When I wrote Credit Cards With Travel Credits You Can’t Use: Downgrade Options, it was after I spoke to Amex and was told nothing was being considered with regards to annual fees nor statement credits you couldn’t use. I was particularly concerned with my expiring Hilton Aspire $250 resort credit due to expire in June and was told “no extensions, no options.”
But since early this week there’d been ongoing chatter about Amex reversing course and offering rebates on the annual fees for these cards. Turns out, that intel was a bit off and what they are doing is a mix of new statement credit offers (cellular service and streaming, for example) that you can use while stuck at home along with bonus point offers for groceries.
It’s probably a smart move for American Express (vs. annual fee rebates) as there will certainly be “breakage” on these credits, meaning that they keep anything you don’t happen to use while at the same time are able to point to all the credits should you call thinking about cancelling or downgrading.
In this article
Here is the complete list of Amex card offers for Staying At Home:
(Quoted directly from the Press Release)
STREAMING AND WIRELESS
To help our Consumer and Small Business Card Members in the U.S. stay connected from home while lowering their expenses, American Express is providing access to a range of new and ongoing offers, experiences and solutions.
What’s New:
- Platinum Consumer Card Members will receive up to $320 in statement credits when they use their Platinum Card on select streaming and wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers (up to $20 per month on each, from May through December 2020).
- Business Platinum Card Members will receive up to $320 in statement credits on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and U.S. purchases for shipping (up to $20 per month on each, from May through December 2020).
- Green Consumer Card Members will receive up to $80 in statement credits when they use their Green Card to pay for wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers (up to $10 per month, from May through December 2020).
This builds on the streaming and wireless benefits already offered on many U.S. Consumer and Small Business Cards, including:
- Blue Cash Preferred Card Members receive 6% cash back on U.S. streaming subscriptions.
- Amazon Business and Amazon Business Prime Card Members receive 2% back on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers.
- Lowe’s Business Rewards Card Members earn 3X points on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers.
STAY-AT-HOME DINING AND ESSENTIALS
Here is how American Express is supporting Card Members while they’re dining at home and shopping for their household essentials.
What’s New:
- Delta SkyMiles Reserve, Platinum, Gold and Blue Consumer Card Members will now earn 4X miles at U.S. supermarkets (May through July 2020).
- Marriott Bonvoy and Brilliant Consumer Card Members will now earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $7,500 in eligible purchases (May through July 2020).
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Consumer Card Members’ eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery, will now qualify toward the $300 Marriott Bonvoy Statement Credit benefit (June through August 2020).
- Hilton Surpass and Hilton Aspire Consumer Card Members will now earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points at U.S. supermarkets (May through July 2020). Bonus Points earned through eligible purchases on all Hilton American Express Cards, that post to the Card Member’s Hilton Honors account between May 1 through December 31, 2020 will be considered Base Points and will count towards Elite tier qualification and Lifetime Diamond Status.
- Hilton Aspire Consumer Card Members’ eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery, will now qualify toward the $250 Hilton resort credit benefit (June through August 2020).
This builds on restaurant, food delivery and supermarket benefits already offered on many U.S. Consumer and Small Business Cards, including:
- Platinum Consumer Card Members receive $15 in Uber credits every month, plus a $20 bonus in December, which can be used to order food delivery on Uber Eats.
- Gold Consumer Card Members earn 4X Membership Rewards on U.S. supermarket (up to $25,000 per calendar year) and 4X Membership Rewards on restaurant purchases worldwide, including takeout and delivery via Grubhub/Seamless, Uber Eats, DoorDash, Caviar, Postmates and more. Plus their $10/month dining credit can be used on Grubhub/Seamless and more.
- Green Consumer Card Members earn 3X Membership Rewards on restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery.
- Blue Cash Preferred Card Members receive 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%).
- Blue Cash Everyday Card Members receive 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%).
- Hilton Honors, Hilton Surpass and Hilton Aspire Consumer Card Members earn 5X, 6X or 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points, respectively at U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery.
- Amex EveryDay® Card Members earn 2X Membership Rewards on U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1X).
- Amex EveryDay® Preferred Card Members earn 3X Membership Rewards on U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1X).
- Amazon Business Card Members receive 3% back on U.S. purchases at Amazon Business, AWS, Amazon.com and at Whole Foods Market and 2% back at U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery.
