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American Express Cobalt (#amexcobalt)

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Sep 25, 2004
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aokec wrote: Are there referral points offered for getting this? (or only the GCR referral rebate?) I just applied for a Business Platinum AMEX, and I also have a business SPG card.

Thanks.
Personal Gold card and another Cobalt card only.
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Nov 25, 2010
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Cobalt's value proposition for earning airline miles:

Before:
Spend $10K in grocery/restaurants/PayPower -> Earn 50K Membership Rewards points = 25K SPG Starpoints = 30K airline miles (25K + 5K transfer bonus)
Basically Spend $1 in bonus categories, earn 3 miles

After (with the 1000 Membership Rewards to 1200 Marriott Rewards points transfer ratio):
Spend $10K in grocery/restaurants/PayPower -> Earn 50K Membership Rewards points = 60K Marriott points = 25K airline miles (20K + 5K transfer bonus)
Basically Spend $1 in bonus categories, earn 2.5 miles

Does the Cobalt loose it's value proposition for earning miles ?
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Nov 28, 2017
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SnoopDop wrote: Cobalt's value proposition for earning airline miles:

Before:
Spend $10K in grocery/restaurants/PayPower -> Earn 50K Membership Rewards points = 25K SPG Starpoints = 30K airline miles (25K + 5K transfer bonus)
Basically Spend $1 in bonus categories, earn 3 miles

After (with the 1000 Membership Rewards to 1200 Marriott Rewards points transfer ratio):
Spend $10K in grocery/restaurants/PayPower -> Earn 50K Membership Rewards points = 60K Marriott points = 25K airline miles (20K + 5K transfer bonus)
Basically Spend $1 in bonus categories, earn 2.5 miles

Does the Cobalt loose it's value proposition for earning miles ?
I mean, if you are looking at value proposition, you should either look at the number of airlines miles you need, or the most efficient point of transfer.

In addition, aeroplan has regular hotel program transfer bonuses of 25 or 30 percent (30 on now).

So used to be more like spend 8k in grocery/restaurants/PayPower - > earn 40k MR, 20k spg, up to 32.5k aeroplan. So a bit more than 4 miles per dollar.

And is now spend 10k in grocery/restaurants/PayPower - > Earn 50K Membership Rewards points = 60K Marriott points = up to 32.5 k aeroplan, so up to 3.25 miles per dollar.

In addition, while other airlines don't get the bonus the flexibility of transferring Marriott to so many airline programs adds to the value. Especially for those close to US border airports, who can get more us direct destinations, and/or rescue "orphaned" reward miles in other programs.

Also paypower would get an asterisk due to fees paid for pay power spending reducing its value.

The bigger question is not overall value of the card, but comparing the hotel transfer or hotel->airline to either fixed cost travel, or travel points for purchases.

10k spend on points for purchases is 50k MR, which is 500 for really any travel spending. So in the best case you need to consider an aeroplan mile worth 1.54 cents or more for that to be more valuable than simply points for purchases. And then for the fixed price travel it depends what your dollar cost for equivalent flights would be.
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Jul 29, 2016
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Anyone here use Ritual with Cobalt card? Do you receive 5x for Ritual orders now? Or is the issue still not fixed?
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Aug 7, 2013
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As a small business customer for Canada Post, I can sign-up for a Business Platinum AMEX card with 75,000 welcome bonus points and $399 annual fee. Signing bonus aside, what typically offers better value long-term, the Business Platinum or Cobalt card? I spend well over $3,000 per month on Food/Dining between groceries and entertaining clients at various restaurants etc. I can't recall if the Cobalt card caps on the amount of 5x purchases you can make in a month for the Food/Dining category.

Anyways, I'm just trying to assess which of these two cards makes more sense as a permanent hold longer term. I used to be an avid user of the TD Visa Infinite but they really watered down the earn rate a few years back.
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Sep 13, 2004
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pointsdude wrote: Anyone here use Ritual with Cobalt card? Do you receive 5x for Ritual orders now? Or is the issue still not fixed?
Still not fixed.
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Nov 28, 2017
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JagStyles wrote: As a small business customer for Canada Post, I can sign-up for a Business Platinum AMEX card with 75,000 welcome bonus points and $399 annual fee. Signing bonus aside, what typically offers better value long-term, the Business Platinum or Cobalt card? I spend well over $3,000 per month on Food/Dining between groceries and entertaining clients at various restaurants etc. I can't recall if the Cobalt card caps on the amount of 5x purchases you can make in a month for the Food/Dining category.

