Amex Platinum Military Benefits ($695 Annual Fee Waived) [2021]

Active duty military members can take advantage of one very valuable benefit for the Platinum Card: a complete waiver of the $695 annual fee!

This article will explain how the Amex Platinum military fee waiver works and some of the benefits that this card offers. 

Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!

What is the Amex Platinum military fee waiver?

If you are a qualifying active-duty member of the military, you’ll be able to have the $695 annual fee of the Platinum Card waived!

This is not a required federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) benefit but is a special perk offered by Amex. It’s worth noting that other banks offer this perk as well. For example, you can get the Chase Sapphire Reserve’s $550 annual fee waived as well.

Interested in the Platinum Card? Click here to find out more about the offer! 

Who qualifies for the Amex Platinum military waiver?

  • Any member of the U.S. Armed Forces on active duty (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard) or a reserve component called to active duty (Reserve, National Guard, and Air National Guard).
  • National Guard personnel under a call or order to active duty for more than 30 consecutive days (for purposes of responding to a national emergency declared by the President and supported by federal funds).
  • Public Health Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officers.
  • U.S. citizens serving with the forces of a nation with which U.S. is allied in the prosecution of a war or military action.
  • Spouses of active duty Service members listed above where credit is extended to a Servicemember and spouse jointly.

This means that retired veterans do not get the benefit and if you are a reservist you’ll need to be called to active duty in order to take advantage of the be benefit.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

Amex Platinum benefits

In order to understand how great it is to get the $695 annual fee waived, you need to understand all of the amazing benefits that you’ll get.

Here’s a rundown of some of the major benefits that you’ll get with the Platinum Card:

Welcome offer

The welcome offer for the Platinum Card is 60,000 miles after spending $5,000 within the first 3 months. This is one of the best welcome offers for any credit card.

Travel credits

You’ll get a $200 Uber credit and a $200 airline credit with the Platinum Card. In addition, you’ll also get a $200 hotel credit, $300 Equinox credit, and $240 entertainment credit.

In most cases, getting a lot of credits helps to offset the high $695 annual fee. But in this case, the annual fee is already waived for military members so that means they are getting a lot of free travel credits, which is an exceptional bargain.

Lounge access

The Platinum Card is probably the best credit card for lounge access. You’ll get Priority Pass access for you and two guests, Centurion lounges access for you and two guests, and Delta SkyClub access when flying with Delta.

Most other premium cards only offer Priority Pass access so you get enhanced lounge access. And not only that but Centurion Lounges are some of the top lounges in the US, offering great cocktails, hot food items, free wifi, and comfy seating to relax in.

Lounge access can easily be worth several hundred dollars so the fact that you can get this benefit for free is huge for military members.

Hotel elite status

The Platinum Card will offer you hotel elite status with Hilton, Marriott/SPG. Now that the Marriott/SPG merger has taken place, Marriott Gold status isn’t as valuable as it used to be. However, Hilton Gold status is still a solid hotel elite status.

Hilton Gold status will provide you with things like free breakfast, upgrades, late check out, and even lounge access in some instances.

5X on airfare and hotels booked through Amex Travel

The Platinum Card also earn 5X on airfare when purchases directly with the airline which is a huge way to capitalize on earnings. You can also earn 5X through the Amex Travel portal when booking pre-paid hotels but you’ll also likely lose out on your elite perks and elite credits so I don’t generally recommend it.

Centurion Lounge at IAH.

Additional SCRA benefits

  • A maximum of 6% APR on eligible pre-service balances
  • Other waived fees (overage fees, late payments, returned payments, etc.)

Amex Platinum military credit score

To my knowledge, being an active duty military member does not increase your approval odds. You’ll still need a solid credit score to get approved for the Platinum Card. You can read more about the qualifications for the Platinum Card here. 

Amex Platinum military authorized users

The Amex Platinum military waiver also extends out to authorized users on your account so their annual fees should be waived. There are also reports that if you an active military member and an authorized user on a Platinum account of your spouse, that annual fee will be waived for the primary cardholder.

How to request SCRA benefits

You can put in your application for SCRA benefits online, via phone, or via fax.

Online

Submitting your request online is the fastest way to request SCRA benefits.

You may also submit any relevant documents through the Document Center: this includes paperwork establishing active duty, such as documentation prepared exclusively by a branch of the military, the Department of Defense or your commanding officer which indicates that you are on active duty (e.g., active duty orders, change of station orders, DD-214 forms, letters from commanding officers, etc.).

Please note that SCRA benefits can only be requested online if the Card account you’ve selected is enrolled in American Express Online Services. If it is not, you may enroll your Card now.

Phone

Call the number on the back of your Card or 1-800-253-1720 to submit a request.

If you are outside the United States, you can call us collect at 1-336-393-1111.

Fax

Fax documents establishing your active duty to 623-444-3000.

Mail

Send a copy of documents establishing your active duty to:

  • American Express, Attn: Servicemembers Civil Relief Act
  • PO Box 981535
  • El Paso, TX 79998-1535

Make sure to include the applicable American Express Account numbers.

Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!

SCRA benefit review process

Amex will determine eligibility and confirm active duty by reviewing any military documents provided and by checking the Department of Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) website.

If Amex is unable to confirm active duty, they will send you a written request to obtain a copy of acceptable military documents. You will receive a response within 60 days regarding the status of your request.

Amex refer a friend

Amex refer a friend allows you to earn extra Membership Rewards when other people are approved for the Platinum Card when using your referral link. Don’t forget to consider the additional value you can get from this perk. To find out more about Amex refer a friend click here. 

Amex application rules

There are some specific rules and restrictions for applying for Amex cards and you’ll want to make sure that you’re aware of them before you apply. You can read more about these rules here. 

Final word

If you’re an active duty military member, you should definitely take advantage of the waived annual fee. There aren’t many bargains that are better than getting the annual fee waived and you’ll be able to come out on top big time, especially if you can take advantage of the waiver during multiple years.

Cover photo by Morning Calm Weekly via Flickr. 

$300 Amex Platinum Equinox Credit Guide [2021]

American Express wants Platinum cardholders to hit the gym as evidenced by the latest perk added to the Platinum Card: a $300 Equinox Credit. But what is this credit all about and is it worth it? Below, I will break down all of the details you need to know about the $300 Equinox Credit.

What is the $300 Equinox Credit?

The $300 Equinox Credit is a perk offered by the American Express Platinum Card that provides you with a monthly $25 credit that you can use towards the following Equinox memberships:  Equinox All Access, Destination, E by Equinox, or Equinox+ membership fees.

In case you are not familiar, Equinox is a network of upscale gyms found around the US and the world. You can find them in highly populated cities but there are just over 100 locations so they are still not super easy to find. For example, Texas only has five locations. Arizona has none. You can search for a nearby Equinox location here.

Tip: Use WalletFlo to help you keep track of all of your monthly credits! It’s free and is one of the best ways to manage all your credit cards and promotions!

How to use the Equinox credit

In order to use this benefit you must enroll (do that here) and create an eligible Equinox or Equinox+ membership or sign into your existing account. Then use your Platinum Card as the payment method and you are all set. It’s actually pretty simple.

You can also enroll in an eligible Equinox membership in person at a Club.

