Free Stuff with American Express

If you’ve been following my blog you are probably well aware that I absolutely LOVE the free money I’ve been getting with my American Express credit cards. Since August of 2011 I’ve received close to $1,000 back in statement credits just by taking advantage of the the various promotions with American Express. While I’ve highlighted many of the deals throughout this blog, I want to ensure you are aware of some of the promotions where you can actually get items FOR FREE!

For the past few months, American Express has partnered with Twitter and Facebook to give statement credits back to your account just by linking your credit card, registering for the promotion, and using the linked card. You can read more about the Twitter promotion here and Facebook promotion here.

Free promotions you can take advantage of:

Twitter Promotion FREE Stuff (register for the Twitter promotion here)

• Tweet “#AmexTFF10” to get $10 back in a statement credit on your next purchase of $10 or more in Lower Manhattan. This includes all stores, restaurants, etc. below 23rd street (zip codes: 10011, 10014, 10012, 10013, 10008, 10006, 10004, 10005, 10038, 10002, 10009, 10003, 10010). This offer expires 4/29/12. – You can also enroll as part of the Facebook promotion instead.
• Tweet “AmexRedbox” to get $5 back in a statement credit when you spend a total of $5+ at Redbox. While many of the other promotions require the amount to be spent in one transaction, with this one you can have multiple purchases and once you hit a total of $5 you will then get the credit. This offer expires 4/30/12.

Facebook Promotion FREE Stuff (register for the Facebook promotion here)

• Add the “Panera Bread” promotion to your card and get $10 back in a statement credit when you spend $10 or more at Panera Bread®, Saint Louis Bread Co.® and Paradise Bakery & Café®. This offer expires 4/30/12.
• Add the “Red Box” promotion to your card and get $5 back in a statement credit when you make purchases totaling $5+. I have this on my account twice (one from the Facebook promo and one from the Twitter promo), so I am not sure if I will actually get two $5 statement credits or not one – I’ll try it out today and see!

Keep in mind that there are many other merchants where you can receive a statement credit after a certain transaction amount, but they will not result in a free purchase. The best thing with these promotions is that purchasing a gift card at the merchant will also trigger you to receive the statement credit. So if you have no need to make a purchase prior to the expiration date, purchase a gift card for the amount required to use at another time.

From my personal experience, I’ve received an email almost immediately after making my purchase and see the credit on my account within a few days. Quantities are definitely limited, so make sure to enroll immediately. If you are looking to take advantage of the Lower Manhattan promotion and do not live even close to NYC, there are a few tricks to take part: 1) donate to a charity located in this area; 2) call the store directly and ask if you can purchase a gift card from their location (just make sure it registers from their location and not a central headquarters); 3) make an online purchase with a store in a participating zip code (just make sure that the online transaction is tied to that specific store and not a central location – will not work with a large chain retailer).

How much money have you made off of Amex in the past year? You can read more about the other promotions I’ve taken part in here.