Rewards Information and Merchant Category Rules

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Page 1 of 3: Rewards Information — General Information and FAQs

Source: https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/benefits/rewards/rewards-information/index.html

Rewards Information

Take a look at the additional rewards on your:

Personal Cards

Business Cards

Rewards Categories

Travel-Related Categories This section outlines information on how to earn additional rewards on travel and transit purchases, including airfare, hotel stays, car rentals, and public transportation.

Consumer Categories This section outlines information on how to earn additional rewards on consumer purchases, including restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, streaming subscriptions and online retail purchases.

Business Categories This section outlines information on how to earn additional rewards on business purchases, including office supplies, shipping, advertising, wireless phone services, and computer hardware/software/cloud computing.

Rewards Information

This page provides information about how you can earn additional rewards on some American Express® U.S. Consumer and Business Cards.

If your Card has a rewards program, you can earn a base level reward, typically 1 point or 1 percent cash back, for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases. With some Cards, you may also earn additional rewards for purchases in certain categories. We call these “additional rewards” on this website. This site will help you better understand how you earn additional rewards. Both the base-level reward and additional rewards vary by Card. You can learn which rewards you can earn on your Card by referring to your Card Member Agreement or the Membership Rewards® program terms and conditions.

Click below to access our standard definitions of eligible purchases, additional rewards categories, examples of eligible merchants, named lists for car rental, department stores, drugstores, and computer hardware/software/cloud computing.

This website is only a summary of certain information about rewards programs. All rewards programs, base rewards and additional rewards are subject to and governed by the terms of the applicable Card Member Agreement or the Membership Rewards® program terms and conditions, as the case may be. In the event of any dispute, those terms will govern. The information on this website is subject to change without notice, so be sure to check this website periodically. You can learn which rewards you can earn on your Card by referring to your Card Member Agreement, the Membership Rewards® program terms and conditions or your Card’s product page located on americanexpress.com.

To view transactions that qualified for additional rewards, visit the Bonus Rewards Detail page within your online account at americanexpress.com. You can view your current or previous statements within Statements & Activities to see the Bonus Details link at the bottom of the page. Please allow 8-12 weeks after a purchase is charged to your Card Account for rewards to post.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Information about Rewards

Learn about the rewards you can earn on your Card by referring to your Cardmember Agreement, the Membership Rewards® program terms and conditions, or your Card’s product page located on americanexpress.com.

What purchases are eligible to earn rewards?

Eligible purchases are purchases for goods and services minus returns and other credits. Eligible purchases do NOT include fees or interest charges, balance transfers, cash advances, person-to-person transactions, purchases of gift cards, purchases of traveler’s checks, purchases or reloading of prepaid cards, or purchases of other cash equivalents.

Where can I see my purchases that qualified for additional rewards?

To view the purchases that qualified for additional rewards, visit the Bonus Rewards Detail page in your online account at americanexpress.com. Please allow 8-12 weeks after a purchase is charged to your Card Account for rewards to post.

How do you define a purchase made in the United States?

When we say a purchase made in the United States (or in the U.S.) will earn a reward, we mean purchases made in the 50 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and other U.S. territories.

Are purchases made outside the United States eligible for additional rewards?

Eligible purchases made outside the United States will earn rewards. However, some reward categories, such as U.S. Supermarkets, provide additional rewards only for purchases made in the United States. Please visit the reward category pages on this website or review the terms of your Card’s reward program to learn more.

How do I find out if my Card has categories where I earn additional rewards?

To learn more about how you earn additional rewards on your Card, please refer to your Cardmember Agreement or to the Membership Rewards® program terms and conditions.

What determines the rewards category in which a merchant falls?

We determine if purchases qualify for additional rewards by using merchant codes. Each merchant is typically assigned a code based on what they primarily sell. A purchase will not earn additional rewards if the merchant’s code is not eligible. For example, purchases made at a restaurant located within a hotel may be recognized as a purchase at a hotel, not a restaurant. In that case, you would not earn additional rewards in the restaurant category.

