American Express Shop Small promotion is on again and is pushed forward from its usual November date to help struggling small businesses navigate through the COVID-19 crisis.
Eligible American Express Card Members who spend $10 or more in one transaction, will receive $5 back from 10 June to 31 August 2020.
This is valid up to 10 times, once per participating business, both in-store and online, and is available to all American Express Card Members as well as Additional Card Members who register for the offer.
Our full guide to American Express Shop Small promotions is shown below, updated for the details of this offer. American Express is a Point Hacks commercial partner.
A guide to American Express’ Shop Small promotions
American Express runs at least one Shop Small promotion each year, usually in November, to encourage spending at local merchants.
Similar to recent promotions, you will receive a $5 credit on your account each time you spend $10 or more at up to ten different participating small businesses between 10 June and 31 August 2020.
You can register for this year’s promotion on this page. You can also save this offer to your card by navigating to Amex Offers in your account or in the Amex mobile app.
Additional Card Members need to be registered separately, but all are eligible. Do you have multiple Additional Card Members? Well then you’re in luck, as each card can be registered for Shop Small, and you could receive the benefits at the same retailer once on each card!
The concept of Shop Small
If you spend $10 or more in one transaction at a participating business, you will receive a $5 credit to your account.
This offer can be used once per card at ten different participating businesses — check the map here. The range of included retailers is, as usual, very broad, so you should be able to find somewhere close to you that would fit within your normal spend patterns.
Note that unlike in some previous promotions, you can no longer use this credit to top up Opal public transport cards in Sydney.
How do I sign up for Shop Small?
If you already have an American Express online account:
- Log in to your American Express online account
- Scroll down to the section ‘Amex Offers’
- Find the Shop Small offer and click ‘Save to Card’
- You are now enrolled in Shop Small for this year
If you have an American Express card and want to enrol manually:
- Visit the enrolment page for the 2020 Shop Small offer
- Enter your name, email and card details
- Click ‘Save to Card’. You are now enrolled in Shop Small.
Not yet an American Express cardholder?
American Express Card Members have lots of perks, and Shop Small is just the start! There’s bound to be a card suited to you.
The ever-popular American Express Platinum Edge earns up to 3 Membership Rewards points earned per $1 spent at major supermarkets and petrol stations.
Or check out the American Express Explorer card with lounge access perks and a solid 2 Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on just about anything.
Both cards also come with complimentary insurances. Plus, if you apply, are approved and receive your card in time, you could still be a part of this year’s Shop Small offer!
Shop Small benefits for small businesses
Now more than ever, it’s important to support our small local businesses whenever it’s safe to do so.
The overwhelming majority of Australian small business owners — 80% — are optimistic their business will survive the COVID-19 pandemic; however, if trade doesn’t pick up quickly enough, about half fear for their long-term survival, according to this year’s Small Business Recovery research commissioned by American Express.
These insights accompany an early return of Shop Small, a national movement founded by American Express to celebrate the valuable contributions small businesses make to their communities and the economy, and to encourage shoppers to support them.
Josh Niland, owner of Fish Butchery is being featured on American Express Australia’s social media channels as part of the campaign.
We are proud to represent small businesses. It is a sector that is full of fight, passion and determination. Small business owners leave nothing left for the return journey; it is a give all life. They are the backbone of our Australian ‘have a go’ identity and at this difficult time many owners have their entire livelihoods at stake. The Shop Small campaign understands that struggle and celebrates what small businesses stand for.
Taking part in the Shop Small promotion will not only reward you with $5 credits, but will continue to breathe new life into these small businesses.
When COVID-19 began, our first major concern was whether we would be able to manage the cashflow to tide out the crisis which had no end in sight, but we were able to quickly pivot to a takeaway and delivery model. Our motto throughout was: ‘keep calm.’ Our regular customers supported us from the outset and we were inundated with orders. We would not have survived this crisis without the constant stream of encouraging messages and takeaway orders from our regulars who rallied around us during an uncertain time.
Ajoy Joshi — Owner of Nilgiri’s Restaurant
In a positive sign for the sector, two-thirds of shoppers (66%) say ‘shopping small’ is a priority as and when businesses reopen in their area, assuming they can follow social distancing guidelines.
Corrina Davison, Managing Director of American Express Australia, remarked:
State restrictions are easing and it’s encouraging to see the progress we’re making as a country. While people are starting to head out again, small businesses still face the challenge of getting customers to return at the levels they need. We’re bringing back Shop Small early this year to encourage shoppers to support the nation’s resilient small business operators and accelerate their recovery.