Equinox Membership Types

There are two main types of memberships: in-person and in-app. The in-person memberships start at ~$176 a month for the “destination” membership and go up from there. Meanwhile, the membership for the app is only $39.99 a month.

Below I have some examples of the membership types with some pricing I pulled up from the Equinox website. It doesn’t appear that every type of membership is available at every location. Also, based on what I saw it looks like the in-person memberships usually require a minimum 12 month commitment.

And finally, it looks like you also have to pay expensive initiation fees that differ based on the type of membership. The price for the initiation fee seems to vary but based on reports I have seen it range from $200 to $750. Reportedly, you can sometimes get the initiation fee waived but it’s not clear to me how often that happens.

Single access

  • $176/mo.

This membership will provide you with access to a single club.

Multiple Clubs (Single state)

  • $205/mo.

This will grant you access to all Equinox clubs in one state (like FL), including all classes and amenities.

Multiple Clubs (US)

  • $275/mo.

This will grant you access to a local Equinox club plus 81 clubs across the U.S., including all classes and amenities.

Equinox All Access (Worldwide)

  • $315/mo.

With this membership you will get exclusive access to all Equinox Fitness, Destination, and Sports Clubs locations worldwide.

E by Equinox

  • $26K/yr?

Equinox+ membership fees

  • $39.99/mo.

Equinox+ is the membership for the mobile app. This is probably the type of membership that many Platinum card holders will be eyeing since so many people don’t have an Equinox gym nearby. You’ll be able to find lots of different classes on this app including those offered by partners like SoulCycle.

Since the credit is only for $25 per month this means that you would still have to pay out $15 every month to take advantage of this benefit. That’s something that I don’t think a lot of people will be interested in.

Note that all All Equinox memberships include complimentary access to the Equinox+ app.

Things to know

Authorized users

This credit can be used by the primary cardmember and also the authorized users but there will only be a total of $25 available across all accounts each month.

Charge directly

In each case, membership fees must be charged directly by Equinox or Equinox+ (as applicable) to their Platinum Card, to be eligible for statement credits.

Age limits

Eligible Card Members must be at least 18 years old, or must have the written consent of a parent or legal guardian if they are between the ages of 16 and 18.

Statement posting

Allow 2-4 weeks after an eligible purchase is charged to your card for statement credit(s) to be posted.

Exclusions

Certain clubs are excluded from each membership type, and Equinox reserves the right to in the future exclude other clubs from its All-Access and Destination Access memberships.

Final word

This is one of the least exciting credits now offered by the Platinum Card in my opinion. If you don’t live near one of these gyms you have to pay $15 a month to get any type of benefit which is just not very appealing. On the flipside if you already were an Equinox member then you just found a nice way to save $300 a year.

Amex Platinum $200 Hotel Credit Guide [2021]

The Amex Platinum Card is making a lot of noise recently. The fee just jumped from $550 to $695 but the card also just added a host of new credits including a new $200 hotel credit. In this article, I’ll break down everything you need to know about the Amex Platinum $200 hotel credit.

What is the Amex Platinum $200 Hotel Credit?

The hotel credit is a special perk that offers you $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts (FHR) or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card.

This is one of the more straightforward credits offered by the Platinum Card since you do not have to enroll or keep up with monthly limits for your credit. Other credits like the entertainment credit are issued on a monthly basis so you have to keep close tabs on them.

Tip: Use WalletFlo to help you keep track of all of your monthly credits! It’s free and is one of the best ways to manage all your credit cards and promotions!

How can you use the $200 Hotel Credit?

To use the credit you need to make a booking through through amextravel.com, the Amex App, or by calling the phone number on the back of your Platinum Card. I would recommend doing it online or in the app since the search filters are pretty handy.

Factors to consider

Stacked benefits

The FHR comes with a number of benefits which include:

  • Noon check-in, when available
  • Guaranteed 4pm late check-out
  • Room upgrade upon arrival, when available
  • Daily breakfast for two people
  • Complimentary Wi-Fi
  • Special amenity unique to each property

Your $200 hotel credit will stack on top of these benefits which includes the property credit that you may receive. You can already get several hundred dollars from the FHR even from a short stay. So this credit adds $200 to the mix which makes the FHR just that much more attractive.

Prepaid

When making your booking you need to make sure that you are booking a prepaid rate. When you are on amextravel.com or on the AMEX app you will see “pay now” after you click “Book” and that means that you are looking at a prepaid rate that will be eligible.

Keep in mind that these prepaid rates do not work like traditional prepaid rates. Traditionally a prepaid rate does not offer you flexible cancellation but with these type of prepaid rates you can still get the same cancellation policy as if you paid at the hotel.

Tip: You should also be able to earn 5X on these purchases with your Platinum Card, although I don’t think you will earn 5X on the $200 credit portion of your purchase.

Related: Amex Travel: Everything You Need to Know

Hotel Collection

The Hotel Collection benefits include:

  • $100 property credit
  • Room upgrade at check-in if available
  • Gold Card members receive 2X (on prepaid stays)
  • Platinum Card members receive 5X (on prepaid stays)
  • Ability to pay with points

If you are booking a stay for the Hotel Collection keep in mind that they require you to book a minimum of two nights. Hotel Collection rates are cheaper than FHR but the two night minimum makes it a little bit more difficult to offset your purchase with the $200 hotel credit.

Calendar year

This credit will be issued every calendar year meaning that you will need to use it by December 31 (11:59 PM Central Time) of a given year and it will reset on January 1.

This means that in some instances you might be able to combine your $200 credit on multiple hotel stays on New Year’s. You would need to check out on December 31 and then once again after the new year but it could be done. If you were staying at FHR properties this would allow you to also receive double the perks on things like the $100 property credits.

So in 48 hours you could squeeze out $600 in value plus all of the additional value you would get from FHR upgrades, free breakfast, late check out, etc.

The hardest part would be making a last-second booking at New Year’s since you would have to make your second booking January one for that same night (remember the rate must be prepaid).

Also, be aware that if you are checking out and then checking right back in to the same hotel things can get tricky with these type of perks so I would generally recommend not doing that (but if you do it at least be smart about it).

Authorized user

Authorized users can trigger this credit. However, they do not receive their own $200 credit. Instead, the primary cardmember and all authorized users will utilize the same $200 annual credit.

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Card

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Card Members do not get this benefit for their Delta card.

Fees may not qualify

Eligible bookings do not include interest charges, cancellation fees, property fees or other similar fees, or any charges by a property to you (whether for your booking, your stay or otherwise).

90 day waiting period

Sometimes your Amex statement credits will post very soon after you make your purchase but other times credits can take a while to post.

American Express states for you to wait up to 90 days after a charge is posted to your account for the statement credit to apply. I have a feeling that you will not have to wait nearly that long to see your statement credit but if it does not appear after 90 days than simply call the number on the back of your Platinum Card to inquire about the credit.

Your transaction will not be eligible if it is a booking:

  • (i) made with a property not included in the Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection programs
  • (ii) not made through American Express Travel, or
  • (iii) not made with an eligible Platinum Card.
Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong OZONE

Is the credit worth it?

The upside to this credit is that it is extremely easy to use. There is no enrollment required and it is an annual credit so you don’t have to keep close tabs on it every month or every few months.

