What Are Merchant Offers? (Amex Offers, Chase Offers Explained)

What Are Merchant Offers?

Merchant offers are promotions issued by your card issuer — not the retailer — that provide statement credits or bonus points when you spend at specific merchants. They are pre-negotiated between the bank and the merchant, and they appear in your card's app or online account for you to activate.

How They Work

1. You log into your card app or portal
2. You browse available offers and click "Add to Card" for relevant ones
3. You make a qualifying purchase at the merchant using that card
4. The credit or bonus points appear on your statement within a few billing cycles

Offers are linked to your card number, so checkout is seamless — no promo codes or separate portals.

Where to Find Them

• Amex Offers: Login → Benefits → Amex Offers
• Chase Offers: Login → More options → Chase Offers
• Citi Merchant Offers: Login → Account → Offers for you
• Bank of America Deals: Login → Deals

Common Pitfalls

• Forgetting to enroll: The offer must be added to your card before purchase
• Wrong card at checkout: Must use the card the offer is linked to
• Minimum spend: Most offers require a minimum purchase amount
• Category restrictions: Some offers exclude certain product categories
• One-time use: Most offers can only be used once per card

Building a Review Habit

The highest-impact habit: check your card offers once a week and add everything remotely relevant. The cost is zero (you only get the credit if you actually spend). The risk of not checking is consistently missing credits at merchants you'd shop at anyway.