Feb 18, 2015, 5:57 pm

FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides

Last edit by: rrgg

AAdvantage eShoppping by Cartera Commerce
Using, earning miles, problems, etc. (Consolidated thread)

American Airlines is not the contact for Cartera / AAdvantage eShopping .

AAdvantage eShopping FAQs and an e-contact form can be found via the "Contact Us" link at the bottom left corner of the home page.

If you have trouble getting purchases to track, there's also a browser extension to help.

Quote:

Cartera website: http://www.cartera.com

Cartera Commerce, Inc.
One Cranberry Hill
Lexington, Massachusetts 02421

Tel. (781) 541-6800 Fax: (781) 541-6801

For general inquiries, please contact [email protected] or 888.456.6255

Quote:

MODERATOR GUIDEPOST (Please do not alter contents following)

This thread is the sole thread to address issues with AAdvantage eShopping (operated by Cartera Commerce). Other queries or complaints will invariably end up merged into this thread. All posts must comply with FlyerTalk Guidelines and Rules / TOS, or may be summarily deleted or edited by moderators.

A related article, highlighting an interview of Cartera Commerce CEO Tom Bercher, is "Secrets of Cartera Commerce Revealed: Inside the Company that Brings You Miles for Online Shopping" by Gary Leff on March 3, 2014. Link.

As described in this thread, AAdvantage Shopping now offers a downloadable button installable on your desktop (not mobile) device to facilitate e-shopping. Link.

Older posts may be read at http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...or-consol.html

Notes about Giftcards.com:

A separate thread exists for discussing Giftcards.com and likely has more data points than this generic thread.
Purchases from giftcards.com earn miles on the first $2,000 spent in the named calendar month, meaning for example between March 1st and March 31st. [Note: as of Aug 2023, the $2k limit is per order, not per purchase]
Giftcards.com has had various limits over the years, and it was always by calendar month.
Some data points show the $2,000 monthly limit is not always enforced. [Note: as of Aug 2023, the $2k limit is per order, not per purchase]
In 2022, larger orders track more slowly, and you may need to wait a full month to see miles. Strong advice from the thread is to make multiple small purchases (say under $300) rather than large ones to avoid the dreaded "manual review"

(Copied from the LP thread wiki): Once you click through the AAdvantage eShopping portal to a vendor offer and make a purchase, you will eventually get the associated miles posted to your AAdvantage account as both redeemable miles and Loyalty Points. If the merchant advertises an increase in the miles per dollar spent, you'll earn the higher amount in both redeemable miles and an equal number of Loyalty Points. The same applies if a merchant advertises a higher fixed amount per purchase, rather than a per dollar amount. Examples of this would appear on the portal as, "Extra miles. Was 1 mile/$. Now earn 3 miles/$" or "Extra miles. Was up to 3700 miles. Now up to 6200 miles." However, if the website advertises a "Limited-time bonus offer" for "bonus miles" after meeting a spending threshold, that bonus will only post as redeemable miles and not Loyalty Points. If a bonus is offered for some site-wide activity such as 1000 miles for installing an extension, or 500 miles for enrolling in the portal, or 2000 miles for meeting a spending threshold across multiple merchants, the bonus will only post as redeemable miles and not Loyalty Points.

Some anti-virus software silently blocks tracking, and you may want to consider disabling it for your purchase.

AAdvantage eShopping / Cartera Questions / Discussion / Vendors / Issues (archive)

Closed Thread Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Aug 24, 2022, 8:31 am

#1396

Antarius

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Aug 2012

Location: KHOU/KIAH

Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist

Posts: 11,236

Quote:

Originally Posted by milomaniac

most times, if there are multiple items in the same order, some items get tracked as they are processed and shipped. Happens a lot with Macy’s and other drpartmental order purchases; some items and amounts can slip through cracks if shipped from a store vs warehouse vs a third party vendor.

Makes sense. This was a single item though. It tracked lower than the subtotal and that incorrectly tracked amount also posted.

Seems an issue with this vendor as 355F1 also experienced the exact same issue.

355F1 and LowValueCustomer like this.

Aug 24, 2022, 8:56 am

#1397

TropicalTripper

Join Date: Feb 2006

Location: DCA/IAD

Programs: AA EXP, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, HHonors Diamond, National Exec, Hertz PC, Nexus

Posts: 410

I purchased eight virtual Visa gift from last Thursday and received tracking emails for all purchases, however only the $250 ($243.45 after discount) have posted., not the transactions where I purchased two GCs under the same order. The two smaller transactions bookended the three transactions where I bought two gift cards in order order. Did I do something wrong by buying more than one GC in a transaction or is this just an anomaly? The larger transactions show correctly in 'recent store visits'. If all of these transactions post correctly, they will bump me up to Platinum for some upcoming travel, so I'm hoping to get the LPs soon.

8/18: $243.45 (768-miles)--POSTED yesterday
8/19: $486.90 (1536-miles)
8/20: $486.90 (1536-miles)
8/21: $486.90 (1536-miles)
8/22: $243.45 (768-miles)--POSTED today

Aug 24, 2022, 9:12 am

#1398

Antarius

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Aug 2012

Location: KHOU/KIAH

Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist

Posts: 11,236

Quote:

Originally Posted by TropicalTripper

If you scroll up a few pages, you'll see many reports like this. One purchase goes through quickly and without issue. Multiple ones or larger amounts track correctly, but take a lot longer to post.

You will get your LPs and miles. However, in the future to expedite it, purchase one GC at a time.

