AMEX Uber Credit and Membership Benefits Guide (Platinum $200, Gold $120) "Rule Change: Remaining Balance Must Be Paid with an AMEX Card"

【Updated 2024.9】AMEX quietly announced in a new statement that it will change the rules for using Uber credit and related benefits. Going forward, after the credit is applied, any remaining balance must be charged to the eligible AMEX card in order to receive the Uber benefit. Personally, I don’t think this has a huge impact—the main thing is still to use the credit each month, and where the leftover amount is charged doesn’t matter that much. Still, it’s worth remembering: just set your AMEX card as the payment method. This change will take effect on November 8, 2024.

About the Uber Cash Benefit

AMEX Platinum and its various versions come with up to $200 in Uber Cash each year. After you hold the card and add it to your Uber account, you can receive $15 in credit each month in your Uber account, and $35 in December, for a total of $200 in Uber Cash per year. Uber Cash can be used not only for Uber rides, but also directly in Uber Eats. These days, placing one delivery order each month is enough to use up this benefit. Cards with Uber Credit include:

• AMEX Platinum
• AMEX Platinum Schwab
• AMEX Platinum Morgan Stanley
• AMEX Platinum Goldman Sachs
• AMEX Centurion

In addition, Gold now has it too:

• AMEX Gold $10 per month

Each card’s credit is separate. You can add all of the Platinum cards above plus the Gold card to the same Uber account, and receive multiple $15/$10 credits each month.

In addition, AMEX Green, Gold, and Platinum will all add complimentary Uber Eats Pass membership, valued at $119. It mainly provides unlimited free delivery and a 5% discount at some restaurants.

• Uber Eats Pass introduction

Timing and Scope

On the 1st of each month, Uber Cash will appear in your Uber account on schedule. Credits will appear under Payments-Credits. If you have multiple Platinum cards linked, you will see multiple separate $15 credits. All credits must be used by the last day of that month or they will disappear. Credits cannot roll over to the next month.

Uber Cash can be used for Uber rides, but only for rides within the United States. It can also be used on Uber Eats, including both Delivery and Pickup, and will be deducted immediately when you complete the order.

How to Use It

Uber Credit can be used in either Uber or Uber Eats. The two accounts are shared: same login, and the card information is shared as well. If your account has multiple $15/$35 credits, they will stack automatically when used. Any unused amount will remain and be automatically applied next time.

Uber

When you take an Uber ride, the credit will automatically appear on the payment screen. If you have Uber Cash in your account, it will automatically apply the AMEX Uber credit first, and then Uber Cash. That’s actually pretty nice.

Uber Eats

Uber Eats works the same way. On the submit order screen, it will show that you have Uber credit available to use.

Uber Eats now also includes Bed Bath Beyond, so you can use it to buy home goods. Finally, you don’t have to force yourself to order takeout just to use the credit!

Frequently Asked Questions

How to switch accounts

With an AMEX Platinum card, as long as it is linked to Uber or Uber Eats, $15 in credit will automatically be added to the app every month. If you need to link multiple cards, you must first remove that card from someone else’s app, then add it to your own app. On the 1st of the following month, the credit should appear.

What if you don’t receive it?

Uber customer service says that if the card is properly linked and you still haven’t received the credit by the 5th of the month, you can ask them for it. You can also ask AMEX at the same time; AMEX will often simply issue a $15 or $35 statement credit to your card. If you contact Uber or AMEX, you may end up receiving 2-3 credits in a single month, and the extra ones they give you usually are not clawed back. (Normally you’ll receive the credit successfully on the 1st of each month, so there usually aren’t many chances to game this.)

What if it expires?

If you missed last month’s credit and forgot to use it, you can try asking AMEX for it back. If you tell them how regretful you are about missing the opportunity, maybe the rep will simply give you a statement credit.

Related Tips

Sign-up bonus

Uber sign-up bonus:

• Uber sign-up link ($2 off your first 3 rides)

Uber Eats has referral bonuses. The targeted best offer can be as high as $15 off your first order; some people get $10 off, and most get $7 off. If you can’t find a better sign-up offer, feel free to use ours:

• Uber Eats sign-up link (enter referral code: eats-jqof6v or eats-zhous106ue)

Cash back

Uber occasionally appears on some cash back apps, and Uber Eats currently has fairly consistent Shopping Portal cash back.

• TopCashback: only a small amount of cash back on your first Uber Eats order, similar to a new-user bonus
• Rakuten: currently 4%; you need to click through from the Rakuten app to the Uber Eats app
• Drop: currently 4%; you need to click through from the Drop app to the Uber Eats app

About Uber Eats

You can also refer to our earlier article, which includes some tips for ordering from another city or even another country:

• Uber Eats ordering app introduction

Uber Rewards

Uber also has its own rewards system. The program has 4 tiers. Everyone starts at the Blue base tier, then advances by earning points. The top Diamond tier includes complimentary ride upgrades.

• Uber Rewards introduction

Use pre-tax income to commute with Uber

If you often use Uber to commute, there is good news: Uber partners with companies such as WageWorks, making it possible to use pre-tax income to ride UberPOOL. That can save you the income tax on that portion, effectively giving you about a 20%-30% discount.

• Use pre-tax income to commute with Uber

Applying for and holding the Platinum card

In short: apply at the beginning of a month (roughly the first half), or near year-end. There are three scenarios:

• For example, if you open the card in early July (roughly the first half of the month), you should receive the card by the end of July. Assume the annual fee posts that same month (July X). Then you can enjoy credits from that month through the following July, for a total of 13 months of credit, worth $215. After the annual fee posts on July X of the second year, you have 30 days to cancel the card. Once August begins, you can use that month’s $15 credit and then cancel right away after ordering. In the whole process, you used $15+$200+$15=$230 in credit;
• Similarly, if you open the card in early November (roughly the first half), you would ultimately receive $15 (first month) + $200 + $35 (the cancellation month in December of the second year) = $250;
• Finally, if you open the card in early December (roughly the first half), you would ultimately receive $35 (first month) + $200 + $15 (the cancellation month in January of the third year) = $250

Considering that the AMEX airline credit ($200) renews every January, and the Saks credit ($50) renews every January and July, if you open the card in early December each year, you would span three calendar years. In addition to one extra $35 in Uber credit, you would also get a new airline credit in January of the third year and a new Saks credit in January of the third year. That means a total of three airline credits, four Saks credits, and $250 in total Uber credit. $200+$200+$200+$50+$50+$50+$50+$250=$1,050. If there isn’t a great welcome bonus available, maybe we can all wait until early December to apply for the various versions of Platinum.

【Note: The various versions of the AMEX Platinum have similar benefits, the annual fee is expensive, and the airline credit is not easy to use now. Unless you have a particularly strong reason, holding just one is probably the better long-term approach.】