Are there instances when I may not earn additional rewards even though the purchase is in an eligible category?

You may not receive additional rewards if we receive inaccurate information or are otherwise unable to identify your purchase as eligible for a reward category. For example:

Purchases made on an online marketplace (with multiple retailers) will not receive additional rewards. If you have questions about whether you should have received additional rewards for a purchase, please call the number on the back of your Card.

Will I earn rewards for purchases if I use Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, and Amazon One?

If you use Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, and Amazon One, you will earn rewards in the same way as you would if you used your Card with the merchant.

I think I should have earned additional rewards on a purchase, what should I do?

If you have questions about whether you should have received additional rewards, please call the number on the back of your Card.

Are the additional rewards categories the same as the spend categories on my online statement or Year End Summary?

The spend categories on your online statement and Year End Summary are not the same as the categories where you can earn additional rewards. They might be similar in some cases but they won’t match exactly. Some types of merchants aren’t included in additional rewards categories, and other merchants may be eligible for additional rewards even if they appear in a different category on your online statement or Year End Summary. See specific sections of this website for more information.

Page 2 of 3: Rewards Information — Travel-Related Categories

Source: https://www.americanexpress.com/us/content/rewards-info/travel.html

Travel-Related Categories

Rewards Info Home

IMPORTANT NOTE: Merchants are typically assigned codes and categorized based on what they primarily sell. A purchase will not earn additional points if the merchant, or particular merchant location, uses a code that is not eligible for additional points. Codes assigned to merchants in some countries outside the U.S. may not be recognizable as eligible, and purchases at these merchants will not earn additional points.

Airfare

To earn additional rewards, airfare must be for a scheduled flight on a passenger carrier and purchased directly from the airline.

(Charter flights and private jet flights are excluded)

You will earn additional rewards if you purchase your flight directly from a passenger airline that accepts the Card, such as Delta, JetBlue or British Airways.

You will NOT earn additional rewards on airfare purchased as part of a vacation package.

You may not earn additional rewards if you purchase airfare with a third party.

Delta Purchases

To earn additional miles the purchase must be made directly with Delta or Delta.com.

You will earn additional miles when you purchase directly from Delta or Delta.com. This includes Delta vacation packages purchased from Delta.

You will NOT earn additional miles on Delta airfare purchased as part of a vacation package with a third party.

You may not earn additional miles if you purchase airfare with a third party.

Hilton Purchases

To earn additional Hilton HonorsHilton Honors™ Bonus Points the purchase must be made directly with a participating property within the Hilton portfolio.

(Banquets, events, and vacation packages are NOT included. Hotel rooms paid in advance to a travel agent or travel website are NOT included.)

You will earn additional Hilton Honors Bonus Points when you pay the Hilton hotel property directly (e.g., upon check-in or check-out) for a hotel stay that was reserved with a third party, such as an online travel agent.

You will NOT earn additional rewards if you prepay for your hotel with a third party, such as an online travel agent, or prepay the hotel as part of a vacation package.

Hotels

To earn additional rewards on hotels, the purchase must be for a hotel stay and must be made directly with the hotel.

(Timeshares, banquets, events, and vacation packages are NOT included. Hotel rooms paid in advance to a travel agent or travel website are NOT included.)

You will earn additional rewards on hotels if you purchase your hotel stay directly from a hotel that accepts the Card, such as Sheraton or Westin.

You will earn additional rewards when you pay the hotel directly (e.g., upon check-in or check-out) for a hotel stay that was reserved with a third party, such as an online travel agent.

You will NOT earn additional rewards if you prepay for your hotel with a third party, such as an online travel agent, or prepay the hotel as part of a vacation package.

You may not earn additional rewards for meeting room bookings within a hotel.

