Jul 3, 2019, 8:56 am
Last edit by: rrgg
$50 statement credit for purchases made at Saks. Enrollment required prior to purchase.
Online orders do not charge until shipped. Many items are carried in-stock by Saks and eligible for ShopRunner shipping - data points suggest that these will charge and ship quickly.
However, many other items on Saks(dot)com drop ship from the manufacturer. For these, expected delivery dates may not be reliable, are not guaranteed, and orders cannot be cancelled easily.
If you place an online order close to the end of an Amex credit period, there is a risk that your item may not ship (and Amex will not be charged) until after the end of the credit period.
Note on shipping & billing times: If a product shows that ShopRunner shipping is available, it is shipped by Saks and is likely to ship and bill quickly. If there's no ShopRunner option, it is likely drop-shipped from the manufacturer meaning the shipping date and actual charge date will be further out.
Things known to count for the credit:
- This benefit is available twice a year, once from Jan-Jun and once again from Jul-Dec.
- Use it or lose it, does not rollover or accumulate. There is no "meter" to track how much you've spent. Check your statement for credits.
- Per AMEX CS chat the transaction date is what determines whether a purchase is reimbursed from the Jan-Jun benefit or the Jul-Dec benefit.
- Actual experience from 2019: first-half purchase submitted only 6/27, shipped 6/29, went from pending to posted on 7/1 (but dated as 6/29), credit posted on 7/1, was able to use second $50 credit a week or two later
- Purchases by Additional Card Members (both the $175 Plat-colored and free Gold-colored) will be reimbursed also, but only up to an aggregate $50 per Account.
Online orders do not charge until shipped. Many items are carried in-stock by Saks and eligible for ShopRunner shipping - data points suggest that these will charge and ship quickly.
However, many other items on Saks(dot)com drop ship from the manufacturer. For these, expected delivery dates may not be reliable, are not guaranteed, and orders cannot be cancelled easily.
If you place an online order close to the end of an Amex credit period, there is a risk that your item may not ship (and Amex will not be charged) until after the end of the credit period.
Note on shipping & billing times: If a product shows that ShopRunner shipping is available, it is shipped by Saks and is likely to ship and bill quickly. If there's no ShopRunner option, it is likely drop-shipped from the manufacturer meaning the shipping date and actual charge date will be further out.
Things known to count for the credit:
- Merchandise purchased in Saks stores or online
- Physical gift cards purchased in-store
- Physical gift cards purchased online (min $150)
- e-gift cards (these are fulfilled by a different vendor)
- anything bought at "Saks Off 5th" (however, you can use a Saks gift card at Off 5th...)
$50 credit at Saks 5th Ave every 6 months with Plat card (2018 - 2021)
Oct 8, 2018, 2:44 pm
#151
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL Scattered Smothered Covered Medallion, Some hotel & car stuff, Kroger Plus Card
Posts: 10,745
+1
Oct 8, 2018, 2:54 pm
#152
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: EWR/PHL/BWI
Posts: 4,412
I'd rather AmEx do what Chase doing with the $300 CSR travel benefits. Benefits are given to us, not something we'll have to work hard to earn it. There should not be many strings attached to the benefits and difficult to claim.
Oct 8, 2018, 5:15 pm
#153
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 590
As long as the economy is strong, AMEX will never do that. AMEX is the king of breakage.
Oct 8, 2018, 9:46 pm
#154
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: LAS ORD
Programs: AA Pro (mostly B6) OZ♦ (flying BR/UA), BA Silver Hyatt LT, Wynn Black, Cosmo Plat, Mlife Noir
Posts: 5,992
You could do what I do and not jump through the hoops. Life's way too short to be a min-max'er.
Oct 8, 2018, 11:48 pm
#155
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Everywhere and Nowhere
Programs: DL GM
Posts: 515
Guess I'll wait and see.
Last edited by RumPatrol; Oct 8, 2018 at 11:59 pm
Oct 9, 2018, 7:29 am
#156
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL Scattered Smothered Covered Medallion, Some hotel & car stuff, Kroger Plus Card
Posts: 10,745
While not exactly the same, I had an Amex Offer for 1800PetMeds. Purchase met all terms and was well over the $ amount required. Got the email. Statement credit didn't post for 7 weeks.
