3 changes Chase Offers should make to compete with Amex Offers

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I’ll confess that I’m not extremely impressed by Chase Offers. 

Chase Offers works similarly to Amex Offers. You can add deals to your Chase-issued debit and credit cards. The deals can vary, from 10% back at merchants to the occasional $75 back. I check the Chase Offers portal faithfully every morning, hoping for a lucrative offer, especially on travel purchases, but so far, I’ve been largely disappointed. 

The lack of exciting offers has made me look at other options for statement credits and points. Amex Offers can vary from huge points-earning hauls to meager statement credits at restaurants like McDonald’s. But as travel hopefully rebounds in 2021, I’d love to see Chase up its offering to contend with other credit card issuers.  

Here are three changes I think Chase Offers should make to better compete with Amex Offers.

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In This Post

Better points-earning options

© The Points Guy
(Screengrab from Chase)

We’re all about maximizing our credit card strategy at TPG and getting as much value out of each swipe as possible. Using your credit card to its full potential can help you save money — and earn points to fund your next vacation abroad.

One huge difference between Chase and Amex Offers is that Chase only offers statement credits, not the ability to earn Ultimate Rewards points.

This could be acceptable if you’re someone who just wants to earn cash back on everyday purchases, but if you want to earn extra Ultimate Rewards points to travel, it’s a notable downside. Sure, you’re earning Ultimate Rewards points just for using your card at a merchant, but I’d love to see elevated earnings at merchants I often see pop up on Chase Offers, like Express or Poshmark. It’s not unheard of to see Amex Offers for 5,000 or even 10,000 Membership Rewards points after completing a spending requirement.

Related: Why do Chase and TPG list different values for Ultimate Rewards points?

Hopefully, Chase might consider turning some of these cash-back rewards into elevated earnings, like 3x points or even 5x points, like Amex frequently does at merchants like Best Buy or Amazon. It would make me more likely to use my Chase cards versus whipping out my Amex cards the next time I go out.

Raising cash-back caps

If you use Chase Offers regularly, you might have found it to be a bit underwhelming at times. And while Amex’s cash-back offers can be hit or miss, the lucrative offers are really lucrative. Just this week, Amex rolled out two offers that can save you up to $200. 

I haven’t saved much using Chase Offers, occasionally snagging a couple of dollars back on Starbucks or CVS purchases, despite using my Chase cards daily. But while you can save money by using these offers, make sure to read the terms and conditions for each offer carefully. Many Chase Offers come with maximum earning abilities.

© The Points Guy
(Screengrab from Chase)

For instance, I shop at Petco at least once every other week to buy food and toys for my dog. I recently spotted an offer for a 10% statement credit at the merchant. The only downside is that the credit is capped at just $6. Going forward, I’d love to see Chase increase the cap on cash-back offers (or do away with a cap entirely). 

That said, the lone sweet spot, in my opinion, is the occasional statement credits with IHG and Hyatt, even if there’s a cap on how much you can save.

As a World of Hyatt loyalist, I’ve gotten to save quite a bit on cash stays, and while I don’t stay at IHG properties regularly, I also got $20 back in 2019 after a stay. As travel (hopefully) starts to come back in 2021, I’d like to see Chase reward cardholders who regularly use Chase Offers with more high-quality, targeted travel offers.

More popular retailers

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(Photo by Hananeko_Studio/Shutterstock)

Like Amex Offers, Chase Offers are also targeted. That means the offers I get through my Chase Sapphire Preferred Card differ from my World Of Hyatt Credit Card and even my Chase debit card.

But I’ve found many of the retailers to be largely forgettable. As I said earlier, I do get some value on regular purchases at drugstores and some stores like H&M, but I’d love to see more offers at high-end merchants, especially as the world starts to reopen. Even more exciting offers, like at Target or Best Buy, would be a welcome addition. 

Still, Chase Offers are stackable with online shopping portals and bonus categories, which I frequently utilize. If you’re using Chase Offers, make sure to use a shopping portal aggregator to find out which points-and-miles portal offers the best return on a certain purchase and then combine it with a Chase Offer to maximize.

Bottom line

The Chase Offers portal is decent, but it could be better. For some day-to-day purchases, like coffee or skincare products, I find myself saving quite a bit of money without even realizing it. But right now, Chase Offers don’t compare to the variety I can get with Amex Offers. 

It’s unfortunate because I personally value Chase points over Amex points since Chase is a transfer partner to Hyatt. Until Chase revamps its Chase Offers portal, I think I’ll stick with Amex Offers for now.

Photo by John Gribben for The Points Guy.