Marriott Bonvoy™ Purchases

To earn additional Marriott Bonvoy points, the purchase must be made directly with participating Marriott Bonvoy properties (excluding home share properties), stand-alone Marriott branded retail establishments, and Marriott branded online stores (including online purchases of Marriott branded gift cards) that, in each case, are owned or managed by Marriott International, Inc. and its affiliates.

(Banquets, events and vacation packages are NOT included. Hotel rooms paid in advance to a travel agent or travel website are NOT included.) You will earn additional points when you pay the Marriott Bonvoy hotel property directly (e.g., upon check-in or check-out) for a hotel stay that was reserved with a third party, such as an online travel agent.

You will NOT earn additional points if you prepay for your hotel stay with a third party, such as a tour operator or an online travel channel, or prepay the hotel as part of a vacation package

For more details on points you can earn as a Marriott Bonvoy member, please visit marriottbonvoy.com.

Transit

To earn additional rewards on transit purchases, the purchase must be made at a merchant whose primary business is transit. Some examples of transit are the following:

This is not a complete list. Airfare, car rental, cruises, and trams are not considered transit.

Travel

To earn additional rewards on travel purchases, the purchase must be made at a merchant whose primary business is travel. You will earn additional rewards for purchases of:

Select Car Rentals

To earn additional rewards on select car rentals, the purchase must be made at a car rental company that is included on our list of "select major car rental companies".

You will earn additional rewards ONLY when you purchase directly from a company on this list of select major car rental companies that accept the Card:

You will NOT earn additional rewards if a car rental is purchased as part of a vacation package or purchased through a third party, such as an online travel agent.

Airfare FAQs

Do I earn additional rewards when I book airfare through American Express Travel?

You will earn additional rewards when you book airfare with American Express Travel. You will NOT earn additional rewards if the airfare purchase is part of a vacation package.

Are there times when I will earn an additional reward if I book through a third party, like an online travel agent?

Some purchases for scheduled flights made with third parties such as Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz may be eligible for additional rewards depending on how the third party operates. For example, with some third parties airfare is charged directly to your Card account by the airline.

What is a third party in the travel category?

A third party in the travel category is a business that books or purchases travel on your behalf, such as an online travel agent or traditional travel agent.

If I book airfare as part of a vacation package, is that airfare eligible for additional rewards?

Airfare purchased as part of a vacation package will NOT receive additional rewards because airfare is typically not purchased directly from an airline in these cases.

How do I earn additional rewards on an airfare purchase?

Airfare must be for a scheduled flight on a passenger carrier and must be purchased directly from the airline.

I think I should have earned additional rewards on a purchase, what should I do?

If you have questions about whether you should have received additional rewards, please call the number on the back of your Card.

Hotels FAQs

How do I earn additional rewards for a hotel stay?

Hotel stay purchases made directly with the hotel are eligible for an additional reward, whether you prepay or you pay at the end of your stay.

Will I receive additional rewards on all hotel stays?

In most cases you will not be eligible for additional rewards if you prepay for a hotel stay with a third party, such as an online travel agent or tour operator. Hotel stays purchased as part of a vacation package are NOT eligible. Timeshares, banquets and events are also NOT included.

What if I book my hotel as part of a vacation package?

You will NOT earn additional rewards for hotel rooms purchased as part of a vacation package.

I think I should have earned additional rewards on a purchase, what should I do?

If you have questions about whether you should have received additional rewards, please call the number on the back of your Card.

Select Car Rental FAQs

Which car rental companies are included in your select major car rental list?

Car rental companies included are Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, E-Z, Fox, Hertz, National, Payless, Sixt and Thrifty.

Will I earn additional rewards on international car rental purchases?

You will earn additional rewards when you rent a car from our list of select major car rental companies whether you rent a car from a US or international location.

If I book a vacation package through a car rental company on your named list, will I earn additional rewards?

No, you will NOT earn additional rewards in the select car rental reward category for vacation packages booked through a car rental company (even if the car rental company is on our named list of select major car rental companies).

