Save Money And Make Life Easier With These 6 Credit Card Shopping Benefits - Forbes

We’ve all had those days when you have no idea how you’ll get it all done. Between your day job, family responsibilities, chores, errands and other items on your to-do list, it can be a challenge to fit it all in. Thankfully, convenience services aren’t hard to find. A few clicks on an app and you can have groceries or dinner delivered so you have more time for the other stuff.

Like with all things in life, however, you’ll pay for convenience. While it might only be $5 here or $5 there, it adds up—unless, that is, you have a way to get it for free. Today’s best credit cards often include complimentary premium memberships to these programs, saving you money while the service itself saves you time. On some days, that’s practically a miracle.

So even if you think you don’t have time for one more task, we encourage you to peruse this list. Five minutes now could find you a service that saves you far more than five minutes later. These benefits are built into credit cards you may already have and might be for services you already use. All you need to do is activate your offer. Then, sit back, relax and enjoy your savings.

Shipt

For those days when squeezing in one more errand feels impossible, Shipt can help you get the things you need. Simply place an order online for groceries or household essentials from one of their partnering businesses, like Target or Costco, and a local shopper will deliver the goods to your front door, often within a few hours.

Shipt passes normally cost $10 each or $99 per year, but all Visa consumer cardholders get their first month free and the next three months at 50% off. Visa Signature cardholders instead qualify for an extended membership—three months free and nine months at half off—and Visa Infinite cardholders will get up to a full three year membership for free. Once you’re a member, all Shipt purchases of $35 or more ship for free.

ShopRunner

Another membership program, ShopRunner offers free delivery from over 100 online stores in as little as two days. Return shipping, should you need it, is also free. Once you’re a member, you can take advantage of this perk as often as you’d like without paying the standard $79 annual fee.

Nearly all American Express cards qualify for a ShopRunner membership for as long as your card remains open and in good standing. In order to get your free membership, you’ll need to verify your eligibility and then enroll your card in the benefit.

Though Amex offers the longest-lasting ShopRunner benefit, you may be eligible for a free membership through other cards, too. Select Chase credit cards include up to one year of ShopRunner membership as long as you enroll by 2/28/2022 while World and World Elite Mastercard account holders can enroll for a free membership through 9/30/2022.

Instacart

There’s a good chance you used Instacart at least once or twice during the pandemic (if not, you probably know someone who has). This grocery shopping service can save you a ton of time in the store since someone else does the shopping. Then, you have the choice to pick up your purchase or have it delivered, whichever works best for you.

You don’t need a membership to use Instacart, but when you join Instacart Express, you’ll get lower fees than non-members and are eligible for free delivery on orders of $35 or more. That alone could pay for itself compared to the $9.99 monthly or $99 annual membership. Getting Instacart Express at no out of pocket cost is even better.

A new partnership between Chase and Instacart will provide a membership through the end of April 2022 as long as you enroll with an eligible card by January 31. They’ll even throw a $10 discount off your first $35 order to entice you to sign up. Numerous cards are eligible for this offer, such as the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card* and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card.

When you enroll, be sure to turn off the auto-renew option in your account, which can be done at any time (your service will continue through April as expected).

Uber

Though Uber got its start as a rideshare program, they’ve expanded into home delivery. Customers can now get everything from dinner to alcohol to convenience items brought directly to their home via Uber Eats, often with no or low delivery fees.

American Express has partnered with Uber for a few years already, offering credits for some cardholders. The American Express® Gold Card (terms apply, see rates and fees) comes with $10 of monthly Uber Cash good for U.S. rides or Uber Eats while the The Platinum Card® from American Express (terms apply, see rates and fees) provides $15 monthly (and an extra $20 in December for good measure). Either way, you’ll need to link your eligible card to your Uber account to receive the credit.

DoorDash

One of the most popular food delivery services, DoorDash is now available in hundreds of locations nationwide with tens of thousands of participating restaurants. That alone is a great way to make life a little easier but the addition of DashMart for grocery items makes it a one-stop shop.

With a DashPass membership, customers can get unlimited $0 delivery fees with reduced service fees on large orders when ordering from participating businesses. Or, save even more when ordering online but picking up in person: DashPass members then earn 5% back as DoorDash credit for future purchases.

Joining DashPass ordinarily costs $9.99 a month but a number of of Chase credit cards offer a trial version of the service for free if you enroll by the deadline. After the trial period ends, cardholders will be charged at the normal monthly rate.

Unlike some of the other benefits offered by credit cards, the DashPass offer is set to automatically renew at its standard price when you reach the end of your free membership period. If you don’t care to renew, make a note in your calendar to cancel beforehand.

Limited Time Merchant Offers

Nearly all credit card issuers now offer additional targeted merchant offers that you can find and register for in your online account. Typically, you need to enroll for the specific offers you’re interested in and then you’ll have a set amount of time to redeem the offer.

Exact offers vary by issuer, card type and your personal account but in the past there have been promos including reimbursement of Instacart memberships and statement credits to shipping services such as FedEx and UPS.

Learn more about Amex Offers and Chase Offers (other issuers’ programs work much the same way).

Bottom Line

There’s a good chance that the credit cards already in your wallet come with shipping and delivery benefits that can save you money. These offers only take a moment to enroll so set a few minutes aside to take advantage of the offers available to you.

To view rates and fees for American Express® Gold Card please visit this page.
To view rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express please visit this page.

Adblock test (Why?)