Yeah, also they shouldn’t have split the dining credit into 6 months. HN I don’t care about.
But this changes things for me and I’m in a great position where mine is renewing in the next couple of weeks. It’s definitely helped me make my decision in downgrading to gold.
Personally I actually quite like this. Me and my wife like going out to fancy places to have dinner, but between work and looking after the little one we never actually make plans.
The dining benefit gives us a good reason to get out and do it, so I quite like the benefit for that.
I’m not the biggest fan of the benefit being split in two though. £100 is less likely to cover a whole meal for two, plus having to plan two restaurant visits abroad at participating locations is a lot more tricky.
I’m hoping something better comes to replace the HN credit next year. I’ve been able to make it work so far, but there’s very little that they sell that I actually want.
But you already would use the feature so for you it’s fine.
It’s the same as how Shop Small saves me money because I like to go out for pints at different pubs and I would do so anyway.
It’s not saving money if you’re going out of your way to spend the money is my point. One big travel blogger said they had a decent hotel lounge and didn’t have to eat out at all on their trip except when they had the £150 to spend when they left to find somewhere to spend it. They weren’t saving money, they never would have gone out otherwise.
I see a lot of people mentioning saying the £100 every six months will not cover their bill and they will have to contribute extra.
However, £100 is still £100 so you are benefiting in the scheme of things. For my scenario the £150 wouldn’t often cover a dining bill, but it was a nice benefit to receive either way.
I do disagree with it being split into two 6 month tranches. That is clearly to stop people doubling up on the credits.
Considering do I retain the card, whilst also having the my other premium cards.
In all honesty I probably will as it will provide me with more spending leverage plus I utilise some of the other benefits.
Again only if you were going out anyway and would have spent that money.
If you are, more power to you, you’re saving.
Not a Londoner? 
I only ever really eat out when it’s a fancy occasion or a menu/chef I want to try so invariably I get something akin to a set tasting menu for £90-120 depending on whether I get wine or not.
It’s fairly infrequent though; I’m still at the age where I’d rather spend that £120 on a cheap Europe flight but I can totally see myself becoming the homestay eating out chap.
I treat the dining credit as a additional benefit but primarily the card is aimed at people who frequently travel.
The dining credit is just an add on. If you travel frequently to cities surely the credits can be used somewhere.
I agree the overseas credits can be harder to use, but not impossible.
I often question if a person never leaves their town or city frequently to travel, why do they hold a card focussed on travel that’s chasing them £650 per year.
It’s the same scenario whereas if you’re not travelling abroad frequently how are you utilising the lounge passes, insurance etc.
I utilise that card too. I prefer that more than my Coutts. The benefits are really good, especislly the events they hold annually.
also another reason is that for discretion only Amex holders know what it is. Even then most don’t as it’s not highly advertised obviously.
With my Coutts card everyone does, so when comments are made it can be a bit off putting. I just see it as a card I’m paying with, I don’t need comments to be made, of which are said in jest but still.
I would be going out, so it did get used.
Harvey Nichols £50 maybe sued that once. Only because it’s not a shop I really go to.
If it was one of the higher end London department stores for the same amount then it would get more use.
I was hoping to see more travel benefits, even if the foreign transaction fee was removed would be a start.
Head for points is wrong - the HN credit is an extension of existing credit not NEW credit. Just spoke to AMEX customer services and this is what they said to me. Looking on reddit, someone else did the same thing and got the same response.
The Platinum Card is not within scope for the interchange fee cap anywhere so far as I know.
It’s an extension of the existing offer, but it’ll be a new credit.
The existing one still expires at the end of December.
That’s not what they told me - they said the usage date would simply be extended by six months, and if I spent the credit today, I would not get another £50 in January.
Presume this is CS getting things wrong but time will tell.
I have no idea - as I say I see a few people got the same response.
It will come out in the wash.
That doesn’t match with the terms and conditions sent in the email this morning. It explicitly states:
Enrolled Card Accounts will be eligible to receive a maximum of £50 back, made in one or more transactions, every 6 months for the duration of the benefit.
This benefit will reset on 1 July, 1 January until the benefit end date.
If this was to be one £50 credit valid until 30th June, they wouldn’t have a leg to stand on legally when challenged based on the terms they’ve provided.
I’m going to spend it and then if it is as they said, then argue the toss for another £50!
I prefer having the dinning credits than the HN one. I do use the restaurants on the list, regardless if I have the credits or not.
Spreading it across the year is quite annoying, but it is understandable why they done it. Just requires a little more planning. I would rather have the full credit available to use in one go.
I must be in the minority here having two fee paying personal Amex Platinums (one mine, one for OH), so £800 in dinning credits to plan and use. Plus an extra £100 on HN on the first half of the year.
I upgraded my (blue) rewards card to Platinum. There’s a form. Form says upgrade from gold but worked for me from the rewards card.
Can anyone get to the bottom of the co-op live benefit? One person on chat didn’t know what it was and the next one wasn’t sure if it was a benefit you could book or was provided when you purchased a ticket via AMEX.