This summer, American Express has announced several special offers for its cardholders. The company is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its Membership Rewards program; it's partnered with online warehouse retailer Boxed; and it's offering special travel rewards for new members holding a Blue Cash Everyday Card.
First up, Amex has created a special collection of rewards in honor of the 25th anniversary of its Membership Rewards loyalty program. Launched in 1991, it immediately attracted 600,000 users in its first year.
"When we launched in 1991, our rewards program was the most robust in the industry," says Ira Galtman, director of corporate archives at American Express, on its website.
To that end, Amex has created a 25th anniversary collection of special experiences and products that members can purchase with their points. Members can also donate to Make-A-Wish to help grant 25 wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions.
Items in the catalog include private vineyard tours, a mixology lesson, trips to Italy and Indonesia, golf experiences, tech gadgets, home products and more. They're available on a first-come, first-served basis, and the 25th anniversary catalog will be available for the rest of 2016.
American Express also recent announced a deal with Boxed, an online an mobile bulk grocery company, to allow Amex card members get free shipping on eligible orders and three percent Boxed Cash Rewards on up to $15,000 in purchases made with an American Express card on a Boxed account.
Once the purchase is made, the Boxed account linked with the Amex card will be upgraded to the Boxed Bold program, which gives the free shipping and extra rewards. The three percent is good up to $450 in Boxed Cash Rewards, which can be used as credit on a Boxed account. All purchases beyond that rewards limit receive one percent back.
Additionally, there's also a limited-time Amex Offer, where eligible Amex card members can get a one-time $20 statement credit after spending $50 or more by syncing and loading the online offer from the offers section of their online American Express account or Amex mobile app. This offer is good until October 15, 2016.
This deal comes after American Express and Costco severed ties, with Costco switching their credit card option to Visa.
"We're making sure our Card Members have great options for shopping in bulk with their American Express Cards," said Christopher Cracchiolo, vice president, Membership Rewards and loyalty benefits, in a statement. Earlier this year, Amex partnered with box to launch Amex Express Checkout, which lets cardholders use their existing American Express login on Boxed and brings up their stored payment information. This keeps payment information within the American Express system and simplifies the checkout process.
Finally, Amex is enticing consumers to sign up for its Blue Cash Everyday Card with a limited-time extra cash back bonus offer on travel spending.
New Blue Cash Everyday cardholders will get a "welcome bonus" of $100 statement credit if they use the card for $1,000 of purchases within the first three months of having the card. Additionally, cardholders can receive five percent back on the first $4,000 of travel purchases made on the card within the first six months of card ownership. Both of these offers come in the form of statement credit.
This card has a tiered level of reward bonuses. Cardholders earn three percent on their first $6,000 of grocery purchases every year, two percent cash back at gas stations and department stores, and one percent back on other purchases, including grocery purchases past the $6,000 limit.
The Blue Cash Everyday card has no annual fee and zero percent APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first year. Thereafter, the APR is a 13.24 to 23.24 percent variable rate based on creditworthiness.