The downside is that on some prepaid bookings you may not receive your elite benefits and you may also not receive elite credits. For some people, that takes a lot of the fun out of staying at big brands like Hyatt, Marriott, and Hilton.

In my experience, if you call the hotel ahead of time and add your loyalty number to your reservation you can still receive many of your elite benefits so it is not a total loss. Also, if you are booking through FHR you typically have a better experience when it comes to retaining elite perks.

The other factor about this credit is that the luxury properties included in these programs typically go for a few hundred dollars per night.

For FHR, you might be able to cover a single night with a $200 credit by booking off-season but for the most part you will be spending more than that for a one night stay and definitely a two night stay.

It will be easier to find cheaper hotels in the Hotel Collection but you have to book a minimum of two nights with that program so it will still be very difficult to remain at or under $200 total.

So this credit could incentivize you to spend money in a way that you normally would not which is not usually a great thing for a credit.

Final word

I like the $200 hotel credit because it is so easy to use. My only problem with it is that it is limited to prepaid hotels and that many of those hotels are going to be quite pricey so that it might be difficult to cover one night with your credit. Still, if you are somebody who likes to take a weekend getaway here and there this could be a great way to cover a stay at a hotel, especially a boutique property where you don’t have elite status and where you won’t be missing out on elite benefits.

Amex Platinum $240 Digital Entertainment Credit Guide [2021]

The American Express Platinum Card recently increased its annual fee from $550 to $695. Along with this increase came a host of new credits that you can use to offset the annual fee. One of these credits is the digital entertainment credit, which I will go into detail below.

What is the Platinum digital entertainment credit?

The digital entertainment credit is a credit that provides you with a monthly $20 credit that can be applied towards subscriptions of one or more of the following: Peacock, Audible, SiriusXM, and The New York Times.

Tip: Use WalletFlo to help you keep track of all of your monthly credits! It’s free and is one of the best ways to manage all your credit cards and promotions!

How does it work?

Enroll

In order to take advantage of this credit you must first enroll your Platinum Card.

This means that you need to log-in to your American Express Platinum account and then click over to the “benefits” section. From there, click on the digital entertainment credit where you will see the call to action button “Get Started.”

That will take you to a new screen and you should see the “Enroll Now” button when you scroll down a little bit.

Simply check the button indicating that you understand and agree to the terms and conditions and then click enroll now and you’ll be 50% done!

Note that if you are an authorized user, you will need to contact the primary cardholder to enroll.

Subscribe to the service

Once your Platinum Card is enrolled you then need to subscribe with your choice of service(s):

If you are going to be a new customer you can simply go directly to the website and sign up with your Platinum Card as your method of payment.

If you already are a subscriber and you are billed through a third-party such as Apple you can still receive the credit but you will need to subscribe directly with the service.

In my case, I was already a subscriber to Audible so I simply logged into my Audible account via my Amazon credentials and then changed my Audible payment (under the payment settings) so that my Platinum Card will be charged.

Some things to consider

Make sure that the subscription is directly through the partner’s website. If you have purchased a subscription through a mobile app the purchase will not be eligible for the statement credit.

The terms of state that purchases of gift cards from third-party retailers for use at these partners is not eligible.

The authorized user cannot enroll in the benefit but they can take advantage of the credit. However, statement credits between the primary card and all authorized users will not exceed $20 per month.

Membership prices

Since you are given $20 a month you’re probably wondering what the prices are for the eligible membership services. I’ll give you a breakdown of these below.

Peacocktv

Peacock is a video streaming service owned and operated by NBCUniversal and was launched on July 15, 2020.

  • Peacock Premium: $4.99/month
  • Peacock Premium Plus: $9.99/month

Premium Plus provides you with everything Premium does but without ads. Note that you may be able to get Premium for free if you have COX or Xfinity.

Eligible purchases do not include subscriptions bundled with cable services or other bundles, promotional offers through third parties, or gift cards.

Audible

Audible is an online audiobook and podcast service owned by Amazon.com Inc. where you can purchase and stream audiobooks and other forms of audio content like podcasts.

  • Audible Plus: $7.95/month
  • Audible Premium Plus: $14.95/month

Premium Plus will provide you with access to originals, audiobooks, and podcasts but also allows you one premium selection per month.

Basically, you will be issued one credit every month that can be used for a premium book. You can also purchase credits for around $12 each and I assume that this credit will work on those credits as well.

If you never have given audiobooks a try I would highly recommend it. I never thought I would be an “audio book person” but I gave Audible a try and it is now one of my favorite apps that I use!

All Audible purchases made directly through www.audible.com are eligible, including Audible subscriptions (Audible Plus and Audible Premium Plus) and audiobook purchases.

SiriusXM

SiriusXM is a satellite radio service offering tons of different channels for music, sports, and other forms of entertainment.

  • Streaming Platinum: $10.99/month (first three months free)
  • Streaming Select: $5/month for 12 months then $16.99/month
  • Streaming All Access: $8.25 per month for 12 months then $21.99/month

Streaming Select offers you access to XM in your vehicle which is the big difference between the Platinum and Select. Streaming All Access gives you even more channels and allows you to create your own stations based on the artists or songs that you like. You also get two dedicated Howard Stern channels.

I am a pretty big fan of SiriusXM because we do a lot of road trips and you can only listen to your library so many times before you start going crazy and need to mix it up.

Eligible purchases do not include SiriusXM safety, security or Telematics services (Connected Vehicle), SiriusXM for Business subscriptions, SiriusXM ad sales or Pandora.

NY Times

Everyone knows about the New York Times but this is the subscription service so that you can access all of the articles online.

  • Basic Digital Access Subscription: $4.25/week (billed at $17 every four weeks for one year). There is currently a limited time offer for one dollar per week.

Basic Digital Access Subscription does not include e-reader editions (Kindle, Nook, etc.), NYT Games (the Crossword) or NYT Cooking.

Eligible purchases do not include advertising services, NYT conferences, gift cards, the TimesDigest or purchases from the NYTimes company store.

The most attractive combinations to me are: Audible + SiriusXM or Audible + Peacocktv. That would be a nice way to completely use up the $20 of credit every month.

Final word

The increased annual fee is obviously not very popular with a lot of people but the new credits do make the fee increase very doable for a lot of people. For people like myself who already take advantage of eligible membership services this credit is a nice way to knock down the fee by $240.

$100 Delta Flight Credit Guide: Worth It? [2021]

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold Card is a very popular airline credit card — no doubt. It comes with a number of benefits like some pretty decent bonus categories, 20% back on in-flight purchases, and free checked bags. But one benefit that stands out is the $100 Delta flight credit. But how does this credit actually work and is it really worth it? In this article, I will break it all down for you.

Offers contained within this article maybe expired.

What is the $100 Delta flight credit?

The $100 Delta flight credit is a special credit issued to select Delta credit cardholders that spend $10,000 or more in a calendar year on their Delta SkyMiles Gold Card.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

Delta exit row 16 economy

Amex Delta SkyMiles Gold overview

  • 2X on Delta
  • 2X on restaurants
  • 2X on US supermarkets
  • First Checked Bag Free
  • Priority Boarding
  • $100 flight credit
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • $99 annual fee that is often waived the first year.