- Amazon Business Prime Card Members receive 5% back on U.S. purchases at Amazon Business, AWS, Amazon.com and at Whole Foods Market with an eligible Prime membership and 2% back at U.S. restaurants including takeout and delivery.
- Lowe’s Business Rewards Card Members earn 3X points at restaurants including takeout and delivery.
- Delta SkyMiles Platinum, Gold and Blue Consumer Card Members and Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Card Members earn 2X miles on restaurants, including takeout and delivery.
- Hilton Honors Business Card Members earn 6X points at US restaurants, including takeout and delivery.
- Marriott Bonvoy Business Card Members earn 4X points at US restaurants, including takeout and delivery.
REMOTE WORK ESSENTIALS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
Here’s how American Express is backing small businesses to offset the costs of tools and technology and providing resources they need to operate their businesses.
What’s New:
- Business Platinum Card Members will receive up to $200 in additional statement credits for U.S. purchases with Dell Technologies, for a total of up to $400 in statement credits in 2020 when added to the existing Shop Dell with Business Platinum benefit ($100 in additional statement credits from May 1 through June 30, 2020 and up to $100 in additional statement credits between July 1 and December 31, 2020).
- In addition, they will receive up to $320 in statement credits on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and U.S. purchases for shipping (up to $20 per month on each, from May through December 2020).
- New, free Shop Small® templates and resources at ShopSmall.com, as well as benefits, offerings and expertise from more than 40 leading companies as part of the recently launched ‘Stand for Small’coalition.
- Resy, a subsidiary of American Express, is waiving all fees for new and existing ResyOS customersthrough December 2020.
This builds on relevant benefits and value already offered on many Small Business Cards, including:
- Business Gold Card Members earn 4X Membership Rewards points automatically on the two categories where they spent the most in each month from a set list, including U.S. purchases for shipping, technology, advertising in select media, and at restaurants including delivery and takeout.
- Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Card Members earn 2X miles on eligible U.S. shipping purchases and on U.S. purchases for advertising in select media.
- Marriott Bonvoy Business Card Members earn 4X Marriott Bonvoy points on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers, and on U.S. purchases for shipping.
- Hilton Honors Business Card Members earn 6X Hilton Honors points on wireless telephone services purchases directly from U.S. service providers and U.S. purchases for shipping.
- Blue Business Plus Card Members earn 2X Membership Rewards points on purchases (up to $50,000 per calendar year).
- Blue Business Cash Card Members receive 2% cash back on purchases (up to $50,000 per calendar year).
- Lowe’s Business Rewards Card Members earn 3X points at office supply stores in the U.S. and on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers.
No enrollment necessary for the new limited time offers for select U.S. Consumer, Small Business and Cobrand Cards across streaming, wireless, shipping, and U.S. supermarkets. Full terms and FAQs for these offers can be found here and will be shared with Card Members soon along with more information.
Summary
There are several really good offers in here.
It would be easy to miss this one:
- Bonus Points earned through eligible purchases on all Hilton American Express Cards, that post to the Card Member’s Hilton Honors account between May 1 through December 31, 2020 will be considered Base Points and will count towards Elite tier qualification and Lifetime Diamond Status.
As well, this one:
- Hilton Aspire Consumer Card Members’ eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery, will now qualify toward the $250 Hilton resort credit benefit (June through August 2020).
and this one:
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Consumer Card Members’ eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery, will now qualify toward the $300 Marriott Bonvoy Statement Credit benefit (June through August 2020).
These go a long way to offset the issues we all have using on-property hotel credits right now. For Hilton, this could go a long way towards your Lifetime Status.
As well, the various statement credits offer a lot of opportunity to make sure you spend that amount each month for the credit with no downside, except that it’s another thing to keep track of.
Notably, the Gold and Business Gold cards are missing from the offers. I guess the personal Amex Gold already has a $10 monthly dining credit that works on delivery, so that’s already sorted. The Business Amex doesn’t even offer a travel credit normally, so that’s probably why they aren’t bothering there either.
Thoughts?
Let me know here, on Twitter, or in the private MilesTalk Facebook group.
You can find credit cards that best match your spending habits and bonus categories at Your Best Credit Cards.
New to all of this? My “introduction to miles and points” book, MilesTalk: Live Your Wildest Travel Dreams Using Miles and Points is available on Amazon and at major booksellers.