What if I book a car rental as part of a vacation package?

You will NOT earn additional rewards if you rent a car as part of a vacation package or with a third-party because these rentals are not made directly with the car rental company.

Are local car sharing services, like Zip Car, eligible in the select car rental category?

Car sharing services, like Zip Car, are NOT eligible for an additional reward.

I think I should have earned additional rewards on a purchase, what should I do?

If you have questions about whether you should have received additional rewards, please call the number on the back of your Card.

How do I earn additional rewards on select car rental purchases?

You will earn additional rewards ONLY when you rent directly from a car rental company on this list of select car rental companies that accept the Card: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, E-Z, Fox, Hertz, National, Payless, Sixt and Thrifty.

Airfare FAQs

Hotel FAQs

Select Car Rental FAQs

Business Categories

Consumer Categories

Page 3 of 3: Rewards Information — Consumer Categories

Source: https://www.americanexpress.com/us/content/rewards-info/retail.html

Consumer Categories

Rewards Info Home

U.S. Gas Stations

To earn additional rewards on gas purchases, the gas station where you purchase gasoline must be located in the U.S.

A gas station is defined as a merchant that is in the primary business of selling gasoline to consumers. Gas stations may sell other convenience items, but its primary business must be selling gasoline to consumers.

(Superstores, supermarkets, and warehouse clubs that sell gasoline are NOT considered gas stations)

Examples of merchants* that accept the Card and where you can earn additional rewards include:

*This is not a complete list.

You will NOT earn additional rewards for gas stations that are part of supermarkets or warehouse clubs, unless specifically stated. Examples of merchants where you will NOT earn additional rewards include:

You may earn additional rewards if the gas station is also a convenience store.

You will NOT earn additional rewards for marina or any type of commercial fuel (e.g.,- jet fuel).

U.S. Online Retail Purchases

To earn additional rewards on online retail purchases, the purchases must be made on a website or a digital application (an app) from a U.S. retail merchant that sells physical goods or merchandise directly to consumers. To identify eligible online retail purchases, we rely on information provided to us by the merchant.

The following are not considered retail purchases: purchases made at restaurants, supermarkets, gasoline stations, or automotive dealers, as well as purchases of travel, entertainment, or other services. Payment must be made online and categorized as an internet transaction by the merchant for purchase to be eligible. You will not receive additional rewards for purchases ordered online but paid for in store. Payments made in store using a mobile or digital wallet or a contactless payment device are not considered online purchases. You will not receive additional rewards for purchases made by phone or mail, or by using a third party “buy now pay later” installment program.

Examples* of purchases that will earn additional rewards include, but are not limited to:

*This is not a complete list.

Additional list of categories where you will NOT earn additional rewards include:

U.S. Restaurants

You will earn additional rewards in the U.S. restaurant category when you make a purchase at restaurants located in the U.S.

You will NOT earn additional rewards for purchases made at a restaurant owned by a U.S. company but located outside the U.S. (e.g., Hard Rock Café in Paris).

You also will NOT earn additional rewards at bars, nightclubs, convenience stores, supermarkets, grocery stores, cafeterias, caterers, theatre clubs, breweries, bakeries and meeting venues.

You may not earn additional rewards at a restaurant located within another establishment (e.g., a restaurant inside a hotel, casino, event venue, food court, or campus building). For example, purchases made at a restaurant located within a hotel may be recognized as a purchase at a hotel, not a restaurant.

Global Restaurants

You will earn additional rewards in this category when you make a purchase at restaurants located in the U.S. and worldwide.

You will NOT earn additional rewards at bars, nightclubs, convenience stores, supermarkets, grocery stores, cafeterias, caterers, theatre clubs, breweries, bakeries and meeting venues.

You may not earn additional rewards at a restaurant located within another establishment (e.g. a restaurant inside a hotel, casino, or event venue) or for purchases made through third-party food delivery services outside of the U.S.