Limitations to the credit

The $100 credit can be used on purchases of Delta-marketed flights made on delta.com or with Delta Reservations. The credit may also be applied toward the Delta airfare portion of a Delta Vacations package.

Something to note is that this $100 credit is only valid for the payment of tickets which include the fare, surcharge, and government-imposed taxes and fees imposed on the air transportation.

This means that you cannot use the credit for incidental expenses which would be things like baggage fees, change fees, unaccompanied minor fees, upgrades or any other type of ancillary purchase. That type of limitation is pretty standard for an airline credit like this so it’s not a major drawback.

Related: Delta SkyMiles Value Guide

Expiration

Your $100 Delta credit will expire one year from the date of issuance. Note: it might take up to two weeks after meeting the spending requirement for the credit to be issued.

Tip: If you would like to avoid potential complications with delayed credits, make sure that the name on your American Express card matches with the name on your Delta SkyMiles account.

You must make your redemption on or before the expiration date but you don’t have to use it all on one single redemption. If you are able to find a really cheap flight and you still have credit left over from your $100 credit you will still be able to use the residual value in another transaction as long as that transaction occurs before the expiration date.

Your credit will be sent to you in the form of a Delta eCredit. You will be able to find this credit in “My Profile” on delta.com under “Certificates, eCredits, and Vouchers.”

The certificate number, a redemption code, and redemption instructions will also be sent to the email address listed on your Delta SkyMiles account.

Each member will be limited to one credit per calendar year.

you cannot transfer this credit to another member but you can apply it towards someone else’s ticket. Also, you can combine this credit with up to two additional Delta eCredits.

Related: Delta Companion Certificate Rules and Guide

Product changes

If you were to product change from a different type of Delta SkyMiles Card product to the Delta SkyMiles Gold Card, any eligible purchases that you made on your prior Delta card during the calendar year will count towards your $10,000 spend requirement (but only after you make your first transaction on the new card).

So if you spent $6,000 on your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Card and then downgraded to the Delta SkyMiles Gold Card, you would only need to spend $4,000 more to earn the $100 credit.

Authorized users

This benefit is only available to the primary cardmember but purchases made by authorized users will count towards the purchase requirement. Remember, you can use the credit to cover a flight for anybody so in effect you can still use this credit for an authorized user.

Related: Delta Sky Club Guide: (Access & List of Locations)

Is the $100 Delta flight credit worth it?

The annual fee for the Delta SkyMiles Gold Card is $99 so taking advantage of this benefit can completely offset the annual fee. From that perspective, this benefit can clearly be worth it.

The issue is that it requires you to spend $10,000 in a calendar year for only $100 in rewards. If you were to spend $15,000 in a calendar year you could earn a free night with Hilton which could be worth several hundred dollars or even over $1,000 if optimized fully.

So in terms of bang for buck you’re not getting a whole lot for your spend.

With that said, if you already had plans to put $10,000 in spend on a Delta card then you might as well take advantage of this perk and it could be well worth it in that case. I just don’t think I would go out of my way to earn a $100 credit considering the alternatives — and that’s without even factoring in welcome bonuses you can earn.

Related: Delta Air Lines Boarding Policy Guide

Final word

Overall, this is a pretty simple perk that is easy to earn and use. I’m not crazy about the value you get in return for so much spend but it is a benefit that completely offsets your annual fee with one use and I always like to see those perks. I think if you are somebody already putting a good amount of spend on your Delta card, then this benefit can be well worth it. But if you are eyeing other alternatives, chances are you can find a better return in value for your spend.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Car Rental Benefits & Discounts [2021]

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is known for offering some of the best benefits out of any travel rewards credit card. Some of these perks relate to rental cars and can save you some serious cash. Here’s a look at all of the Chase Sapphire Reserve rental car benefits and discounts and how you can utilize them to save you some money on your travels. 

Interested in finding out the top travel credit cards for this month? Click here to check them out! 

What are the Chase Sapphire Reserve car rental Benefits?

The Chase Sapphire Reserve comes with two key car rental benefits: primary rental car insurance and special perks with partners Silvercar, Avis, and National Car Rental.

Primary rental car coverage is great because it can prevent you from having to file a claim with your insurance company and save you money on your monthly premium. And the perks for the rental car partners can provide you with special deals, discounts, and even upgrades.

I’ll discuss both of these in detail.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

Primary rental car insurance

The Chase Sapphire Reserve comes with rental car insurance which is also referred to as “Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver.” For the Chase Sapphire Reserve (and Preferred), this coverage is primary.

This means you do not have to file a claim with any other source of insurance before you can receive coverage under this benefit, which also means you’ll likely be able to avoid fees and a potential spike in your monthly premium.

The insurance will cover claims that do not exceed the following limits:

  • Claims up to $75,000
  • Vehicle rental periods that do not exceed nor intend to exceed 31 consecutive days

This is one of the most comprehensive rental car coverage policies offered by any credit card out there. The one key thing to remember is that the card does not offer protection for liability coverage (so someone could still sue you if you ran into them). You can inquire with your insurance company or rental car company about liability coverage to make sure you’re covered for that.

You can find out more details for the Sapphire Reserve here.

Rental car perks with partners

The Sapphire Reserve offers rental car perks with three different rental car partners

  • Silvercar
  • Avis
  • National Car Rental

Silvercar

Silvercar is an Audi-owned car rental service that’s really taken off over the past few years. It’s an app-enabled program that allows you to efficiently rent and pick up your vehicles. The only drawback is that it’s only available in limited cities, though most big cities offer the service.

With the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you can get 30% off Silvercar rentals of at least two days when entering promo code VINFINITE at the time of booking.

This is a benefit offered to other Visa Infinite cards as well. So for example if you have the Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit Card you can also get this 30% discount.

Avis

Once you get your Sapphire Reserve enroll in Avis Preferred you’ll be able to save up to 30% on qualifying rentals. This is also a Visa Infinite cardholder benefit that will allow you to save up to 30% off Avis base rates when making a reservation with Avis Worldwide Discount (AWD) number S107100.

National Car Rental

The Sapphire Reserve will get you a 25% discount and you’ll also be able to receive Emerald Club Executive with contract ID 5030849.

Emerald Club Executive benefits include:

Priority Service

Get expedited services when renting in Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean.

Guaranteed Upgrades

You’re always guaranteed a free upgrade when you reserve using the Midsize rate (in US and Canada).

Drop & Go

With convenient email receipts, just drop off your car and go (if your car has not been damaged during the rental).

Executive Area Access

Choose any car (full size and above) in the Executive Area and only pay the mid size rate (in US and Canada).

Faster Free Rental Days

Earn 1 rental credit for every qualified car rental. Free Rental Day = 6 credits.

No Second Driver Fees (excluding rentals in Europe)

Never pay extra when family members and business associates do the driving.

3X on travel

The Chase Sapphire Reserve also earns 3X on all travel purchases, which includes rental car purchases.

Rental car purchases are only one type of travel purchase that qualifies, though.

