Small Business Saturday was first introduced by American Express in 2010, the aim of the program was to increase the acceptance rates of smaller merchants and to build goodwill with American Express cardholders. Every year Small Business Saturday has fallen on the Saturday after thanksgiving, this year is no different and it will return on November 26th.
In previous years, American Express has offered discounts for cardholders that use their cards at small businesses that accept American Express cards. You can find the history of these offers below:
- 2010: $25 back on $25+ in purchases
- 2011: $25 back on $25+ in purchases
- 2012: $25 back on $25+ in purchases
- 2013: $10 back on $10+  in purchases
- 2014: $10 back on $10+ in purchases (usable three times)
- 2015: No public offer, was instead replaced by a targeted American Express offer
I doubt we’ll see a public bonus again, but if we do I imagine it won’t be a ‘free money’ offer and instead something along the lines of: Spend $25 and get $5 back (usable multiple times). More likely is that they will follow the targeted route again in my opinion. Acceptance rates are already much higher for American Express, so I doubt they see this as a big problem anymore.
Hat tip to Dans Deals
I think they they must have gotten blown out of the water the last time they had a public offer. I know I personally made out like a bandit. My girlfriend and I went out for a $150 sushi dinner and I split the charge across 15 cards including AUs. Did the same thing at a bar later that night and then picked up some groceries at an IGA grocery store. I probably cleared $400.
You probably are the least of their concerns. There was documented stories of stores that built an event around it encouraging people with hundreds of cards to come in and max out the offer. Talking people getting 5-6k in free stuff and stores facilitating that. Talking a million in sales on a given day, that’ll get Amexs attention. Wish I had that link still.
I didn’t realize at the time that Serves were qualified for the bonus and I had 12 family members letting me use their info for Serve accounts. Had I know I could have gotten on that train and absolutely killed it. These were SoftServe accounts too so I would have been earning CC points as well. Oh well! You win some you lose some!
$400 is exceedingly tame. Trust me.
No, exceedingly tame is only using one card three times for a total $30 gain, like I did. And you wonder why we can’t have nice things.
It a long time away. Hope I’m still living by then.
I’ve pretty much given up on getting that Small Business Saturday deal again. I have a lot of Amex cards, and really looked forward to that, even the $10 credit.
Last year I didn’t get any targeted offer. So if they are planning that same pattern, I suppose I’ll not be shopping on Small Business Saturday again. I don’t like that approach. While I understand why they can’t afford the public offer, I didn’t like being snubbed. I don’t recall many of us actually getting the targeted offer.
don’t you sleep at all doc?
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