Update: One or more card offers in this post are no longer available. Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers.
Waiting for Black Friday to get most of your holiday shopping done?
Amazon is starting early this year, counting down to the big day with discounts through November.
And many retail stores leak their ads before Thanksgiving week. So you won’t have to wait until the last minute to find out about the best deals.
You could save up to 30% extra on already amazing deals just by paying with the right card!
Get a Sneak Peek at This Year’s Black Friday Sales
On Black Friday you’ll find some good deals and not-so-good deals. Luckily, you can do your research ahead of time. For example, via Blackfriday.com, Macy’s Black Friday ad is already available.
You can also get an early look at the Black Friday ads for stores such as:
And you’ll find more leaked ads at:
Amazon is turning Black Friday into Black November with daily sale items counting down to the big day. Plus, according to CNET, Amazon Prime members will get a 30 minute jump on lightning deals in addition to the free 2 day shipping! The best deals sell out quickly, so this could give you a big advantage.
Which Cards Should You Use?
If you want to participate in the Amazon Prime deals, consider purchasing your membership with the Freedom or Discover it® Cash Back card. That’s because they have bonuses at Amazon through December 31, 2015. I’ll explain below!
Remember to keep an eye out for rebate deals you can stack for lots of savings, like this 1 last year where you could get almost free appliances.
How to Earn Big Travel on the Biggest Shopping Day of the Year!
If you’re going to spend a lot of money during the holidays, you might as well be rewarded for your spending. Here’s how to earn bonus miles, points, and cash back while you’re shopping:
1. Discover it Cash Back
You can earn 5% cash back (on up to $1,500 in spending) at Amazon, department stores (i.e. Macy’s, Sears, Nordstrom), and clothing stores (i.e. Old Navy, Gap, Ann Taylor) with the Discover it® Cash Back card. This bonus is available through December 31, 2015.
If you shop at stores, like Macy’s, that accept Apple Pay, you can earn another 10% back (in-store only)!
This deal gets really good if you’re a new cardholder or previously registered because the cash back you earn will be DOUBLED at the end of your 1st year! So you could save up to 30% on already great Black Friday deals with your Discover it Cash Back.
2. Chase Freedom
Through December 31, 2015, you can earn 10X Chase Ultimate Rewards points (or 10% cash back) when you shop at Amazon, (including buying an Amazon Prime membership) with your registered Chase Freedom card.
The limit is $1,500 on purchases for a maximum of 15,000 points (or $150).
If you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Ink Bold (no longer available), or Chase Ink Plus, you can transfer the Chase Ultimate Rewards points you earn to partners like Hyatt and United Airlines for Big Travel!
3. AMEX Offers
If you’re an AMEX cardholder, you can save on purchases at a wide variety of retailers with AMEX Offers. So if there’s an included store that also has great Black Friday sales, you can save more money!
For example, JCPenney has Black Friday deals on home goods, clothing, and more. And if you have the JCPenney offer on your AMEX Starwood personal or small business card, you can get:
- $10 statement credit for spending $50+ at JCPenney.
- 1 Starwood point per $1 spent
Splurging on an Expensive Gift for Someone Special?
You can protect those pricey gifts like televisions, appliances, and jewelry by paying with your American Express card. That’s because AMEX cards come with added benefits like:
- Purchase Protection – If the item is stolen or accidentally damaged within 90 days after your purchase, American Express will reimburse you
- Extended Warranty – Get an extra year added to the manufacturer’s warranty
4. Citi AT&T Access More
You’ll earn 3X Citi ThankYou points at online retailers and travel sites with the Citi AT&T Access More card.
Flyertalk has a running list of purchases that count towards the 3X Citi ThankYou points bonus category.
And there are lots of terrific ways to use Citi ThankYou points. Especially if you also have the Citi Prestige, because you’ll get:
- 1.6 cents per point (if you have the Citi Prestige card) when you redeem for American Airlines paid flights through the Citi Travel Center through July 23, 2017
- 1.33 cents per point (if you have the Citi Prestige card) when you buy flights on other airlines through the Citi Travel Center through July 23, 2017
You’ll still earn miles on your flight and you don’t have to worry about blackout dates!
Another option is to transfer your Citi ThankYou points to partners like Singapore Airlines at a 1:1 ratio, if you have the Citi Prestige, Citi ThankYou Premier, or Citi Chairman (no longer available) card. Singapore Airlines miles are useful for booking United Airlines flights to the Caribbean, Hawaii, and North America!
Don’t Forget to Use a Shopping Portal
If you plan to shop online, remember to use a shopping portal for even more savings!
Some airline shopping portals are currently running terrific holiday shopping bonuses, but they expire before Black Friday. For example:
- Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Shopping – Earn up to 1,500 bonus Alaska Airlines miles when you spend $500+ by November 20, 2015
- American Airlines AAdvantage eShopping – Earn up to 5,000 bonus American Airlines miles when you spend $1,200+ by November 26, 2015
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Shopping – Earn up to 5,500 bonus Southwest points when you spend $1,500+ by November 26, 2015
- United MileagePlus Shopping – Earn up to 6,000 bonus United Airlines miles when you spend $1,250+ by November 24, 2015
I like to use evreward to find the best bonus. You can currently earn 3X Chase Ultimate Rewards points at Macy’s, but check back before your make your purchase for the current offer.
Also, check Giving Assistant for cash back deals you can pair with Black Friday sales!
Bottom Line
You can find leaked Black Friday ads from stores like Macy’s, Michaels, and Dell. And Amazon has already started ramping up with daily deals! You can get a head start on this year’s deals, if you’re an Amazon Prime member.
By paying with cards like AMEX Everyday Preferred, AMEX SimplyCash, Chase Freedom, and Discover it Cash Back at certain stores, you’ll earn cash back and bonus points. You could even save as much as 30% on top of the great discounts you’ll get from the store!
And don’t forget to use a shopping portal when you shop online to earn even more points!
What deals are you hoping to find this year?
I didn’t know you shared BF deals. Thanks much. 🙂
(I like my low key, low stress CVS pre-BF deals where I roll ECBs over and over. The anchor this year: Free Square for credit card transactions. Got it free and then received $9.99 ECB which I combined with Red Machine coupons and rolled into other ECB deals.)