The Ultimate Guide to Using Amex Offers — Save Money and Earn Bonus Points

Here at Upgraded Points, we talk a lot about credit card introductory bonus offers as a way to earn lots of points very quickly. They can be great — but an often overlooked strategy is how to continue earning bonus points with the cards you already have.

Maximizing the value you get from your current credit cards is a valuable skill to have in your back pocket.

One of my very favorite ways to do this is with Amex Offers! Here, I’ll show you how to use their offers for maximum value to make the most out of your American Express credit cards.

What Are Amex Offers?

Amex Offers are deals that are linked to your American Express cards, which can save you money or let you earn extra points on shopping, dining, and travel.

These offers are always available, and new offers are added often. But offers are only available for a limited time — you will notice that each one has an expiration date.

Most Amex Offers will either give you a statement credit or bonus American Express Membership Rewards points after you meet the qualifications.

Each offer has different terms and conditions, and it’s important to read them thoroughly so you don’t lose out on any offers for silly reasons.

This is something I learned the hard way: I bought something in a store, only to discover afterward that the Amex Offer only worked online (oops!).

A few offers will require you to use a promo code in addition to clicking through to the specific website.

What Cards Come With Amex Offers?

Most U.S.-issued American Express credit cards will come with Amex Offers. The exceptions are American Express corporate cards, gift cards, or prepaid cards.

All other personal and business cards from American Express (plus registered American Express Serve Cards and Bluebird Cards) are eligible for Amex Offers. This includes some of the best points-earning cards out there:

Recommended Amex Cards (Personal)

BEST LOUNGE ACCESS

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

The Platinum Card^® from American Express

U.P. Rating

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

Learn More(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

The Platinum Card^® from American Express

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

Welcome Offer

Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

80,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,760

Annual Fee

$695

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card^® from American Express.

Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far) — enjoy access to over 1,400 worldwide lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
• 5x points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year)
• 5x points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com
• Annual and monthly statement credits upon enrollment (airline credit, Uber Cash credit, Saks Fifth Avenue credit, streaming credit, prepaid hotel credit on eligible stays, Walmart+ credit, CLEAR credit, and Equinox credit)
• TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit
• Access to American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts
• Access to Amex International Airline Program
• No foreign transaction fees (rates and fees)

Cons

• $695 annual fee (rates and fees)
• Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)

Card Highlights

• Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card^®, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
• Earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
• $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card^®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card^® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card^®. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Up Benefits are excluded.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card^®.
• $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Terms Apply.
• $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 back in statement credits per calendar year on an Equinox membership, or an Equinox club membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you pay with your Platinum Card^®. Enrollment required. Visit https://platinum.equinox.com/ to enroll.
• $189 CLEAR^® Plus Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR Plus at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card^®. Learn more.
• $100 Global Entry Credit: Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck^® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card^®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
• Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card^®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
• $300 SoulCycle At-Home Bike Credit: Get a $300 statement credit for the purchase of a SoulCycle at-home bike with your Platinum Card^®. An Equinox+ subscription is required to purchase a SoulCycle at-home bike and access SoulCycle content. Must charge full price of bike in one transaction. Shipping available in the contiguous U.S. only. Enrollment Required.
• Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card^® to your Resy profile.
• $695 annual fee.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: See Pay Over Time APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

• Credit Card Reviews
• Credit Cards
• Travel Rewards Credit Cards
• Best Sign Up Bonuses

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

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• Benefits of The Amex Platinum
• How to Use 100,000 Amex Platinum Points
• Amex Platinum Card Requirements
• American Express Platinum Military Benefits
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BEST FOR DINING

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

American Express^® Gold Card

U.P. Rating

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

This is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!

Learn More(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

American Express^® Gold Card

This is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months.

60,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,320

Annual Fee

$250

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The American Express^® Gold Card is a game-changer.

With this card, you can earn 4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants and you’ll also earn 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x.

