American Express will switch Pay Over Time on for every eligible account on February 1, 2027, and cardholders will lose the option to turn it off. Amex’s Pay Over Time page confirms the date. If you pay your statement in full each month, you won’t owe interest. Before February, make sure your AutoPay pays the full balance.
Upgraded Points reported the notice on November 2, 2026, and Amex cardholders are seeing the same message on their statements.
What changed
- Before: Pay Over Time had two settings, Active and Inactive. You were free to switch it off online or by phone, and some cardholders kept it off to stay eligible for targeted bonus offers to turn it back on.
- Now: from February 1, 2027, the setting stays on Active for good. New eligible charges go into your Pay Over Time balance automatically, up to your Pay Over Time Limit.
- New accounts: nothing changes here. Amex’s current terms already say “At Account opening, the Pay Over Time feature on your Account is set to Active.”
- Who it affects: cards with the Pay Over Time feature, such as the Platinum Card, the Gold Card and the Green Card. If your Amex Platinum or other Amex card has no preset spending limit and earns Membership Rewards, check your statement for the notice.
- Business cards: Amex’s consumer page doesn’t cover them. If you hold a Business Gold or Business Platinum, read your own statement notice before assuming anything.
Key terms
- The switch locks: on February 1, 2027, Amex says, “the option to change the setting will be disabled.”
- What goes in the balance: purchases by you and any additional cardholder, foreign transaction fees and annual fees are eligible. Cash advances and fees owed to Amex are not.
- No interest if you pay in full: pay your Account Total New Balance by the due date and you’re not charged interest. With a Plan It plan, the target is your Adjusted Balance.
- AutoPay doesn’t change itself: if your setting is Inactive and AutoPay is set to Minimum Payment Due, AutoPay stays on the minimum after February 1. Amex then charges interest on the rest of the balance.
- Carried balances: if you already carry a Pay Over Time balance, new eligible charges start building interest on their transaction date. The CFPB’s grace period explainer describes the same rule for credit cards in general.
- The rate: Amex’s Platinum Card page lists a Pay Over Time APR of 19.74% to 28.74%, variable, on eligible charges.
How to check your settings before February 1
- Log in at americanexpress.com and open Account Services, where Amex says you manage the setting. The Pay Over Time settings page shows whether yours is Active or Inactive.
- Open your AutoPay settings in the same online account and confirm it pays the Statement Balance, or the Adjusted Balance if you have a plan. Change it if it says Minimum Payment Due.
- If you carry a Pay Over Time balance today, pay it off before your February statement closes. Amex itself suggests paying the statement balance in full before the change takes effect.
- Look in the Offers and Benefits section for a targeted bonus to turn Pay Over Time on. Accept one if it shows up before February 1, because Amex turns the setting on that day regardless.
Our take
For anyone who pays in full every month, this change costs nothing. The risk is a minimum-payment AutoPay on an account with Pay Over Time switched off. On those accounts, the minimum covered the whole bill because no charges went into a balance with interest. From February, a $5,000 statement left on a minimum payment would add about $120 of interest in one month at the top rate of 28.74% ($5,000 x 28.74% ÷ 12 = $119.75). At the lowest rate, 19.74%, the same balance costs about $82 a month. The annual fee goes into the same balance, so an unpaid $895 Platinum Card fee adds about $21 a month at the top rate ($895 x 28.74% ÷ 12 = $21.44).
The bigger loss for points collectors is probably the activation bonus. Frequent Miler reports Amex has offered between 10,000 and 30,000 Membership Rewards points to turn Pay Over Time on. At the 2.0 cents per point in our points valuations, that’s $200 to $600 for one click. Once every account is locked on Active, Amex has no reason to pay you to switch it on, so we expect those targeted offers to stop. We’re not sure whether one more round will go out before February.
If your setting is Inactive, leave it off until January 31 and watch for an offer, because switching it on early gets you nothing. Set AutoPay to the full statement balance today, whatever your setting. Skip all of this only if your AutoPay already pays in full and you never carry a balance.
Pay Over Time has no effect on how you earn or redeem points, so it isn’t a reason to cancel. If you’re reviewing your Amex cards anyway, it’s a good time to link each card’s points, as our post on separate Membership Rewards accounts explains. Our Amex credit limit post covers how lower limits affect your credit score. Our best travel credit cards guide compares the Gold Card and Platinum with cards from Chase and Capital One.
FAQ
Can I still turn off Amex Pay Over Time?
Yes, until January 31, 2027. On February 1, 2027, Amex sets the feature to Active on eligible accounts and removes the option to change it.
Will I pay interest once Pay Over Time is on?
No, as long as you pay your full statement balance by the due date each month. Interest only applies to the part you don’t pay, at an APR of 19.74% to 28.74% on the Platinum Card.
Is Pay Over Time already on for new Amex cards?
Yes. Amex’s terms say the feature is set to Active at account opening, so new cardholders see no change on February 1.
Will Amex still pay bonus points to turn on Pay Over Time?
Probably not after February 1, since there will be no setting left to change. Frequent Miler reports past offers of 10,000 to 30,000 points, worth $200 to $600 at our 2.0-cent valuation.
Does Pay Over Time affect my Membership Rewards points?
No. Amex says using Pay Over Time has no impact on how you earn and redeem Membership Rewards points.
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