TropicalTripper and WindowSeatFlyer like this.

Aug 24, 2022, 9:25 am

#1399

Antarius

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Aug 2012

Location: KHOU/KIAH

Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist

Posts: 11,236

Quote:

Originally Posted by LowValueCustomer

FWIW, this happened to me with a Sunglass Hut order - roughly $480 subtotal which tracked at maybe around $320 IIRC. It never got fixed, but I didn't follow up.

Interesting. Good to know - I'll keep an eye out on other purchases too.

This was expensive and it's 9 miles per $, so that's why it caught my eye. In the case of the other poster with the same vendor, the mistake is shorting them almost 4000 LPs!

LowValueCustomer likes this.

Aug 24, 2022, 11:00 am

#1400

355F1

Join Date: Feb 2013

Location: PHX

Programs: AA EXP, IHG Diamond, IC Amb

Posts: 5,510

Quote:

Originally Posted by Antarius

i got a reply that said my Gucci purchase was in process and would track once they shipped.

uh….They were delivered over two weeks ago.

Antarius likes this.

Aug 24, 2022, 12:40 pm

#1401

Antarius

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Aug 2012

Location: KHOU/KIAH

Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist

Posts: 11,236

Quote:

Originally Posted by 355F1

i got a reply that said my Gucci purchase was in process and would track once they shipped.

uh….They were delivered over two weeks ago.

Interesting. Mine posted before it even arrived.

That said, it was a smaller order.

Aug 24, 2022, 12:57 pm

#1402

AirricK11

Join Date: Apr 2022

Location: ATL

Programs: AA EXP

Posts: 113

So finally, after 134 days, I got an email this morning saying that my Byte order will finally be posted to my account. Honestly I had lost all hope of this one ever going through. Glad to hear it though!

355F1, WhereAmIHeading and lawly like this.

Aug 24, 2022, 7:03 pm

#1403

VegasGambler

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Oct 2014

Posts: 10,904

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. BoH

For what it is worth, I have found $500 to be roughly the level needed for the dreaded "manual review". Or at least all my purchases under $500 have posted quickly and all those over $500 have taken weeks or longer.

With which merchant?

The review is by the merchant, not by Cartera.

Aug 24, 2022, 7:07 pm

#1404

VegasGambler

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Oct 2014

Posts: 10,904

Quote:

Originally Posted by vasantn

Yes, unless the vendor specifically excludes GC purchases from the offer.

Paying with a VGC does not make it a gift card purchase. It's just a debit card. That generally refers to branded store gift cards (and in my experience, even with store GCs, you usually get miles when liquidating those regardless of what the terms say)

FWIW I've yet to come across a single online merchant or payment processor that doesn't accept these, and the double dip works well.

majikTib, roadtriper and Venezuela-Miami like this.

Aug 24, 2022, 8:37 pm

#1405

dineaux

Join Date: Apr 2007

Programs: You name it 😉

Posts: 104

I had the same problem with a Burberry order. I had the product for over a month before it posted. Many emails ams calls later, I was told it needed a manual review due to size of mileage award. I found that odd since a order from Bergdorfs was much higher mileage reward and posted with no issues within a week.

Aug 24, 2022, 10:04 pm

#1406

SFflyer20

Join Date: Dec 2019

Programs: AA EXP

Posts: 89

Quote:

Originally Posted by dineaux

The message certain vendors seem to be sending us is "don't buy too much," which is more than a little strange.

dineaux and LowValueCustomer like this.

Aug 25, 2022, 5:47 pm

#1407

mwood19004

Join Date: May 2022

Programs: American EP

Posts: 16

Someone asked about using the gift card.com VISA cards on purchases through the AAdvantage eshopping portal. I purchased 3-$250 GC separate today each I received the email confirming they were tracked.
I then placed 3 separate orders on Total Wine which today went to 4 miles/$. I did those orders separate because I was not sure if their system would allow more than one form of payment. I was able to spend almost exactly what was on the cards (will zero out on my Verizon account) and have all the wine and alcohol we will need for a Thanksgiving family event at my home. I also received tracking emails from AA on those orders.
Those order will bring me to PP and I assume it will be based on todays date since orders were placed today and anything AA has posted in my wallet from eshopping always posts by the date ordered. However those LP might not post by the time I take my flight this weekend.
I will be interested to see how the bonus on the flight for LP is calculated knowing those hit usually 24 hrs after the flight. It should be based on PP based on my shopping dates but the time of posting my account might show Platinum. Has anyone else had this issue?

murphy likes this.

Aug 25, 2022, 6:19 pm

#1408

murphy

Join Date: Dec 2003

Location: Washington, DC

Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA Executive Platinum

Posts: 1,932

Quote:

Originally Posted by VegasGambler

Chewy doesn’t accept them. It’s super frustrating, because I spend quite a bit there on cat food.

Aug 25, 2022, 7:17 pm

#1409

OskiBear

Join Date: Oct 2006

Location: Long Beach, CA

Programs: AA PLTPRO, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Globalist

Posts: 3,559

Quote:

Originally Posted by murphy

Chewy doesn’t accept them. It’s super frustrating, because I spend quite a bit there on cat food.

I was able to use it on Chewy a few months back. Is it any amount that it rejects? I sometimes when it's an order for exactly what's left on the card.

Aug 25, 2022, 8:42 pm

#1410

Jja6782

Join Date: Aug 2020

Posts: 30

Is there any consensus on what vendor will post the fastest? I only need 60 pts…