Update · 10 Nov, 9:41 PM Amex says it will restore the points within 48 to 72 hours. Check that it does. What to check
Amex India emailed the author, and by reports other affected cardholders, over the name of its India CEO. After considering Card Members' feedback, it says it will restore the Membership Rewards balance as of 8 November 2026, adjusted for points earned or redeemed since, to one of your active Card Accounts.
Do this now
- Screenshot your balance and points activity today.
- Your number: today's balance plus the points removed on 9 November.
- Check again by the evening of 13 November. Screenshot it.
- Keep your complaint open until the points show. Ask Amex to confirm the number in writing.
What the email does not say
- How many points you will get back.
- What happens if you have since closed all your cards.
- Whether points from older closures are safe after 15 November.
- Anything about staff assurances or your complaint reference.
For cards cancelled on or after 15 November 2026, Amex says the existing terms apply: expect the 30 day rule to be enforced. Nothing is credited to the author's account as of 10 November, 11 PM. Got the email, or not? Tell us at report at pointsforfeited.in. The rest of this site is kept as a record.
Amex India · Membership Rewards points forfeiture · 9 November 2026
Amex promised the points would stay. Then Amex took them.
Before closing my Amex Platinum Travel Credit Card, I asked American Express, in its own app chat, whether my points would stay with my Membership Rewards Credit Card. Amex said yes. Three times. I consented to closure because of that answer.
56 days later, Amex wiped 1,20,928 points and called it the fix for a "technical issue". It applied a rule that, by its own notice, does not start until 15 November 2026.
From the author's Amex points activity page. See the screenshot.
Six facts Amex cannot explain away
- The customer asked first.At 1:13 PM, before any consent, I told Amex I hold an MRCC and expected my points to stay on that account. Amex did not correct me.
- Amex confirmed it, three times, in writing.1:18 PM: "Yes, your reward point will remain active on the account". 1:19 PM: "Yes". 1:20 PM: "please rest assured, the points will remain active".
- Consent was given because of the promise.Consent came at 1:19 PM, after the first two confirmations. The card was closed at 1:25 PM.
- There was one pooled balance.On the cancellation date and on day 30, Amex India held points in one Program Account across Basic Cards. My MRCC was, and is, open and in good standing.
- The rule Amex used had not started.Amex's 9 October 2026 email moved per card balances to 15 November 2026. Amex applied it on 9 November, backwards, to a card closed on 14 September.
- Amex's "technical issue" became my loss.The points sat in my account for 56 days. No warning. No correction of the chat. Then a one line ledger entry and a "no action is required from you" email.
Timeline: Platinum Travel cancelled, MRCC kept, points removed
- Amex cuts Platinum Travel milestone rewards for the second time in 2026, effective 10 September. Cardholders start closing the card.
- Amex emails cardholders that from 11 October 2026, points will be held separately for each Basic Card. Until then, points are pooled.
- In the Amex App chat, I state that I hold an MRCC and expect my points to stay on that account after closing Platinum Travel.
- Amex confirms three times that the points will remain active. I give consent at 1:19 PM.
- Card closed. A standard cancellation email follows, with generic text about a 30 day redemption window.
- Amex emails that the per card change is postponed from 11 October to 15 November 2026.
- Day 30 after cancellation. Points still pooled and visible. Amex says nothing.
- Amex removes 1,20,928 points and emails that they "continued to reflect" due to a technical issue. "No action is required from you."
- Formal written complaint sent to Head, Customer Services India and the Principal Nodal Officer.
- Amex emails, over its India CEO's name, that it will restore the 8 November balance within 48 to 72 hours. Not yet credited.
- The date Amex itself set for per card balances to begin.
What Amex did, in one table
| Date | Points structure, per Amex's own notices | What Amex told me | What Amex did |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Sep | One pooled balance across Basic Cards | "The points will remain active" | Closed the card |
| 14 Oct | One pooled balance. Split postponed to 15 Nov | Nothing | Kept showing the points |
| 9 Nov | One pooled balance. Split still 6 days away | "No action is required from you" | Removed 1,20,928 points |
| 15 Nov | Per card balances begin |
Were your Amex points forfeited too?
