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Amex Hilton Changes

HuskerATL said:
Kicking around Oura, not a big wearable person but, if I can get it for free....may do it.
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Gen 3 (199 or 229) only available for size 11 (or 12) currently on their website; they are pushing Gen 4. May wait for BF pricing...
Also, waiting for DPs if it works for their GC (& if so, may get Gen 4 in Q1, 2026, after combining 2025 credit (via GC) with 2026 (calendar year)
HuskerATL said:
I wonder if these will all reset January 1st.
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Yes pls (calendar year)..
TY!
..


1758247231315.png
 
*T&Cs exclude Oura GCs (& membership etc) but will see (as some have used AmEx Platinum Airline incidental credits for WN or AS or UA travel bank/GC/fare purchases anecdotally)..
Await DPs for or against..
(Also don't want AmEx RATs after us)..
Mahalo!

1758247598324.png
 
mountainboy said:
Gen 3 (199 or 229) only available for size 11 (or 12) currently on their website; they are pushing Gen 4. May wait for BF pricing...
Also, waiting for DPs if it works for their GC (& if so, may get Gen 4 in Q1, 2026, after combining 2025 credit (via GC) with 2026 (calendar year)

Yes pls (calendar year)..
TY!
..


View attachment 116124
Click to expand...
I bought it, the black one, but requested the sizing kit. What would be the point of sending out a sizing kit if you could only get size 11 or 12?
 
mountainboy said:
*T&Cs exclude Oura GCs (& membership etc) but will see (as some have used AmEx Platinum Airline incidental credits for WN or AS or UA travel bank/GC/fare purchases anecdotally)..
Await DPs for or against..
(Also don't want AmEx RATs after us)..
Mahalo!

View attachment 116126
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The membership better be included... That has been my plan for next calendar year
 
HuskerATL said:
The membership better be included... That has been my plan for next calendar year
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Zenichiro said:
Yea not sure why you wouldn’t get membership. Not going to buy a ring yearly.
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Their T&Cs specifically exclude Oura membership, so will see...
(Lots of jokes on Reddit on getting an Oura for a family member each Christmas or one for each finger each year etc...)
Also many folks' concern that this is Oura paying AmEx to get this 'credit' to lure more customers (just like the useless Equinox credit)...
 
mountainboy said:
Their T&Cs specifically exclude Oura membership, so will see...
(Lots of jokes on Reddit on getting an Oura for a family member each Christmas or one for each finger each year etc...)
Also many folks' concern that this is Oura paying AmEx to get this 'credit' to lure more customers (just like the useless Equinox credit)...
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I will be arguing with them if that happens. Useless credit if it can only be used to buy a ring
 
Here is WSJ article on this (free fulltext) with some annotated text...

“The Amex Platinum is for the customer who is looking for premium service, premium benefits,” said Howard Grosfield, the company’s president of U.S. consumer services. That segment is driving an outsize share of U.S. consumption. The highest-earning 10% of Americans accounted for 49.2% of all spending in the second quarter, the highest portion since records began in 1989, according to a Moody’s analysis of Federal Reserve data'.

' Many merchants, such as Lululemon and Saks Fifth Avenue, are willing to subsidize the credits because doing so gets their names in front of high-spending cardholders. Amex said the companies it partners with across all its cards shoulder more than a quarter of the cost of rewards'.

'Most cardholders only use a fraction of the rewards available to them'.

'Merchants are also tightening rules on how credits are spent. Previously, some cardholders used a $300 credit at Equinox for spa treatments without signing up for a gym membership. That is “obviously” not what the high-end fitness club wanted by partnering with Amex, said Funk. Now, the Equinox credit can only be used to cover monthly dues'.

 
They like people like my wife who will parley the $50 Saks credit into a $300 order not my route of using the $75 Lulu credit to buy $78 worth of merch...

Of course, the moment my wife found out that we have it now and that I spent it, she wasn't happy but, I told her to just wait until October and she will have her chance...:)

For those with the Surpass ... Make sure to use your $50 Hilton resort credit, if you haven't, toward MFs. Just call the CS and tell them that you want to pay $50.
 
HuskerATL said:
Make sure to use your $50 Hilton resort credit, if you haven't, toward MFs. Just call the CS and tell them that you want to pay $50.
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Seems like every Amex Card Holder could do this every quarter though... Way too much work for most people to track...

And some people stay timeshares are complicated!
 
mountainboy said:
The highest-earning 10% of Americans accounted for 49.2% of all spending in the second quarter, the highest portion since records began in 1989, according to a Moody’s analysis of Federal Reserve data'.
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Makes sense. Have you seen how expensive everything is?

