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ShopRunner Membership Guide – Eligible Amex Cards, Benefits & More

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Stephen Au
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Stephen Au

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Stephen is an established voice in the credit card space, with over 70 to his name. His work has been in publications like The Washington Post, and his Au Points and Awards Consulting Services is used...
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If you frequently shop online, which is increasingly the trend, you probably want to make buying your online merchandise as easy as possible.

And if you can receive your items as quickly as possible, that’s an extra bonus, too. In fact, one of the biggest reasons to shop at Amazon is its signature lightning-fast shipping times.

But if the items you’re buying aren’t available on Amazon, you might have another way to unlock fast, free shipping: through ShopRunner.

American Express has a partnership with ShopRunner, a Chicago-based company owned by FedEx, to make that happen.

Let’s get into the ins and outs of ShopRunner!

What Is ShopRunner?

ShopRunner logo
Image Credit: ShopRunner

ShopRunner is a subscription that allows members to enjoy free 2-day shipping, free returns, and special offers when shopping at specific online merchants or retailers.

Normally, you’ll pay a membership fee of $79 per year, but there are many ways to get ShopRunner for free, whether it’s through existing credit cards or other platforms.

How Do I Get ShopRunner?

The easiest way to get ShopRunner is by enrolling with your eligible American Express card. Although it’s possible to get a free ShopRunner membership for a year from Mastercard or PayPal, none of those other options offer membership for as long as you remain an eligible cardmember, as Amex does.

And even though ShopRunner has been offered by American Express for many years, it’s still not a well-known perk.

Prepaid Amex cards (such as gift cards), American Express Corporate Cards, or other accounts issued by other companies aren’t eligible for the ShopRunner benefit.

Amex Cards That Offer Complimentary ShopRunner

As mentioned above, you can get a complimentary ShopRunner membership, upon enrollment, with any of these Amex cards:

Hot Tip: Amex Platinum cardholders are also eligible for a complimentary monthly Walmart+ credit that offers free 2-day shipping on items purchased through Walmart.com, free grocery delivery, discounts on prescriptions, and discounts on gas, plus early access to special promotions and events.

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Merchants That Offer ShopRunner

ShopRunner keeps an organized catalog of merchants, retailers, and companies that are a part of the ShopRunner store network. Here are the current retailers that participate in ShopRunner:

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ShopRunner Retailers/Merchants

alice + olivia

Fresh

Minibar Delivery

Siwy Jeans

Allbirds

Giorgio Armani Beauty

Minnie Rose

SkinCeuticals

American Eagle Outfitters

Halsbrook

MLBshop.com

Solstice Sunglasses

Bally

Herve Leger

Morphe

Soma Intimates

Bergdorf Goodman

Hugo Boss

Mugler Fragrances

Spa Week

Bloomingdale’s

IT Cosmetics

NARS Cosmetics

Sterling Forever

Brahmin

J.L. Hufford

NASCAR.com Superstore

Stuart Weitzman

Burberry

Jimmy Choo

NBA Store

Swanson Health

CB2

Jockey

Neiman Marcus

TaylorMade Golf

Charlotte Tilbury

Joe’s Jeans

NFLShop

Tommy Hilfiger

Charlotte’s Web

Johnnie-O

Nic+Zoe

Tory Burch

Chico’s

Kate Spade New York

P.J. Salvage

Under Armour

Clé de Peau Beauté

Keen Footwear

Peet’s

Urban Decay

Coach

Kiehl’s

ProFlowers

Valentino Beauty

Cole Haan

La Roche-Posay

Pure Formulas

Vera Bradley

Dermablend

Lancôme

Reeds Jewelers

Vichy

Elizabeth Arden

Lenovo

Saks Off 5th

Vix

Everything But Water

Liverpool Jeans

Sam Edelman

White + Warren

Fanatics

Luca + Danni

Sandro

White House Black Market

Farmacy Beauty

Maje

Shiseido

Yves Saint Laurent

Favorite Daughter

Michael Stars

SHOP.NHL.com

 

As you can see, there are over 80+ stores that offer ShopRunner benefits, ranging from Peet’s to Coach and the NASCAR.com Superstore.

