American Express rolled out a new Platinum Global Dining Credit benefit for European members in June and July.
The dining credits in the Euro area are 200 euros for select restaurants in the country the card was issued and 200 euros for participating restaurants “globally.” The benefit should be yearly and reset on January 1.
There have been similar benefits with a few merchants in Finland that I or additional cardholders have participated in the past. The credit fully or partially wiping out the charge has usually been posted within a day or two.
Email from Amex:
The email above from Amex arrived on July 6 (Google translate from Finnish). I tried to register for the offer immediately, but it wouldn’t go through. A few hours later, they sent a follow-up email, and the registration worked.
Countries:
Participating Restaurants in Thailand
Two Transactions:
I decided to try out the credits for two lunches in Vienna last month. I had looked at this Camel restaurant from the hotel where I was staying (Park Hyatt Vienna), and it appeared to be very popular. Both were good, and the charges posted to both cards just fine.
It is now three weeks since the lunches, and no credits have been applied.
What the offer terms state:
The refund should appear on your statement within 5 business days of qualifying, but may take up to 150 days from the end of the offer.
The terms state that the credit should appear within 5 business days (a week) but can take up to 150 days from the end date of this offer. So theoretically, I could have to wait up to 10 months for the credits to appear.
Conclusion
The Amex Platinum rewards program is so watered down in the Nordics that swiping this card makes hardly any sense. I have kept it for the comprehensive travel insurance valid on trips up to 120 days.
The “value” I associate with these various credits that Amex has offered is not the face value, but I tend to discount them by 50%.
What is the 200 euro credit worth when dinner for two at the Savoy restaurant in Helsinki, which is very lovely, btw, tends to go for roughly 400 euros without much drinking?
I hope that Amex gets crediting of these transactions order soon. I imagine I am not the only cardholder who has already inquired about them.