You are likely affected if
- You held two or more Basic Amex India cards that earn Membership Rewards.
- You closed one, often Platinum Travel after the 2026 cuts, and kept another, often the MRCC.
- You got the email "Important update on your Membership Rewards points balance" on or around 9 November 2026.
- Your points activity shows a large negative "Points Adjustment" dated 9 November 2026.
- Or your balance went negative after you had already redeemed or transferred points. What to ask Amex.
Do these three things today
- Screenshot your chat or email from the day you cancelled, your points activity, and the 9 November email. The Amex app is migrating on 15 November, and chat history may not survive it. See the evidence.
- Send a written complaint to Amex. It starts the 30 day clock for the RBI Ombudsman.
- Join the joint action and the Telegram group. One cardholder is a complaint. Fifty is a case.
As reported by NDTV Profit, Mint and Moneycontrol. See what other cardholders report.
Watch: the whole case in 55 seconds
A short Hindi and English explainer: what Amex promised, what it removed on 9 November, and the three steps to take today.
Easier to forward than a long page. Send it to anyone who holds an Amex India card.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Amex India restoring the Membership Rewards points removed on 9 November 2026?
Amex says so. On 10 November 2026 it emailed cardholders that it will restore the points balance as of 8 November 2026, adjusted for points earned or redeemed since, to one of the cardholder's active Card Accounts within 48 to 72 hours. Check your balance by 13 November, and keep any complaint open until the points show.
Why did Amex remove my Membership Rewards points on 9 November 2026?
American Express India emailed cardholders that points linked to a cancelled card must be redeemed within 30 days, and that a technical issue had kept those points visible beyond 30 days. It then removed them through a Points Adjustment entry dated 9 November 2026.
I cancelled Amex Platinum Travel but kept the Membership Rewards Credit Card. Should my points have stayed?
Yes, in our view. Until 15 November 2026, Amex India pooled Membership Rewards points across a cardholder's Basic Cards in one balance. Amex's own notice of 9 October 2026 moved the start of per card balances to 15 November 2026. Points could not be linked to one card before that structure existed.
Amex says its terms allow forfeiture after 30 days. Is that the end of it?
No. The 30 day clause sits inside a programme where one Program Account holds points for all Linked Accounts. If another enrolled card stays open, the Program Account stays open. Where Amex staff also assured you the points would stay, we argue Amex should be held to that assurance under the law of estoppel. Amex will answer with its terms, which allow it to change conditions and say that not enforcing a rule is no waiver. The point is contested. See the Amex terms page.
How do I complain to Amex India about forfeited points?
Email Head, Customer Services India at head-customerservicesindia@aexp.com and copy the Principal Nodal Officer at pnoindia@aexp.com. State the cancellation date, the card you kept open, any assurance you received, and the points removed. Ask for reinstatement and a complaint reference number. Our complaint drafter builds the email for you.
Can I go to the RBI Ombudsman or consumer court over Amex reward points?
Yes. If Amex does not resolve your complaint within 30 days, or rejects it, file with the RBI Ombudsman at cms.rbi.org.in under Credit Card. You can also file in the District Consumer Commission through e-Daakhil for deficiency in service and unfair trade practice. Consumer commissions have ordered banks to restore reward points and pay compensation before.
Can affected cardholders file together?
Yes. The Supreme Court held in Brigade Enterprises v. Anil Kumar Virmani (2021) that consumers with the same grievance can file a joint complaint. A representative complaint for all affected cardholders is also possible under Section 35(1)(c) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, with the Commission's permission.
What are Amex Membership Rewards points worth in India?
It depends on how you redeem. Airline and hotel transfers or the travel collections typically give roughly 50 paise to 1 rupee per point. 1,20,928 points is worth roughly 60,000 to 1,20,000 rupees.
More questions, including negative balances, upgrades and transfers: the full FAQ. What others are seeing: cardholder reports.
Affected by the 9 November removal?
Join the Telegram group. Do not fight this alone.
Compare Amex's replies, hear what others are filing, and get updates on the joint complaint. Joining needs approval, which keeps scammers out. No card numbers, OTPs or phone numbers, ever.