Chase states that the following purchases are eligible to be considered travel:

Merchants in the travel category include airlines, hotels, motels, timeshares, car rental agencies, cruise lines, travel agencies, discount travel sites, campgrounds and operators of passenger trains, buses, taxis, limousines, ferries, toll bridges and highways, and parking lots and garages.

$300 travel credit

Just like the bonus category on travel, the annual $300 travel credit can be used on a lot of purchases including rental cars, so this is a great way to cover your rental car travel expenses.

Compared to the Platinum

The first big difference with the Amex Platinum Card is that it only offers secondary rental car coverage. You actually have to pay extra for primary rental car coverage if you hold an Amex card.

The Platinum Card also offers different perks for different rental car brands:

  • Avis Preferred status
  • Hertz Gold Plus Rewards
  • National Emerald Club Executive status

Since the Avis Preferred and Hertz Gold are available to everyone and National Emerald Club Executive status is available with the Sapphire Reserve, there’s not a significant difference between the rental car perks offered by these cards. There may be some special discounts just for Platinum cardmembers so those are usually on par with the discounts you get as a Visa Infinite cardmember.

Overall, with the 25% and 30% discounts along with the Silvercar perks and primary rental car insurance, I think that the Reserve’s rental car perks are superior to the Platinum Card.  

Read more about the the Amex Platinum rental car perks here.

Other Sapphire Reserve benefits

Don’t forget that these rental car perks are only some of the perks offered by the Sapphire Reserve. You can read more about other perks like the Priority Pass airport lounge access, Chase Travel Portal, Chase Shopping Portal, and other benefits here.

Final word

The Sapphire Reserve offers great rental car benefits. With primary rental car coverage, you can save money and sleep easier knowing that you’ve got primary coverage in the event of an accident. You can also get great 25% and 30% discounts when booking, so these are perks that you definitely want to take advantage of.

Amex ShopRunner Review: (Stores, Fees, & Benefits) [2021]

Having to wait a week or two to receive your goods from retailers can be a pain, especially when you’re really looking forward to your fancy new apparel or whatever it is you’ve purchased. Luckily, there is a way to get free two-day shipping with many different popular retailers with American Express. Not only that, but you can return your clothes with free shipping as well.

Offers contained within this article maybe expired.

In this article, I will tell you everything you need to know about Amex ShopRunner, including all the details about the different types of stores, fees, and benefits. I’ll also discuss how to enroll cover a lot of common FAQs.

What are the Amex ShopRunner benefits?

The ShopRunner program offers the following benefits from select retailers:

  • Free two-day shipping
  • Free return shipping
  • Specials deals and discounts

Amex ShopRunner is a special complimentary ShopRunner membership available to certain American Express cardholders. Although many people are still unaware of this perk, it’s been offered for several years now.

Typically, there is an annual fee of $79.00 to maintain ShopRunner. However, in addition to getting it for no cost with American Express, they also have partnerships for free memberships with MasterCard, Yahoo, and PayPal. Sometimes you can find free trial memberships of three months or even longer.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

How do I get Amex ShopRunner?

In order to receive Amex ShopRunner, you will need to have an eligible American Express card. ShopRunner states that the following are eligible:

An “eligible Card” means an American Express U.S. Consumer or Small Business credit or charge Card that is not cancelled and that is issued to you by a U.S. banking subsidiary of American Express.

This means that you can get this benefit with some of the best American Express cards like the Amex Platinum Card, Amex Gold Card, Blue Cash Preferred, Amex EveryDay Preferred, and many others.

But be aware that some Amex cards are not eligible for the benefit. ShopRunner notes that:

Prepaid cards and products, American Express Corporate Cards and American Express-branded cards or account numbers issued by other financial institutions are not eligible.

How to enroll in Amex ShopRunner

The enrollment process is free and you enroll at this link here. You’ll first need to enter in your email address and then you’ll need to provide some card details, such as your credit card number. Your card will not be charged so you don’t have to worry about any hidden fees or anything like that.

After you have input your details, ShopRunner will verify with American Express the eligibility of your credit or charge card account number for the ShopRunner benefits. Be sure to keep your Amex card as the default form of payment so that you avoid getting charged for the standard membership. Also, you want to make sure that your Amex cards stay active and in good standing to avoid forfeiting the benefit.

Amex ShopRunner stores

Once you’ve enrolled in the Amex ShopRunner program you then just need to make sure that you’re going to shop at an eligible store and that you’re shopping for eligible products. There are over 100 stores and you can find the list of eligible stores here but below are some of the ShopRunner stores.

  • American Eagle
  • Ann Taylor
  • AutoZone
  • Bailey 44
  • Bally
  • bareMinerals
  • Bloomingdales
  • Blue Sky
  • Boston Proper
  • Calvin Klein
  • Chicos
  • Contacts Direct
  • Day Timer
  • eBags
  • Equipment
  • Fantatics
  • Fathead
  • FiveStar
  • Giorgio Armani
  • Glasses
  • Hugo Boss
  • Jared
  • Jimmy Choo
  • Jockey
  • Kate Spade
  • Kenneth Cole
  • Kay
  • Lancome
  • Lord +Taylor
  • NFL Shop
  • Neiman Marcus
  • Peets Coffee
  • Rebecca Taylor
  • Soma
  • Speedo
  • Saks 5th Avenue
  • Sunglass hut
  • Under Armour
  • Urban Decay
  • Vince
  • 1-800-Flowers

When you are ready to complete the check-out process at one of these online stores you should see a small button to select ShopRunner which will look like the image below. Once you click that image, you’ll be prompted to sign-in to ShopRunner to proceed with the transaction.

Amex ShopRunner FAQ

Do I always get free two day shipping?

Shipping is only domestic and they cannot guarantee 2-day delivery to some locations including Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Alaska, and some military bases.

Is the two-day shipping only on business days?

Most carriers limit shipping to business days, so you might not get your package in two days if you order on weekends or holidays.

Does ShopRunner handle the shipping?

No, the store provides the shipping — Shoprunner just enables you to utilize the benefits of your membership. All of your order is processed by the store.

Is there a minimum purchase order amount?

Most of the ShopRunner retailers will require a minimum order value of $25, on both ShopRunner and District to get the free 2-day shipping.

Is there an app I can use?

Yes, you can use the District App. “District is the new app from ShopRunner that puts all your favorite stores in one place with free 2-day shipping & returns.” If you are already a ShopRunner member, you can download the app and sign in with your current ShopRunner credentials. In the past, Amex sent out special offers allowing you to earn 1,000 Membership Rewards after downloading the app and making a purchase so be on the lookout for those.

Can I track my orders with ShopRunner?

Yes, you can track your orders with ShopRunner by following these steps:

Sign into your ShopRunner account.
Click “My Account” in the top right corner of the screen.
From the drop-down, click “Orders.”
Click “Track Order” next to the item you purchased.

How can I return an item?

There are two methods to return an item. The first is to use the label sent to you by the retailer. The second is to utilize ShopRunner by following these steps:

Sign into your ShopRunner account.
Click “My Account” in the top right corner of the screen.
From the drop-down, click “Orders.”
Click “Print Return Label” next to the order.
Select the reason for the return from the drop-down menu.
Click “Print Return Label.”

Will Amex receive data from ShopRunner?

Yes, according to the terms and conditions, “American Express may receive and use your personal data from ShopRunner, which may include personally identifiable information and credit card information.”

