It’s Not Too Late to Save 20% Off Travel Gift Cards Through Amazon
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Last Tuesday, Amazon launched a terrific discount offer tied to its upcoming Prime Day on July 16. By applying just one American Express Membership Rewards point to your order of qualifying items, targeted shoppers are able to get 20% off just about any purchase.
Well, the deal is still ongoing, and since the terms only exclude Amazon gift cards — not third-party gift cards — you can effectively get 20% off a number of future travel-related purchases by stocking up now on various airline or hotel gift cards with the discount. Numerous reports confirm that purchases of $100 or more worth of eligible merchandise or third-party gift cards are still triggering the discount. In addition, if you've already gotten your $100 maximum discount, many are reporting being able to re-activate the offer and get a second order with the 20% off.
Whether you travel by air, land or simply value a good hotel stay, this Amazon deal is a fantastic way to score savings off future travel. Here are some options you might consider:
- Airbnb – available in increments up to $200
- Hotels.com – available in increments up to $500
- Lyft – available in increments up to $150
- Southwest – available in increments up to $200
- Uber – available in increments up to $100
If you haven't done so yet, you can see if you're eligible for the targeted discount promotion by linking your Amazon account to an American Express card that earns Membership Rewards and then clicking on the "Click to Activate" link on the promotional page. If you're not targeted, you'll be informed when you attempt to activate the offer, but if you're eligible, you can proceed to shop for any items sold by Amazon or Amazon Digital Services (third-party sellers don't count). Eligible credit cards that earn Membership Rewards include The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, among others.
At checkout, you can get the discount to apply to your order by selecting the Membership Rewards-earning American Express card that's linked to your Amazon account. Then in the box where Amazon offers to let you apply points to your order, you only need to put in $0.01 worth of points, which will be equivalent to 1 point. Click "Use this payment method" and the 20% discount should show up in your total on the right side. The discount is capped at $100 since it only applies to up to $500 in purchases.
Again, there's no formal end date for the 20% discount — the terms and conditions simply state that the deal ends "when Amazon elects to end the promotion." However, given the popularity of this offer, it'd probably be better to take advantage of it sooner rather than later.
H/T: Mommy Points
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Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 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. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
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 $8,000 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.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.