For example, purchases made at a restaurant located within a hotel may be recognized as a purchase at a hotel, not a restaurant

U.S. Select Major Department Stores

To earn additional rewards on department store purchases, the purchases must be made at a department store that is included on our list of "select major department stores" and is located in the United States.

You will earn additional rewards ONLY for purchases made in the U.S. at the following list of department stores that accept the Card and have these specific names:

U.S. Select Major Drugstores

To earn additional rewards on drugstore purchases, the purchases must be made at a drugstore that is included on our list of "select major drugstores" and must be located in the United States.

You will earn additional rewards ONLY for purchases made in the U.S. at the following list of drugstores that accept the Card:

Select U.S. Streaming Subscriptions

To earn additional rewards on streaming subscription purchases, the purchase must be made from a provider that is included on our list of Select U.S. Streaming Subscriptions:

If your subscription is bundled with another product or service or billed by a third party (such as a digital platform, a cable, telecommunications, or internet provider, or a car manufacturer), your purchase may not be eligible.

U.S. Supermarkets

To earn additional rewards on supermarket purchases, the supermarket must be located in the U.S.

A supermarket offers a wide variety of food and household products such as meat, fresh produce, dairy, canned and packaged goods, household cleaners, pharmacy products and pet supplies.

(Superstores, convenience stores, warehouse clubs, and meal-kit delivery services are NOT considered supermarkets.)

Examples of merchants* that accept the Card and where you can earn additional rewards include:

*This is not a complete list.

Examples of merchants where you will NOT earn additional rewards include:

U.S. Gas Stations FAQs

How do you define a gas station where I earn additional rewards?

A gas station is a merchant that is in the primary business of selling gasoline to consumers. A gas station may sell other convenience items, but its primary business is selling gasoline. Superstores, supermarkets, and warehouse clubs that sell gasoline are not considered gas stations.

I think I should have earned additional rewards on a purchase, what should I do?

If you have questions about whether you should have received additional rewards, please call the number on the back of your Card.

U.S. Online Retail Purchases FAQs

How do I earn additional rewards on online retail purchases?

To earn additional rewards on online retail purchases, the purchase must be made on a website or a digital application (an app) from a U.S. retail merchant that sells physical goods and/or merchandise directly to consumers.

What isn’t included in the U.S. Online Retail Purchases category?

Purchases made at restaurants, supermarkets, gasoline stations, or automotive dealers, as well as purchases of travel, entertainment, or other services are NOT eligible for additional rewards. Payment must be made online and categorized as an internet transaction by the merchant for purchase to be eligible. You will not receive additional rewards for purchases ordered online but paid for in store. Payments made in store using a mobile or digital wallet or a contactless payment device are not considered online purchases. You will not receive additional rewards for purchases made by phone or mail, or by using a third party “buy now pay later” installment program.

Is an otherwise eligible retail merchant disqualified if it has brick and mortar locations?

No. Eligible retail merchants can have both in store and online presence; however, only the online purchases at these eligible retail merchants will qualify as a U.S. Online Retail purchase.

Are online purchases at U.S. supermarkets included in category?

No. The Blue Cash Everyday Card has a separate rewards category for purchases at U.S. supermarkets, which includes online grocery orders.

Are my online orders that I pick up in store included in the U.S. Online Retail Purchases category?

Yes, eligible retail purchases that are paid for online and picked up in store are included in the category if the merchant classifies it as an online purchase.

Why didn’t I receive additional rewards on my online purchase?

If a purchase was made online but you did not receive 3% cash back, here are potential reasons why this may have happened:

If you think you should have received additional rewards for a purchase, please call the number on the back of your Card.

I think I should have earned additional rewards on a purchase, what should I do?

If you have questions about whether you should have received additional rewards, please call the number on the back of your Card.

U.S. Restaurants FAQs

I think I should have earned additional rewards on a purchase, what should I do?

If you have questions about whether you should have received additional rewards, please call the number on the back of your Card.

