Small Business Saturday – a possible Foursquare-style date for your diary

This year, on Saturday 7th December, we will see the first ‘Small Business Saturday’ in the UK. This has been a successful US event for a number of years, encouraging shoppers to visit local retailers instead of larger chains.

Why have I written about this, you may ask? Because American Express is the main sponsor of ‘Small Business Saturday’ in the US, and will also be sponsoring the UK version. And, in the US, Amex runs very attractive promotions on the day.

Last year, American Express offered a $25 statement credit for any purchase of $25 or more made at a qualifying ‘small business’. If something similar happens here, we may see a similar statement credit offered on 7th December – essentially ‘free money’, available on each and every American Express card that you have!

We need to wait and see what turns up, of course. It is potentially a very interesting development, though. There isn’t much detail on the UK scheme available yet, although there is a Facebook page.

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Want to earn more points from credit cards? – April 2024 update

If you are looking to apply for a new credit card, here are our top recommendations based on the current sign-up bonuses.

In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.

You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:

You can see our full directory of all UK cards which earn airline or hotel points here. Here are the best of the other deals currently available.

Earning miles and points from small business cards

If you are a sole trader or run a small company, you may also want to check out these offers:

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 12th May 2024, the Capital on Tap Business Rewards Visa card is offering a bonus of 30,000 points, convertible into 30,000 Avios. You must have a Limited Company to apply. Click here to learn more and click here to apply.

For a non-American Express option, we also recommend the Barclaycard Select Cashback card for sole traders and small businesses. It is FREE and you receive 1% cashback on your spending.