The Offer
- Spend $200 or more on Amex gift cards at americanexpress.com/gift, pay with your registered Amex card, and receive a $10 statement credit.
This offer is available with by tweeting #AmexGift with a connected Twitter account or by saving it in your Amex login.
The Fine Print
- Valid 9/8/16 through 12/31/16
- Offer valid online only at americanexpress.com/gift, not valid in-store
- If you order an item during the offer period but it is not provided until after 12/31/2015 it may not count for this offer (more about that here)
- Excludes logo & gift cheque purchases
- $200 threshold can be done in one transaction or multiple transactions
Our Verdict
This offer comes up often and – aside from the sizable hassle of dealing with $200 cards –  it could be a good deal to lock in a 5% discount everywhere. (Last time the deal was just $5 off $200, but it’s usually $10 off.)
The thing to beware of is the fees associated with buying Amex gift cards:
- Shipping fee of $8.95. If you have the premium shipping plan with Amex, shipping is free. And you can get a 90-day free trial. Or use promo code: FREESHIP16 to waive the fee.
- Purchase fee of $3.95. Use promo code: FEE16 or SEPTB2C200 to waive the fee.
Important note: you can only use one promo code per order.
As an alternative, you can go through a shopping portal to buy Amex gift cards and get 1.5% back, but then you can’t use a promo code, so promo code is usually better for low-dollar orders.
If you can get the cards completely fee-free then you’ll be netting the $10 offer credit (5%) by purchasing $200 Amex gift cards with each of your registered Amex cards. They can also make a great gift for the upcoming holiday season.
Bear in mind, however, that you may be losing by paying with your registered Amex card versus paying with a credit card that earns higher rewards. For example, if you buy a $200 Amex gift cards on the Amex Blue Cash card you’re only getting back 1% in rewards, versus the 2% you could have earned on that spend by using a 2% card. In the end, you’re only gaining $8 per offer, not $10.
If you don’t have the free shipping plan, choose the personalized gift card option and you’ll be able to order a gift card in the amount of $198 which will be eligible for the cheaper $2 shipping fee.
