These Amex Offers will help you save money and make life easier right now
The coronavirus pandemic has changed how we travel, use credit cards and more. After a hiatus from travel, you might be ready to try booking trips again. And even if you’re vaccinated and making strides toward normal life again, your spending habits potentially look very different than they did before.
As we start to look toward travel again, it’s the perfect opportunity to think about how you can save money. Here at TPG, we often report on Amex Offers that give you bonus points or cash after spending a certain amount in a spending category or at a specific retailer.
Recently, I’ve been checking my Amex Offers to find ways to get statement credits and bonus points toward my holiday travel, as well as gifts and all the other purchases I have coming up. Here are some Amex Offers to look out for that may save you money right now.
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Travel
With the holidays and peak travel season right around the corner, travel deals are especially welcome right now. And, unlike award travel, there are no blackout dates to worry about with Amex Offers, so you can book trips to your heart’s content. Simply add the offer to your card and make a qualifying purchase with your American Express during the time frame the offer is available.
Related: Book your holiday travel now — Airfares expected to jump 18%
While specific offers are targeted and vary by card, there are quite a few of them floating around right now. Motivated travelers could plan entire trips by combining several deals since we’re currently seeing statement credits and bonus points toward airfare, hotels, rental cars, cruises and more.
Airfare Amex Offers
On the airfare side, some Amex cardholders are targeted for a $100 statement credit after spending $300 or more on Delta flights. This can be an excellent way to save on holiday travel or other upcoming Delta flights. This offer is set to expire by the end of the year for most targeted card members.
Some cardholders are also targeted for $200 off $1,000+, up to three times with Delta Vacations. This means you can save up to $600 when booking vacation packages with Delta, which can be a great way to save when you bundle your flight, hotel and rental car. As always, however, make sure to compare prices with booking direct.
Car Rental Amex Offers
Car rentals are expensive right now, in large part due to an ongoing rental car shortage. Thankfully, you can use your Amex Offers to shave a little bit off your next rental car bill.
Avis is currently offering $40 back on a rental of $200 or more. If you decide to use this offer, try and add it to an American Express card that offers a rental car damage waiver.
Likewise, Hertz has $40 off $200 or more in spending.
Turo, the popular car-sharing service, is offering $30 back on rentals of $150 or more. This can be helpful if you want to rent locally and avoid the major car rental companies.
Related: How to never pay full price for a rental car
While not exactly a rental car company, you can also save with RV rental service, Cruise America. Some Amex cardholders are targeted for $100 back on $500, which can be a solid discount on a long RV road trip.
Cruise Amex Offers
If you’re returning to the seas, make sure to check your Amex Offers first. The issuer is currently fielding Amex Offers for World’s Leading Cruise Lines (which includes Carnival, Holland America and others), Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises for some targeted cardmembers.
The World’s Leading Cruise Lines Amex Offer gives $150 back when you spend $500 or more on Carnival, Princess, Holland America, Seabourn or Cunard cruises.
The same goes for the Celebrity Cruises deal; you’ll get $150 off a cruise that costs $500 or more.
The Silversea Cruises offer is a bit different, though. Targeted members will get five additional Membership Rewards points per dollar spent with the line, up to 40,000 bonus points.
Hotel Amex Offers
There are also many of good hotel offers out there — so many, in fact, that we can’t give a full overview of them all here.
That said, one of the more intriguing hotel Amex Offers is from Hilton. Targeted cardmembers can use the Amex Offer to get $50 back on a hotel stay of $250 or more at Hilton, Curio and Canopy-branded hotels.
Likewise, those staying at InterContinental or Kimpton-branded properties can get $60 back on purchases of $300 or more.
Lesser-known hotel chains like Millennium Hotels & Resorts, Preferred Hotels & Resorts and Sonesta are offering between $50 and $100 back at select purchase levels.
Various casinos have active Amex Offers too. The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City is offering $30 back on $150 or more. This could be a great way for New Yorkers to save on a day trip to Atlantic City and the Jersey Shore this winter.
