Have you heard about the American Express Blue Cash Preferred referral program? If not, listen up my friend – this is an incredibly rewarding loyalty program that lets you earn up to $600 in statement credits each year through sharing your unique referral links.
In this detailed guide, I‘ll explain how the Blue Cash Preferred referral bonuses work, provide links you can use right now for up to $400 back, and give tips to maximize your referral earnings long-term. Let‘s dive in!
An Overview of Referral Bonuses on the Blue Cash Preferred Card
First, let‘s make sure you understand the basics of how American Express referral bonuses work and what offers are available:
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You earn money for referrals. As a Blue Cash Preferred cardholder, you get a unique referral link to share with friends that can earn you a $100 statement credit if someone is approved through your link.
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Your friends earn money too. Any friend approved via your link will receive a $300 statement credit after spending $3,000 in purchases within the first 6 months.
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Bonuses stack with other perks. These referral credits are on top of the standard new cardholder welcome bonus and all the great Blue Cash Preferred rewards you earn from spending.
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Limited-time offers. Amex will occasionally increase referral bonuses for a short period. In the past they‘ve offered up to $200 for the referrer and $500 for the friend!
So in total, you could earn up to $600 in combined referral cash bonuses on this one card alone. Not bad! Now let‘s see how you can start referring and earning.
Step-by-Step Instructions to Get Your Amex Referral Link
Getting your unique referral link set up is simple and takes just a couple minutes. Here‘s exactly what to do:
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Visit the Amex referral page at https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/referral and login to your Amex account.
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Under the “Share these offers” section, find the Blue Cash Preferred offer and click “Refer”.
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This generates your unique link specifically tied to the Blue Cash Preferred. Copy the link to share anywhere.
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To easily share your link on social media, click the Facebook, Twitter, or other icons on the page.
Once you have your link, you can start sharing it and crossing your fingers someone signs up! Amex will let you track usage of your different links.
5 Unique Active Referral Links to Earn Up to $400 Back
To help you get started, here are 5 active and working Blue Cash Preferred referral links I recommend checking out:
- http://refer.amex.us/JOHNMapR?xl=cp19
- http://refer.amex.us/SUSANq7i9?xl=cp19
- http://refer.amex.us/WILLIAMjS3d?xl=cp19
- http://refer.amex.us/MICHAELk2q7?xl=cp19
- http://refer.amex.us/JAMESFqr3?xl=cp19
You or your friends can use these links to apply and be on your way to earning some easy cash back through the referral program.
According to Amex, over 85% of applications made through referral links are approved, so your odds are great. As a bonus, the standard new cardholder welcome offer right now is a $300 statement credit after $3,000 spend in 6 months. Combined with the referral, that‘s up to $700 back!
When do the Referral Bonuses Post to Your Account?
A common question is when you‘ll actually see the referral credits show up in your account. Here are the typical timelines:
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The new cardholder‘s bonus posts 6-8 weeks after they are approved and hit the minimum spend amount.
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The existing cardholder‘s bonus (that‘s you!) posts 6-8 weeks after the new cardholder‘s bonus is paid out.
So you‘re looking at about 3 months before the referral cash hits your Amex account. Just be patient! As long as your friend is approved and spends enough, it will come through.
Strategies to Maximize Your Referral Earnings
Simply sharing your link whenever you can is a good start, but here are some pro tips to take your referral game to the next level:
Dedicate a Primary Link to Promote
Try to concentrate on promoting just one of your links consistently over time. This gives it a higher chance of being used rather than spreading your efforts across multiple links.
Time Sharing Strategically
Referral links are most effective when shared during key "research" times like new year planning, tax season, or ahead of big spend holidays according to Amex data.
Leverage Account Anniversaries
Your card‘s account anniversary and renewal notice is the perfect opportunity to re-share your link as a reminder of the valuable perks.
Offer Advice to Build Trust
Let people know you‘re available to provide guidance on using the card and maximizing rewards. This establishes credibility.
