11 April 2023
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.
Considering some purchases on Amazon for your spring cleaning routine or an upcoming celebration? There are many ways to save on Amazon, but one way to save a lot quickly comes courtesy of American Express and Amazon.
Targeted Amex cardholders can save big when redeeming Membership Rewards points to cover at least part of an eligible Amazon purchase. For example, a four-pack of Apple AirTags (great for keeping tabs on checked bags) normally sells for about $99. However, they’re on sale for $89.99 at the time of writing.
But that deal can get much better if you are targeted to save as much as 50% by using as little as 1 Amex point.
I was targeted for 40% off. As shown below, that could drop that price for a four-pack of AirTags to $47.99, which comes to roughly $12 per tag.
AMAZON.COM
This would also mean that the Apple AirPods Pro — normally $249 but on sale today for $199.99 — can be an even better deal if you can knock 40% off — up to the deal’s maximum. With the 40% off version of the offer, you can get AirPods Pro for just $159.99, which is a great deal.
Generally, we don’t recommend redeeming Membership Rewards points on Amazon, given that each point is worth just 0.7 cents there. TPG values Amex points at 2 cents apiece — almost triple the value these points typically fetch on Amazon.
However, if 1 point can be worth as much as $80 in savings, that certainly changes things.
Offers available when using Membership Rewards points to pay on Amazon
Unfortunately, everyone won’t receive the same offer.
You may receive an offer for 10, 20, 30, 40 or up to 50% off select purchases. You’ll reach the maximum discount on these offers once you spend $100. Thus, if you’re targeted for 40% off, your maximum discount available is $40 off. The best offer we have seen, thanks to reader emails, is 50% off with a maximum discount of $80 — reached after spending $120.
After saving $40 using this tip at the end of last year, several TPG staffers were targeted again for this offer.
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As noted, this is a targeted offer. You can confirm eligibility for the promotion by clicking here.
For products to be eligible for the discount, they must be sold by Amazon. Third-party listings won’t trigger any savings, but you may be able to take advantage of this deal by stocking up on dining or retailer gift cards. Gift cards for companies like Whole Foods, Uber Eats and Nordstrom also may be eligible.
Related: The best credit cards for Amazon purchases
How to get up to 50% off by redeeming 1 Amex point
Here are the steps for turning just 1 Amex Membership Rewards point into serious Amazon savings:
Check to see if you have a targeted offer.
Activate the offer in your Amazon account.
Load your shopping cart with eligible items sold by Amazon, not by third parties (most gift cards count).
Make sure to only use 1 point at checkout, as shown below, to avoid losing value by covering the entire purchase with points. You’ll need to use an American Express card that earns Membership Rewards as your payment method.
AMAZON.COM
Assuming everything worked, you should see the offer reflected during checkout.
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You’ll need to cover the rest of your transaction using an Amex card, though you can also apply an Amazon gift card balance if there’s one attached to your account. This time around, the offer is set to expire on June 1 at 11:59 p.m. PDT or after 79,500 Amazon customers have redeemed offers — whichever comes first.
The above offer shows the discount for someone targeted for a 40% off promotion with a maximum discount of $40. The process will work the same if you have received a different offer, but your final discount could be different.
Other offers may be available
You might find similar offers with other rewards programs. For example, we’ve seen offers for 40% off (up to $20 maximum) when using Discover Rewards on select Amazon purchases.
Other past offers allowed targeted customers to use 1 Citi ThankYou point for up to 50% off, 1 Capital One mile for up to $20 off and 100 Chase Ultimate Rewards points for up to 50% off. We haven’t seen these offers available recently, but that doesn’t mean you might not be eligible. Again, these are targeted offers, so what’s available in my account might differ from what’s available in your account.
You can find targeted offers on Amazon product pages, right underneath the item’s price.
AMAZON.COM
Additional reporting by Andrew Kunesh, Summer Hull and Kyle Olsen.