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Home » AMEX Cards Canada » Amex Canada Welcome Bonus History: Compare Current Offers to Past Highs

Amex Canada Welcome Bonus History: Compare Current Offers to Past Highs

by Britt Phoenix

Updated:

Published:

Amex Welcome Bonus History Tracker in Canada Since 2019

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you apply through them, PointsWise may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. American Express is not responsible for the content on this site. Terms apply.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you should apply for a new Amex card now or wait for a better bonus, this guide is for you.

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Cobalt Card

Cobalt Card Read our Cobalt Card review

Welcome Bonus: You can earn up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points: 1,250 points per month for 12 months after spending $750 monthly.

Annual Fee: $15.99/month

Rewards:
  • 5x points on food & drinks
  • 3x points on streaming services
  • 2x points on gas, transit & ride sharing
  • 1x points on everything else
Apply Now!
Instant decision available with no impact to your credit score.

For the past six years, I’ve tracked every single welcome bonus for every Canadian-issued American Express card. This post pulls it all together to help you make smarter decisions about when to apply and which cards have the most potential value.

A full breakdown of every Amex Canada bonus since 2019, all in one place? Now that’s PointsWise.

Explore AMEX Canada Welcome Bonus History by Card

Select a card below to show its welcome bonus history:

Welcome Bonus Events - Master Post v1


CANADA: APPLY NOW!

Cobalt Card

Cobalt Card Read our Cobalt Card review

Welcome Bonus: You can earn up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points: 1,250 points per month for 12 months after spending $750 monthly.

Annual Fee: $15.99/month

Rewards:
  • 5x points on food & drinks
  • 3x points on streaming services
  • 2x points on gas, transit & ride sharing
  • 1x points on everything else
Apply Now!
Instant decision available with no impact to your credit score.

Still Deciding Between What Amex Card to Apply For?

Once you understand how welcome bonuses move over time, the next step is choosing the right card for your spending. See our full breakdown of the Best Amex Cards in Canada (2026 Guide) to compare categories, earn rates, and current offers.

Why Track Welcome Bonuses?

Because timing matters.

Welcome bonuses are the biggest reason to apply for a new credit card. But not all offers are created equal, and they fluctuate more than most people realize.

Not sure what these points are actually worth? See how Amex Membership Rewards work and how to value your points.

Knowing the historical highs (and lows) can help you avoid applying during a lull, and maybe even save your hard credit pull for something bigger down the road.

Beyond welcome bonuses, Amex often rewards existing cardmembers with limited-time promos like the Additional Card Offer for the Cobalt Card.

Wondering what a welcome bonus is actually worth? I tracked a full Colombia trip and mapped it against today’s Amex Gold bonus.

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Gold Rewards Card

Gold Rewards Card Read our Gold Rewards Card review

Welcome Bonus: You can earn up to 60,000 Membership Rewards points: 5,000 points per month for 12 months after spending $1,000 monthly.

Annual Fee: $250/year

Rewards:
  • 2x points on travel
  • 2x points on gas, groceries & drugstores
  • 1x points on everything else
Apply Now!
Instant decision available with no impact to your credit score.

Methodology

I’ve manually tracked this data since 2019, focusing only on public welcome bonuses (no targeted or referral-only offers). This includes both personal and business cards, across all Amex rewards currencies: Membership Rewards, Aeroplan, Marriott Bonvoy, and Cashback.

Data is updated regularly and embedded directly from Google Sheets, so what you’re seeing is always current.

Bonus Trends Over Time

Amex tends to push aggressive offers around spring and late summer, particularly May, July, and September. These months account for a majority of the highest historical offers across the lineup.

We’ve added charts for each card showing how their bonuses have evolved over time. You can explore by each card below:

CANADA: APPLY NOW!

Platinum Card

Platinum Card Read our Platinum Card review

Welcome Bonus: Experience Amex’s best offer this year. You can earn up to 170,000 Membership Rewards points: 90,000 points after spending $10,000 in the first 3 months. Plus 40,000 points after you spend a total of $45,000 on your Card in your first 12 months of cardmembership. You can also earn 40,000 points when you make a purchase between months 15 and 17 of cardmembership. Offer ends July 28, 2026.

Annual Fee: $799/year

Rewards:
  • 2x points on food & drinks
  • 2x points on travel
  • 1x points on everything else
Apply Now!
Instant decision available with no impact to your credit score.

