Military Lending Act/AMEX

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usna23lacan

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Hello USNA family!
I am a mid and I recently got the AMEX Platinum Card, but it seems as if the Military Lending Act (MLA) does not apply to mids or cadets. Therefore, the $695 fee is apparently not waived for any service academy mids/cadets? Can anyone confirm that we do not qualify for the MLA? Also, now that I have the card (I have not been charged the $695 yet) what should I do if AMEX tries to charge me? Thanks everyone!
 
usna23lacan said:
Hello USNA family!
I am a mid and I recently got the AMEX Platinum Card, but it seems as if the Military Lending Act (MLA) does not apply to mids or cadets. Therefore, the $695 fee is apparently not waived for any service academy mids/cadets? Can anyone confirm that we do not qualify for the MLA? Also, now that I have the card (I have not been charged the $695 yet) what should I do if AMEX tries to charge me? Thanks everyone!
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Okay, let’s go to battle for this.

The Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) has a number of functions. One of them is to verify if people are in the armed services. When I worked for USAA, because of their eligibility rules as an association, I am pretty sure they regularly verified with DMDC when opening cadet and mid accounts, giving credit cards and Career Starter Loans.

Second.
Go to page 3 at link below where it describes who is eligible. Note the USC Code for active duty.

Third.
Note that USC Code and go scroll (and scroll) this link through to find where attendees at service academies are considered active duty. This is law.
www.law.cornell.edu

10 U.S. Code § 101 - Definitions

www.law.cornell.edu www.law.cornell.edu

You should find what I screen-shotted below.

Fourth. I think it must be an inputting error by AMEX into MLA or some other technicality. Armed with this info, try talking with someone at AMEX and elevate it if you need to. You will have references to scan and send. If it gets ugly, I would go see the USNA JAG assigned to help mids with routine legal matters to confirm the law and help you write a formal letter to AMEX. You are on active duty with the rank of Midshipman at an approved service school. The only other thing I can think of is an age limit? Of course, if you want to run a power play, you could write your Representative, lay out your factual case and legal references, attach any correspondence from AMEX, ask his or her staff to look into it. Everyone hates a Congressional inquiry. As a constituent, you are entitled to ask for help. Your personal financial arrangements are not the Navy’s concern unless they create a problem. If this is widespread and it is clearly due to AMEX not understanding, then it may be of interest to USNA as a general issue.
Finally, always try to resolve at the lowest level first.
7BC48E40-8EC5-41CF-B5F5-9198CE1B1E9D.jpg
 
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Additionally, see the link below, “the points guy.” Richard Kerr is a former naval officer who is well-known for his website on travel loyalty programs and has wide readership. He provides his email. For the heck of it, depending on how your situation develops, email him, introduce yourself and fill him in on what’s going on - the military network is that strong, he will not think it odd. You are part of the club now. He may have insights or a good inside contact at AMEX, especially as he is such a positive influencer for their card for AD military. Click on his photo/name to link to his bio and email.
thepointsguy.com

Why the Amex Platinum card is best card for active duty military - The Points Guy

The Amex Platinum is a great premium rewards card with some great benefits for service members — and active duty military get the annual fee waived.
thepointsguy.com thepointsguy.com
 
I am far less versed than Capt MJ in these matters, but the word around the yard is that AMEX has stopped waiving fees for cadets and MIDN. In addition, they changed their formula for approving new platinum card holders to be more heavily weighted on annual income. You’re the first mid I’ve heard of that has been approved in the last year or so.
 
This is embarrassing and you should be. You should also be thankful for @Capt MJ .

This is the business of AMEX, not the US Military. The terms and conditions specify Active Duty, the same it does at a hundred other businesses that give huge discounts to active duty members of the military.

How about calling them up, saying you didn't read the fine print and ask for a do over, forfeiting any benefits you earned. Rookie mistake if you will. Anyone who says they've never claimed rookie mistake is a liar.
 
Skipper07 said:
but the word around the yard is that AMEX has stopped waiving fees for cadets and MIDN
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my son is a mid and got a new AMEX card at the beginning of they year, and they eventually waived the fee . it was initially billed to his account but it was later removed

not sure how that happened, i can ask
 
cb7893 said:
This is embarrassing and you should be. You should also be thankful for @Capt MJ .

This is the business of AMEX, not the US Military. The terms and conditions specify Active Duty, the same it does at a hundred other businesses that give huge discounts to active duty members of the military.

How about calling them up, saying you didn't read the fine print and ask for a do over, forfeiting any benefits you earned. Rookie mistake if you will. Anyone who says they've never claimed rookie mistake is a liar.
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This young Mid is indeed active duty. Where is the mistake? AMEX has been waiving the annual fees on these accounts for years. My guess is that they will soon be waiving them again.....
 