How To Enroll in and Use ShopRunner

Here are the steps you need to take to enroll in the ShopRunner benefit as an eligible Amex cardholder:

  1. Click the link for the Amex ShopRunner page.
  2. Enter your email address, complete the CAPTCHA, and click Continue.
  3. You’ll be prompted to enter your Amex card details into the registration box. After that, click Enroll now.
ShopRunner registration
Image Credit: ShopRunner
  •  You’ll then be redirected to a ShopQuiz, which will inform ShopRunner of your favorite stores and your common purchases.
  • ShopRunner registration quiz
    Image Credit: ShopRunner
  • After completing the quiz, you’ll be redirected to your account dashboard.
  • ShopRunner successful account creation
    Image Credit: ShopRunner
  • From your account dashboard, you can browse for items directly on the ShopRunner website from participating retailers.
  • When you’re ready to make a purchase, you should see a small ShopRunner button on the checkout or shopping cart page, which means you will qualify for ShopRunner benefits on this purchase.
  • ShopRunner cart button
    Image Credit: Neiman Marcus
     
  • After that, simply pay for your purchase, activate your ShopRunner benefit, and you’re good to go!
  • There’s usually a minimum shopping cart size of $25 before taxes and fees to qualify — and some items don’t qualify for ShopRunner benefits.

    Additionally, while ShopRunner offers free returns, the original merchant (e.g. Neiman Marcus or Bloomingdale’s) may have a restocking fee on returns, so just keep that in mind.

    ShopRunner Offers

    ShopRunner always has promotions or special offers going on, which can help you save a bundle of money, sometimes even up to 50%!

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    Maximizing Your Purchases From ShopRunner

    ShopRunner applies mostly to shipping benefits, but if you’re making a big-ticket purchase at a participating merchant like Cole Haan, you’ll want to make sure you’re putting it on the right card.

    One of Amex’s best shopping perks is Amex Offers, which can help you either get discounts or bonus Membership Rewards points on purchases.

    For example, if you were looking to make a $200 purchase at Cole Haan, it’s worth checking your Amex online account for offers from Cole Haan, Rakuten (or another cash-back website), and ShopRunner so you can effectively triple-stack your benefits.

    You might see a fantastic Amex Offer like this:

    Cole Haan Amex offer
    Image Credit: American Express

    And you might also see a Rakuten cash-back offer like this:

    Rakuten Cole Haan
    Image Credit: Rakuten

    By activating that Amex Offer (and paying for your purchase using that Amex card), clicking through Rakuten’s website to get to Cole Haan’s website, and then using your ShopRunner account to get shipping benefits, you can get a ton of savings!

    That’s how you maximize ShopRunner and everything else available!

    Final Thoughts

    Overall, if you can get ShopRunner for free, it’s a no-brainer. Chances are that you currently have or could easily get a card with a complimentary ShopRunner membership.

    Certain Amex cards have a ShopRunner membership that you can easily activate and enjoy for as long as you remain an eligible cardmember — other cards from Mastercard may have limited 1-year memberships.

    Overall, if you find yourself frequently shopping at merchants including Bloomingdale’s, Bergdorf Goodman, or Tommy Hilfiger, you can leverage ShopRunner to get your items shipped to you more quickly!

    For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
    For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® from American Express, click here.
    For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, click here.
    For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® card, click here.
    For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Does Express offer ShopRunner?

    Express is not a participating merchant of ShopRunner.

    Is there a fee to use ShopRunner?

    Normally, ShopRunner costs $79 per year. But if you have an eligible Amex card or Mastercard, you can get it for free.

    How do I enable ShopRunner?

    You can enable ShopRunner by clicking this link here, signing up for an account, and entering your card information.

    How do I get ShopRunner for free?

    You can get ShopRunner for free if you have an eligible Amex card or Mastercard. You can also get free membership if you are a PayPal member.

    How much is ShopRunner monthly?

    ShopRunner isn’t available as a monthly membership, but you can pay $79 per year for an annual membership if you don’t have a credit card that offers a complimentary membership.

    Stephen Au's image

    About Stephen Au

    Stephen is an established voice in the credit card space, with over 70 to his name. His work has been in publications like The Washington Post, and his Au Points and Awards Consulting Services is used by hundreds of clients.

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