In our eighth year of Shop Small, American Express will fund the largest cashback offer in the history of the movement in Australia to do what we can to help small businesses recover after what has been, for many, the most challenging year they have ever faced.
The small print for Shop Small
The offer is available to all American Express Card Members who register, with the registration period opening on 10 June 2020 and running until the end of the promotion on 31 August 2020.
Amex says the credits usually appear on your account within five business days, with up to three months as a maximum.
The following cards are not eligible: American Express Business Travel Accounts, Corporate Cards, Corporate Meeting Cards, Corporate Purchasing Cards, David Jones Storecards Government Cards, Global Travel Cards and Business Cards that are affiliated with a wholesaler partner.
Online and gift card purchases are ineligible. For full terms, conditions, exclusions and participating small businesses, check the Shop Small website.
Offer history
- June 2020: Spend $10, get $5 back up to ten times from 10 June – 31 August 2020
- November 2019: Spend $20, get $10 back up to five times during the full month
- November 2018: Spend $20, get $10 back up to five times during the full month
- November 2017: Spend $20, get $10 back up to five times during the full month
- November 2016: Spend $20, get $10 back up to ten times during the full month
- September 2016: Spend $60, get $30 back up to three times from 16 – 18 September
- May 2016: Spend $60, get $30 back up to three times from 14 – 15 September
- November 2015: Spend $20, get $10 back up to ten times during the full month
- August 2014: Spend $20, get $5 back up to ten times during the full month
- November 2013: Spend $20, get $10 back up to five times from 23 – 30 November
Summing up
American Express’ Shop Small promotions are a good way for both consumers to save money as well as help out small businesses.
You can find more information at the Shop Small FAQ page. The full terms and conditions of the offer are found here.
If you are looking to earn Qantas or Velocity Points on spending instead of cash credits, both Qantas-Mastercard’s My Card Offers and Velocity’s partnership with Visa might be more useful.
You may have to change the wording under ‘A guide to American Express’ Shop Small promotions’ section. It is from last year, I suppose.
“Online and gift card purchases are ineligible.”
You may have to change that….online purchases are eligible when purchased at the participating online businesses.
Here is the link to the list of participating online businesses https://www.americanexpress.com/au/shop-small/online-businesses/?intlink=au-en-gmns-shopsmall-map-online-directory
cK
they must all be individually registered for the promo, and that has to be done via the app or web site. None of my supp c/h’s had been registered for online a/ c access ( no need ) so the amex CSO sorted that for me on the phone by creating a userid and temp password.
I have amex platinum charge and credit cards.
Can I sign up both cards?
Are supplementary charge card holders eligible for this promo or is this benefit limited to the primary card holder?
And if supplementary card holders are eligible, does each of those cards have to be individually registered??
Thanks in advance!
I’m assuming the credits won’t appear for those ones I don’t get an email for.
They did appear on the map!!
Could you please direct us to where it says the promotion cannot be used to top up Opal cards? How does Amex know when we are paying for an Opal card top up versus any other transaction at a convenience store or newsagent?
I am assuming the map is much better than before. For quite a long time, the map only displays business name, not the actual brand name or shop name you can easily see on the street, e.g. a coffee shop might be called “C F FROST P/L” on the map and it could be easily missed because you would never know it is a restaurant, unless you click into it, find out more details like address and phone number to confirm that is the coffee shop you are after.
I agree there are still some shops disappear on the map, it might happen to addresses like “136-138 ABC Rd” might be shown as “136138 ABC Rd”, and appear at the end of the road.
I am assuming it takes one hour to work out ten shops you would like to visit. So in this hour, you are earning $100/hr tax free. Time to visit such ten shops should not be considered in, as you have to visit them to get food or top up your Opal Card. I cannot imagine if the map is much easier to use, and your hourly earning will jump to $600/hr because it only takes ten minutes to find out ten shops you would like to go to. (And multiplied by N if you have more than one card registered! ) I am wondering what is your occupation to earn such a high hourly rate so you can complain such $100 x N /hr benefit.
I live in a tiny rural town. A couple of shops/cafes take AMEX and I’ll certainly be supporting them this weekend as a result of the promotion. A win win win. Good work AMEX.
Btw, the shop small map design is like s***, so hard to find any business and search, why can’t they just make it a little bit user friendly.
Many stores which I used last year are quit from the promo, so I guess this year I won’t get as much as last year.
And also you will find a lot of business which you were used a lot in last year’s promotion, they are gone in this year. Probably because Amex found out that people used these business to do one thing – recharge their OPAL card.
Because of the above, you will find this year you won’t have much to do with this offer.