Amex Offers: Earn Points or Statement Credits on Select Purchases

It’s no secret that American Express has a strong reputation for giving excellent value back to its members. 

Today, let’s review the ins and outs of Amex Offers, a popular feature by which cardholders can frequently earn additional rewards points or cash statement credits.

What Are Amex Offers?

Amex Offers are special promotions offered to current cardholders.

Like a signup bonus for a new credit card, Amex Offers have a requirement to be fulfilled before distributing a reward.

Rewards may be cash back in the form of a statement credit, or points in the card’s rewards currency, depending on the offer. All of these bonuses are earned on top of the card’s regular everyday earning rate and any active welcome bonus.

You can get Amex Offers on cards that earn all sorts of types of rewards, including Membership Rewards, Aeroplan points, Bonvoy points, or cash back.

The Structure of an Amex Offer

There are two main ways an Amex Offer’s requirements are structured: lump sum bonuses and boosted earn rates.

Also known as “Spend X, Get Y”, lump sum bonuses are triggered by making a large purchase at an eligible merchant. These can range from a meagre $5–10 credit, to a full credit for the cost of a purchase which may be hundreds of dollars. Here are a few examples:

Most offers require you to make the qualifying spend in a single transaction, although some are cumulative, letting you break up the qualifying spend into multiple purchases.

There are also sometimes recurring bonuses, like Shop Small or FedEx credits. These usually aren’t cumulative, and you can’t redeem more than one iteration of the bonus on the same transaction. For instance, you can’t earn two $45 FedEx credits on a single $90 transaction.

Boosted earn rates work a bit differently, paying out a bonus until you reach a predetermined maximum:

You may also see offers for a percentage cash back up to a specified maximum, such as the Shangri-La Hotels offer.

Also, each offer may require you to make the qualifying spend at a specific merchant, at a category of merchant, or at any merchant. Occasionally, there are bonuses for using a different payment method, such as contactless, online, or mobile pay.

Naturally, each offer is a bit different, and as always you should check the fine print. Offers may be limited by a registration cap, a registration deadline, and/or a completion deadline.

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