (whereas if you just ask how long, they may give you general info that’s doesn’t apply to your account).
Added the link, thanks
Wishing Chase would join in on this. As I need a Sapphire card.
applied for a plat and forgot to recon yesterday. hopefully they do the extension even if it gets approved next week
They won’t.
Yes, it goes by your application date. Check https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/company/notice/covid-19/#welcome-offers and search for “approved on or after” Maybe screenshot that page just in case.
Too bad they’re making full use of the pop up SUB blocker. Can’t put spend on a card I don’t get Amex. Meanwhile chase is giving me 7.5% for buying food.
Amex doesn’t need customers like you.
i actually was able to get a hilton amex after suffering through multiple pop ups
I’ve already met the minimum spend on my Green card, but I asked for and was given three more months to spend my Away luggage credit.
As a heads up, I secure Messaged Chase about getting the United Explorer card 60k miles bonus period extended, they promptly extended it for an additional three months as well.
Just talked to AMEX; they said the 3 months extension on required spending offer was for new cards and upgrade offers, not for retention bonuses. I have a retention offer and called to check on that – they said no time extension on those offers.