American Express runs at least one Shop Small promotion each year, usually in November, to encourage spending at local merchants.
Whilst you can only use this offer half the number of times as with November 2016’s promo, there is still good value to be had in receiving a $10 credit on your account each time you spend $20 or more at up to five different participating small businesses between 1 and 30 November.
It seems that Amex is reducing the amount of money invested in this promotion, as this is the only one run this year compared to three last year.
The concept
If you spend $20 or more in one transaction at a participating business, you will receive a $10 credit to your account.
This offer can be used one time each at five different participating businesses. 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.
The small print
Make sure your card is eligible:
- Amex cards issued by American Express themselves; or
- Amex cards issued by CommBank, NAB or Westpac; or
- Amex cards that receive a targeted email offer.
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.
The offer is limited to the first 100,000 cards registered, so register now at shopsmallaustralia.com or through the Amex app for cardholders of American Express-issued cards.
Registration is open until the end of the promotion on 30 November.
Amex says the credits usually appear on your account within five business days, with up to three months as a maximum.
Offer history
- November 2017 (current offer): Spend $20, get $10 back up to five times during full month
- November 2016: Spend $20, get $10 back up to ten times during full month
- September 2016: Spend $60, get $30 back up to three times during 16-18 September
- May 2016: Spend $60, get $30 back up to three times during 14-15 September
- November 2015: Spend $20, get $10 back up to ten times during full month
- August 2014: Spend $20, get $5 back up to ten times during full month
- November 2013: Spend $20, get $10 back up to five times during 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 and the registration link.
If you are looking to earn Qantas or Velocity Points on spend instead of cash credits, both Qantas-Mastercard’s My Card Offers and Velocity’s partnership with Visa might be more useful.
Sometimes I get an email straight away whilst other times I don’t.
I’m assuming the credits won’t appear for those ones I don’t get an email for.
They did appear on the map!!
Matt,
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?
This is based on anecdotal reports from readers rather than anything official. I just don’t want anyone to miss out on the cashback if Opal top-ups aren’t eligible.
Hi Charlie,
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.
Great promotion. Used it last night at a participating ‘small business’ and within a minute of the transaction, got an email from Amex thanking me for shopping and confirming my eligibility for the $10 credit !
Urban bites is mentioned in the article but doesn’t show up on the map. In fact, there is hardly anywhere in the inner west that has signed up for this promotion.
Hi Kelvin, yes, that’s very strange it doesn’t show up by default, but if you search for Urban Bites it appears. I can’t see any other Inner West retailers by default, so perhaps try a few of your favourites by search and you may have some luck.
Charlie, not sure why you have such a bee in your bonnet, but complaining about a company choosing to provide consumers money back and choosing to encourage support our small businesses seems a little disingenuous.
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.
Really? Are u working in amex? Heard that Amex Australia sacks a few hundreds staff recently.
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.
This year’s shop small amex promotion is a failure, not only because it limited the days to be only two days and on weekend, which excludes a lot of people who work in the CBD from Mon to Fri, since CBD has most business for this promotion, and people will not find that much near their homes.
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.
AFAIK this is an extra Shop Small weekend, with the full Shop Small month still coming back in November. So an add on, not instead of, last year’s promo. Personally there are a number of cafes and restaurants near me participating so I guess it’s like anything – your mileage may vary.
Agreed, it’s a great bonus to use over the weekend.