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 are eligible for Amex Offers. This includes some of the best points-earning cards out there:

Recommended Amex Cards (Personal)

NEW OFFER

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 ins and outs 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.

Apply Now(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

You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

As High As 175,000 Points. Find Out Your Offer.

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $3,850

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

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 (enrollment required), 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

Cons

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

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
• 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 through American Express Travel using 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.
• Enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection, with over $500 of annual value if you visit Centurion Lounges and each of our partner lounges including Delta Sky Club^® lounges when flying an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations) , select Lufthansa lounges when flying Lufthansa, Plaza Premium lounges and Escape Lounges, and enroll in Priority Pass Select. See terms.
• A Walmart+ membership can get you free shipping with no order minimum on eligible items shipped by Walmart. Use your Platinum Card^® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) and receive one statement credit for up to $12.95 (plus applicable taxes. Plus Ups not eligible) each month. Free Shipping excludes most Marketplace items, freight & certain location surcharges. Paramount+ Essential plan only, separate registration required.
• $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^® Account. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
• $200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card^® Members can ride or dine in style with $15 in Uber Cash each month, plus a bonus $20 in December after adding their Card to their Uber account. Use your Uber Cash on rides and orders in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
• $199 CLEAR^® Plus Credit: CLEAR^® Plus helps get you to your gate faster by using unique facial attributes to verify you are you at 50+ airports nationwide. Receive up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for your CLEAR Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the Platinum Card^®.
• Receive either a $120 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.
• Use Global Dining Access by Resy to access premium dining experiences. Receive Priority Notify and unlock insider access to some of the world's most sought-after restaurants with Global Dining Access by Resy. Download the Resy iOS app or log into Resy.com and add your Platinum Card^® to your Resy profile to take advantage of your special benefits and discover restaurants near you.
• $695 annual fee.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

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

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

Hot Tip: Apply and find out if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of as high as 175,000 points with the Amex Platinum. Welcome offers may vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

NEW OFFER

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 ins and outs 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!

Apply Now(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

You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

As High As 100,000 Points. Find Out Your Offer.

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $2,200

Annual Fee

$325

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

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, up to $50,000 per calendar year, and you’ll also earn 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year, 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 worldwide, up to $50,000 per calendar year; then 1x thereafter
• 4x points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets, up to $25,000 per calendar year; then 1x thereafter
• 3x points per dollar on flights purchased directly from airlines or at AmexTravel.com

Cons

• $325 annual fee (rates and fees)
• No lounge access

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
• Earn 4X Membership Rewards^® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
• Earn 4X Membership Rewards^® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
• Earn 3X Membership Rewards^® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
• Earn 2X Membership Rewards^® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
• Earn 1X Membership Rewards^® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
• $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards^® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
• $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express^® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
• $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express^® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
• $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. 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, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
• Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees.
• Annual Fee is $325.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

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

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

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.
   

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!

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.

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.
   

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.
   

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

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.
   

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

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
   

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.

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!