I don't see how even middle income people can survive. Lord help you if you have kids. I mean, clothes, utilities, food, college*, etc.

*-There are some hacks here, but I still see kids going off at 18 and siging up for max loans just so they can move from home. I did it so I understand, but the costs now are 5x what they were and the wages haven't kept up.

I might be staying at a Mariott in New Port for work and for 2 nights its like $1k. Oh and I'm sure parking will be another $100.

How did things get so crazy?
 
4TimeAway said:
Seems like every Amex Card Holder could do this every quarter though... Way too much work for most people to track...

And some people stay timeshares are complicated!
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We do, but I understand that I am a bit odd... And cheap. Comes with growing up in rural Nebraska...
 
I usually do enough travel in Q2-3 to use the surpass credit at a Hilton stay, or pay for the short term stay cleaning fee at W57th. But yes, it’s on a spreadsheet with the planed usage. Everything is on a spreadsheet for me 😀
 
4TimeAway said:
Makes sense. Have you seen how expensive everything is?

I don't see how even middle income people can survive. Lord help you if you have kids. I mean, clothes, utilities, food, college*, etc.

*-There are some hacks here, but I still see kids going off at 18 and siging up for max loans just so they can move from home. I did it so I understand, but the costs now are 5x what they were and the wages haven't kept up.

I might be staying at a Mariott in New Port for work and for 2 nights its like $1k. Oh and I'm sure parking will be another $100.

How did things get so crazy?
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Probably one reason that you are seeing the trend for young folks to live at home longer. For me, I was out at 18 but now it is much more expensive to buy a house, etc. compared to salaries. Living at home longer is normal in many other countries but becoming more normal here and that isn't a bad thing....Except I thought, at this point, we would just be paying for vacations for my wife and myself but those darn kids want to go on those trips also.... So, 4 plane tickets to Portugal in November instead of 2.

On the flip side, at least our kids like to hang out with us... Or just want free food...:)
 
Reddart said:
I usually do enough travel in Q2-3 to use the surpass credit at a Hilton stay, or pay for the short term stay cleaning fee at W57th. But yes, it’s on a spreadsheet with the planed usage. Everything is on a spreadsheet for me 😀
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Me too....
 
Reddart said:
I usually do enough travel in Q2-3 to use the surpass credit at a Hilton stay, or pay for the short term stay cleaning fee at W57th. But yes, it’s on a spreadsheet with the planed usage. Everything is on a spreadsheet for me 😀
Click to expand...
So far its been the same for me, normal Hilton travel or HGV fees to cover the $5o credit. I have not created a spreadsheet yet, but I really should as there are so many credits now....
 
Btw, just had a chat with the Amex CS and she verified what has been shared about the Oura rings... Basically the CSR just shared what is in the T&C. I told her that they should remove that as a benefit because it is worthless. Who would use an annual credit to buy a ring each year and that the credit should be eligible for the ring cost and membership fees, at a minimum. She agreed. I then told her that if they don't change it to include the membership fees. I will just buy a ring that is on sale on the site, like the one for $199 right now, and just throw it in the trash.... Every January.... Just to use the credit but never buy the membership

She said that she would pass on my comment... So we will see
 
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HuskerATL said:
Btw, just had a chat with the Amex CS and she verified what has been shared about the Oura rings... Basically the CSR just shared what is in the T&C. I told her that they should remove that as a benefit because it is worthless. Who would use an annual credit to buy a ring each year and that the credit should be eligible for the ring cost and membership fees, at a minimum. She agreed. I then told her that if they don't change it to include the membership fees. I will just buy a ring that is on sale on the site, like the one for $199 right now, and just throw it in the trash.... Every January.... Just to use the credit but never buy the membership
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Sell on EBay for $50
 
Pretty sure
HuskerATL said:
Btw, just had a chat with the Amex CS and she verified what has been shared about the Oura rings... Basically the CSR just shared what is in the T&C. I told her that they should remove that as a benefit because it is worthless. Who would use an annual credit to buy a ring each year and that the credit should be eligible for the ring cost and membership fees, at a minimum. She agreed. I then told her that if they don't change it to include the membership fees. I will just buy a ring that is on sale on the site, like the one for $199 right now, and just throw it in the trash.... Every January.... Just to use the credit but never buy the membership

She said that she would pass on my comment... So we will see
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With these brand-specific credits and offers, the brand funds them, not the credit card company. Oura is basically using this to get more rings into the hands of affluent people who then pay them a monthly fee for the membership. Oura wants the annual recurring revenue from the membership. While I can understand your viewpoint, they can't give away the rings and the membership for free.
 
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