Update: This is a reminder to make any June purchases ASAP so they still post to your statement for this month. This can include the monthly streaming credit, monthly cell phone credit, and Saks credit for the first half of the year.
Several American Express cards offer statement credits and rebates as part of the card benefits. These can be very lucrative, and more than offset the annual fees on the cards, provided you can max out (or at least get close) the assorted credits.
The challenge, however, is that Amex makes these benefits somewhat tricky to use. In some cases you have to register to activate a benefit, and even the automatic benefits are often broken out into monthly credits. It can be a lot to keep track of, and that was before the addition of the new temporary card perks.
So we’ve put together a hopefully-helpful tracker with the various statement credits on the main American Express travel cards, segmented by month or year as appropriate.
Click here to download a PDF of the tracker.
I’ll be saving one copy for each cardholder in my household to my desktop, and marking things off digitally each month using Preview, but we’ve sized it so you can print it on standard-size paper as well.
You’ll still want to look over the details for any cards you have, and ensure you’ve enrolled where necessary. We have links to all those things in our reviews of each card:
- The Platinum Card from American Express
- The Business Platinum Card from American Express
- American Express Green Card
- American Express Gold Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
And if you need information on how these benefits are implemented, what merchants are included in each category, or anything else, check out these guides:
- Airline credits
- Uber credits
- Saks credits
- Dell credits (be sure to pair with offers from the Do More Business program)
- CLEAR credits
- Dining credits (Amex Gold)
- LoungeBuddy credits
- Cell phone/wireless credits
- Streaming credits
We’ll also update this page (and the tracker) if additional benefits are added in 2020. And if this is popular, we can potentially do this for other cards as well, but Amex definitely has the most confusing credit structure out there, so it might not be necessary otherwise.
Enjoy!
Please make a 2021 version!! :)
Had an issue using Amex wireless credit in May,because the charge posted as “ATT Uverse” even though I do not have Uverse/wireless service through ATT. Called Amex who confirmed the issue is on ATT. Called ATT who told me they would correct it but it may take 1-2 billing cycles. Did a $20 payment for June and it posted today as “ATT Uverse” again....ugh!
@Nate nate - that's an interesting approach. Has it worked with specific airlines, or all of them?
Thank you!
This is awesome! Thanks
Thank you -- this is great. Any insight into easy ways to use the airline credit. I'll note that I've used it for <$50 airline tickets that I cancel w/in 24 hours and have never had the credit clawed back due to a refund from the airline.
The 2x yearly $200 Dell credit for the Amex Platinum Business card did not show when we logged into our account today. June 30 is coming up and we wanted to use the credit. We called to verify that it was still there. The customer service person wasn't enthusiastic about verifying it was still good, which it is.
So... If you have this card, use the credit! $400 for the year makes it a useful...
The 2x yearly $200 Dell credit for the Amex Platinum Business card did not show when we logged into our account today. June 30 is coming up and we wanted to use the credit. We called to verify that it was still there. The customer service person wasn't enthusiastic about verifying it was still good, which it is.
So... If you have this card, use the credit! $400 for the year makes it a useful perk and perhaps the main reason we're keeping the card in a no travel year.
Got a big tax bill in July, so may use it for that payment.
Tiffany, have you guys heard anything regarding Chase extending their grocery bonuses past June 30th?
What happens if I call AMEX and ask to waive the $250 annual fee for the gold card ?
Aspire also has $250 airline fee credit every calendar year.
great stuff
thanks!
@Tiffany PERFECT!! Thank you for your help.
@ AeRoSpaceman -- Try now, Howie did some magic.
@Tiffany, I tried that and other browsers to and when I try to go to https://onemileatatime.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/OMAAT-2020-Amex-credit-tracker.pdf I get a 404 page not found error. :(
The link to the PDF is not working. Can this be updated so I can download or does someone have a link to it? TIA
@ AeRoSpaceman -- It seems to be working? Try opening in an incognito window maybe?
Thank you, Tiffany, for always going the extra mile (see what I did there?)! I love this tracker.
An on another website suggested 12 points for grocery stores. Is this true? And if so, which card does it apply to?
This is great - there seem to be so many new features being launched, it has been difficult to track, so this is very useful.
Update to @ Nate nate and others -- USPS.com does work for buying stamps and triggering the shipping credit.
@ CZ -- Yes, but no credits to keep track of.
Hilton Surpass also has expanded grocery benefit.
Most Excellent post. This type of post is why I continue to read everyday!
This is awesome! Thank you, Tiffany. No other website out there puts up such a good and aesthetic pleasing chart like this one.
this is wonderful. Thank you. Please add Delta Platnium also
My email from Amex states that the $200 amextravel.com credit is "available from this August through 2021. Details coming."
Disagree with Tiffany on the Delta Amex. MQM bonuses earned on Delta Platinum/Reserve rollover to 2021 as a result of Delta’s change to rollover. Earning 4x on groceries as you meet those MQM thresholds is a decent bonus. I do expect to put at least $1,000 of grocery spending on Delta Reserve between now and July, maybe $2,000. Also spending on Chase and Bonvoy cards.
