AMEX - Shop Small November 2019

[lovetravellingoz]

I wonder if that's the criteria AMEX used to target cards: newer Supps were targeted, older Supps weren't. I doubt it's that simple.

I agree, it is not that.

I have been an Amex Member for decades.

I have 4 Amexes at present in my name.

All have multiple Supps.

My wife has been a Supp since 2006 of one of my Cards and since 2011 on another, though some of the Supps are only months old. All Supps (and Amexes) are in ShopSmall.

I have churned some Supp Cards so that I could get new Supp bonuses (One reason why cancelling the Amex Cards for me would be backwards move if I want to maximise my overall points earn, which I do. ie Keeping Cards earns say 20K per year from Supps churn. Add-on the odd referral, Amex offering me points to re-activate cards 30 seconds after cancelling and you earn more points in 12 months by keeping the cards from bonuses than if you earn by waiting 18 months by sitting out. Prorata that 12 months up to 18 months and you are way in front. Add in then greater point earn than other cards, and then even further in front. Add-in that I can get points to Krisflyer and then I am even further in front, and then add in cashbacks which while less are still ongoing free-money.).


PS. Amex has always used targeted offers in addition to other offers that were for all, or were on a first in best dressed basis (ie limited). How much of each has always varied depending on what the Marketing Team of the day wants to use. Of late targeted offers seem to be very much back in vogue.

 

[knobbs]

I agree, it is not that.

I have been an Amex Member for decades.

I have 4 Amexes at present in my name.

All have multiple Supps.

My wife has been a Supp since 2006 of one of my Cards and since 2011 on another, though some of the Supps are only months old. All Supps (and Amexes) are in ShopSmall.

I have churned some Supp Cards so that I could get new Supp bonuses (One reason why cancelling the Amex Cards for me would be backwards move if I want to maximise my overall points earn, which I do. ie Keeping Cards earns say 20K per year from Supps churn. Add-on the odd referral, Amex offering me points to re-activate cards 30 seconds after cancelling and you earn more points in 12 months by keeping the cards from bonuses than if you earn by waiting 18 months by sitting out. Prorata that 12 months up to 18 months and you are way in front. Add in then greater point earn than other cards, and then even further in front. Add-in that I can get points to Krisflyer and then I am even further in front, and then add in cashbacks which while less are still ongoing free-money.).


PS. Amex has always used targeted offers in addition to other offers that were for all, or were on a first in best dressed basis (ie limited). How much of each has always varied depending on what the Marketing Team of the day wants to use. Of late targeted offers seem to be very much back in vogue.

Interested in a few points you mentioned here. Churning supps earns points and re-activation bonus, what are these and how do I get them?

 

[SydneySwan]

My experience this year;

4 primary cards - all received shop small offer. One of these cards I have had for more than 20 years.
9 supp cards - only 2 received the shop small offer and they are my newest supps. They are SS virgins in that they weren't around for last year's SS.

I am considering closing all my supps and then reapplying for them in time for next year's SS.

 

[NoName]

Well MrsNoName found out what this shop small is all about and has decided using the cash backs for actual shopping is preferable to my gocard cash refund so we have been going that way.

Got some meat from a local butcher on the weekend - 4x credits
Wine and cheese at a small wine bar up the road - 4x credits
A few others elsewhere and we are 11 down and 9 to go. Might stock up the Xmas booze with another 4x credits from Celarbrations this weekend and it will be the home stretch!

 

[SOPOOR]

Well MrsNoName found out what this shop small is all about and has decided using the cash backs for actual shopping is preferable to my gocard cash refund so we have been going that way.

Got some meat from a local butcher on the weekend - 4x credits
Wine and cheese at a small wine bar up the road - 4x credits
A few others elsewhere and we are 11 down and 9 to go. Might stock up the Xmas booze with another 4x credits from Celarbrations this weekend and it will be the home stretch!

Booze and meat are my big shops

You can get $40 bottle.of booze for $20 using two cards

And you can get meat for half price

Ive also found a few charcoal chicken places for $12 for chicekn and salad and souvlakis

$14 for 2 meals is a no brainer

 

[Jacques Vert]

My local pharmac_ was happy to increase my bill from $19.99 to $20 this afternoon. Win-win (although I think I got the better deal).