What if I already had a ShopRunner membership?

If you already had a membership and paid for it ShopRunner will provide you with a pro rata refund for that portion that was unused — it should take about 2 to 4 weeks after enrollment to be processed.

Final word

The ShopRunner benefits are great with Amex because you get it for free and it only takes a few seconds to sign-up. Shopping at all of these online retailers is nice but being able to receive your items quickly and then return them for free makes shopping online much more convenient. So if you have a personal or business Amex card, I’d look into signing up for ShopRunner since you really don’t have anything to lose.

Chase Sapphire Reserve DoorDash $60 Credit & DashPass Guide [2021]

The Chase Sapphire Reserve increased its annual fee from $450 to $550 on January 12, 2020, and with these changes, the card received some new perks including some related to the food delivery service, DoorDash. These perks involved a new statement credit and a membership that can help save you money on food deliveries.

In this article, I will tell you everything you need to know about the Sapphire Reserve DoorDash credit and DashPass membership, including how to maximize your savings.

What is the Chase Sapphire Reserve DoorDash credit?

The Chase Sapphire Reserve will offer a $60 annual statement credit for 2020 and 2021 ($60 for each calendar year) that can be used on DoorDash purchases. 

This means that the Chase Sapphire Reserve will now offer a total of $360 worth of credits ($300 travel credit plus the $60 DoorDash credit) to help offset the $550 annual fee. With the new increased annual fee, the new effective annual fee is $190.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

How does the Chase Sapphire Reserve DoorDash credit work?

The DoorDash credit is an automatic statement credit that will hit your account after you make a DoorDash purchase.

You don’t have to worry about some special balance showing up in an app — you simply use your card and the credit is automatically triggered. The statement credit will likely post the same day that your purchase posts as shown below.

It’s also worth mentioning that this is issued on an annual basis and that you don’t have to worry about a monthly credit expiring like you would with the Gold Card. This makes this credit far more convenient to use. It also means that you can use your credit to cover a larger meal (perhaps for several people) which is unique to this credit.

Maximizing the DoorDash credit

The DoorDash credit can be maximized by utilizing some other special savings.

You could take advantage of referrals and save. How this works is you send your referral link to a friend and when they use your referral link to sign up and make an order over a certain amount, such as $12, you will be issued a credit and your friend that you referred will also be issued credits. So everybody wins.

The amount of the credits often changes but at the time of this article you would be given a $7 credit and your friend would be given three $5 dollar credits on the first three orders.

You might also look into going through a cashback portal before you sign up. Sometimes it is possible to get something like a $15 credit when you sign up through a certain portal. Know if you have not signed up yet, definitely check out the promotions for new customers.

Is the Sapphire Reserve DoorDash credit worth it?

There are a few factors to consider when trying to evaluate the value of the $60 DoorDash credit. The biggest thing to consider is that you will be paying fees in addition to the price of your food and these fees can start to add up pretty quickly. Below, I will break down the different types of fees you might be paying.

Service fee

When you order from DoorDash, you may be forced to pay a “service fee” which will likely be 11%. This fee is presumably meant to help support operations at DoorDash.

Delivery fee

When you order a delivery, you will typically have to pay a delivery fee which can range but is generally a few bucks (~$2 to $5). It is worth noting that you can often choose to pick up your food at the restaurant and therefore you can avoid the delivery fee that way. Also, sometimes you can find specials where the delivery fee is waived.

Tips

Generally, gig workers delivering food will expect you to tip them. Considering what some of them have to go through, most of the time they are deserving of a tip and so you need to factor this in to your cost. Generally, I try to tip 10% at least.

Marked up prices

Many people have pointed out that sometimes the prices on the food delivery service apps like DoorDash are more expensive than what you would find in the restaurant.

So when you add up the service fees, delivery fees, tips, and the potential marked up price, all of a sudden you are spending much more money for your meal than you would if you simply walked into a restaurant and ordered a meal.

Think about ordering a $30 dinner.

Your total fee breakdown could look like:

  • $30 for the meal
  • $3.30 for the service fee
  • $4 for the delivery fee 
  • $3 for the tip
  • $2 for marked up price

So that $30 dinner just turned into a $42 dinner.

This means that you need to factor in these costs when trying to evaluate the value of this credit. Some people will actually attach a $40 valuation to the $60 credit to compensate for all of the fees. 

I agree with their reasoning but if you were already paying these fees for food delivery services then you don’t have to subtract that value.

Luckily, the Reserve comes with a membership to DashPass which allows you to avoid or reduce some of these fees and increase your savings. I will talk more about that membership below.

Related: Can You Order DoorDash, UberEats, or GrubHub When at A Hotel?

What is the Sapphire Reserve DashPass benefit?

The Sapphire Reserve also comes with complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership for up to two years.

This membership can get you free deliveries and reduced service fees on orders of $12 or more at eligible restaurants (there are over 900 eligible restaurants).

The pass is said to offer a savings of $4 to $5 per order on average. 

Normally, this membership would cost you $9.99 per month but you get it for free with the Sapphire Reserve.

So for people who already use DoorDash, Uber Eats, etc., this Dash pass benefit could present some big savings. For example if you are already paying 10 bucks a month for this membership, then you are going to save $120 per year.

And even if you are not already a member of DashPass, you still will be saving a handful of dollars on many deliveries throughout the year so this benefit should not be overlooked.

How does the Chase Sapphire Reserve DashPass benefit work?

Step one: Create a DoorDash account

If you have not already, you need to create a DoorDash account.

Step two: Add a Chase Sapphire Reserve

Once you have created your account, add a Chase Sapphire Reserve to your account.

Step three: Activate

Once you have added a Chase Sapphire Reserve to your account, you may be automatically prompted to activate your DashPass membership. You will see the last four digits of your card at the bottom of the screen as shown in the image below. However, just in case you are not auto-prompted you can activate at this link here.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

Step four: Confirm

Once you activate your account, you should see the confirmation message. You now have DashPass benefits on eligible orders for at least 12 months (and a maximum of 24 months)! You can always check your profile for activation and expiration dates.

Step five: Look for checkmarks

When searching for restaurants be sure to look for the checkmark to find one of the 922 eligible restaurants. Remember, not all restaurants will offer the free delivery fees and reduced service fees. You can easily tell if a restaurant will offer free delivery because they will have a little blue checkmark by their name. 

You can also use the search filter to see the special DashPass restaurants.

Step six: Use your Chase Sapphire Reserve

In order to use this benefit, you need to make sure that your Chase Sapphire Reserve is your default payment method. Benefits only apply when using your eligible Chase credit card to pay for your DoorDash order. You won’t be able to access the DashPass benefits if you remove your eligible Chase credit card as your default payment method.

DoorDash purchases will code as 3X for dining so there is another incentive for you to use your Reserve for all of your DoorDash purchases.

What happens if I upgrade or downgrade my Reserve?

If you product change your card, you will be unenrolled from the DashPass subscription. You will then be asked to re-enroll with your new payment information and depending on the type of card you have, your subscription will reset accordingly.

What happens to the DashPass subscription after two years?

Right now, I don’t think anybody knows what Chase is planning to do when the two-year subscription ends. It is possible that they will renew the subscription or that a new perk will be introduced.  

