If you’re applying for American Express Membership Rewards cards without a plan, there’s a very real chance you’ll permanently lose access to valuable welcome bonuses.

American Express doesn’t treat each Membership Rewards card as a standalone product. Instead, bonus eligibility is connected across the entire Membership Rewards family — and the order you apply matters more than ever.

The most important rule to understand:

With Amex Membership Rewards cards, you can only work your way up — not down.

How Amex Bonus Eligibility Works (In Simple Terms)

Amex looks at which Membership Rewards cards you’ve had before when determining whether you’re eligible for a welcome bonus.

If you’ve already held a higher-tier card, you may be blocked from earning bonuses on lower-tier cards, even if you’ve never had them.

Once you skip a step, there’s no reset button (unless, of course, you find an NLL offer – more on that later.)

Why Card Order Is Everything

Think of Membership Rewards cards as a ladder:

Green → Gold → Platinum

You can climb the ladder, but once you jump to the top, the lower rungs disappear.

Examples:

• ✅ Green → Gold → Platinum = eligible for all bonuses
• ❌ Platinum first = no Gold bonus, no Green bonus

That single mistake can cost tens of thousands of points.

Step 1: Amex Green — Optional, but Strategic

The Amex Green sits at the bottom of the Membership Rewards ladder.

If you think there’s any chance you’d want its welcome bonus, it must come before Gold or Platinum.

Even if you don’t plan to keep the card long-term, opening it first:

• Preserves bonus eligibility
• Keeps your options open
• Prevents permanent lockouts later

Skipping Green doesn’t break your strategy — but it does remove one potential bonus.

Step 2: Amex Gold — The Most Important Card to Get

This is where most people make a costly mistake.

If you open the Amex Platinum first, you become ineligible for the Amex Gold welcome bonus.

Given that Gold bonuses are often among the strongest (60k-100k) in the Membership Rewards lineup, this is a big deal.

The Gold card is:

• Lower annual fee than Platinum
• Excellent for everyday spending
• Often the best “workhorse” card for earning points because of its high multiplier on dining and groceries.

If Gold is even remotely on your radar, it must come before Platinum.

Step 3: Amex Platinum — Save This for Last

The Platinum Card is powerful, but it’s also the card that closes doors behind it.

Once you’ve held it, you generally won’t be eligible for welcome bonuses on the other Platinum versions.

This is why Platinum should almost always be the final step in your personal Membership Rewards strategy.

What Is an NLL Offer (and Why You Can’t Rely on Them)

An NLL offer stands for “No Lifetime Language” offer. Normally, American Express limits welcome bonuses to once per lifetime per card. An NLL offer removes that restriction, meaning you may be eligible for a bonus even if you’ve had the card before.

These offers are not publicly advertised and usually appear:

• Through targeted email offers
• Inside your Amex account when logged in
• Via referral links or pre-approved application pages
• Occasionally through third-party tools or direct links

That said, NLL offers are inconsistent and unpredictable. Two people clicking the same link can see different terms, and an offer can disappear or revert to standard lifetime language at any time — even mid-application.

Because of that, NLLs should be treated as a bonus opportunity, not a guarantee.

The Smarter Approach

If an NLL offer appears and fits your strategy, great, take advantage of it. But your long-term plan should never depend on NLLs showing up.

In short: NLL offers are nice when they happen, but they’re not something you can count on.

What About Business Amex Cards?

Business Membership Rewards cards follow separate eligibility rules, which is great news.

That means:

• You can earn bonuses on personal and business cards
• Business cards don’t reset or damage your personal ladder
• They’re often the best way to continue earning large bonuses long-term

If you qualify for business cards, they should be layered after your personal card order is set correctly.