If you’ve checked your AmEx offers lately (and you should to check for no lifetime language offers and $20 off Amazon) you may have noticed that some offers are a percentage back with a cap (e.g get 6% back on up to $60 in purchases). With these offers you also need to use a specific link (joindrop.com/amex/[merchant name]). For those not familiar Drop is a card linked app that offers cash back at specific merchants.
In this case it’s basically working like a shopping portal, but you need to use a specific card and save the offer on amex offers first. Because you need to use a specific link this means you won’t be able to stack another shopping portal with it unfortunately (it does seem that American Express is not paying out when not using this specific drop link). Currently this is only on a few offers that are a % back rather than the standard spend $xx, get $x back offers.
Maybe this will be additive for Amex to tap into local / smaller offers than their more typically luxury oriented ones. But that’s on the extreme bright side.
If Amex Offers get nerfed it will make it harder to keep their annual fee cards, for us.
Sad to see Amex relying on Drop’s massively incompetent tracking expertise and downgrading their service. Guess that’s what happens when you’re too big…just don’t care about quality anymore
I dropped drop and stop using the app. To much hassle. I do NOT do anything complicated
Agreed! I also stopped using Pei. Rakuten is really the only one worth it to me.
Some of the Teleflora AOs have required you go through a special link. It even took you to a special selection of bouquets. I somehow messed it up once and never got my $15 back.
My biggest issue is that these new Amex offers are typically single digit % savings. I suppose 6% back on Sonos up $600 isn’t bad, but my Amex offers have normally been X off Y for a roughly 20% savings.
I wouldn’t be surprised if it gradually replaces the regular Amex offers. I’m sure this is easier for Amex as they’re basically outsourcing it. If regular Amex offers go away I think they will lose customers.
I don’t know if Amex will lose customers over this, but it basically turns Amex offers into a mediocre shopping portal (worse returns the old Amex offers, no portal stacking, exclusively online) and is a big time nerf.
Right. They won’t lose everyday customers I’m sure but they will lose reward maximizer types. But maybe they’re fine with that.
“Get X% back on purchases, up to $X0 by using the link provided.” KiwiCo, Paula’s Choice, Lumens, Reebok, Nutribullet, Murad, and GNC. All expire on 12/27/2020.
I’ve never heard of half of these. And those I have heard of I would only buy in-store.
I get most of my value out of Amex cards through the Amex Offers feature. If all Amex Offers turn into online links my Amex days are numbered.
Will clawbacks be powered by Drop as well?
No need, Drop doesn’t payout in the first place.
Look like the link is just a generic link
Drop is the worst
Like most third party rewards apps it’s just not sustainable to passively give tons of rewards for making purchases like you always do.
Get in and get out when you can
I agree. My card-linked purchases with their power offers rarely get tracked.