Anyways, I'm just trying to assess which of these two cards makes more sense as a permanent hold longer term. I used to be an avid user of the TD Visa Infinite but they really watered down the earn rate a few years back.
The cobalt will let you earn way more if you hold it long term. The platinum will give you better perks, and more year 1 return.

It will also gove you airline transfer options, increasing the value of the points you earn.

So maybe do platinum for a year then switch to cobalt
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Apr 24, 2017
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Cobalt new perk: spend $100 at The Keg and get $15 statement credit in August.
🤑 Amex Cobalt | MBNA RWE | Rogers MC
⛱️ Amex Platinum | Amex Bonvoy Brilliant
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EdisonL299 wrote: Cobalt new perk: spend $100 at The Keg and get $15 statement credit in August.
If you are just 2 ppl you will be over spending to get to $100
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Jan 4, 2011
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thetipster wrote: If you are just 2 ppl you will be over spending to get to $100
Not sure what Keg you go to, but two steaks and some drinks at the Keg in Montreal will easily get you over $100.
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efrant wrote: Not sure what Keg you go to, but two steaks and some drinks at the Keg in Montreal will easily get you over $100.
Yeah you are assuming both people drink and get steak. If one person gets the chicken or a top sirloin and doesn't drink then you will easily be under 100 before tax

EDIT **** The deal is 100 including tax and tip.. I retract my statements!
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Jan 30, 2012
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EdisonL299 wrote: Cobalt new perk: spend $100 at The Keg and get $15 statement credit in August.
got the same email ... but never been to the keg ... is it pricey? lol
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Mar 21, 2010
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thetipster wrote: Yeah you are assuming both people drink and get steak. If one person gets the chicken or a top sirloin and doesn't drink then you will easily be under 100 before tax

EDIT **** The deal is 100 including tax and tip.. I retract my statements!
Just out of curiosity, given that the credit is an Amex statement credit, I wonder if it would even be possible for Amex to have known how much of the charge was food/drink/tax/tip etc. You'd think that if they could easily do this, they would also exclude gift cards etc. from "grocery" spend.
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EdisonL299 wrote: Cobalt new perk: spend $100 at The Keg and get $15 statement credit in August.
Is this scalable? Can you spend $100+ twice (perhaps different days) at the Keg and get the $15 statement credit? Perhaps one could scalp gift cards at the Keg.
Manatus wrote: Just out of curiosity, given that the credit is an Amex statement credit, I wonder if it would even be possible for Amex to have known how much of the charge was food/drink/tax/tip etc. You'd think that if they could easily do this, they would also exclude gift cards etc. from "grocery" spend.
Buying prepaid and gift cards with visa or AmEx is not an issue yet in Canada, although that's commonly against ToS in the US.
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VH99 wrote: got the same email ... but never been to the keg ... is it pricey? lol
It’s a great steak restaurant. As someone mentioned before, 2 steaks 🥩 and 2 drinks can easily go up to $100 after taxes and tips.
🤑 Amex Cobalt | MBNA RWE | Rogers MC
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titaniumtux wrote: Is this scalable? Can you spend $100+ twice (perhaps different days) at the Keg and get the $15 statement credit? Perhaps one could scalp gift cards at the Keg.
Amex offers are generally one-use only.
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titaniumtux wrote: Is this scalable? Can you spend $100+ twice (perhaps different days) at the Keg and get the $15 statement credit? Perhaps one could scalp gift cards at the Keg.
It’s not mentioned in the email. I don’t know if we can do multiple times and get multiple $15 credit.
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Member
Oct 22, 2012
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EdisonL299 wrote: It’s not mentioned in the email. I don’t know if we can do multiple times and get multiple $15 credit.
From the email fine print:

Maximum of 1 statement credit of $15 (CAD) is available per registered card during the offer period.
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Oct 22, 2012
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titaniumtux wrote: Is this scalable? Can you spend $100+ twice (perhaps different days) at the Keg and get the $15 statement credit?
From the email fine print:

To be eligible for a $15 (CAD) statement credit, one single qualifying purchase or cumulative qualifying purchases that total $100 (CAD) or more, after taxes and gratuities, must be charged to your registered card at The Keg restaurants in Canada during the offer period and subsequently posted to the account.
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Feb 28, 2012
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Toronto, ON
It's funny to see personal platinum offers michael's on simcoe while the cobalt is offering the keg :) LOL

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