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Delta’s updated SkyMiles Platinum and Reserve cards now offer monthly $10 rideshare rebates. That’s nice for people who use rideshare services regularly, don’t have other sources for rideshare credits, and don’t have more rewarding cards to pay for rides. For the rest of us, I dug in to see how we could best use these credits…
Overview
The following credit cards now offer monthly $10 rideshare rebates:
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
There are a couple of important things to know about earning these credits:
- You must enroll in this benefit before paying for rideshare services. After logging into your American Express account, go to the Benefits page; make sure you have selected your Delta card (if you have multiple Amex cards); click the “Enroll” link to bring up all of the benefits that require enrollment; then enroll in the Rideshare benefit.
- You may pay for rideshare with the primary card or an authorized user card, but each account is only eligible for up to $10 in statement credits per month, for a total of up to $120 per calendar year. In other words, your authorized users don’t get their own additional credits.
- Purchases with the following rideshare companies qualify for this rebate:
- Uber
- Lyft
- Curb
- Revel
- Alto
- The following types of purchases do not count according to the terms: delivery services (e.g. food delivery, groceries, etc), bikeshare, scooter, car rental, transit, membership, or any other non-rideshare services offered by the rideshare providers.
Now let’s take a look at each Rideshare provider to see what will work to earn these credits…
Uber
I tried out various options to see if they’d work despite the terms saying otherwise. As far as I can tell, the only way to use this credit is as intended. Uber charges look completely different when you use the Uber app to pay for rideshare, to order Uber Eats, to reload credit, etc. So, it seems that Amex will only credit true rideshare use.
Here’s what I’ve tried:
- Uber Eats: Doesn’t work
- Reload Uber cash: Doesn’t work
- Send a gift (gift card): Doesn’t work (as reported by Sue)
- Uber One membership: Doesn’t work
- Transit tickets: I haven’t tested this
- Uber Rental cars: I haven’t tested this
- Uber Charter: I haven’t tested this
- Vouchers for Events: I haven’t tested this
Lyft
Lyft appears to offer more options than Uber for using the rideshare credit:
- Add Lyft Cash: This worked. The smallest amount Lyft will let you add is $25, but I did receive $10 back from Amex for this.
- Subscribe to Lyft Pink: I haven’t yet tested this since I currently have free Lyft Pink thanks to my Sapphire Reserve card.
- Rent Scooters & Bikes: In my area, Lyft offers the option to rent scooters. In other areas you may have the option to rent bikes. I haven’t yet tested whether this triggers the credit.
Car Rental: Lyft shut down their car rental service on September 1, 2023.
Curb
Curb is an app that lets you book taxis. It is available in New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Miami, Ft Lauderdale, and Los Angeles.
Since I wouldn’t normally use this app at all, I like the idea of setting up this app to pay with my Delta card and using the app anytime I’m in one of the eligible cities and need a short ride.
Revel
Revel is a rideshare service with their own fleet of electric vehicles. Revel is available in New York City, parts of New Jersey, and surrounding airports.
Just like with Curb, I like the idea of setting up this app to pay with my Delta card and using the app anytime I’m in the New York City area.
Alto
Alto is a rideshare service with their own fleet of luxury cars. Alto is available in Chicago, Dallas, DC, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, and Silicon Valley.
Alto has a membership that is available for $12.95 per month. It’s possible that you could earn the $10 credit each month this way (if anyone tests this, please let us know the results). The membership offers discounts, priority bookings, and “exclusive promotions.”
Personally, I can’t see myself using this service, but if you live in one of the supported cities and tend to book luxury cars anyway, I could see the appeal.
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For the Resy restaurants, I learned that the QR code on the receipt they offered me to scan to pay is charged by a 3rd party instead of the restaurant…no credit. Tried just giving it to the waitress next time and it worked.
Good tip!
FYI, Alto shut down in Washington DC earlier this month. Their website lists only the following cities now: Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, and Miami.
Hi Greg, can you do a similar post about Resy credit? I found an active restaurant on Resy, went and bought a $10 gift card but I still haven’t received a credit back or any emails confirming eligibility.
It sounds like you did it right. Did you enroll in the benefit first? Another possibility is that some restaurants may use a different payment processor for gift cards. Not sure why they would but seems possible.
Hmm, interesting – so you don’t actually have to book/reserve/pay via Resy at all? You just have to show up at a restaurant that is on the Resy site and then make a charge?
PS – thanks Andrey for asking and Greg for answering. I came to the comments curious basically to ask the same question – are there any “creative” uses for the Resy credits – this helps.
Any idea if the Uber credit will post for overseas Uber rides? (Mexico)
Great question. I don’t know
non dollar denominated uber rides It do not work with AMEX Plat uber cash benefits. I doubt it will work for these
That’s a little different. The Platinum credits are for Uber cash which doesn’t work anywhere but within the United States. The Delta card benefit doesn’t rely on Uber Cash
Did you ever find out?
Foreign Uber trip didn’t work for me
Well, the Lyft credit on the $25 cash reload is at least something
Indeed, I’ll Be loading up on this. Thanks for the write up
@Greg
Hmm, I’m only seeing an option for cash reloading in-store. This is using the Android app if anyone can please detail exactly where to find the option to reload via credit card?
In Apple here’s how it works:
Click the menu then click “Payments”
Under Lyft Cash you should now see an option to add cash.
Weird, when clicking “Add Cash” in Android app, it only details how to reload in-store as opposed to in-app via credit card. Wonder if it is an account issue or specific to Android vs. Apple apps.
Huh. So you don’t see two links at the top: one “online” and the other “in-store”?
Nope. Guess it’s just me!
I have Android as well and only see cash instore option.
Bought a gift card on 4 Feb. Hasn’t credited yet.
Uber?
Yes.
Very easy to use with Citi Bike Share