Do other Chase card members get this benefit?

Other Chase Sapphire card members will get this benefit but Chase Freedom and Slate cardholders will get a cheaper version of this subscription.

Chase Freedom and Slate cardmembers will get free DashPass benefits on eligible orders for 3 months after activation, when the primary cardmember or an authorized user activates the benefit. And then after the first three months, they will be auto-enrolled for a 50% discount for the next nine months. After the first 12 months, the user will be auto-enrolled for a full price membership.

What if I am already paying for DashPass?

If you are already paying for DashPass then then you will no longer have to pay for the membership once you add you’re eligible card and activate your benefits.

Final word

The $60 credit is an interesting new perk for the Reserve. By itself, it only offers a moderate mitigation of the increased $100 annual fee but with the DashPass membership it becomes much more lucrative. If you can wipe out fees then your savings are increased and you also have the potential to save big if you are a regular customer of DashPass.

Bank of America Museums on Us Review (Free Dates) [2021]

For over 20 years Bank of America has offered special privileges for getting into museums across the country. The program is known as the “Museums on Us Program” and it allows you to get into museums all around the US for free.

In this article, I will tell you everything you need to know about the program, including which cards are eligible and which weekends are free. I also have a full list at the end of the article with every participating museum.

What is the Bank of America Museums on Us Program?

The Bank of America Museums on Us Program is a special program that allows Bank of America customers to visit museums all around the US free of charge on a select weekend each month. Keep reading below to see exactly which customers have access and what weekends are free. 

What Bank of America cards are eligible for the Museums on Us Program?

You can get free entry into select museums with the credit cards or debit cards from the following institutions: 

  • Bank of America
  • Merrill Lynch
  • U.S. Trust

Note: (Business cards or personal cards should work).

You will also need to show a photo ID when you use your card to get in for free (although not always). Also, you can only get free entry for the cardholder — guests must pay separate entrance fees. If you add an authorized user they should be able to get in for free.

I’ve also seen parents add their kids to their checking accounts so they have their own debit cards but have read mixed reports with the success of doing that so be warned that it might not always work (even though it appears that it should). 

Bank of America has some pretty solid credit cards you might want to pick up like the co-branded Alaska Airlines credit card, Virgin Atlantic card, and Asiana card. (Since some of these cards are less common and don’t have the Bank of America logo on them in obvious fashion, you might have to take a little bit of extra time to show the museum that these cards are eligible.)

Here are a couple of their other cards you might be interested in:

Bank of America Premium Rewards

  • Earn unlimited points – 2 points for every $1 spent on travel and dining purchases and 1.5 points per $1 on all other purchases Calculate Rewards
  • 50,000 bonus points – a $500 value – after you make at least $3,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening
  • Get up to $200 in combined Airline Incidental and TSA Pre-Check /Global Entry Statement Credits

The Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card comes with no annual fee so with a card like this you’re able to hold on to the museum benefit for free. Of course, since debit cards also work you might just stick with your debit card if you already have an account with Bank of America.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

Bank of America Cash Rewards

  • Earn 3% cash back in the category of your choice: gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores, or home improvement/furnishings 
  • Plus, earn 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, and unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases Calculate rewards
  • Earn 3% and 2% cash back on the first $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club purchases each quarter, then earn 1%

Before applying for these cards, just make sure you are aware of the credit card application rules.

What 2021 weekends are free? 

With the program, you can enjoy free admission on the first full weekend of every month. So the first Saturday and Sunday of a given month are eligible when both the Saturday and the Sunday fall in that month. Here’s a list of all of the free weekends for 2021 below.   

  • January: 2 & 3
  • February: 6 & 7
  • March: 6 & 7
  • April: 3 & 4
  • May: 1 & 2
  • June: 5 & 6
  • July: 3 & 4
  • August: 7 & 8
  • September: 4 & 5
  • October: 2 & 3
  • November: 6 & 7
  • December: 4 & 5

If you don’t want to keep track of which weekends are the free dates then you can sign up for email reminders. These should arrive in your inbox every month and you can sign up for them here.

There are some reports of people getting turned away when special events are taking place. These don’t appear to be that common but it’s something that you want to be on the lookout for when the special event doesn’t have an exclusive entrance. In those cases, you can try to reason with the ticket desk and just assure them you won’t be entering in the special exhibition but YMMV. 

Tip: Many museums offer free entry on certain days of the week/month/year so always be on the lookout. You can search for some free days here. Just be warned that free days at museums sometimes have ridiculously long lines so you might want to avoid them if you don’t like dealing with crowds. By the way, you might want to read my tips for visiting museums.

What type of admission do you get? 

The Museums on Us Program will grant you general admission into these museums. Thus, if there is a special exhibit which requires you to pay for entry, you likely won’t get free access to that exhibit. Also, some museums have fast-track lanes and you likely won’t get access to those either (though it never hurts to ask). 

The price of admission to these museums will vary but it’s not uncommon to get about $15 to $25 worth of value from a free general admission ticket. Some museums may try to up-sell you to more expensive tickets (at a discount) when you enter so be prepared for that. 

What type of museums participate?

I have a full list of all of the museums in the program below, but you can expect a wide variety of museums in this program. Some museums are very well known like the Art Institute of Chicago, the Met in New York, etc. 

However, you will also find a lot smaller museums that you probably have never heard of. The great thing about those museums is that even if you’re not in love with them when you visit, at least you can get into them for free. And without a doubt, some of them will be hidden gems with some interesting art and artifacts to check out. 

List of Bank of America free museums

Below is a list of all of the museums that participate in the program. Keep in mind that they are constantly adding new museums so you should always check to see what the latest museums are. I will try to keep this list as updated as possible but if you want to check your self you can do that here.

Update: It appears that Bank of America no longer publishes the entire list of eligible museums and you have to search for them individually based on your region. Still, the list below could be helpful in finding potential museums to visit –just be sure to verify that they are still in the program.

