Temporary American Express Card Perks For 2021
We have seen card issuers get creative when it comes to adding limited time perks, given how consumer behavior has changed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Around the middle of 2020 we saw temporary perks added to American Express cards, and that trend is continuing. In this post I wanted to keep a consolidated list of the benefits being added to American Express cards in 2021.
Amex’s new 2021 cardmember perks
It can be hard to keep track of all of the limited time perks being offered by Amex cards, given that they come in different forms — some don’t require registration, some are available through Amex Offers, some are targeted, and some haven’t been published yet.
Here’s a rundown of what’s currently being offered and what we can expect, broken down by card:
New Amex Personal Platinum Card perks
The Platinum Card® from American Express (review) is offering a couple of different promotions.
You can get up to $180 in statement credits with PayPal:
- You can get up to a $30 monthly credit between January 1 and June 30, 2021, for a total of up to $180 in value
- This is valid for purchases made at eligible merchants with PayPal
- There’s no registration required
On top of that, there are some special Amex Offers deals for those with the Amex Platinum (registration required), which are valid for those who had the card as of November 1, 2020. Amex claims that this offers up to $1,700 in statement credits, and it includes the following:
- Avis Car Rental — spend $250+ on eligible purchases, get $75 back, up to two times
- BestBuy.com — spend $50+ on eligible purchases, get $50 back, up to two times
- Goldbelly — spend $100+ on eligible purchases, get $50 back, up to three times
- Home Chef — spend $50+ on eligible purchases, get $50 back, up to three times
- HomeDepot.com — spend $50+ on eligible purchases, get $50 back, up to two times
- Instacart — spend $250+ on eligible purchases, get $50 back, up to two times
- Samsung — spend $1,000+ on eligible purchases, get $200 back, one time
- Scribd — spend $9.99+ on eligible purchases, get $9.99 back, up to five times
- The Container Store — spend $150+ on eligible purchases, get $50 back, up to two times
- Virtual Personal Training by Equinox — spend $780+ on eligible purchases, get $130 back, up to five times
- Wine Insiders — spend $30+ on eligible purchases, get $30 back, up to two times
Personally I think the Best Buy and Home Depot offers are the most lucrative.
New Amex Business Platinum Card perks
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (review) is advertising that it’s offering up to 400,000 additional Membership Rewards points across back-to-business categories.
Through June 30, 2021, those with the Amex Business Platinum can earn 5x Membership Rewards points (an additional 4x points) on U.S. purchases made in the following categories:
- Wireless
- Shipping
- Advertising
- Gas
- Office supplies
Card members can earn up to 80,000 bonus points per category, and registration is required through Amex Offers. Of course a vast majority of small businesses won’t be able to fully maximize those categories, but those are still some solid bonuses.
Personally I value Membership Rewards points at 1.7 cents each, so that’s like an 8.5{b530a9af8ec2f2e0d4045baab79c5cfb9bfdc23e498df4d376766a0b44d3f146} return.
New Amex Small Business Card perks
Amex small business cards are offering up to $250 back on eligible business purchases:
- Registration is required through Amex Offers
- You can receive $25 back via statement credits on transactions of greater than $500, up to 10x
- This is valid through June 30, 2021
You can’t beat having this card on the Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express (review), given that it offers 2x Membership Rewards points per dollar spent.
New Amex Travel temporary perks
Don’t get too excited here at all, but Amex is promoting that Amex Travel has some new offers. For example, Fine Hotels & Resorts (available to those with the Amex Platinum) is offering a complimentary night or property credit of $250 or more for stays at more than 200 properties. You can find all the Fine Hotels & Resorts special offers here.
The catch is that there are ordinarily free night and credit offers. The list might be better than usual, but I don’t see anything spectacular. To clarify, we’re not talking about a free night without staying otherwise, but rather we’re talking about anything ranging from a third night free to a sixth night free.
Receive an extra credit at some Fine Hotels & Resorts properties
New Amex Delta, Hilton, Marriott perks coming soon
While they haven’t been published yet, Amex has stated that in the coming weeks we can expect to see new limited time offers for existing personal and small business cards issued in conjunction with Delta SkyMiles, Hilton Honors, and Marriott Bonvoy.
We’ll have to stay tuned for the details on those offers, though.
Bottom line
Card issuers are adding a variety of temporary perks in light of the way consumer behavior has changed, and it’s great to see that continue in 2021. So far we’ve seen the most perks added on Amex Platinum and small business cards.
I think the Amex Platinum $30 monthly PayPal credit is by far the most exciting, and it makes keeping the card a no-brainer.
Here’s to hoping we see new offers on co-brand cards soon as well.
What do you make of Amex’s limited time perks for 2021?