Likewise, MGM Resorts is running two separate offers: one for Luxury Destinations and one for Select Destinations. Read the terms and see if any of your upcoming MGM stays are eligible for a discount.
Remember, Amex Offers depend on the date you charge the purchase to your card and not necessarily the date of travel. That can be helpful in the case of airfare, for example — buy now and fly later — but can be a challenge for hotel stays, rental cars or other travel purchases where you sometimes don’t pay until the trip itself.
In some cases, you may be able to prepay services to make sure your transaction date falls within the promotional period. In other cases, buying a gift card to use on a later stay might trigger the credit but you’ll need to read the terms of each offer carefully.
If you (or a partner) have another American Express, be sure to look on all your cards and add offers to each of them. In some cases, you may be able to split purchases onto two targeted cards to get two statement credits and make the deal even sweeter.
Free money
I spotted multiple offers on The Platinum Card® from American Express for statement credits that effectively wipe your charges at specific merchants. In each case, if you spend the amount required (or more), you’ll get a statement credit toward that charge. This could be an easy way to purchase something cheap for yourself or to sock away for a holiday gift and get your money back. (Eligibility for this offer is limited. Enrollment is required in the Amex Offers section of your account before redeeming.)
Everyday spending
Open-ended offers come and go for specific types of purchases in addition to offers you might find for specific brands. Saving on these types of transactions can work out to a high rate of return, even if it’s in a category that doesn’t normally earn more than 1x points. It’s worth changing out your preferred card for a little while to snag these deals if you can.
I also spotted a handful of gas offers with bp and Amoco. One offer gives $10 back after spending $20 on the BPme app, while the other gives five additional Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on select gas purchases.
Further, Amex is targeting some cardholders with $25 off $250 at Best Buy, which can be a great way to save on buying holiday gifts or revamping your work-from-home setup.
Some Amex cardholders are being targeted for a 20% off when shipping with UPS online, up to $50. This can come in handy for business owners or those shipping holiday gifts to loved ones.
Happy Cards is another option that works well for everyday spending. If you’re unfamiliar, the company sells gift cards that can be used at multiple retailers, including go-to shops like Home Depot, Macy’s and Wayfair. With the current offer of $15 off $100, it could be worth buying a gift for yourself (or someone else) to use toward purchases you need to make anyway.
Sometimes the brands in Amex Offers don’t align perfectly with stores you normally frequent, or perhaps you’ve never even heard of them before, but they can lead to tremendous savings. Pair an offer on your card with a strong Black Friday sale for a tremendous deal. Clothing, personal care products and flowers make great gifts and are frequently overlap with both Amex Offers and seasonal sales.
Related: Guide to using Amex Offers
Most Amex Offers are for specific merchants or categories, so it’s rare to see Amex give additional points across a lot of different types of spending. Amex has even targeted select cardholders with additional Membership Rewards points after hitting certain spending thresholds without requiring that those purchases be in a specific category.
For example, here’s a targeted offer on the American Express Gold Card for earning 500 additional Membership Rewards points when you spend $1,000 or more within 90 days. You can earn the bonus up to three times throughout the 90-day period.
Since these are based on regular spending (rather than specific to a merchant), be sure to look for retailers that participate with an online shopping portal. For Amex cardholders, Rakuten could be a perfect option thanks to the ability to earn either Membership Rewards points or cash back. And new Rakuten members can currently earn a reward of either $30 or 3,000 Amex points by spending $30 within 90 days of joining.
Related: How to use Rakuten (Ebates) to earn bonus cash back or Amex points
Meal- and food-delivery services
Hungry for savings? Current offers include a few food delivery services, like Sunbasket (meal kits) and Freshly (pre-made meals).
Related: 8 easy strategies to save money on food delivery and takeout
American Express Membership Rewards cards
Before you can even think about which Amex Offers to add to your account, you need to have an Amex card — and there are several to choose from.
