American Express ‘Shop Small’ cashback returns for 2019 – but it is capped

American Express has announced the return of ‘Shop Small’ for 2019, but with a catch.

‘Shop Small’ is an annual American Express event aimed at encouraging cardholders to visit local independent shops.  (It is also a way of persuading local independent shops to accept American Express.)

When you make a £10 purchase in a participating shop, you receive £5 cashback on your Amex statement.

Historically, ‘Shop Small’ has been uncapped, although you were restricted to one £5 payment per store.  Some HfP readers have received literally hundreds of pounds in cashback.

Last year, however, American Express started treated excessive cashback as ‘abuse’ and was suspending cards.  One way of triggering this was if purchases were split, with multiple £10 purchases made in the same store at the same time but using different cards.

For 2019, ‘Shop Small’ is capped at £50 cashback per card.  Note ‘per card’ and not per person.   You will be able to register from 31st October, with the event itself running from 7th December to 22nd December.  We will remind you nearer the time.

Want to earn more points from credit cards? – December 2021 update

If you are looking to apply for a new credit or charge card, here are our November 2021 recommendations based on the current sign-up bonus. 

You can see our full directory of all UK cards which earn airline or hotel points here. Here are the top current deals:

British Airways American Express

5,000 Avios for signing up, no annual fee and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending ….. Read our full review

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

25,000 Avios and the UK’s most valuable credit card perk – the 2-4-1 companion voucher Read our full review

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & two airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

30,000 points and an unbeatable set of travel benefits – for a fee Read our full review

Earning miles and points from small business cards

If you are a sole trader or run a small company, you may also want to check out these offers.

American Express Business Gold

20,000 points sign-up bonus and free for a year Read our full review

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points sign-up bonus and a long list of travel benefits Read our full review

British Airways Accelerating Business American Express

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review

Capital On Tap Business Rewards Visa

The most generous Avios Visa or Mastercard for a limited company Read our full review

For a non-American Express option, we also recommend the Barclaycard Select Cashback card for sole traders and small businesses. It is FREE and you receive 1% cashback on your spending:

Barclaycard Select Cashback Credit Card

1% cashback and no annual fee Read our full review