There isn’t another card on the market that offers a 1-2 punch like this. Of course, there are several other benefits of the Gold Card as well, including extra monthly dining rewards and more.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 4x points per dollar at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
• 4x points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets, up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases; and 1x thereafter
• 3x points per dollar on flights purchased directly from airlines or at Amex Travel
• Up to $120 annual dining credit: up to $10 monthly statement credit when you pay with the Amex Gold card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations
• Up to $120 in annual Uber Cash: get $10 monthly in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S. when you add your Gold Card to your Uber account
• No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees)
• Access to Amex’s The Hotel Collection
• Access to American Express transfer partners

Cons

• $250 annual fee (see rates and fees)
• No lounge access

Card Highlights

• Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Earn 4X Membership Rewards^® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earn 4X Membership Rewards^® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
• Earn 3X Membership Rewards^® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
• $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
• $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express^® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required.
• Get a $100 experience credit with a minimum two-night stay when you book The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel. Experience credit varies by property.
• Choose the color that suits your style. Gold or Rose Gold.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees.
• Annual Fee is $250.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: See Pay Over Time APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

• Credit Card Reviews
• Credit Cards
• Travel Rewards Credit Cards
• Best Sign Up Bonuses

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

More Reads

• Find the Amex Gold 75k or 90k Welcome Bonus Offer
• Benefits of the Amex Gold
• Upgrade Amex Gold to Amex Platinum
• Amex Gold Benefits for Military
• Amex Gold vs Blue Cash Preferred
• Amex Platinum vs Amex Gold
• Amex Gold vs Delta Gold

Business owner? See our list of recommended American Express business cards.

Bottom Line: Most U.S-issued American Express credit cards (both personal and business) come with Amex Offers.

How to Use Amex Offers

Getting started with Amex Offers is simple.

1. First, log in to your American Express account. You should be on the home page for your credit card account. Then scroll to the middle of the page underneath your recent transactions to the Amex Offers & Benefits section.

   

2. This is where you will see all of the available offers for that particular credit card. Click on the small arrow to the left of each offer to see details and terms and conditions. Click Add to Card to apply this offer to your credit card. You must do this BEFORE you use the offer!

   

3. The list of offers defaults to only showing the first few. To see everything available, click on the View All button at the bottom of the list.

   

4. To see all of the offers that are already linked to your card, click on Added to Card in the top menu.

   

Hot Tip: You must add each Amex Offer to your credit card BEFORE you redeem it. You can not make a purchase and then add the offer to your card afterward in hopes of getting a statement credit or bonus points.

Using Amex Offers on Multiple Cards

Each Amex credit card will have different Amex Offers attached to it, and these can vary between customers too.

For example, you and your friend could both have The Platinum Card^® from American Express, but each card could have different Amex Offers.

Many of us hold more than 1 American Express card — so can you use the same offer on multiple cards? This is a no: if you have the same offer available on multiple cards, it can only be added to 1 of them.

Once it’s added, the offer will disappear instantly from the other cards. After you add an offer to a card, it can’t be undone, so be sure to add it to the card you actually want it on!

Theoretically, if you had each of your Amex cards under a different account with a separate login for each one, then you would be able to add the same offer to multiple cards. But that would be a lot of work just to occasionally get to use an offer more than once.

Terms and Conditions of Amex Offers

Each Amex Offer will come with its own set of terms and conditions; be sure to read them over so you know if your purchase will qualify.

Here are a couple of things to keep in mind:

• Check to see if the offer is valid online vs. in-store. Many offers are only valid online or in-store, so don’t assume that it will work for both.
• Check to see if there is a minimum spend required. Often the minimum spend can be spread out over multiple visits, but sometimes there is a minimum per transaction.
• Check specific eligibility before purchasing. For example, if you are planning to buy gift cards, check to make sure they are eligible for the offer.

Bottom Line: Using Amex Offers is a simple way to earn bonus points or save money. From your online account, you can add an offer to a particular credit card, and then use that card to make the required purchase. You will receive a statement credit or bonus Membership Rewards points within 90 days.

After You Use an Amex Offer

If you qualify for an Amex Offer, you should receive an email as soon as you redeem the offer. Then you will see a statement credit or bonus American Express Membership Rewards points post to your account within 90 days. From my experience, the credit or bonus points usually show up much faster than that.

