English edition · checked 2026-10-18

Shopping portals and card-linked offers: track the rules

A shopping portal, card offer and ordinary card reward are separate earning paths. Check each set of terms before you buy and save proof until the rewards post.

Separate the three reward paths

• Airline or hotel shopping portal: sign in to the loyalty account and click through the portal or use its official app. Eligible portal purchases can earn rewards in that programme.
• Card-linked offer: add an offer to a specific eligible card, then shop at the participating merchant with that same card. The reward may be a statement credit, points or another benefit, depending on the offer.
• Ordinary card rewards: eligible purchases may earn base or category points under the card’s own terms.

These are separate systems. A shopping-portal visit does not register you for a card offer, and adding an offer does not guarantee that portal tracking worked.

Check these items before checkout

1. Sign in to the intended portal and confirm the merchant, country, product and offer are currently eligible.
2. Read portal terms for link-through requirements, permitted coupon codes, payment method, eligible purchase amount and returns.
3. If you have a card offer, add it to the specific eligible card before buying and use that same card for the qualifying purchase.
4. Check whether merchant coding, a mobile wallet or a third-party payment service affects ordinary card rewards.
5. Record the deadline and save the order number, receipt, click confirmation or account screenshot.
6. After a return or refund, check whether portal miles, card points or statement credits are reversed.

Two examples with separate rules

United MileagePlus Shopping publishes a merchant directory and portal offers; its site says earned miles post to MileagePlus after a purchase, subject to each merchant’s terms. American Express Offers requires the cardmember to add a particular offer to an eligible card before using the same enrolled card with a participating merchant. Registration, currency, purchase channel, minimum spend and expiration date depend on the individual offer.

Do not spend extra to earn a bonus or assume the advertised rate will post. Merchant reporting, an unpermitted coupon, a different payment path or a returned purchase can affect the reward.

Official sources

• United MileagePlus Shopping.
• American Express Offers: how to enrol and check eligibility.
• American Express Offers programme terms.
• Checked 18 October 2026. Portal, merchant, card and individual-offer participation rules can change.

Keep reading: Where miles come from · Read loyalty promotion terms · US travel rewards cards