Related: Choosing the best American Express credit card for you
The Platinum Card® from American Express
The Platinum Card® from American Express is one of the most valuable cards available thanks to a hefty welcome bonus and a long list of luxury travel perks that can more than offset its $695 annual fee (see rates and fees). The current welcome offer is 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership. TPG values Membership Rewards points at 2 cents each, making the bonus worth $2,000.
Apply here: The Platinum Card from American Express (100,000-point bonus offer after spending $6,000 in the first six months). Also, use the CardMatch Tool to see if you’re targeted for a better offer (after meeting minimum spend requirements). CardMatch offers are subject to change at any time.
American Express® Green Card
The American Express® Green Card is a great mid-tier card for beginner travelers. Amex expanded the bonus categories to include a wide range of travel purchases, including public transportation and vacation rentals, on top of traditional airfare and hotel purchases. You’ll now earn 3x points per dollar spent on worldwide travel, transportation and restaurants. The card also got some upgraded features, such as an up to $100 Clear membership annual credit and an up to $100 LoungeBuddy annual credit (terms apply). The annual fee is $150 (see rates and fees).
Find out more about the American Express Green Card (30,000-point bonus offer after spending $2,000 in purchases in the first three months of account opening).
The information for the Amex Green Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
American Express® Gold Card
The American Express® Gold Card is my go-to card for eating out, ordering in or shopping at the supermarket (and pretty much everyone can maximize at least one of these categories). The 4x earning rate on dining at restaurants equals a stellar 8% return on your spending, according to TPG’s most recent valuations. Factoring in the up to $120 in annual dining credits, this card effectively costs just $130 per year. Enrollment required. For more related content, visit our Amex Gold card hub. Terms apply. The annual fee is $250 (see rates and fees).
Apply here: American Express® Gold Card (60,000-point bonus offer after spending $4,000 in purchases in the first six months of card membership). Also, use the CardMatch Tool to see if you’re targeted for a 75,000-point offer (after meeting minimum spend requirements). This targeted offer is subject to change at any time.
The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express
The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express has a relatively low annual fee compared to the cards I mentioned above ($95) and offers 15,000 Membership Rewards points after you use your new card to make $1,000 in purchases within the first three months.
You’ll earn 3x points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per calendar year, then 1x), 2 points per dollar spent at U.S. gas stations and 1 point per dollar spent everywhere else. If you make 30 or more purchases in a billing period, you’ll earn 50% more points on those purchases. Terms apply.
The information for the Amex EveryDay Preferred card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Read our full Amex EveryDay Preferred card review.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express has a slew of perks for business travelers. Cardholders will enjoy automatic Gold status in both the Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy loyalty programs along with numerous other benefits — including Centurion Lounge access, Priority Pass lounge access, Delta Sky Club access (when flying Delta), up to $200 in annual airline fee statement credits and a 35% points rebate for flights booked through Amex Travel in first or business class on any airline, or economy on the airline of your choice each year (up to 500,000 points back per calendar year). Terms apply. Enrollment required for select benefits.
Right now, there’s a 120,000-point welcome offer after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership, valued by TPG at $2,400. The card has a $595 annual fee; $695 (see rates and fees) if application received on or after 1/13/2022. For more details, check our American Express Business Platinum Card review.
Apply here: American Express Business Platinum Card
Bottom line
Although there are targeted offers on your Amex cards all year, we’re seeing lots of promotions right now that have the potential to overlap with other retail sales and bargains for even greater savings. If past years are any indicator, this is just the beginning: Offers ramp up in November and December to coincide with holiday spending. Check your Amex Offers regularly to see if there are any that are relevant for you and pocket those savings for travel in the future.
For the rates and fees of the Amex Platinum, please click here.
For the rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum, please click here.
For the rates and fees of the Amex Green card, please click here.
For the rate and fees of the Amex Gold card, please click here.
For the rate and fees of the Amex Business Gold, please click here.
Featured photo by Isabelle Raphael/The Points Guy.
Additional reporting by Ariana Arghandewal, Andrew Kunesh, Katie Genter, Madison Blancaflor and Victoria M. Walker.