AmEx Small Business Saturday

[lifetimedeals]

would anybody know if I can still do anything about this I was approoved a day after bus saturday?

[compddd]

Got all my credits 16/16 cards

[Redbull3]

i dont see it as that unlikely.  While it is the exception.  I know lots of people who had between 10-20 cards.  I dont see 10 Million cards as such a stretch

They capped enrollment at 100k "cardholders" - not sure if that's belly buttons or accounts. I do know they were still accepting enrollments as of 1145 pm.

[Dan]

They capped enrollment at 100k "cardholders"

Source?

[Red]

And I just got shot down on a friends card that wasn't registered...

And a second SM turned that around, now I'm just waiting on an answer for his two AU's... 

[Redbull3]

Source?

I can't seem to find the T&C from the site but here are some mentions of either 100,000 cardholders (or $2.5 million marketing expense) for Amex:

http://www.cnbc.com/id/49968762
http://www.examiner.com/article/shoppers-do-good-locally-on-small-business-saturday
http://www.gazette.net/article/20121123/NEWS/711239588/1070/midnight-sales-lure-shoppers-to-early-black-friday-start&template=gazette
http://journalstar.com/business/local/mayor-merchants-promote-shop-the-blocks-and-small-business-saturday/article_8b142062-6d8e-5cec-8bd0-cdc39231981d.html

[Dan]

Never believe the MSM to get stuff like that right.
IIRC it was 100K in 2010 and 300K in 2011.  2010 was never capped but 2011 was.  I don't think there was a published cap for 2012 but I'd believe any number between 500K-1MM based on the growth from previous years.

[Ergel]

Never believe the MSM to get stuff like that right.
IIRC it was 100K in 2010 and 300K in 2011.  2010 was never capped but 2011 was.  I don't think there was a published cap for 2012 but I'd believe any number between 500K-1MM based on the growth from previous years.

Makes sense to me. Really a brilliant marketing scheme. Much more effective than six superbowl commercials and a tax write off to boot

[Redbull3]

Makes sense to me. Really a brilliant marketing scheme. Much more effective than six superbowl commercials and a tax write off to boot

Plus they get some back in interchange, plus many people spent over $25 to get the credit (we are wearing our DDF glasses and think everyone who took advantage had 30 cards and used them all for exactly $25 each), plus it's a big incentive for local merchants to accept Amex, plus they get amazing PR...

[Redbull3]

Never believe the MSM to get stuff like that right.
IIRC it was 100K in 2010 and 300K in 2011.  2010 was never capped but 2011 was.  I don't think there was a published cap for 2012 but I'd believe any number between 500K-1MM based on the growth from previous years.

I hear. I would also expect it to be at that number, but I saw in the T&C from the site myself the 100K limit for this year before I signed up. They took it down though.
Who knows. While I do think millions is ridiculous, if the coverage is any indication it does feel like this was much larger than 100K, certainly cards.

[Achas Veachas]

Plus they get some back in interchange, plus many people spent over $25 to get the credit (we are wearing our DDF glasses and think everyone who took advantage had 30 cards and used them all for exactly $25 each), plus it's a big incentive for local merchants to admit that they accept Amex, plus they get amazing PR...

FTFY

[bubkiz]

Plus they get some back in interchange, plus many people spent over $25 to get the credit (we are wearing our DDF glasses and think everyone who took advantage had 30 cards and used them all for exactly $25 each), plus it's a big incentive for local merchants to accept Amex, plus they get amazing PR...

Forget not that a large percentage of Americans carry a balance.

[Dan]

I hear. I would also expect it to be at that number, but I saw in the T&C from the site myself the 100K limit for this year before I signed up.

I never saw that.

[Redbull3]

I never saw that.

This probably won't impress you lol, but here is a CBS news article specifically saying that if you scroll through the T&C you will see the 100K (like I saw)

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505144_162-36943383/small-business-saturday-buyer-beware/

The credit is limited
The biggest caveat is that American Express is only giving the $25 statement credit to the first 100,000 card holders. How will you know whether you got in under the wire? You don't.

You are supposed to register you card with the program between Nov. 8 and Nov. 27. Nothing on the form or the registration acknowledgement says whether you've registered early enough to get the credit. In fact, the acknowledgement just urges you to spend.

"Remember to use your registered Card to shop small on November 27, 2010, and support your favorite local stores and restaurants," the acknowledgement says.

The only time you'll see reference to the 100,000 card member limit is if you scoll through the "terms and conditions" when you're enrolling. Meanwhile, with some 863,000 "likes" on Facebook, it seems unlikely that if you're registering now, you got in early enough to get the credit.

[Ergel]

From 2010

[Redbull3]

From 2010

Ah good point, my bad. Oh well. I know what I saw (current terms when I partook in my first SBS this year) but Amex took down the terms so I can't prove it. Anyways I agree that even if the terms said 100K they likely didn't stick to it.

[Redbull3]

Last link, I promise.

This says "limited" but not 100K. Admittedly, it could very well be I saw 100K in all the articles and just "limited" in T&C and assumed that was the limit. 

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?hl=en&q=cache:qBn9I2t_fsYJ:https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/Shop-Small/offerterms%2Bsmall+business+saturday+terms+and+condition&gbv=2&gs_l=heirloom-hp.3.0.0i30.1641.5220.0.6048.34.20.0.9.9.1.219.2719.1j10j6.17.0...0.0...1c.1.Kv6SRPAX7aY&ct=clnk

[14cars]

I am certain they significantly exceeded 100,000. 

[txtmax4]

Today for the first time since SBS I went through my CC's online to check about the credits.
Results:

-All 40 cards credited including Citi and BofA.
-Number of SM's sent: 0

Thank you to everyone who contributed with vast amounts of "virtual toilet paper" to this thread and the possibility of Amex reconsidering these type of offer due to the nudniks who SM the second after they ran their card to ask about the credit.

[MEIR613]

Today for the first time since SBS I went through my CC's online to check about the credits.
Results:

-All 40 cards credited including Citi and BofA.
-Number of SM's sent: 0

Thank you to everyone who contributed with vast amounts of "virtual toilet paper" to this thread and the possibility of Amex reconsidering these type of offer due to the nudniks who SM the second after they ran their card to ask about the credit.

+1000