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Starts today: American Express Shop Small is back for three days

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Here’s your reminder that American Express is bringing back its ‘Shop Small’ promotion from today – but only for three days.

‘Shop Small’ is an established Amex offer which incentivises you to shop at small independent retailers. In turn, of course, it encourages small independent retailers to accept American Express in order to participate.

You must register before making any purchases via the ‘Offers’ tab on the Amex website or in the app. Supplementary cards must be registered separately.

The winter 2023 version of ‘Shop Small’ will give you £5 back on a £15 transaction.

You are limited to one £5 payment per retailer per American Express card you register.

You are limited to THREE transactions in total per registered card over the three day promotional period, which means that your cashback is limited at £15 per card.

How will Shop Small winter 2023 work?

  • The promotion will run from today until Sunday, ie 1st to 3rd December.
  • You must register in advance via the ‘Offers’ section of the American Express app or website. Each card, and each supplementary card, must be registered separately.
  • You will be restricted to £15 cashback per American Express card you register (old timers will remember that it used to be £50 ….)
  • The standard rule of one payment per retailer per card will remain

For clarity … supplementary cards are treated separately from main cards. If you made 2 x £15 purchases in the same store, one on your main card and one on a supplementary card, you would receive £5 cashback on both purchases.

Whilst this is a much-reduced version of Shop Small compared to its heyday, you would be silly not to register. You never know when you might make a purchase this weekend which would trigger it.

For clarity, American Express funds 100% of the cashback. Your local independent shops are not paying to participate so don’t feel guilty about joining in.

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Category

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Comments (56)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Manya says:
    1 Dec1 December 06:43

    Shame that it’s now such a watered down version of the great benefit it once was.

  • BBbetter says:
    1 Dec1 December 06:53

    It’s 7am and not a single comment on how good this offer was in the old days. Shocking.

    • John says:
      1 Dec1 December 07:23

      It was a good offer back in the old days. I blame Brexit/Boris Johnson/Cost of living crisis/Joe Biden/Kier Starmer/Climate Crisis/Gen Z/Boomers/Millennials/Curve/Creation Bashing/Talking too much uncoded about MS in the forums (‘They’ read these to close the loopholes you know)*

      *Delete as appropriate

    • Chrisasaurus says:
      1 Dec1 December 08:47

      Ten mins too late for that post I’m afraid

  • MPC says:
    1 Dec1 December 08:15

    Not that fussed by the fact it’s been watered down, the biggest issue is I can’t find anything around my work or where I live that’s of any interest. Oh well, there’s always next year.

    • Andrew. says:
      1 Dec1 December 09:33

      Choice of around a 100 sites near me. I’ll be off to the Covered Market tomorrow morning to grab some Christmas treats.

      Also, I found last year that some of the pop-up stall holders who attend the Christmas Markets often trigger. Obviously the map doesn’t cover them as they are always on the move.

  • John says:
    1 Dec1 December 08:16

    It’s too much hassle to work out where it’s eligible now. I looked at the map and it shows two restaurants near me one of which is now a barber and the other has been closed for peer a year. Do I really go somewhere else showing on there for something I could probably get cheaper elsewhere only to find out that its no longer part of the offer.

  • Nick says:
    1 Dec1 December 08:30

    Don’t spend it all at once

  • Scottydoggiom says:
    1 Dec1 December 08:50

    Not even bothering to add it too my cards

  • Bumblebee says:
    1 Dec1 December 08:52

    Not on either of my cards anyway

  • TomB says:
    1 Dec1 December 09:21

    Pretty much every shop and restaurant where I live in London is on this. Even got a fiver off my dry cleaning this morning!

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

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