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How to check credit card sign-up bonus eligibility in Australia
Welcome-gift and spend-benefit conditions in the examples on this page are the terms a publisher attaches to a card benefit: a spending target, a deadline or measurement period, a definition of which purchases count, and in some cases payment of the annual fee. [6] [8] The worked examples are the published welcome-gift conditions for four American Express consumer cards in India and the Status Lift spend benefit on the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard in Canada. [6] [8]
Source dates: [6] retrieved 18 October 2026; [8] retrieved 6 October 2026
Key takeaways
- The American Express India welcome gifts described here require eligible spending within 90 days of card membership; for the Membership Rewards, Platinum Travel and Platinum Reserve cards, the terms also state that the gift is available only in the first year on payment of the annual fee. [6]
- The spending target varies by product: SmartEarn Rs. 10,000; Membership Rewards and Platinum Travel INR 15,000; Platinum Reserve INR 30,000, each within 90 days. [6]
- The terms exclude certain transactions from eligible spend: American Express India excludes cash advances, express cash transactions, drafts, balance transfers and fees and states that eligible spend is net of returns; WestJet excludes returns, other credits, fees, interest charges and cash advances. [6] [8]
- WestJet requires the card account to be open and in good standing when a Status Lift is awarded, and reserves the right to remove Status Lifts and tier upgrades if the account is closed before the end of the Qualifying Year. [8]
What conditions decide whether a welcome gift is paid?
Four American Express consumer cards in India show the shape of a published welcome gift: a fixed gift paired with a spending target that has to be met inside a window measured from card membership. [6]
| Card | Welcome gift | Spend within 90 days | First-year fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| SmartEarn Credit Card | Rs. 500 cashback | Rs. 10,000 | Rs. 495 plus taxes |
| Membership Rewards Credit Card | 4,000 bonus Membership Rewards points | INR 15,000 | Rs. 1,000 plus taxes |
| Platinum Travel Credit Card | 10,000 Membership Rewards points | INR 15,000 | Rs. 5,000 plus taxes |
| Platinum Reserve Credit Card | 11,000 bonus Membership Rewards points | INR 30,000 | Rs. 10,000 plus taxes |
The Membership Rewards, Platinum Travel and Platinum Reserve entries state that the gift is available only in the first year on payment of the annual fee, in addition to the spending target. [6] The SmartEarn entry pairs the Rs. 500 cashback with Rs. 10,000 of eligible spends in the first 90 days; the terms state that the statement credit is given within 10 working days of completion of those eligible spends. [6]
What counts as eligible spend?
The American Express India terms exclude cash advances, express cash transactions, drafts made from the account, balance transfers and fees from eligible spends, and state that eligible spend is net of any returns. [6]
WestJet's Status Lift terms use a separate definition. Eligible Purchases are the net purchase transactions made by all cardholders on the account that appear on the monthly statements during the Qualifying Year, minus returns, other credits, fees, interest charges and cash advances — with cash advances including balance transfers, cash-like transactions and bill payments that are not pre-authorised charges set up with a merchant. [8]
Every $5,000 of Eligible Purchases earns CAD 200 of tier qualifying spend, awarded up to 50 times in a Qualifying Year, which the terms describe as the equivalent of 10,000 CAD. [8]
When does the spending clock start and stop?
On the four American Express India consumer cards described here, the spending window is 90 days from card membership. [6]
The WestJet benefit is measured by statement. A Status Lift is awarded about 10 business days after the monthly statement date on which the $5,000 threshold is reached. [8] A Qualifying Year runs from 1 January to 31 December, and for a new account from the first monthly statement date to 31 December. [8] Purchases made after December's statement date post to the January statement and do not count towards that year's total — WestJet's example is a purchase on 28 December when statements are prepared on the 27th. [8] Status Lifts and Eligible Purchases reset to zero at the start of each Qualifying Year. [8]
What happens if the card is closed or not in good standing?
WestJet requires the card account to be open and in good standing at the moment the Status Lift is awarded, and reserves the right to remove any Status Lifts and/or tier upgrades already received if the account is closed before the end of the Qualifying Year. [8] WestJet and Royal Bank of Canada also reserve the right to change or withdraw the Status Lift benefit at any time. [8]
On the SmartEarn card, the Rs. 500 cashback is paid as a statement credit within 10 working days of completion of the eligible spends. [6]
Exceptions and limits
- The welcome gifts described for the American Express India cards are tied to the first 90 days of card membership; for the Membership Rewards, Platinum Travel and Platinum Reserve cards the terms also state that the gift is available only in the first year on payment of the annual fee. [6]
- The Membership Rewards card's second-year fee is listed as Rs. 4,500 plus taxes, against Rs. 1,000 plus taxes in the first year. [6]
- On the WestJet card, only the primary cardholder receives tier qualifying spend from Status Lift; purchases on every card on the account count towards the $5,000, but the CAD 200 is credited to the primary cardholder's WestJet Rewards account. [8]
- Tier qualifying spend earned through Status Lift has no monetary or other exchange value and cannot be sold or transferred. [8]
- Amounts are shown in the currency used by each publisher: rupees/INR for the American Express India cards and Canadian dollars for the WestJet card. No conversion is applied here. [6] [8]
Frequently asked questions
What spending does not count toward the American Express India welcome-gift targets?
Cash advances, express cash transactions, drafts made from the account, balance transfers and fees are excluded from eligible spends, and eligible spend is net of any returns. [6]
How long do I have to meet a welcome-gift spend target?
On the four American Express India consumer cards described here, 90 days from card membership. [6]
Does paying the annual fee matter for a welcome gift?
On the Membership Rewards, Platinum Travel and Platinum Reserve cards, the terms state that the gift is available only in the first year on payment of the annual fee, in addition to the spending target. [6]
Can WestJet take back a Status Lift?
WestJet requires the card account to be open and in good standing when the Status Lift is awarded, and reserves the right to remove any Status Lifts and/or tier upgrades if the account is closed before the end of the Qualifying Year. [8]
Sources
Source [6] was retrieved on 18 October 2026; source [8] was retrieved on 6 October 2026.
- American Express India credit cards and welcome gift terms, retrieved 18 October 2026
- WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard Status Lift terms, retrieved 6 October 2026