How to boost your Amex spend by using PayPal for online purchases (like BA First Class crockery!)

If you tried to buy some British Airways First Class crockery in the sale this week (which is still running – BA has now restocked), you will have noticed that Whatabuy, the sale site, does not take American Express.

Here is the checkout page:

You will that there is no American Express logo.  However, this doesn’t mean that you cannot use an Amex card.

Go back a stage on Whatabuy and you see this:

Whatabuy accepts PayPal.

And PayPal DOES let you use American Express.

You do not even need a PayPal account to pay with PayPal – you can click on the ‘Pay with PayPal’ link and enter your card details directly.  That said, it makes sense to open an account and link your American Express card as you do not need to remember your card details when paying.

Next time you pay a retailer who does not accept Amex but does take PayPal, click through to PayPal instead.

There are no extra fees for using PayPal with retailers.

Note that some retailers manage to block PayPal from showing the American Express option if they do not accept Amex themselves so this is not always a solution.  In the majority of cases, as with Whatabuy, it will work just fine.

The only thing worth noting is that you lose some of your consumer protection if the retailer goes bust if you pay with PayPal. This is because you do not have a direct contract with the retailer.  PayPal does have its own reimbursement scheme called PayPal Buyer Protection which may cover you but it is not legally enshrined.

Get £10 for opening a free PayPal account

PayPal is currently offering you £10 if you open a PayPal account.

You need referring, so drop us an email at hello at headforpoints.com.  We will send you 1p by PayPal to the email address you supply.

To claim your 1p, you need to follow the link in the email you will receive to open a PayPal account.

When you make your first PayPal payment of £5 or more before the year-end, you will receive £10 in your PayPal account.  Whichever member of the HfP team ends up referring you will also get £10, although it is capped at £50 so we’re not getting rich here!  The offer ends on 31st December.

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Want to earn more points from credit cards? – January 2021 update

If you are looking to apply for a new credit or charge card, here are our January 2021 recommendations based on the current sign-up bonus. 

You can see our full directory of all UK cards which earn airline or hotel points here.

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:

Disclaimer: Head for Points is a journalistic website. Nothing here should be construed as financial advice, and it is your own responsibility to ensure that any product is right for your circumstances. Recommendations are based primarily on the ability to earn miles and points and do not consider interest rates, service levels or any impact on your credit history.  By recommending credit cards on this site, I am – technically – acting as a credit broker.  Robert Burgess, trading as Head for Points, is regulated and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a credit broker.