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- Many credit card issuers offer cash-back discounts or bonus rewards at specific merchants.
- These card-linked offers are usually targeted, and vary by cardholder and even the cards you have.
- Adding offers to your cards before you make a qualifying purchase can save you money.
Introduction to credit card-linked offers
Welcome to the world of maximizing credit card use — a world that can be tricky to navigate if you don't have hours each day to learn about your cards. Maybe you've earned a few welcome bonuses, and utilize credit card rewards to the best of your ability. What's the next step? Maximizing cash back with credit card-linked offers.
Another great benefit of credit cards is the various cash-back or bonus points promotions they offer. Nearly every major bank has an "offers" program, though they are structured differently. These targeted offers typically award cash back or bonus points when you activate an offer and make a qualifying purchase at a participating merchant.
When the holiday season rolls around, check credit card shopping offers for holiday savings.
These card-linked offers can save you money and earn you extra rewards for purchases you'd make anyway.
Types of credit card-linked offers
Credit card-linked offers typically fall into three categories: Cash back or rebates; discounts or coupons; and points or miles bonuses.
Cash back or rebate offers
When you claim a cash back or rebate offer, you'll pay full price for the item up front, then receive a statement credit on your card at a later date. This is great for times when you're trying to spend a certain amount of money to reach a bonus or status tier, since you'll still get full credit from the merchant for the sticker price you paid.
Discount or coupon offers
Discounts or coupons apply directly to your transaction: If a $10 item comes with a 10% discount, you'll pay $9. With these offers, the price you see at check-out is the full amount you'll pay.
Points or miles bonuses
Some programs offer points or miles with a specific award currency instead of rewarding you in monetary value. These types of bonuses may offer 1,000 miles after spending $100 on the card, or 5,000 points for completing five shopping transactions with a specific merchant.
Now that we understand what types of common offers are available, let's examine several popular bank programs.
Finding and activating offers
Amex Offers
We'll start with Amex Offers, which is the most lucrative program. You'll find them when you log in to your online American Express account and scroll toward the bottom of the main page of each card you have. You'll typically see seven offers displayed at first, but clicking on the blue "View All" button will bring you to the dedicated Offers page.
Once you find an offer you want to use, click "Add to Card." To confirm that it's been activated, click the "Added to Card" tab to see a list of all the offers you've added.
Available offers change frequently, and most offers award a certain dollar amount or percentage of cash back after you reach a specified minimum spend amount at the merchant. You may see offers phrased as, "Spend $250, get $50 back" or "Get 20% back when you spend $100 or more, up to $50".
You may also find more general offers, such as $5 back at local stores during their "Shop Small" promotions, or cash-back offers at supermarkets or on cellphone bills.
Amex generally displays 100 offers at a time per card, covering nearly every spending category. These offers are targeted to individual cardholders and specific cards, which means not everyone is targeted for the same offers. You may even see different offers on each of your Amex cards.
Chase Offers
The Chase Offers program functions very similarly to the Amex Offers program. However, Chase often offers fewer deals available at a time and tends to repeat merchants more often.
You'll find the offers on the main card page in your online account.
These deals work similarly to Amex Offers: Add them to your card before you purchase by clicking on the + sign in the upper right corner of the offer. After that, simply use your card as you normally would.
Chase Offers cash back comes as a statement credit, typically a few days after making the transaction.
BankAmeriDeals
Bank of America's BankAmeriDeals tends to offer percentage discount rewards rather than cash back, although the program typically shows a healthy mix of both offer types.
To locate these offers on a desktop or laptop, you must first choose a card (if you have more than one), then look for a pop-up to the right. You'll see a few offers on display, and you can click on "View All Deals" to see the rest. You may have to scroll a bit to find this button, depending on how the website formatting looks on your device.
On the BankAmeriDeals app, scroll to the bottom of the home screen before choosing a card and click "All Deals" to see what's available.
One notable difference between AmeriDeals and the Chase and Amex programs is that BankAmeriDeals are available on any Bank of America card after you've accepted the offer. You don't need to independently select deals for each card. You do, however, need to select which card receives the statement credit at the top of the AmeriDeals page.
