1. What is Small Business Saturday (SBS)?
SBS is an annual promotion run by American Express to encourage use of its cards at small/local businesses. 2014 is the fifth year of the promotion. (FT threads for prior years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013.)

2. When is Small Business Saturday 2014?
SBS always takes place on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. In 2014, that falls on Nov. 29.

3. What's the 2014 SBS bonus? How does SBS 2014 differ from prior years?
In 2014, you can earn up to a $30 bonus (3 x $10) per card. See part C below for details.

1. Do I need to pre-register for the promotion?
Yes, you must pre-register each eligible card (see below) on or after Nov. 16. Although the promotion is not targeted, Amex does impose a global limit on enrollments, so early registration is advisable.

2. Where do register?
At the official SBS enrollment page. (You may also be able to register using the "My Offers" section of your Amex online account, but this will usually not work for additional user cards & is completely inapplicable to Amex-branded cards from other issuers, such as Macy's.)

3. Can I register additional-user (AU) cards as well as primary accountholder cards?
Yes. In previous years, any AU card with a unique card number -- i.e., a number different from the primary user's card -- could be registered and used to earn the SBS bonus.

Note: Amex-branded cards from other issuers (such as the Macy's Amex, older Citi AA Amex, etc.) use a single card number for all users on an account. As a result, only one SBS bonus can be earned for these accounts regardless of the number of AU cards.

4. What happens if I fail to register a card in advance?
You will not earn an SBS bonus on that card. Pre-registration is mandatory.

5. Are any Amex cards ineligible for SBS?
Per the terms of the offer, Corporate Cards and all prepaid Card products (other than American Express Serve and Bluebird) are not eligible.

1. How do I earn the SBS bonus?
Earn the SBS bonus by

• making one or more in-person transactions of at least $10/transaction
• on Saturday, Nov. 29
• using a registered Amex card
• at a qualifying small business

2. How do I know whether a merchant is a qualifying small business?
A business must be listed on the map at ShopSmallNow.com to qualify.

Note: In prior years, the map has been extremely overinclusive, listing numerous merchants that do not qualify (including political campaigns/PACs and gas/service stations, all of which are excluded from the offer). Thus, the map should only be used as an initial check: if a merchant is not listed on the map, it is not SBS-eligible. (Tip: to locate a merchant, search by name, not by examining the street map. In past years, pinpoints for many merchants have been badly mislocated.)

3. How many times can I earn a bonus per card?
SBS 2014 allows each registered card to earn three $10 bonuses, including 3 qualifying transactions from the same merchant (i.e., buy 3 $10 gift cards from the same merchant in separate transactions).

4. Can I earn the bonus by purchasing gift cards instead of merchandise/food/drink/services?
Yes. Veteran SBS participants often look to minimize their out-of-pocket costs by buying gift cards at qualifying stores/restaurants in the minimum required amount (this year, $10).

5. When will the credit(s) post to my account?
The offer terms state that a credit will appear on your billing statement within 90 days after Nov 29, 2014. In prior years, credits usually appeared much sooner, either within a week or two or, in some cases, within a few hours after the transaction. UPDATE: Credits for many members began posting on 12/3/14.

6. What if my transaction posts on the following day (Sunday) and not with a date of Nov. 29? Am I out of luck?
Your credit will not post automatically. However, this year (as in past years) members have been able to obtain a manual credit by calling Amex; if necessary, point out to the CSR the Nov. 29 authorization date for the transaction.

7. Are there any other potential pitfalls?
In most cases, you will not receive the statement credit if your transaction is made with an electronic wallet or through a third party or if the merchant uses a mobile or wireless card reader to process it.

In addition, American Express may not receive information that identifies your transaction as a qualifying transaction if the items from your purchase are not all provided to you on Nov 29, 2014. For example, if you purchase an item that is not available until after Nov 29, 2014, that item will not count towards determining whether your transaction qualifies for the offer.

1. Where can I find more information about SBS 2014?
See these additional resources:

• Introductory FAQ for SBS 2014
• In-depth FAQ
• Terms and conditions