American Express Welcome offer once per lifetime

How it works

Welcome offer not available to applicants who have or have had this Card.

• It is per card, and each card's terms say which other cards count too (see the family rules).
• "Lifetime" is reported to mean roughly seven years, about how long a closed card stays on your credit file. Amex doesn't say.
• Some targeted mailers and links leave the lifetime language out. When they do, the offer's own terms are what count.
• Amex tells you during the application if you aren't eligible, before you accept the card, so you can stop there.
• The Hilton Honors cards have lifetime language but no family rule as of early 2026: each Hilton card is judged on its own.

American Express cards these apply to

• 

  Amex Business Gold

  $375 a year

• 

  Amex Gold

  $325 a year

• 

  Amex Green

  $150 a year

• 

  Amex Blue Cash Preferred

  $95 a year

• 

  Delta Platinum

  $350 a year

• 

  Delta Reserve

  $650 a year

• 

  Hilton Aspire

  $550 a year

• 

  Bonvoy Brilliant

  $650 a year

More American Express rules

• Card families

  Green, Gold and Platinum family

  Having a more expensive Membership Rewards card blocks the welcome offer on a cheaper one: the Platinum blocks the Gold, and the Gold or Platinum blocks the Green. To earn all three, apply Green, then Gold, then Platinum.

  In the issuer's terms

• Card families

  Delta SkyMiles family

  On the personal Delta SkyMiles cards, you can only earn a welcome offer on a card more expensive than any Delta card you have or have had.

  In the issuer's terms

• How fast you can apply

  One card every 5 days

  American Express usually approves no more than one credit card every 5 days.

  Reported by applicants

• How fast you can apply

  Two cards in 90 days

  American Express usually approves no more than two credit cards in any 90 days.

  Reported by applicants

• How many cards you can hold

  Five credit cards at once

  American Express usually lets you hold up to 5 of its credit cards at one time. Charge cards sit outside that limit.

  Reported by applicants

• Card families

  Marriott Bonvoy cards across Amex and Chase

  Marriott Bonvoy cards are issued by both American Express and Chase, and each card's terms can block its bonus if you recently opened, or recently earned a bonus on, a Marriott card from either bank.

  In the issuer's terms