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American Express Shop Small is returning in December

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American Express Shop Small is returning in December.

‘Shop Small’ is an annual American Express promotion which can prove very lucrative.  You receive £5 cashback for every purchase of £10 or more you make in a ‘small shop’ which is generally any independent retailer – including quite a few pubs!

Whilst limited to one credit per shop, you can register every American Express you earn to multiply your returns.

American Express Amex Shop Small

It has not been officially confirmed that Shop Small will return in 2018.  The website (here) is not saying anything.

However, my understanding is that it WILL happen.  It is pencilled in for 1st to 16th December 2018.

We will cover this again nearer the time.


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:

Barclaycard Avios Plus card

Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard

Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review

Barclaycard Avios card

Barclaycard Avios Mastercard

5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review

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.

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

25,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard

15,000 bonus points and 1.5 points for every £1 you spend Read our full review

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:

British Airways Accelerating Business American Express

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points sign-up bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

American Express Business Gold

20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review

Capital on Tap Business Rewards Visa

Huge 30,000 points bonus until 12th May 2024 Read our full review

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.

Barclaycard Select Cashback Business Credit Card

1% cashback uncapped* on all your business spending (T&C apply) Read our full review

Comments (112)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Hana B says:

    Received email last night from American Express regarding Shop Small.

    ‘To take advantage of Shop Small, simply save the offer to your Card from 1 November 2018, and start shopping from 1 – 16 December 2018.’

  • Chris H says:

    OT
    Has there been a comparison between the LHR T% Galleries First and the Concord Lounges?

    • Rob says:

      I dislike the CCR but not seen it since the new furnishings came in. Decent premium booze, table service food is weak.

      • Chris H says:

        Thanks for answering, but if you have the choice between the Galleries First or Concord at T5 which would you go for? And why?

        • AndyR says:

          The Concorde room, better choice of food and drink and service should be more attentive because it’s usually quieter. The First lounge is really for BA Golds and Oneworld Emeralds.

  • Whizz68 says:

    OT: I would be grateful if anyone could recommend any good hotels in LA and San Diego. I am a Hilton diamond member and looking to stay in a hotel with good benefits/upgrades. Thanks

    • Rivo says:

      The Hilton is next door to the San Diego conference centre and looks over the North / South Bay and across to Coronado.

      It’s bit of a walk into the Gaslamp district so would recommend cab / uber.

      I stayed in the Andaz right in the heart of the Gaslamp which is great for restaurants, bars and the music scene. It has a more boutique feel to it and the staff were great. Made a nice change from the reception robots.

    • Leo says:

      I wouldn’t recommend the Del Coronado (Curio) as a diamond – no lounge, a limited buffet breakfast or credit, we were upgraded to a junior suite which was nice but very junior! It’s a conference hotel and was swamped.

      • Dan says:

        Would swerve the Hilton Checkers in LA. Nothing wrong with the hotel per se, but parking is an issue ($48 per night, or $24 to park a few blocks away in a secure garage), and breakfast is a la carte. As a diamond you get a $20 credit ever day.

    • Whizz68 says:

      Thank you for your suggestions and advice.

  • moktar says:

    OT: I have an on business redemption coming up this week which booked into booking class V and R. Manage my booking shows 0 tier points to be earned. Wondering, if there is any outside chance of earning TPs (like it used to when some avios redemptions where booked in booking class G)? Or, perhaps switch this booking to Alaska?

  • Big Ernie McCracken says:

    O/T – my Virgin Rewards+ statement has come through and I have had 12k bonus miles added. Checking back last month I got 6k bonus miles (never really noticed then as was booking some Virgin flights with miles so there was a lot of churn at the time ). Can anyone tell me why i am getting these bonuses and will they continue? Nice problem to have but would be happier if I knew why!! I typically put £2k through the card per month. Thanks

    • Rob says:

      If you were an ex MBNA cardholder you have been signed up for the recent bonus promo which was offered to those who had not switched.

      • Big Ernie McCracken says:

        Thanks Rob. Must have missed article on this. Search did not produce any relevant article
        When you get a chance at the start of week could you direct me to a link? Have a good weekend.

        • Rob says:

          We never wrote about it, because it was targeted. If you weren’t targeted you weren’t getting it, so what was the point?

          My wife was offered 60,000 miles for Reward+.

      • Liz says:

        I never took up the bonus offer from Virgin to take out their new card but I received a flyer in the post this week extending the offer to 14/12.

        • Ali says:

          This is good news. May bite this time

        • Nick M says:

          Yes, timings didn’t work for us either – if extended until Dec then hopefully we can!

          Hopefully we’ll get the leaflets confirming too

  • Ant says:

    OT: Rob I did the Amazon Business account and received the email confirming that it is all set up. But i have not received a 50% off code.

  • S879 says:

    OT: Is there still time to opt in for Flying Club miles before the Tesco cut off to get the 1k bonus? When do I opt out then?

    • Shoestring says:

      You’re highly unlikely to get it in the window – ie opt in today, opt out 18th Oct

      if you’re feeling lucky…

      • S879 says:

        Thanks. What the best time to put it on and off in a quarter. After a new statement and opt out when?

        • Shoestring says:

          Sooner the better after a Q ends. The window is between a) when the vouchers/ points get paid & 2) the quarter ends

          You don’t actually want to auto convert (unless there is a reason to do so – usually not)

          You get the Q dates online in your Clubcard a/c

  • CountryKerry says:

    Today is an interesting day.

    18 months after I purchased 2,000 Avios from Groupon they have finally posted to my Iberia account. That’s right. 18 months! I’d already enacted a disputed charge a year ago so I wonder what will happen!

    Now for a separate refund from Iberia… three months and counting!

    • Rob says:

      Oh wow …

    • Bob says:

      In July 2015, yes 3 years ago, I emailed iberia plus with my new passport number and my new e-mail.

      It is only this year in july 2018, yes 3 years after it seems, iberia plus has acknowledged my e-mail. Because I receive now mkt e-mails twice a month since july 2018. I guess the 90000 avios event may be why things have been processed.

      I still cannot access my account online… despite my july 2015 e-mail.

      I had “applied” to iberia plus in 2000, on paper at that time.

      IB sent me my card and account number two year later.

      I have never credited any flight and just had 150 avios, which disappeared this august 2018, and there were from a HFP/Rob acknowledgement of a IB game 3 years ago I think.

      At least my account is still apparently alive since 2000 but with zero avios now.

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