Nov 16, 2014, 9:15 am
Last edit by: beltway
A. Overview
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.
B. Registration & EligibilitySBS 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.
C. Participating in SBS/Earning the BonusYes, 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
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.
D. Additional InformationEarn 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:
See these additional resources:
AmEx [USA] Small Biz Saturday 2014: Nov 29, $10 per transaction, $30 per card.
Nov 8, 2014, 9:11 am
#32
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
Programs: Milege+, SkyMiles, AAdvantage, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,685
Cool!
Didn't see a thread on this yet so I thought I'd share.
AmEx's Small Business Saturday deal is back on November 29, and each card is eligible for 3 statement credits of $10 each, for a total of $30 per card. Registration opens November 16.
Link
AmEx's Small Business Saturday deal is back on November 29, and each card is eligible for 3 statement credits of $10 each, for a total of $30 per card. Registration opens November 16.
Link
Nov 8, 2014, 3:18 pm
#33
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,740
One more peril you may want to check it out AHEAD of time - if your small business uses a billing service that generates the bill from the billing service, NOT from the small business, you are SOL.
I found this out during the targeted 5 cities small business promo ran in August - 2 of my small businesses had their billings coming from Mega corporations who handled their POS systems (different ones). As a result, no credit ever generated. Incidentally, one is an ethnic grocer and the other one is a restaurant - both are on the list and on the map, nada credit.
This issue has no recourse because I found in the fine print that if the billing is not from the participated business (i.e. in their own names) you will NOT get the credit.
While you have ample time before the actual event, you should make a token purchase on your intended targets and see the billing description to make sure it works. Else you would be totally wasting your time and got real frustrated but may not even know why you are not getting any credit just sayin.
I found this out during the targeted 5 cities small business promo ran in August - 2 of my small businesses had their billings coming from Mega corporations who handled their POS systems (different ones). As a result, no credit ever generated. Incidentally, one is an ethnic grocer and the other one is a restaurant - both are on the list and on the map, nada credit.
This issue has no recourse because I found in the fine print that if the billing is not from the participated business (i.e. in their own names) you will NOT get the credit.
While you have ample time before the actual event, you should make a token purchase on your intended targets and see the billing description to make sure it works. Else you would be totally wasting your time and got real frustrated but may not even know why you are not getting any credit just sayin.
Nov 8, 2014, 8:35 pm
#34
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
Programs: Milege+, SkyMiles, AAdvantage, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,685
One more peril you may want to check it out AHEAD of time - if your small business uses a billing service that generates the bill from the billing service, NOT from the small business, you are SOL.
I found this out during the targeted 5 cities small business promo ran in August - 2 of my small businesses had their billings coming from Mega corporations who handled their POS systems (different ones). As a result, no credit ever generated. Incidentally, one is an ethnic grocer and the other one is a restaurant - both are on the list and on the map, nada credit.
This issue has no recourse because I found in the fine print that if the billing is not from the participated business (i.e. in their own names) you will NOT get the credit.
While you have ample time before the actual event, you should make a token purchase on your intended targets and see the billing description to make sure it works. Else you would be totally wasting your time and got real frustrated but may not even know why you are not getting any credit just sayin.
I found this out during the targeted 5 cities small business promo ran in August - 2 of my small businesses had their billings coming from Mega corporations who handled their POS systems (different ones). As a result, no credit ever generated. Incidentally, one is an ethnic grocer and the other one is a restaurant - both are on the list and on the map, nada credit.
This issue has no recourse because I found in the fine print that if the billing is not from the participated business (i.e. in their own names) you will NOT get the credit.
While you have ample time before the actual event, you should make a token purchase on your intended targets and see the billing description to make sure it works. Else you would be totally wasting your time and got real frustrated but may not even know why you are not getting any credit just sayin.
Nov 9, 2014, 7:18 pm
#35
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,740
Go to your AMEX online and click the charge then it will show the description of the charge - it is the ONLY place you can see who is the billing party. I am sure you know where to look at past activities and that is where you can see who is the billing party.
Nov 9, 2014, 11:20 pm
#36
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 215
The receipts do NOT tell you who is behind the billing process - the receipt should just show the business itself. You have no idea by looking at the receipt.
Go to your AMEX online and click the charge then it will show the description of the charge - it is the ONLY place you can see who is the billing party. I am sure you know where to look at past activities and that is where you can see who is the billing party.
Go to your AMEX online and click the charge then it will show the description of the charge - it is the ONLY place you can see who is the billing party. I am sure you know where to look at past activities and that is where you can see who is the billing party.
Nov 10, 2014, 12:52 am
#37
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
Programs: AS MVP Gold100K, AS 1MM, Maika`i Card, AGR, HH Gold, Hertz PC, Marriott Titanium LTG, CO, 7H, BA, 8E
Posts: 42,953
Nov 10, 2014, 2:24 pm
#38
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
Programs: Milege+, SkyMiles, AAdvantage, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,685
THANX
The receipts do NOT tell you who is behind the billing process - the receipt should just show the business itself. You have no idea by looking at the receipt.
Go to your AMEX online and click the charge then it will show the description of the charge - it is the ONLY place you can see who is the billing party. I am sure you know where to look at past activities and that is where you can see who is the billing party.
Go to your AMEX online and click the charge then it will show the description of the charge - it is the ONLY place you can see who is the billing party. I am sure you know where to look at past activities and that is where you can see who is the billing party.
Nov 10, 2014, 2:48 pm
#39
Join Date: Feb 2011
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold, HH Diamond
Posts: 879
AmEx [USA] Small Biz Saturday 2014: Nov 29, $10 per transaction, $30 per card.
I've searched and can't find this answer. I asked earlier, no response so I'll try again.
Can you have 3 transactions at the same merchant on Small Business Saturday and receive 3 credits?
Thanks
Can you have 3 transactions at the same merchant on Small Business Saturday and receive 3 credits?
Thanks
Nov 10, 2014, 3:48 pm
#40
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: mountains of western NC
Programs: Life, Love and Laughter
Posts: 8,535
This is the first year that AMEX has allowed three transactions, so no one could possibly have prior experience. So, your choices are either to read the terms and conditions carefully, ask AMEX yourself or find three places to spend your money. I will do the latter.
Nov 10, 2014, 6:54 pm
#41
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Chicago
Posts: 425
I just looked for the article but couldn't find it. I still believe that we'll be required to spend $10 at three separate business in order to receive the full $30 credit.
Nov 10, 2014, 7:21 pm
#42
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 8,135
Nope. The article I read said you must spend $10 at three separate small business. It hasn't been verified by AMEX but I believe it to be true.
I just looked for the article but couldn't find it. I still believe that we'll be required to spend $10 at three separate business in order to receive the full $30 credit.
I just looked for the article but couldn't find it. I still believe that we'll be required to spend $10 at three separate business in order to receive the full $30 credit.
Nov 10, 2014, 8:10 pm
#43
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,932
I see nothing in the T&C that would require the transactions to be at more than one business.