In the summer of 2020, the American Express Platinum Card had rewarded cardholders with $250 in statement credits on everyday essentials, like groceries and food delivery.

That offer is now back for 2021 – this time in the amount of $200. Check your Amex Offers section and you should see a brand-new offer for $200 back on $200 of spending on everyday essentials, which is as good as cash in your pocket. 

$200 Towards Everyday Essentials

The offer is valid at four participating retailers: Sobeys, Metro, Save-On-Foods locations in Canada, and with Uber Eats. Unlike last time around, the offer is not valid at Longo’s or Grocery Gateway.

Any purchases made at these retailers will earn a statement credit of the equivalent value, up to a maximum of $200 in total credits across each Platinum Card. The offer is valid until July 18, 2021.

Note that the offer specifies that only “participating” locations of these retailers are eligible, but if you click on the “View Participating Locations” link, it just brings you to a PDF file with all of the retailers’ names and their respective websites:

I’d therefore assume that all in-store locations will count, as well as any online purchases you make. It’s truly a carte-blanche $200 credit towards everyday essential items, which is an incredible gesture on the part of American Express and should go a long way towards enticing Platinum cardholders to retain their cards during this period.

What I like about this offer is that it gears towards every Platinum cardholder regardless of your shopping habits. If you primarily order delivery, then you can book free Uber Eats to your heart’s content; meanwhile, if you’re a frequent grocery shopper, you can take advantage of the offer whether you’re shopping in-store or online these days.

Between Sobeys, Metro, and Save-On-Foods, the offer provides good coverage of all the grocery chains in Canada that accept American Express.

Furthermore, based on data points from the last round of offers (but subject to further confirmation), the following Sobeys subsidiaries should also be included in the offer:

• Foodland
• Safeway

• Sobeys Urban Fresh

• Sobeys Extra

• FreshCo

• Lawtons Drugs

• Thrifty Foods

• Needs

• IGA

• Price Chopper

The same is true for the following Metro subsidiaries:

• Metro Plus

• Super C

• Marche Richelieu

• Food Basics

• Metro Corporate Store

The terms and conditions of the offer do specify that the credits will be applied to your account “within 90 days after 18/07/2021”. However, in practice, they should show up within a few business days of competing your purchase.

Do Gift Cards Count?

Some readers may be familiar with the fact that places like Sobeys and Metro don’t just sell groceries; in addition, they also sell gift cards that can be used towards other stores or retailers in Canada.

The terms of this offer do specify that: “Any purchases not made directly with an eligible merchant are excluded, including but not limited to purchases of gift cards, oil, gas, fuel, protection plans, service plans, insurance plans, financial services, technology services, postal services, lottery services, floral services, wine, liquor and alcohol purchases, and medical or pharmacy services.”

A few of these exclusions appear difficult to enforce: many pharmacies within grocery stores, for example, will use the same set of payment terminals and will therefore code as a grocery purchase. The same is true for grocery stores that sell wine or liquor – everything gets rung up at the same cashier anyway. 

Last time around, I had recommended that it would be safest to avoid purchasing gift cards to maximize this offer. However, I had decided to give it a try at my local Metro anyway, and as expected, the statement credits posted perfectly in the exact amount of $250.

So in practice, a $200 gift card purchase may work pretty well, essentially allowing you to spend the $200 credit on any retailer that you’d like through a gift card purchase at the grocery store.

If you’d prefer to play it safe, though, then simply use your $200 credit to eat, drink, and be merry. 

A Much-Needed Boost of Value for the Platinum Card

The Platinum Card has already rewarded us handsomely during these much-changed times, including the Double Rewards promotion in early 2020, a $250 statement credit in the summer of 2020, and another $200 statement credit now in 2021.

If you had signed up for the Platinum Card prior to May 2020, before the signup bonus was lowered from the previous level of 70,000 MR points and during Double Rewards, then you’ll be unlocking $1,350+ in value alone from the Platinum Card.

With the annual fee approaching on these accounts, this latest $200 credit might well be enough to sway some Platinum cardholders into retaining their cards in 2021, although others might still find the $699 annual fee a bit steep for their liking.

Nevertheless, it’s great to see American Express Canada following in the footsteps of their US counterpart and injecting value to the flagship travel rewards card at a time when no one is travelling and the value of lounge access, hotel statuses, and rewards points very much nullified at this time.

Conclusion

It’s awesome to see one of the best Amex Offers of 2020 returning for another round. If you hold the American Express Platinum Card, you can earn $200 in statement credits towards your everyday essentials at Sobeys, Metro, Save-On-Foods, and Uber Eats. Go ahead and register for the offer if you haven’t already, and then hit up the shops or the Uber Eats app and get spending!