You'll often see some of the same merchants that partner with Chase in the BankAmeriDeals program, especially for popular retailers such as Starbucks or Apple. As with Chase and Amex, you add the offer to your card, make a qualifying purchase, and then wait for the cash back on your card statement.
Capital One Shopping
The Capital One Shopping system works less like the others and more like a cash-back online shopping portal. It offers a percentage cash back on purchases at specific retailers:
Capital One Shopping's drawback is that you must follow specific instructions in order to qualify for the promotion. For example, you may need to complete the purchase online instead of going through an app. This process can mean you miss out on other deals, such as rewards through the companies themselves.
To receive credit for your purchase, click the "Save Now" button and complete your purchase using your eligible Capital One credit card through the same browser tab.
As with the other programs, Capital One rebates post as a statement credit, a process that can take up to three billing cycles.
Citi Merchant Offers
Citi Merchant Offers can be found on your account under "Rewards and Offers" on the Citi website or under "Services" followed by "Products and Offers" on the app. If you have multiple eligible cards, you can select each card to view the current offers.
Citi has a robust selection of promotional discounts, offering over 100 deals on some accounts.
To activate your offer, add it to your card by clicking the blue "See Details" box under each specific deal. The offers span many categories and types of deals, so it's important to read the fine print since some deals are only available at a certain locations or come with other qualifying stipulations.
Read more: The best Citi credit cards
As with many of the previous programs, Citi Merchant Offers are card-specific, so make sure you pay with the right card at checking.
How to maximize credit card-linking offers
Most of the instructions here are fairly straightforward, but a quick refresher never hurts. Most people who miss out on deals do so because they missed a small step here or there. These are some of the most common tips to remember
Add the offer to your card before making your purchase
First things first: You won't be eligible for the promotion unless the offer is linked to your credit card before you purchase. This action may seem obvious, but it can be easy to forget this important step unless you regularly log into your issuer account to check for deals.
Pay for your purchase using the card with the linked offer
Once again, this tip seems simple, but it can be easy to confuse two cards from the same issuer when standing in the checkout line. Many of the best credit card rewards apps for tracking points and miles travel offer tools or reminders to help users manage their card portfolio. You can also buy or make small labels to stick on your credit cards to remind you when you should use which card.
Multiply your rewards
In many cases, you can double, triple, or even quadruple your rewards on a single transaction. Let's say you have an offer for $5 off your next purchase of $20 or more at Shell gas stations. If this offer is available on a credit card that earns 3% cash back on gas, you'll earn both the $5 statement credit plus the 3% from your card.
A shopping portal can reward you even more generously if you're shopping online. Let's say you have an offer for $50 off of a purchase of $100 or more from Delta Air Lines on The Platinum Card® from American Express. Meanwhile, the Delta SkyMiles shopping portal offers a bonus of 1,000 SkyMiles for completing one purchase before the end of the month. This would be a triple-dip, since a single transaction would earn rewards from three different sources: 5x American Express Membership Rewards through your Amex Platinum Card, $50 statement credit on that card, and 1,000 SkyMiles through Delta.
Note: This tip won't work with Capital One Shopping, since that program is offered as a shopping portal rather than specific deals linked to your individual credit cards.
Credit card-linked offers frequently asked questions
What are credit card-linked offers?
Credit card-linked offers are special deals or rewards linked to your credit card, providing benefits like cashback, discounts, or bonus points when you make purchases with participating merchants.
How do I find and activate these offers?
Offers are typically found on your credit card's online portal or mobile app. Activation might require clicking on the offer to add it to your card or enrolling in a rewards program.
Can I use these offers with any merchant?
No, these offers are usually available with specific merchants or spending categories. Always check the terms and conditions of each offer.
Do these offers expire?
Yes, most credit card-linked offers have expiration dates. It's important to note these dates and use the offers before they expire.
Can I combine these offers with other discounts or coupons?
Often, yes. Depending on the offer's terms, you might be able to combine it with other discounts or coupons for even greater savings.
Freelance Writer
Taryn is an educator and freelance writer currently based in Southern California. After graduating with a Bachelor's and a Master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania, she decided to pursue a life without planning too far ahead to see where the wind took her. When she isn't teaching or writing, she is off seeking her next great adventure. Find her on Instagram.
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