Local Produce store did not accept Amex despite being on the map. A quick live chat and my credit is on its way.

 

[opusman]

Has anyone noticed that the "once per merchant" restriction seems to be per account and not per card?

 

[DC3]

Has anyone noticed that the "once per merchant" restriction seems to be per account and not per card?

I have the Charge and the Reserve and they each provide the rebate at the same merchant.

 

[opusman]

I have the Charge and the Reserve and they each provide the rebate at the same merchant.

Sorry I was referring to supplementary cards.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Sorry I was referring to supplementary cards.

I hold sups to Mrs H’s cards and received credits at the same merchants as Mrs H.

There are some I’m having to chase up, but some worked as expected without manual intervention.

 

[kpc]

Hsve very little motivation with Shop Small this year with only 2 out of 9 cards getting the offer...have used it 3x on each card with 2x more on each...not really going out of my way to seek Shop Small shops as my return is very low

 

[Dr Ralph]

Has anyone noticed that the "once per merchant" restriction seems to be per account and not per card?

Not for me.

 

[zig]

Has anyone noticed that the "once per merchant" restriction seems to be per account and not per card?

No, that hasn't been my experience.

 

[goldenhorn]

Has anyone noticed that the "once per merchant" restriction seems to be per account and not per card?

Not for me.

 

[k_sheep]

Less than a week to go and I've still managed ...zero ... seriously, no one is taking amex around me. No one with anything I want to buy anyway.

 

[SOPOOR]

and this is what drives me crazy about amex,

I had one shopback not come through,

called, spoke to philipines, got assured a manual credit would be applied on the spot and that the staff will call me back within 24 hours to confirm it

no call back

1 week later, spoke to Aus staff,

apparently, no notes on file, but he assured me he would manually credit it,

1 week later, nothing shown up,

feels silly chasing $10, but this happens time and time again, they promise something and never gets done

 

[N860CR]

This seems to be the standard operating model for Amex now. Staff simply lie and say they’ll do something in the hope that you forget about it.

Basically the only way to get a response from them is to send it immediately to the FOS/AFCA and then it seems somebody will actually look at your issue. Amex have decided it’s cheaper to pay ombudsman fees than setup a system of customer service.

 

[SOPOOR]

This seems to be the standard operating model for Amex now. Staff simply lie and say they’ll do something in the hope that you forget about it.

Basically the only way to get a response from them is to send it immediately to the FOS/AFCA and then it seems somebody will actually look at your issue. Amex have decided it’s cheaper to pay ombudsman fees than setup a system of customer service.

Not a big fan of wasting my time, the ombudsman time all for a $10 credit which I'm perfectly entitled to, when they could be helping someone else

As much as I hate wasting everyone's time and valuable resources if this is the only way then the only way

 

[N860CR]

It is a waste of time... but hopefully if the AFCA bill gets too high then Amex will fix their service issues.
Hit them up for some points for wasting your time.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Well this week will see me clock up my 80th Shop Small transaction. I only started in mid-Nov. Initially things looked a bit thin, but then after a bit of looking I found ample business mainly within a 10 minutes drive.

Pretty much a mixed spread with:

• booze - Found some good value small liquor stores, one with a nice Pinot Noir actually cheaper than at Dan Murphy's,
• chemist purchases (I won't buy unless the price is close to what Chemist Warehouse price is),
• butchers for meat (including a Xmas Ham ordered from one butcher who was happy to split transactions,
• pub meals, - bonus here is you order you meal, and then buy a round of drinks for another transaction
• fish n chips
• bakeries
• newsagents- mainly for Myki top-ups (we do not use the traina great deal and so I limited this to $100 each on two Mykis).
• and a recent find that from the outside looked like a mini-mart, but which is actually the size of a decent sized IGA , and which had excellent prices often cheaper than my local Wooworths (Shop Small has worked in this case as I will now keep shopping here!)

One funny experience was that I walked into a newsagent and thought EUREKA when I spotted a wall full of usefuI giftcards! So I did $20 Myki purchase, and then after a quick browse bought one gift card. The giftcard was paid on a second terminal which I did not think about at the time. But on checking afterwards the Myki was on the Newsagency listed in ShopSmall, whereas the giftcard was on a different account which was a non-ShopSmall Postal Agency. Grrr my hopes of easy cash-equivalent transactions, besides Myki, were dashed