Contents
The Offer
Check your American Express Membership Rewards account for the following deal:
- Get a 20% discount on select gift card redemptions. Brands include:
- Apple
- Panera Bread
- Delta
- Athleta
- Gap
- Saks
- Bath & Body Works
- 1800flowers
- California Pizza Kitchen
- Under Armour
- Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse
Our Verdict
This offer might be showing for everyone. Targeted offer. On many brands, the typical redemption rate is 1:1 and now you get 1.25 cents per 100 points. With Apple and Delta gift cards the typical redemption rate is less than 1 cent per point, and now – with the discount – the rate is slightly better than 1 cent per point (something like 1.05 for Apple and .90 for Delta).
I can see people who don’t travel a lot or who have too many MR points finding this deal useful.
Hat tip to reader T
I have Home Depot at 85%. Clicked on it a few times before without cashing out, not sure if they track that kind of thing.
I only seeing only below on Sale on my Gold Card.
1800flowers ,
California Pizza Kitchen and
CB2
Been saving Points for longtime to Redeem them for max benefit . As of now i have 82,000+ Points . Please suggest which is the best ways to Redeem for max Profitable.
You may have to click on Show All to see all the gift cards that are on sale.
You stand to get maximum value by transferring points to an airline frequent flyer program of which you’re a member, and which is a partner with AmEx. (You can join as many programs as you like.) But don’t transfer until you know there is an award flight available for you, and only transfer enough to get the required number of miles in your account. You should never “park” all your miles with an airline, as they frequently devalue their miles and program, eroding the value of your miles parked there. Also, you have to compare the cash price and determine the cents-per-mile value you would get when using miles to get the award flight, in order to know if it’s a good deal.
All of that can be complicated, of course. Which is why some might want to buy the discounted gift cards instead. (Not necessarily a great value, but simpler.)
What’s the best way to learn the details. 200k MR.
Try this link to caculate what the best way to redeem https://global.americanexpress.com/rewards/calculator
Also check this guide from Frequent Miler: https://frequentmiler(DOT)com/amex-membership-rewards-sweet-spots/
The cpp value on the Delta gift card comes out to about 87/100’s of 1 cent. Considering that you would also earn miles on flying when using this, it may be better than using Pay With Miles. (If you’re planning on using Pay With Miles, of course.) It also saves you the excise tax from an AmEx transfer.
But more value can be had from transferring the points to Delta…allegedly. (:blank stare)
(Or to a better program!)
And buying a discounted AmEx Gift Card might be a better choice anyway, since you can spend it in more places.
CB2
1800flowers
California Pizza Kitchen
California Pizza Kitchen and CB2 are the only ones showing for me
I’ll add a targeted not
Did you go to the gift cards and view all and filter by “On Sale”
Brad ?
only seeing 5% on CB2 gift cards.. lol