Amazing summary Tiffany!
Any chance you or your team can get to the bottom of the Amex Platinum benefits for Singapore based card holders, there are many of us here and we pay S$1,712/year for the pleasure. Been little/no comms on what they plan to do for us....
Well done Tiffany, very useful indeed!
Can you please update to include Centurions?
A+ ... thank you.
This is clear and concise - extremely useful. Another Tiffany masterpiece!
Great chart!
Aspire also has $250 airline credit.
Note that the Marriott $300 credit resets on your anniversary and not each calendar year. You won't be able to use your credit towards restaurants if you already have used it previously at a hotel.
The offer doesn't reset the credit but only expands the charges that are eligible so make sure to check how much you have left and when it renews.
Wow, what an impressive and detailed chart! It highlights how Amex thinks they don't have to do anything for the Gold card users' $100 Travel Credit because of the 4x Grocery spend.
Thank you for the great graphic! Do you know if the Platinum wireless credit will be extended to authorized users? Is it is $20/primary account only?
That's awesome. Thanks so much Tiffany!
Thank you, Tiffany.
As we're all homebound, getting value out of high fee cards is more important than ever. This is very helpful, as are all the pieces of advice OMAAT puts out.
This is great. Some insight into what qualifies for the shipping credit would be useful. For example, does buying stamps at USPS.com qualify? Or does the payment get processed in a way that the credit doesn't trigger?
@ Nate nate -- I *think* buying stamps will work, based on how that codes on the Business Gold typically. I purchased some stamps on Monday as a test, but the transaction is still pending, so it doesn't show yet. I'll update that guide once we know for sure.
Great post!
Do we know if the credit applies to the additional card holders of the platinum, or if the credits are only for the Main card holder.
I am referring to the new 20 dollar/month credit for streaming and for a communications company.
@ Ricardo Ramirez -- If it works like the other monthly Amex credits, then I think it's one credit per account, regardless of which card makes the charge. We're watching for data points.
Hello,
I was curious if the old spg card also gets 6x on grocery?
@ Ginny -- All SPG cards have been converted to Bonvoy cards, so yes.
Can OMAAT get clarification from Amex when they will release more details about the Calm App partnership that was included as one of the new perks?
If I did not get an email from American Express informing me of the $200 travel credit, does that make me NOT a "select cardholders"?
I have received email from AmEx on the On-Demand and Wireless bonus.
@ Randy -- Probably, but those seem to be rolling out based on when your account renews, so maybe still a chance? I get the impression that they decided to do that in hopes of having fewer retention calls.
Anyone with a UK amex; the minimum spend time window just doubled from 3 months to 6, not sure if this will also be applied for USA/Canada.
Please add the Delta card benefits as well to the tracker. Thanks!
@ Abba -- Some of the Delta cards have temporary increased earnings rates, but not really statement credits like these. In general, we wouldn't recommend spending much/at all on the Delta co-brand cards.
I just got a notice from Amex that I'll get a $50 credit after renewing my Delta SkyMiles Platinum. Not sure whether that credit goes to AF or a purchase after the AF is paid.
@ Ted Possum -- That sounds like a general statement credit after fee is paid.
Isn't there a statement credit for select biz plat holders, too?
@ Mark -- I think they are a "renew and pay your annual fee, and we'll give you $x as a statement credit" (so essentially getting a portion of the fee back). Have you seen any tied to purchases? If so, we can add them.
Great work, Tiffany! Really appreciate this.
I have had something similar for all of my cards in Excel, but your version is much prettier!
I'd love to see something similar for Chase cards. Specifically around where they have extra category bonuses, any rebates, etc. I need to figure out where all to put my grocery spend right now. And some cards have bonuses limited per month or for the whole period.
@ Eric NYC -- Groceries are next on my list! Those are more about earn rates versus tracking, so still thinking through about how best to approach it.
@Asdf - I'd like to see that clarified as well, I renew in September.
Thanks for the easy comparison Tiffany!
Ah, from the Doctor of Credit post you link to elsewhere:
"A reader called into Amex asking for a retention offer on their personal Platinum card. The representative told him that it will be announced tomorrow – but he thought it okay to let it be known – that personal Platinum cards will get a $200 credit to be used on Amextravel. The credit will be valid from August 1 and will be good for 18 months."
@ Asdf -- Yep, it hasn't been formally clarified yet, so "select cardholders" seemed the best way to address that.
This is great!
Not clear to me re "select cardholders" and the $200 Amex Plat credit: my renewal is in November. Do I get the credit now, or, only when I renew in November? And does that mean I have to spend it essentially right away?
Beautiful. Great work.
This is really the limiting factor for AMEX cards. I understand they want the big headline of all these benefits but you need a degree in credit cards to keep it all straight.
This is awesome! Thank you.