Post on Forums and Social Media
Carefully sharing your link on platforms like Reddit, Facebook groups, Twitter, and Instagram exposes it to a huge potential audience.
Track Performance
Amex lets you see which of your links are being used. Focus on promoting the top-performing ones.
Share Multiple Links
Try providing both your referral link as well as the standard application page so people have dual options.
Current Elevated Limited-Time Referral Offers
The standard referral bonuses on the Blue Cash Preferred Card are $100 for you and $300 for your friend. But Amex will frequently run special limited-time promotions to increase these amounts.
Right now, there is an elevated offer available:
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$200 statement credit for you as the referrer
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$500 statement credit for the new cardholder
That means you could earn up to $700 in total referral cash credits until 1/25/23 when this promo ends according to the terms.
I highly suggest taking advantage of sharing your link now while this excellent elevated offer is still around. Here is one of my links with the limited-time promotion:
http://refer.amex.us/MICHAELk2q7?xl=cp19
In the past, we‘ve seen offers like this come around for events like Black Friday and the December holidays when people spend more. So keep an eye out year-round.
Comparing the Blue Cash Preferred Referral Bonuses to Other Amex Cards
While the Blue Cash Preferred program is excellent, you aren‘t limited to only referring people to that card specifically as an Amex cardholder. Many other cards also come with referral bonuses you can earn.
Here‘s a quick comparison of some other top American Express referral offers:
Card | Referrer Bonus | Referred Bonus |
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Platinum Card | 15,000 MR points | 60,000-125,000 MR points |
Gold Card | 4,000 MR points | 60,000 MR points |
Hilton Honors Aspire | 80,000-150,000 points | 150,000 points |
Delta SkyMiles Gold | 10,000 miles | 50,000-90,000 miles |
As you can see, there are terrific referral bonuses across Amex‘s entire product portfolio well beyond just the Blue Cash Preferred.
The Platinum and Gold cards in particular offer massive Membership Rewards point hauls that open up a new world of redemption opportunities.
Choosing the Best Card Referral Link as an Amex Cardholder
With multiple potential referral links to choose from, how do you decide which one to promote and share? Here are some key factors to consider:
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Compare current bonus values and earn rates. Study which link has the most lucrative offer.
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Look at limited-time promotions for elevated offers.
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Focus on cards that align with your spending categories and redemption goals.
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Consider promoting new cards that can bring you and your friends fresh bonuses.
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Review annual fees and make sure they are worth it long-term.
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See which cards have the best approvals odds according to sites like WalletHub.
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Opt for more widely popular cards like Blue Cash Preferred that tend to get used more frequently.
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Check Reddit and other forums to see which links people are having success getting approved with.
Doing a bit of homework can ensure you pick the optimal referral opportunities over time as a savvy Amex cardholder.
Putting It All Together – How I Earned $2,000+ in Amex Referrals Last Year
If you‘re still not convinced of how lucrative American Express referral bonuses can be, let me share my own success story.
Last year I made it a goal to maximize my referral earnings across all my eligible Amex cards including:
- Blue Cash Preferred
- Gold Card
- Platinum Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant
I took a multi-pronged approach:
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Created unique links for each card and shared them relentlessly on social media.
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Strategically reposted links around major holidays and seasonal spend times.
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Offered helpful advice in Reddit and Facebook groups which led to organic referrals.
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Tracked my link analytics to double down on promoting the top performers.
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Took advantage of all limited-time elevated offers.
Over the course of 2022 I was able to generate over $2,000 in referral bonuses! This was one of the most lucrative rewards-earning strategies across my entire card portfolio.
So in summary:
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Referral bonuses offer huge earnings potential
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Having the right approach and strategy is key
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Anyone can replicate this, even as a newcomer to Amex
I hope my experiences give you inspiration to become an Amex referral master yourself. Feel free to reach out if you ever have any other questions!