Not upheld: incorrect information about account benefits eligibility complaint against American Express Services Europe Limited (trading as American Express)
Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-6143936 of 2026-04-10T00:00:00+00:00. incorrect information about account benefits eligibility complaint against American Express Services Europe Limited (trading as American Express). Outcome: Not upheld.
Decision detail
| Reference | DRN-6143936 |
|---|---|
| Decision date | 2026-04-10T00:00:00+00:00 |
| Firm | American Express Services Europe Limited (trading as American Express) |
| Product | credit card |
| Claim type | incorrect information about account benefits eligibility |
| Outcome | Not upheld |
| Remedy | No additional remedy ordered. AmEx's existing offer of 8,000 reward points (approximately £80) was deemed sufficient. |
Summary
Mrs E complained that American Express incorrectly informed her she was eligible to earn a second companion voucher on her credit card account within the same membership year, leading her to spend £15,000 and subsequently pay over £1,800 for a flight she expected the voucher would cover. AmEx's online tracker and statements contained incorrect information suggesting she was progressing towards earning another voucher after already receiving one in July 2025, though the May 2025 statement did include a notice about the technical error. The ombudsman found that while AmEx made an error, it had provided adequate notice, the conflicting information should have alerted Mrs E to the problem, and she incurred no quantifiable loss since she was never eligible for a second voucher and booked the flight after being informed she would not receive it. The ombudsman upheld AmEx's offer of 8,000 reward points as fair compensation and did not uphold the complaint.
The Ombudsman's reasoning
The ombudsman acknowledged AmEx made an error but found that AmEx had provided adequate notice of the technical error in its May 2025 statement. The ombudsman reasoned that the conflicting information in the August 2025 statement (stating she'd met the threshold but also reminding her only one voucher per year would be issued) should have alerted Mrs E that something was wrong, particularly given her prior experience with the promotion. Critically, the ombudsman found Mrs E incurred no quantifiable loss because she was never eligible for a second voucher regardless of AmEx's error, and the flight was booked after she was informed she wouldn't receive the voucher. The ombudsman concluded that AmEx's offer of 8,000 reward points fairly reflected the confusion and disappointment caused.
How this compares
| Group | Decisions | Uphold rate |
|---|---|---|
| American Express Services Europe Limited (trading as American Express), all decisions | 4 | 0% |
Source
Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website