American Express is well known for its selection of cash back cards and rewards cards, some of which let you earn points in the American Express Membership Rewards program. While all of its point-earning cards give you the potential to earn welcome bonuses as well as rewards for each dollar you spend, this card issuer offers another way you can boost your total rewards haul: Amex Offers.

The neat thing about Amex Offers is the fact that your American Express credit card already has this feature, and that you barely have to do anything to get started.

If you want to maximize your rewards or access special deals just for carrying an Amex card, you should find out everything there is to know about Amex Offers and how it works.

What are Amex Offers?

The Amex Offers program is an activation-based incentive program, meaning you have to take steps to initiate an Amex Offer promotion before you can take advantage of it. Also, note that Amex credit card offers are often tailored to the user based on their spending habits or the specific Amex cards they have.

Some Amex Offers give you cash back if you meet a spending requirement with a specific retailer, yet others let you rack up American Express Membership Rewards points or points within an Amex partner program like Hilton Honors.

Here are a few examples of recent Amex Offers:

  • Spend $49 or more on Chewy.com, get $15 back
  • Spend $500 or more on Airbnb Max, get $100 back
  • Spend $100 or more at Lululemon, get 2,000 Membership Rewards points
  • Spend $500 or more at Cruise America, get 10,000 Membership Rewards points
  • Spend $75 or more at Tommy Hilfiger, get $25 back

With each Amex Offer you’re eligible for, you’ll have a spending requirement and an offer expiration date. You can “add” the offer to your card as soon as you see one you like, then you have until the expiration date to meet the spending requirement for the bonus points or cash back.

Also, be aware that you can use some Amex Offers more than once, although the promotion needs to explicitly say so for it to work.

How do Amex Offers work?

All the Amex Offers you’re eligible for will be listed on your online account management page. To access them, all you need to do is log in to your account at AmericanExpress.com and take a look.

Keep in mind that Amex Offers are incredibly valuable since these deals are given out on top of the cash back or rewards you already earn with your Amex rewards card. Also, there are no penalties for forgetting about an Amex Offer and letting it expire. If you add one to your card and realize you can’t use it, there’s no harm.

Limitations to keep in mind

The most important thing to keep in mind is the fine print on each Amex Offer you add to your card. All the offers have an expiration date. And remember that the spending requirement to earn the Amex Offer is never negotiable and always firm.

For example, the current Airbnb deal lets you get $100 back when you spend $500 with this company, but the fine print is very clear about the expiration date, stating the following:

“Get a one-time $100 statement credit by using your enrolled eligible Card to spend a minimum of $500 in one or more purchases online at airbnb.com by 12/31/2022.”

Additional details for this offer are also hidden in the fine print. For example, the cash back offer only applies to the room rate and room charges and not on cleaning fees or service charges.

Other limitations can apply to different Amex Offers, so make sure to read all the fine print so you can follow the rules.

Which cards have Amex Offers?

All American Express credit cards have Amex Offers available. This includes cash back cards, Amex co-branded credit cards with Delta and Hilton, American Express Membership Rewards cards and more. And remember, rewards or cash back earned with Amex Offers are totally separate from the points you earn with your credit card.

While any Amex card can qualify, the following table shows some of the best American Express credit cards to consider:

Card name Rewards Welcome bonus Annual fee
American Express® Gold Card
  • 4X Membership Rewards points at restaurants, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.
  • 4X points on Uber Eats purchases
  • 4X points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per year, then 1X points)
  • 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or via Amex Travel
  • 2X points on rental cars booked through Amex Travel
  • 1X points on all other purchases
 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in purchases within six months of card membership $250
The Platinum Card® from American Express
  • 5X points on up to $500,000 spent on directly-booked airfare and flights and prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel (per calendar year)
  • 2X points on prepaid car rentals through Amex Travel
  • 1X points on all other purchases
 80,000 points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months $695
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
  • 2X points on up to $50,000 in purchases per year (unlimited 2X points on prepaid rental cars booked through AmexTravel.com)
  • 1X points after that
 15,000 points after you spend $3,000 on eligible purchases in the first three months $0
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
  • 6% cash back on U.S. supermarket purchases (up to $6,000 per year, then 1 percent)
  • 6% back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions
  • 3% back on transit
  • 3% back on U.S. gas station purchases
  • 1% back on all other purchases
 $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases within the first six months $95 ($0 intro annual fee for the first year)
The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express
  • 2X points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year, then 1X)
  • Earn 20% extra points each time you use your card for 20 or more purchases within a billing period
  • 1X points on all other purchases
 10,000 points after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first six months $0

How to add Amex Offers to your card

Your Amex Offers will be listed below your credit card activity within your account management page, although you can also find them on the American Express mobile app. If you find one you like, all you have to do is read the fine print and click the prompt that says “Add to Card.”

Maximize spending with Amex Offers

Amex Offers are definitely worth pursuing since they offer additional rewards on top of your regular cardholder benefits. However, some steps can help you maximize these deals, including the following:

Immediately add offers you like to your card

Add any Amex Offers to your rewards card whether you’re sure you’ll use them or not. Amex has been known to limit enrollment with some of its offers, so you shouldn’t assume an offer will be there later if you need it. In reality, there is nothing to stop you from adding every Amex Offer you’re eligible for to your card as new ones are added.

Keep up with new offers

This brings us to our next point. Make sure to check all your American Express credit cards to see whether any new offers are available. Also, keep in mind you’ll have different offers on different Amex cards you carry, and that one or more of your cards may offer a higher or lower amount of rewards or cash back.

Activate offers on cards with bonus categories

Double up on offers and rewards when you get the chance, and particularly if you see an Amex Offer for Delta Air Lines and have a co-branded Delta Air Lines credit card (or a Hilton offer for your Hilton co-branded credit card). In either of these cases, you could score the Amex Offer and earn points on your spending with your co-branded card.

Stack rewards using shopping portals

Sometimes you’ll find that shopping portals offer another way to double up on rewards. For example, you may have an Amex Offer on your card with a store that is offering bonus cash back with Rakuten or Delta SkyMiles Shopping, for example. In that case, you could take advantage of the shopping portal bonus and earn an Amex Offer in one fell swoop.

The bottom line

Amex Offers are easy to use and are already enabled in your Amex card account, so you might as well take advantage. With that said, other card issuers — Chase’s Chase Offers — have unveiled similar programs, so you should check them out as well.

At the end of the day, there are numerous ways to earn more rewards on your spending, and Amex Offers is just one strategy. Make sure you have the right credit card offer from American Express or any other issuer, and you’ll be on your way to earning more rewards in no time.