Oct 9, 2018, 8:25 am
#157
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: PHL, LHR
Posts: 219
I made a GC purchase at Saks on 10/2 and still haven't gotten the credit. Nothing in the coding of the charge shows up as a GC but I wonder if somehow it knows. Chatted with Amex and they said it would post within 2-4 weeks, which is what the terms of the offer say, but that would be the longest any credit has ever taken to post for me on any Amex card.
Guess I'll wait and see.
Guess I'll wait and see.
Oct 9, 2018, 10:07 am
#158
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Adelphi, MD
Programs: Korean Air Skypass, ANA Skyweb, Amex Premier Rewards, Chase Sapphire Preferred
Posts: 745
Dont Buy perfume or cologne
Don't buy any expensive perfume or cologne from Saks. I bought some expensive cologne and somebody at the warehouse switched it with something worthless (hair gel). The box was enclosed in cellophane so somebody went to the trouble to switch it out.
Oct 10, 2018, 9:14 pm
#159
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Hawai'i Nei
Programs: Au: UA, Marriott, Hilton; GE
Posts: 7,125
Just bought two pair of the most expensive socks ever 
, especially socks on sale. Got very quick delivery for my $7.50, and saved the hassle of driving to the Waikiki location.
Is there a community consensus regarding how long it takes for the credit to show? Thanks!
, especially socks on sale. Got very quick delivery for my $7.50, and saved the hassle of driving to the Waikiki location.Is there a community consensus regarding how long it takes for the credit to show? Thanks!
Oct 10, 2018, 10:49 pm
#160
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Truth or Consequences, NM
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, UA Silver, Mobile Passport Unobtanium
Posts: 6,192
Coupla days after the charge posts.
Oct 10, 2018, 11:07 pm
#161
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Everywhere and Nowhere
Programs: DL GM
Posts: 515
Oct 11, 2018, 7:20 am
#162
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 506
It's possible that somebody bought the cologne, did the switcharoo, then returned it and the employee didn't look inside the box since it appeared sealed.
Oct 11, 2018, 8:26 am
#163
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Truth or Consequences, NM
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, UA Silver, Mobile Passport Unobtanium
Posts: 6,192
In case you hadn't noticed, this thread is reserved for FTers to bemoan the tragic ordeal they've had to overcome to order a simple $50 item from a department store website.
In the majority of first hand accounts, Saks has no reason to be in business and AMEX is a co-conspirator in this outrageous scam to offer their cardholders department store goods for no additional cost (other than minimal shipping charges for chocolate, apparently), and your blatantly biased viewpoint is damaging to the overall sub-forum zeitgeist. /s
Oct 11, 2018, 10:33 am
#164
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Hawai'i Nei
Programs: Au: UA, Marriott, Hilton; GE
Posts: 7,125
Oct 11, 2018, 9:49 pm
#165
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: EWR/PHL/BWI
Posts: 4,412
Please refrain from offering common sense rationale in this thread.
In case you hadn't noticed, this thread is reserved for FTers to bemoan the tragic ordeal they've had to overcome to order a simple $50 item from a department store website.
In the majority of first hand accounts, Saks has no reason to be in business and AMEX is a co-conspirator in this outrageous scam to offer their cardholders department store goods for no additional cost (other than minimal shipping charges for chocolate, apparently), and your blatantly biased viewpoint is damaging to the overall sub-forum zeitgeist. /s
In case you hadn't noticed, this thread is reserved for FTers to bemoan the tragic ordeal they've had to overcome to order a simple $50 item from a department store website.
In the majority of first hand accounts, Saks has no reason to be in business and AMEX is a co-conspirator in this outrageous scam to offer their cardholders department store goods for no additional cost (other than minimal shipping charges for chocolate, apparently), and your blatantly biased viewpoint is damaging to the overall sub-forum zeitgeist. /s
For my own experience, I do not think $7.50 shipping for $50 goods is good. It may be minimal to you, but not to a lot of other people. The 2-day ShopRunner is also misleading since there are few items (at least the ones I was interested) qualify. The things at Saks are over priced and the ordering is even buggy (in stock vs sold out).
The only reason for both AmEx and Saks to do this is for Saks to generate more traffic to its store and online store (possibly to buy more over priced items). For AmEx, it can claim you get $100 benefit.....
Please refrain from telling what folks should talk. It is open forum.