Are fast food restaurants included in the U.S. restaurant rewards category?

Yes, fast food restaurants are included in the restaurant rewards category.

Are there other times when I will not earn additional rewards on a U.S. restaurant purchase?

Merchants are assigned codes based on what they primarily sell. A purchase will not qualify for additional points if the merchant’s code is not eligible or if we do not receive information that identifies your purchase as qualifying for additional points.

If a U.S. restaurant is located within another establishment (e.g., a restaurant inside a hotel, casino, event venue, food court, campus building) it may not be coded as a restaurant and therefore is NOT eligible for an additional reward.

How do I earn additional rewards for restaurant purchases?

To earn additional rewards, purchases must be made at restaurants located in the United States. Purchases made at a restaurant owned by a U.S. company but located outside of the U.S. (e.g., Hard Rock Café Paris, TGI Fridays London) are NOT eligible for additional rewards.

Global Restaurants FAQs

I think I should have earned additional rewards on a purchase, what should I do?

If you have questions about whether you should have received additional rewards, please call the number on the back of your Card.

Are fast food restaurants included in the global restaurants rewards category?

Yes, fast food restaurants are included in the global restaurants rewards category.

Are there times when I will not earn additional rewards on a restaurant purchase?

Merchants are assigned codes based on what they primarily sell. A purchase will not qualify for additional points if the merchant’s code is not eligible or if we do not receive information that identifies your purchase as qualifying for additional points.

If a restaurant is located within another establishment (e.g., a restaurant inside a hotel, casino, event venue, food court, or campus building) it may not be coded as a restaurant and therefore is NOT eligible for an additional reward.

U.S. Select Major Department Stores FAQs

How do I earn additional rewards on department store purchases?

To earn additional rewards, purchases must be made at department stores included on our list of “select major department stores” that accept the Card and are located in the United States. The department stores must have these specific names: Bealls, Belk, Bloomingdale’s, Bon Ton Stores, Boscov's, Century 21 Department Stores, Dillard’s, J.C. Penney (JCP), Kohl's, Lord & Taylor, Macy's, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sears and Stein Mart. Eligible purchases include those made in store and online.

Which department stores are included in your select major department store list?

Bealls, Belk, Bloomingdale’s, Bon Ton Stores, Boscov's, Century 21 Department Stores, Dillard’s, J.C. Penney (JCP), Kohl's, Lord & Taylor, Macy's, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sears and Stein Mart.

U.S. Select Major Drugstores FAQs

I think I should have earned additional rewards on a purchase, what should I do?

If you have questions about whether you should have received additional rewards, please call the number on the back of your Card.

Which drugstores are included in your select major drugstore list?

The U.S. locations of CVS Pharmacy, DUANEreade, Rite Aid and Walgreens.

How do I earn additional rewards on drugstore purchases?

To earn additional rewards, purchases must be made at drugstores included on our list of “select major drugstores” that accept the Card and are located in the United States. The U.S. drugstore list is: CVS Pharmacy, DUANEreade, Rite Aid and Walgreens. Eligible purchases include those made in store and online.

U.S. Supermarkets FAQs

What isn’t included in the U.S. Supermarket category?

Specialty food stores, small corner grocery stores, gourmet shops, natural food stores, liquor stores and large superstores including online superstores (e.g., Amazon), warehouses clubs (e.g., BJ's Club), big box stores (e.g., Walmart), and meal-kit delivery services (e.g., Hello Fresh) are examples of merchants that are NOT eligible for additional rewards.

I think I should have earned additional rewards on a purchase, what should I do?

If you have questions about whether you should have received additional rewards, please call the number on the back of your Card.

How do you define a Supermarket where I earn additional rewards?

A supermarket offers a wide variety of food and household products such as meat, fresh produce, dairy, canned and packaged goods, household cleaners, pharmacy products and pet supplies.

Business Categories

Travel-Related Categories