AMEX card bonuses - immediately available vs pending

[3ZeroT]

Some people get AMEX MR point bonuses (i.e. gold, platinum, etc.) within days of meeting spend requirement, immediately available to redeem, even if they haven't yet paid the balance or had the first statement cut.   I have certainly experienced that myself.   Others reportedly get their bonus points in a 'pending' state and have to wait for quite awhile, unless they can accelerate through customer service.   Anyone know AMEX's criteria for how they award points one way vs the other?  Is it based on having some prior history in your MR account perhaps?   This might be useful to know for people who want to be in the first category.

[meshugener]

My guess is that it depends weather its your first card with them or you already have one. (although I don't know weather that first one has to be a MR card or any amex card, and if that first one needs to be active at time of applying for the other one).
Take it or leave it. That's my guess.

[A3]

My guess is that it depends weather its your first card with them or you already have one. (although I don't know weather that first one has to be a MR card or any amex card, and if that first one needs to be active at time of applying for the other one).
Take it or leave it. That's my guess.

Not entirely true.
http://dansdeals.com/archives/22047

Maybe if you don't have any open MR cards at the time?

[compddd]

I always keep one MR card open at all times, even if it's a Zync

[meshugener]

@A3 the story you linked is not relevant, his first statement didn't close at the time he was looking to redeem it. What we are talking about is that sometimes, even after the atetement close, it shows up online, but its not available for redemption till the balance is paid in full.

[A3]

@A3 the story you linked is not relevant, his first statement didn't close at the time he was looking to redeem it. What we are talking about is that sometimes, even after the atetement close, it shows up online, but its not available for redemption till the balance is paid in full.

And sometimes it's available before the statement closes. And sometimes it's not available till the second statement closes or later.
I was just showing how he has other Amex cards. And yet the points did not post right after the spend, like the op mentioned happens sometimes

[3ZeroT]

Well I do have one data point - my wife has got her points posted immediately for as long as I can remember, but on this last PRG card did not.  She has never gone without an AMEX card, but there was a few week period where she had no MR based AMEX cards before opening this last PRG card.  I think they thus created a new MR account as I see no history of the previous point bonuses in it.  So perhaps she is now considered a new AMEX MR customer and is in some point probation period.  I'll follow up if her next MR card bonus does post immediately.

I also wonder if getting a new MR account like this has some effect of 'cleaning the bonus slate', at least on the surface for first tier reps who like to give a hard time for all these bonuses they see you've been earning when they look at your account.  Of course I'm sure AMEX still keeps records of all your prior MR accounts someplace.