American Express has a once-in-a-lifetime rule when it comes to welcome bonuses. That means you can only earn the welcome bonus of a specific product once. Even if you reapply for a credit card product you have previously canceled, you lose eligibility for its welcome bonuses. If you are not eligible, the American Express website has a pop-up window alerting you that you will not receive a bonus. This way, you can stop the application before your credit is checked.