A6E Dad said:
my son is a mid and got a new AMEX card at the beginning of they year, and they eventually waived the fee . it was initially billed to his account but it was later removed

not sure how that happened, i can ask
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Thank you, sir. Sounds like I’ve heard bad gouge. I’ll give AMEX a call.
 
I think the reason that some also get declined, while others do not, is that on the application they put the income that they receive per month after all of their pay deductions, rather than the gross amount, too.
 
Skipper07 said:
I am far less versed than Capt MJ in these matters, but the word around the yard is that AMEX has stopped waiving fees for cadets and MIDN. In addition, they changed their formula for approving new platinum card holders to be more heavily weighted on annual income. You’re the first mid I’ve heard of that has been approved in the last year or so.
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The fine print is key. If there is an income threshold, that could be a legitimate factor. I don’t know what criteria they are applying. Good anecdotal data points for comparison.
 
I found this link on AMEX.com and pored through it, after not finding anything in a link for the actual AMEX Platinum card offer.

Scrolling through the MLA FAQs (look at the tabs) after laboriously exploring everything else at this link, I found the screenshot below.
www.americanexpress.com

Service Members Civil Relief & MLA FAQs | American Express

Browse Amex Military FAQs and Information for the Servicemembers' Civil Relief Act (SCRA) and Military Lending Act (MLA) for Eligible Amex Card Members.
www.americanexpress.com

My head hurts now. If the Midshipman Disbursing Officer is a helpful sort, perhaps they could help unravel this. The Midshipman Personnel people could probably tell us why/why not SA midshipmen and cadets are in the MLA bucket.
 

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Of course, my head really hurts now, because I have gone full circle. Under the AMEX MLA tab at the link I posted above, we are told MLA applies to AD, using the same language I used in my very first post, and noting the USC code law section, which we know includes SA cadets and midshipmen.
Here’s the screenshot of what I found under the MLA tab:
 

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Finally, at the MLA site, under Contacts, there is a number to call. After tussling with this bone for awhile, I am laying it down and walking away.
 
cb7893 said:
Then I stand corrected.

I did not know that SA cadets/mids are AD.
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See the screenshot in Post #2, after following the breadcrumb trail. USMMA would be excluded, I believe, because their midshipmen are sworn into the Reserve and do not receive pay.
 
And finally, right on www.USNA.edu:
www.usna.edu

About USNA

Discover the U.S. Naval Academy: a top undergraduate college preparing future naval officers. Develop morally, mentally, and physically for naval service.
www.usna.edu
Midshipmen are active duty.

Now that we have exhaustively established that, it comes down to why SA cadets and mids are not in the MLA, which is the way AMEX can verify. What can a midshipman or cadet produce that verifies their AD status, if that is the criteria to satisfy with AMEX. I as a retiree can log in and print myself out a verification form.

Okay, now I think I am done.

Full disclosure. I have mentioned this over the years, that apparently I still carry a grudge against AMEX from my Ensign days. Everyone advised me to get an AMEX card because I was headed to Europe as an Ensign, and Visa/MC weren’t widely accepted there yet. I applied using my LES and was turned down, along with every other female officer I knew, while male Ensigns got their cards. The American culture was barely emerging from the days when bank policies required any woman applying for a loan, credit card or mortgage, to have a male relative or spouse co-sign with her. NFCU happily supplied me with my first Visa card, no problem at all. I have jokingly said over the years I have never forgiven them, as I viciously tear up all the premium credit card offers they send me. After the time I have spent on this, perhaps this grudge is still smoldering.

I hate to see any midshipmen or cadet not get a benefit they may be legitimately eligible for. I get equally annoyed when I hear stories of BWI arline check-in personnel not giving mids whatever their airline cuts active duty a break on, baggage-wise, telling mids they aren’t active duty.

Curmudgeon out.
 
Have you tried calling the service desk? I was an O2 when I applied for the card, and still had to call it in. If I remember correctly, I submitted the online application for active military, got it denied for some reason, and had to call a couple of times to sort it out. They took some personal details, an LES, and my DOD ID number.

Note neither the MLA nor the SCRA require the company to waive annual fees. It's something nice they do for active military, that's all.
 
Skipper07 said:
I am far less versed than Capt MJ in these matters, but the word around the yard is that AMEX has stopped waiving fees for cadets and MIDN. In addition, they changed their formula for approving new platinum card holders to be more heavily weighted on annual income. You’re the first mid I’ve heard of that has been approved in the last year or so.
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This absolutely is my Mids experience as well. He heard the same. And he hasn’t been able to obtain it, based upon annual income. And he was so excited to spend time in those fancy airport lounges!!

I also read on the Military Traveler site that the fee is no longer waived. Not sure about anything more than that…
 
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