Maximize Valentine's Day Purchases with Shopping Portals
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Valentine's Day is quickly approaching, and if you plan on purchasing flowers, jewelry or any other gifts for that special someone, make sure to maximize your spending by going through a shopping portal.
Why Use a Portal?
For the uninitiated, shopping portals are sites that offer loyalty program members bonus miles or points for each dollar spent with specific retail partners. To earn those bonuses, you must register your loyalty account (e.g., frequent flyer, hotel or credit card) with the online shopping portal. Then, when you click through to a retailer on the portal, it puts a cookie on your computer that tracks your purchase and earns you bonus points or miles.
Portals are an especially easy way to double-dip: Click through the portal to make your purchase and get a mileage bonus, and use a travel rewards card to earn even more points or miles (keep reading for tips on which card to use). For example, you could earn one Membership Rewards point for charging the Valentine's Day purchase to your Amex Platinum plus 30 AAdvantage miles per dollar spent at FTD thanks to the AAdvantage eShopping portal bonus. Not bad for a simple flower purchase!
Taking advantage of portals is especially useful during times like Valentine's Day, when the offers can reach up to the 35 miles per dollar spent. To make your Valentine's Day shopping extra simple, I've pulled out of the best deals below. If you're unsure which portal is offering the best deal and participate in various loyalty programs, you can always check EVReward to see the different rewards offered across different programs.
Also note that, while many retailers offer coupon codes that can lower the total cost of your purchase, you should only use codes listed on your portal of choice. If you use a code that isn't listed on the shopping portal, you may be ineligible for bonus points through the portal.
Most of the major airlines and hotel programs offer shopping portals — the major ones are listed below along with their special Valentine's Day offers.
Valentine's Day Deals
AAdvantage eShopping (1 mile = 1.7 cents)
- From You Flowers: 12 miles per dollar
- FTD.com: 30 miles per dollar
- Restaurant.com: 11 miles per dollar
- Shari's Berries: 9 miles per dollar
- SendFlowers: 15 miles per dollar
- 1-800 Flowers: 9 miles per dollar
Chase Ultimate Rewards (1 point = 2.1 cents)
- FTD.com: 10 points per dollar
- Lord & Taylor: 5 points per dollar
- Pro Flowers: 10 points per dollar
- Saks.com: 6 points per dollar
- Teleflora: 6 points per dollar
Delta SkyMiles Shopping (1 mile = 1.2 cents)
- FTD.com: 35 miles per dollar
- Macy's: 4 miles per dollar
- Nordstrom: 4 miles per dollar
- Personal Creations: 5 miles per dollar
- Sephora: 6 miles per dollar
Southwest Rapid Rewards Shopping (1 point = 1.5 cents)
- 1-800 Flowers: 7 points per dollar
- Cardstore: 5 points per dollar
- Fannie May: 6 points per dollar
- Saks Off 5th: 4 points per dollar
- Spa & Wellness Gift Cards: 4 points per dollar
- Wine.com: 4 points per dollar
United MileagePlus Shopping (1 mile = 1.5 cents)
- Fredrick's of Hollywood: 3 miles per dollar
- FTD.com: 30 miles per dollar
- It's Sugar: 3 miles per dollar
- Personal Creations: 4 miles per dollar
- Shari's Berries: 8 miles per dollar
- Things Remembered: 4 miles per dollar
Deciding Which Card to Use
When your spending falls under a bonus category like travel or dining, it's easy to decide which card to use: one that give you bonus points! But for non-bonus-category spending, it can sometimes be difficult to decide which card is best. If you're trying to stock up on points or miles with a specific loyalty program, you can always use a co-branded card, and if you're working toward a specific card's sign-up bonus, it probably makes sense to use that card for your purchase.
Assuming you aren't working toward a credit card sign-up bonus or trying to accumulate rewards with a specific program, the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express is a great option. The card earns just 1 Starpoint per dollar spent on non-Starwood purchases, but at 2.5 cents apiece, Starpoints are the most valuable points currency in TPG's book. TPG even recommends this card as the best option for non-category spending. In addition to earning you valuable Starpoints, as an Amex card it offers great purchase protection, customer service and extended warranty coverage. It's always nice to know you're protected when making an important purchase.
Another great option for non-bonus spending is the Amex EveryDay Preferred Card. You earn Membership Rewards points on all purchases (including 3 points per dollar spent at supermarkets), and you get a 50% bonus when you hit 30 transactions in a month, so even for non-bonus spending you can earn 1.5 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent. This is a great way to rack up points while taking advantage of the solid purchase protection Amex offers.
Bottom Line
If you plan on doing any Valentine's Day shopping (or really any shopping at all, ever) do it through a portal so you can get those extra points and miles. A $50 FTD.com flower purchase could earn you almost 2,000 Delta SkyMiles, or a $200 Lord & Taylor purchase could earn you 1,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points. And those are just two examples of how spending a few extra seconds to go through a portal can increase your return many times over.
Happy Valentine's Day — and happy shopping!
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.