How to cancel an American Express Credit Card in Singapore

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The credit card warriors and travel hackers would know never to pay the annual fee unless of course it meant free airline miles or accelerated earnings. Since I generally do not like to a Customer Relations Officer over the phone, I usually try to get most of my cancellations done (especially after charged an annual fee) over the internet or at the branch. I tried to cancel my American Express Ascend Credit Card last week Friday but was told that the system was undergoing some maintenance and therefore they were unable to fulfil my request at that point of time. 

One thing I love about the American Express Call Center is that you do not actually have to wait too long to speak to a Customer Relations Officer. In the case where you have to wait, they actually provide you with an estimated waiting time which I found to be pretty accurate anyway. I would go on to talk about the psychology and consumers' perceptions of waiting time but that is not the focus of this article today.

Here are the six basic steps to cancel an American Express Credit Card in Singapore:

  1. Call the hotline and request for a Customer Relations Officer (CRO)
    • In Singapore: 1800 396 6000 
    • Outside of Singapore: +65 6396 6000
  2. Explain that you want to cancel your Credit Card
  3. Provide the Credit Card number to the CRO
  4. Go through a verification process (e.g. date of birth, credit limit, security questions)
  5. Get transferred to Retention Department (don't worry they are nice people!)
  6. Work out a solution with the friendly team at the Retention Department
    • If you wish to keep the card, they can provide a range of different options. I was offered a 50% reduction in annual fees without compromising on the benefits (e.g. free hotel stay and airport lounge access)
    • If you wish to cancel the card, they can waive the annual fees (if it is already charged) and proceed with the cancellation

If you are looking for a public email address where you can send in questions or cancellation requests for American Express Singapore, don't bother. You will not find a public email address for you to request for card cancellations with American Express Singapore. The only way to cancel a card is to call the hotline! If you are interested in contacting a particular department specifically, please refer to this page instead.