Grab a coffee. Or skip it. Depends on if you have Amex points burning a hole in your wallet.
Amazon discounts are usually rare creatures. Or at least they are for credit card loyalists who aren’t chasing travel upgrades. But right now something is shifting.
You can slash prices. Sometimes by a lot. Up to 40 percent.
The catch? It’s targeted. And it’s annoying if you aren’t looking closely.
The Points Threshold
Using Membership Rewards points directly for Amazon purchases is rarely a good look. Usually. You lose value. Like 3 or 4 cents per point instead of the higher returns you’d get booking a flight through the airline portals.
But targeted offers break the rules.
Right now some holders of cards like the American Express Platinum® Card or the Amex Gold Card see a pop-up. A discount. If you spend just 1,429 points.
Note that 1,429 point floor is new. And frankly annoying. Back in November the bar was 714. Before that it was a single point. The floor keeps rising.
Still. It works.
Some staff members at The Points Guy saw the big numbers. 40% off. One of them even hit 50% off in a past cycle.
Others saw crumb-sized deals. 15 percent. Some saw nothing at all. It’s a lottery. Hope your numbers come in.
Who Qualifies?
Not every Amex user gets the memo. The offers vary by account history. Spending patterns. Who knows?
If you hold the Platinum, Gold, or Green Card you are eligible to participate.
There was a shift in inventory rules too. Old offers only covered items “Sold by Amazon”. The new terms are vaguer. They promise “eligible products”. This likely opens up third-party sellers. Good news? Maybe. Bad news? The trick for buying discounted third-party gift cards seems dead. At least for us.
How To Stack The Deck
Do this step-by-step. Do not rush it.
- Link the card. Put your eligible Amex into your Amazon wallet.
- Hunt for the offer. Look at your Amex account app or the checkout page.
- Activate it. Click yes.
- Shop.
Here is the pro-tip. Do not pay the whole bill with points. That is dumb math. Use the minimum required points.
Use as few points as the offer allows.
Cover the rest with your credit line. Or use an existing Amazon gift card balance for the remaining balance. Why pay cash when you can leverage plastic?
Not Alone
Amex isn’t the only game in town. Just the most common one.
We have seen Discover cash back hits for 40%. Citi ThankYou Points once gave 50% off with just one point. Chase Ultimate Rewards joined the party with similar heavy hitters.
Also keep your eyes open for Amex Offers. These stack. Spend $150 on Amazon using an eligible card? You might get 1,200 extra points thrown on top of the discount. It is a double-dip.
Browse carefully. Sometimes the offers hide right under the product price tag. Small print. Easy to miss.
Will the discount show up for you?
Maybe. Check your app. See if you are in the club today. Or tomorrow.
