Amex Shop Small returns with free £5 cashback on spending

Amex is offering £5 cashback when you spend £15 plus at small shops, but the offer is only available for three days

Contactless paying with credit card
(Image credit: mihailomilovanovic)

American Express (Amex), famous for its credit cards offering Avios points on spending, is back with its ‘shop small’ offer, and this year most Amex customers can get £5 cashback when they spend more than £15. The maximum amount of cashback you can earn is lower than previous years, while the offer is only around for a limited time. 

The promotion comes in time to support Small Business Saturday on 2 December 2023 - by giving you some money back, Amex is encouraging cardholders to shop at small and local retailers. You can take advantage of the cashback in thousands of small shops, restaurants and pubs around the UK. 

Harry Mole, vice-president at American Express, said: “Our research shows there is a strong desire among shoppers to support small businesses which sit at the heart of our local communities."

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Here’s everything you need to know about when you can earn up to £15 cashback and how. 

When can I get the £5 cashback with Amex? 

The £5 cashback offer is only available for three days, from Friday 1 December to 11.59pm on Sunday 3 December. 

The one-weekend offer is shorter than usual, as we have previously seen Amex run their Small Shop offer for ten days in 2022.

How to earn £15 cashback with Amex

To get the £5 cashback, you must spend a minimum of £15 in a single transaction. Plus, over the three days, you can only claim the £5 cashback offer up to three times at three different retailers. 

In total, you can get up to £15 cashback. This is down from previous years where cardholders could earn up to £25 total cashback. 

To claim the £5 cashback at small shops, you will need to either download the Amex app (available on iOS and Android) or login on the Amex Shop Small website. On the Amex app, you can find the promotion in the ‘offers’ section. 

You can use your Amex online account details. If you do not have an online account, you can create one on their website. 

Once you’ve logged in, you will need to save the small shop offer to your card - this can be done any time up until the promotion ends on 3 December. 

The offer is only running in stores at participating retailers, so the cashback cannot be claimed via online shopping, nor with big chain retailers. 

How do I receive the £5 cashback? 

You should receive the £5 cashback within 30 days of spending, and this will show as credit on your bank statement. 

However, Amex has warned that depending on demand, it could take up to 90 days from 3 December to receive the cashback.

If you have an Amex cashback card, this offer does not interfere with the Small Shop promotion. 

Am I eligible for the Amex cashback? 

All personal accounts, small business Amex credit cards and charge cardholders are eligible for this promotion, and they must be registered in the UK. 

These are the Amex cards that are not eligible for the offer: 

  • Business travel cards
  • Prepaid cards
  • Corporate cards 

If you do not own an Amex card, find out which other credit cards offer cashback

Vaishali Varu
Staff Writer

Vaishali has a background in personal finance and a passion for helping people manage their finances. As a staff writer for MoneyWeek, Vaishali covers the latest news, trends and insights on property, savings and ISAs.

She also has bylines for the U.S. personal finance site Kiplinger.com and Ideal Home, GoodTo, inews, The Week and the Leicester Mercury

Before joining MoneyWeek, Vaishali worked in marketing and copywriting for small businesses. Away from her desk, Vaishali likes to travel, socialise and cook homely favourites