How to Check Your Statement for a Statement Credit

There are 2 ways you can double-check your statement to confirm that you received the credit from your Amex Offer.

1. First, log in to AmericanExpress.com. If you have more than 1 Amex card, select the credit card you would like to view by clicking on the credit card icon in the top right.

   

2. Scroll to the middle of the page to the Recent Transactions section. Any statement credit from the current statement period will be visible here.

   

However, if the credit you are looking for is not on the current statement, you won’t be able to view it there.

1. To view older statements, click on View All Recent Activity in the Recent Transactions section of your screen.

   

2. Select the statement you would like to view using the Recent Activity drop-down box.

   

3. You will be able to see any statement credits you have received. Click on the little icon with a + sign to see more information about the credit.

   

How to Check Your Statement for Bonus Points

Some Amex Offers reward you with bonus Membership Rewards points instead of a statement credit. Here’s how to make sure you receive the points you expect.

1. From the home page for your chosen credit card, select Statements & Activity in the main menu bar.

   

2. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on View: Summary in the Membership Rewards box.

   

3. You will be able to see any bonus points (plus all other points earned from ALL your American Express cards) here. If you still don’t see what you are looking for, you can change the dates of what you’re viewing at the top of the results box next to Time Period.

   

Amex Offers on Mobile

You can also view and add Amex Offers to your credit card on your phone.

1. Download the Amex Mobile app and log in using the same credentials you use on the American Express website. To quickly download the app, text MOBILEAPP to 86509.
2. Click on Offers at the bottom of your screen

   

3. At the top of the screen you will see the offers that are already loaded onto your card. Underneath that you will find Nearby Offers. This shows you the offers that are available at merchants close to you.

   

4. The main section of the screen will list all of the available offers (these will be the same offers available through the website). Click on each one to see the details. Click the blue Add to Card button to link each offer to your credit card.

   

One of the coolest parts about Amex Offers on mobile is that you can see how much money you have saved over the lifetime of the card. After you log in and click Offers, you will see your total savings to date at the top of the screen.

To see each transaction that you’ve redeemed, click on Offers and then go to My Offers. This screen defaults to the offers that are currently added to your card.

If you click Redeemed, it will show you all of the Amex Offers you have redeemed and the total amount of money you have saved.

Amex Offers on Messenger

You can also access your Amex Offers through Messenger. Download the Messenger app on your phone, and then type “AmericanExpressUS” into the search bar to locate the Amex bot.

Select Get Started and log in to your American Express account. Once you are connected, just type “Amex Offers” in the Amex bot conversation box to view the latest offers available.

Making the Most of Amex Offers

Sometimes you get lucky and a great Amex Offer pops up just when you need it. Sometimes you need to get a little creative to squeeze out all of the value.

Discounted Gift Cards

Keep an eye out for offers at stores that sell gift cards! This is one of the best ways to get lots of value out of Amex Offers.

For example, you might see an offer for a store like Staples, where you can use the offer to purchase gift cards to other stores.

In the past we’ve seen a $20 statement credit with a $100 Staples purchase. That offer included gift cards, so you could get $100 worth of gift cards for $80.

Right now one of my cards is offering 10% back (up to $100) at Staples and Lowe’s. Physical gift cards qualify for these offers as well, so you could purchase up to $1,000 in gift cards at either of these stores and receive 10% off.

Double Up on Points for Non-Bonus Category Spending

One common offer is 2x points at certain stores. These tend to be stores that aren’t in typical bonus categories, so it’s a great time to get bonus points on these types of purchases.

Combine With Other Rewards

Any Amex Offer you use on a purchase doesn’t affect any of the other rewards or coupons you can use. That means you can double up an Amex Offer with a store coupon, credit card bonus points, or cash-back you might earn from a shopping portal.

Final Thoughts

Amex Offers are one of my favorite perks on American Express cards. They are available on almost all Amex cards, and can be used for statement credits or bonus American Express Membership Rewards points.

The offers change often and are usually only available for a limited time, so be sure to check back frequently so you don’t miss anything!