Alaska

Anchorage

Arizona

Phoenix

Scottsdale

Tucson

Arkansas

Little Rock

California

Bakersfield

Fresno

Laguna Beach

Long Beach

Los Angeles

Mountain View

Oakland

Orange County

Palm Desert

Palm Springs

Redlands

Riverside

Sacramento

San Diego

San Francisco

San Jose

San Luis Obispo

Santa Barbara

Yountville

Colorado

Denver

Connecticut

Fairfield

Greenwich

Hartford

New Britain

Waterbury

Delaware

Wilmington

District of Columbia

Washington

Florida

Bradenton

Coral Gables

Daytona Beach

Fort Lauderdale

Islamorada

Jacksonville

Jensen Beach

Miami

Miami Beach

Naples

Orlando

Sarasota

St. Petersburg

Tallahassee

Tampa

Vero Beach

West Palm Beach

Georgia

Atlanta

Augusta

Cartersville

Savannah

Idaho

Boise

Illinois

Chicago

Lisle

Skokie

Indiana

Fishers

Indianapolis

Yountville

Iowa

Davenport

Des Moines

Kansas

Wichita

Maine

Portland

Rockland

Maryland

Baltimore

Massachusetts

Boston

Concord

Hyannis

Lenox

Springfield

Worcester

Michigan

Dearborn

Detroit

Flint

Grand Rapids

Minnesota

Minneapolis

St. Paul

Missouri

Kansas City

Nevada

Las Vegas

Reno

New Hampshire

Manchester

New Jersey

Cherry Hill

Clinton

Millville

Montclair

Morristown

Newark

New Mexico

Albuquerque

Santa Fe

New York

Albany

Brooklyn

Buffalo

Centerport

Garden City

Huntington

Kingston

New York

Riverhead

Rochester

Roslyn Harbor

Stony Brook

Syracuse

Yonkers

North Carolina

Asheville

Charlotte

Greensboro

Raleigh

Wilmington

Winston-Salem

Ohio

Cincinnati

Cleveland

Columbus

Dayton

Oklahoma

Bartlesville

Oklahoma City

Tulsa

Oregon

Eugene

Portland

Pennsylvania

Chadds Ford

Doylestown

Philadelphia

Pittsburgh

Rhode Island

Newport

Providence

South Carolina

Charleston

Columbia

Greenville

Tennessee

Memphis

Nashville

Texas

Austin

Canyon

Dallas

El Paso

Fort Worth

Houston

San Antonio

Virginia

Charlottesville

Portsmouth

Richmond

Washington

Bellevue

Seattle

Spokane

Tacoma

Bank of America Art Conservation Project

Bank of America also oversees an art conservation project. They provide grants to nonprofit museums to conserve historically or culturally significant works of art that are in danger of degeneration, including works that have been designated as national treasures. Each year they take new grant submissions so if you think you might qualify you should look into it.

Final word

Getting a free general admission ticket to museums every month is a great perk. The only drawback I see is that you don’t get access to the special exhibitions and you might have to forgo other passes like FastTrack. But it doesn’t get much easier than just showing your card to get free access so I am a big fan of this program.

Amex Corporate Advantage Program (CAP) Guide [2021]

Offers contained within this article maybe expired.

If you hold a corporate card from American Express you should definitely look into the Corporate Advantage Program (CAP) as it can save you a good deal of money on annual fees for your personal cards. That’s right, I said personal cards.

The problem with this program is that many elements of it are very YMMV. Still, if you are willing to put in a minor amount of work on an occasional basis you might be able to save yourself a few hundred bucks a year!

Below, I will go into detail about how much money you can save with the Amex Corporate Advantage Program.

The Amex Corporate Advantage Program can save you hundredsI cansave you hundreds.

What is the Amex Corporate Advantage Program?

The Corporate Advantage Program (CAP) is a program that allows Amex corporate cardmembers to save money on annual fees for their personal cards. Your annual statement credit that you receive may be as high as $150 but it depends on the type of personal card that you have.

Here are the rates that you can expect for the respective cards:

  • Amex Platinum Card: $150
  • Amex Gold Card: $100
  • Amex Green Card: $75
  • Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card: $50

This means that your effective annual fees will come out to the following after the discount is factored in:

  • Amex Platinum Card: $400
  • Amex Gold Card: $150
  • Amex Green Card: $75
  • Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card: $45

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

A few quick things to note:

  • In the past this benefit has been extended to some people with non-vanilla Platinum cards (e.g., Schwab Platinum). However, some reports have indicated that partner Platinum and Gold products have been excluded so YMMV.
  • If you are denied the discount for one of your cards then my suggestion would be to try to wait a few days/weeks and contact American Express again.
  • You might be able to enroll multiple cards into this program so that you receive the discount for every eligible card you have. However, some customers have been limited to just one discount.

Ultimately, as you can probably tell, this benefit seems to be very YMMV so maximizing it may be a bit hit or miss at times.

Working at a corporation can have its perks with American Express.

How to check your eligibility

If you would like to confirm your eligibility for the Amex Corporate Advantage Program, simply follow this link.

You will need to enter your 15 digit corporate card number along with your card ID. This is the four digit number found on the front of your card above the 15 digit number.

If you currently have one of the eligible cards above and you have not received a discount on your annual fee then you should contact American Express and inquire about the discount.

You can do this by calling the number on the back of your corporate card and some people have even had luck doing this over chat. Sometimes your enrollment may take only a few minutes via chat and other times you might be given a phone number to call so once again YMMV.

sign up screen for Amex Corporate Advantage Program

Targeted welcome bonuses

In addition to getting the annual statement credits that help offset the annual fee, you can also simultaneously earn a welcome bonus when joining the program by applying for a new card.

The issue here is that the welcome bonuses that this program shows you may not always be the best available to you.

This is why some people will apply for their personal card via a separate link with a higher welcome bonus. After they are approved they will then join the Amex Corporate Advantage Program, so that they can take advantage of the annual statement credit.

I have heard some reports of people having issues joining the corporate program when they go this route but others have had success.

I personally have not attempted this route so I can’t attest to it from my own experience but I would definitely at least attempt to go the route of earning a higher welcome bonus and then enrolling in the Amex Corporate Advantage Program later on.

Receiving the credit

Like many other aspects of this credit, receiving the credit can vary.

Upon chatting or calling in to American Express, some individuals have been given their credit manually the next day.

Others have had to wait a couple of months for the credit to appear.

Meanwhile, some have been forced to wait one year after enrollment to receive the annual statement credit.

(If you apply for the card outside of the program then it seems your odds of having to wait one year for the statement credit to hit may increase.)

Every year, you should receive the credit within 8 to 12 weeks after your account anniversary.

Note: Many people report that renewals do not always happen automatically so you may have to monitor this and contact American Express if you come across any issues.

This is definitely a perk you need to keep your eye on every year. That is a little bit of a burden but if a short phone call can save you a few hundred bucks I would say it is worth it.

Approval odds

Some data points indicate that you might have better approval odds for the personal cards when you apply through this program. There are some anecdotal reports about people getting approved for these cards with very low credit scores.

Some even go as far as to say that if offers appear for you when you check your eligibility you are virtually guaranteed approval.

It’s not clear to me if this is legitimate or not (I doubt it) but if you have a corporate card and your personal credit score is bad this might be a way for you to get on board with American Express personal cards.

Amex Corporate Advantage Program FAQ

Who is eligible for this program?

Individuals with an Amex corporate card are eligible to apply for the Amex Corporate Advantage Program.

How long do you get the credit for?

You should receive the statement credit every year as long as your corporate card remains open.

How many personal cards can I enroll in the program?

You may be limited to one personal card for the program. However, some people have had success enrolling multiple cards.

When will I receive the statement credit?

The annual statement credit should be posted to your account within 8 to 12 weeks after your account is approved or within 8 to 12 weeks of the anniversary date of your personal card.

Can I get around once per lifetime language with this program?

No, it does not appear that you can avoid the limitations of the once per lifetime language rule by applying through this program.

What if I don’t receive my credit?

It is quite common for people to not receive their credits especially upon renewal. If you don’t see your credit within 12 weeks of your account anniversary, call American Express or inquire via chat.

Final word

The program is a great way to save a nice chunk of change on your annual fees. It’s very easy to enroll so I would always give it a shot. However, I would definitely try to earn a higher welcome bonus first and then enroll my card later so that I don’t lose out on a lot of Membership Rewards.

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