American Express recently added new perks to The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Platinum Card® from American Express Exclusively for Mercedes-Benz, including monthly Uber credits up to $200 a year and 5X points on hotel bookings made through AMEX Travel.
If you’re in an area Uber serves, the Uber credit can save you lots of money on transportation, and help off-set the $550 annual fee. You’ll get up to $15 in credit per month ($35 in December).
But did you know you’re not just limited to using the Uber credit on rides? You can also apply the credit to meals purchased through UberEATS!
Shhh! You Can Also Use the Monthly AMEX Platinum Uber Credit to Order Food Through UberEATS!
I’ll fill you in on how it works!
Free Food With UberEATS and AMEX Platinum
Link: The Platinum Card® from American Express
Link: The Platinum Card® from American Express Exclusively for Mercedes-Benz
Link: AMEX Platinum Changes: New $200 Uber Credit, 5X on Hotels, Increased Annual Fee
Link: UberEATS
If you have The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Platinum Card® from American Express Exclusively for Mercedes-Benz, you’ll get up to $15 per month ($35 in December) in Uber credit. To redeem the credit, you must add your AMEX Platinum card as a method of payment in your Uber account and select to use the credit before completing your Uber ride.
American Express does NOT advertise this option, but the credit works for UberEATS as well! UberEATS is a separate app from Uber, which allows you to order restaurant food for delivery in certain cities.
Order Restaurant Food for Delivery With UberEATS and Apply Your AMEX Platinum Uber Credit to Off-Set the Cost of the Meal
Million Mile Secrets team member Andy tested using UberEATS with the AMEX Platinum Uber credit, and was successful!
How to Use the AMEX Platinum Credit With UberEATS
Step 1. Download the UberEATS App and Add AMEX Platinum
You can download the UberEATS app for iOS and Android devices. Once you’ve installed it, log-in to your Uber account and add your AMEX Platinum card as a method of payment.
Add Your AMEX Platinum as Your Method of Payment to UberEATS
You should get an email confirming you’ve added your AMEX Platinum card to your account, including details of the Uber credit.
You’ll Get an Email Confirming Your AMEX Platinum Was Successfully Added to Your Uber Account
Note: If you added your AMEX Platinum card account number to UberEATS before the new benefit went into effect, you might need to delete and add the number again to get the credit.
Step 2. Search for Restaurants
Depending on the city, you’ll have dozens (or hundreds!) of participating restaurants to choose from. The UberEATS app is intuitive and straightforward to use.
Search From Popular Categories in the UberEATS App
Tip: Check the restaurant reviews before you order!
Step 3. Order Food
Choose the items you want from the menu and place your order using your AMEX Platinum card as the method of payment. There’s a ~$5 booking fee for using UberEATS, which will be added to your total bill.
Order Items for Delivery but Remember There’s a ~$5 Booking Fee
The AMEX Platinum credit does NOT show immediately, and the invoice will show the full amount.
Step 4. Check Your Email Invoice
When you receive your invoice later by email, the AMEX Platinum Uber credit should appear. In this case, the credit covered almost the entire bill. Whatever is left over will be charged to your AMEX Platinum card.
Confirm the UberEATS Credit on Your Email Invoice
Is the Uber Credit Worth the Higher Annual Fee?
Along with introducing the $200 Uber credit, AMEX raised the annual fee on the AMEX Platinum cards to $550. Folks who had an AMEX Platinum card before March 30, 2017, will still pay the lower annual fee if their card renewal date is before September 1, 2017. After that, they’ll pay the higher $550 annual fee.
If you can take advantage of the $200 AMEX Platinum Uber credit, in addition to other card perks like the $200 annual airline incidental fee credit and airport lounge access, the higher annual fee might be worth it for you. But keep in mind:
- Uber and UberEATS are NOT in every area, or might have limited participation. So if you can’t use the service (or don’t travel often to cities that have it) the Uber credit is useless
- Depending on where you live, Uber might be more expensive than a cab, which lowers the value of the credit
The $200 Annual Uber Credit Is Most Useful If You Live in Big Cities, Like New York
And remember to factor in the ~$5 booking fee with UberEATS. You’ll be able to stretch the credit further if you use it for Uber rides instead.
Note: UberEATS isn’t specifically mentioned in the benefit terms of the AMEX Platinum cards, so American Express might discontinue it at any time.
Bottom Line
You can still take advantage of the AMEX Platinum $200 yearly Uber credit if you don’t take Uber rides. Instead, use the credit through the UberEATS app to order food delivery in participating cities!
To redeem your credit, download the UberEATS app for iOS or Android, then add your AMEX Platinum card as a method of payment. The credit will be applied to your bill shortly after purchase.
You’ll get up to $15 per month ($35 in December) in credit. Keep in mind, UberEATS adds a ~$5 booking fee to orders, so factor it into your savings.
Let me know if it works for you!