Common Questions

When is the best time to apply for an Amex card in Canada?

Historically, May, July, and September have been strong months for elevated bonuses across most major Amex travel cards.

Read the Reviews and Apply Now for these AMEX Canada Cards:

Read the ReviewApply Now!
Aeroplan Business Reserve Card ReviewApply Now
Aeroplan Card ReviewApply Now
Aeroplan Reserve Card ReviewApply Now
Business Gold Rewards Card ReviewApply Now
Business Platinum Card ReviewApply Now
Cobalt Card ReviewApply Now
Gold Rewards Card ReviewApply Now
Green Card ReviewApply Now
Marriott Bonvoy Business Card ReviewApply Now
Marriott Bonvoy Card ReviewApply Now
Platinum Card ReviewApply Now
SimplyCash Card ReviewApply Now
SimplyCash Preferred Card ReviewApply Now
CANADA: APPLY NOW!

Cobalt Card

Cobalt Card Read our Cobalt Card review

Welcome Bonus: You can earn up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points: 1,250 points per month for 12 months after spending $750 monthly.

Annual Fee: $15.99/month

Rewards:
  • 5x points on food & drinks
  • 3x points on streaming services
  • 2x points on gas, transit & ride sharing
  • 1x points on everything else
Apply Now!
Instant decision available with no impact to your credit score.

Do welcome bonuses repeat?

Sometimes. Amex occasionally brings back a historical high, but there’s no set pattern. Some cards, like the Platinum, tend to cycle through higher offers more frequently, while others may go years between peak offers.

Further Reading: Amex Platinum vs. Amex Gold Canada – Which is Worth It for Travel?

Further Reading: Amex Platinum Card Canada Review 2025: Luxury Travel Benefits Worth $799?

Is it worth waiting?

It depends. If you’re earning a signup bonus to hit a specific travel goal (say, a flight to Europe), waiting 2–3 months could mean an extra 30,000-50,000 points. That’s a huge difference in value.

That said, offers can disappear with no notice, so if you’re seeing one near historical highs, it’s probably worth locking in.

CANADA: APPLY NOW!

Business Platinum Card

Business Platinum Card Read our Business Platinum Card review

Welcome Bonus: You can earn up to 120,000 Membership Rewards points: 80,000 points after spending $15,000 in the first 3 months, plus 40,000 points after making a purchase in months 15-17 of Cardmembership.

Annual Fee: $799/year

Rewards:
  • 1.25x points on everything
Apply Now!
See if this card fits your business spending and rewards strategy.

Final Thoughts

This post was built for travellers who want to get serious about timing their credit card strategy. Understanding trends like this can help you get maximum value from each card application to travel better and go further with your points.

Check back often, we’ll keep this post updated as new bonuses roll out.

And if you want to see which offers are best right now, head to our Best Amex Welcome Bonuses in Canada roundup.

Be Ready When the Best AMEX Offers Drop in 🍁Canada!🍁

Get updates based on 6+ years of welcome bonus history - so you know exactly when to apply.

CANADA: APPLY NOW!

Cobalt Card

Cobalt Card Read our Cobalt Card review

Welcome Bonus: You can earn up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points: 1,250 points per month for 12 months after spending $750 monthly.

Annual Fee: $15.99/month

Rewards:
  • 5x points on food & drinks
  • 3x points on streaming services
  • 2x points on gas, transit & ride sharing
  • 1x points on everything else
Apply Now!
Instant decision available with no impact to your credit score.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Britt

Phoenix

Photo of author

Britt enjoys researching the best ways to earn and redeem travel reward points with Amex Cards, helping Canadians unlock incredible travel opportunities.

She loves using points to book hotels and exploring the beautiful forests of west coast BC. From rustic cabins to five-star hotels, Britt is always ready for her next adventure.

View my posts.

Contact me.

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CANADA: APPLY NOW!

Cobalt Card

Cobalt Card Read our Cobalt Card review

Welcome Bonus: You can earn up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points: 1,250 points per month for 12 months after spending $750 monthly.

Annual Fee: $15.99/month

Rewards:
  • 5x points on food & drinks
  • 3x points on streaming services
  • 2x points on gas, transit & ride sharing
  • 1x points on everything else
Apply Now!
Instant decision available with no impact to your credit score.

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