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Within the American Airlines AAdvantage program, travelers often look for ways to earn American miles to redeem for award flights. But many travelers are also seeking ways to earn Loyalty Points toward a specific American Airlines elite status tier or Loyalty Point Rewards milestone.
Luckily, U.S. residents with a Mastercard can earn American miles and Loyalty Points on many everyday purchases through the SimplyMiles program. Here's what you need to know.
What is SimplyMiles?
The SimplyMiles program is similar to Amex Offers, Chase Offers and Citi Merchant Offers in that you enroll in offers and get rewards. But while you enroll a specific card for credit card merchant offers, SimplyMiles offers let you pay with any linked Mastercard once you enroll in an offer.
To enroll in SimplyMiles, head to the SimplyMiles website and click the "Join" link in the upper right-hand corner. Log into your American AAdvantage account and add at least one Mastercard to your SimplyMiles account to get started. However, I recommend adding all your Mastercards to your SimplyMiles account so you don't miss out on earning opportunities.
Related: Best uses of American Airlines AAdvantage miles
Using American Airlines SimplyMiles
Once enrolled, occasionally head to the SimplyMiles website to check your offers. Some offers provide miles based on your spending, while others award a set amount when you spend a specific amount with a merchant.
While looking through your offers, add any you want to use to your account by clicking "Activate offer." However, some offers can only be redeemed online or in-store, while other offers require you to click through a specific link or are only valid for specific purchases. So be sure to read the terms of each offer before making a purchase.
I usually have various offers ranging from meal delivery services to wine services and technology companies. You'll see all the offers you've already activated near the bottom of the screen.
You'll usually earn AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points when you make an eligible purchase with a card you've added to your SimplyMiles account; some offers may only offer bonus miles or Loyalty Points, though. Then, each time you make an eligible purchase, you'll receive an email with "Thank you for using your SimplyMiles offer" in the title.
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You can also check your earnings by clicking "My activity" near the top of the webpage. Once the page loads, scroll down to the "Activity details" section and expand the "SimplyMiles transaction history" to see your recent earnings.
Miles will usually appear in your account within 10 to 15 business days of your purchase. However, it can sometimes take up to 30 business days for your earnings to post.
Related: AAdvantage Dining program: Earn American miles and Loyalty Points at local restaurants
Stack your earnings
Earning American Airlines miles and Loyalty Points through the SimplyMiles program is great. The terms and conditions state: "Offers cannot be combined or stacked with offers from other programs." However, the offers are sometimes still stackable.
For example, you might be able to stack all the following earning methods on one purchase made with a Mastercard you've enrolled in SimplyMiles:
- SimplyMiles
- Shopping portal rewards
- Credit card rewards
Of course, for this triple stack to potentially work, the merchant needs to participate in SimplyMiles (without a requirement to use a specific link) and a shopping portal. For example, let's assume I wanted to buy some accessories from Dell Technologies.
Currently, the SimplyMiles portal would give me 2 miles and 2 Loyalty Points per dollar on up to three purchases with Dell Technologies using a linked Mastercard. However, you can't earn more than 3,485 miles and 3,485 Loyalty Points through this SimplyMiles offer.
I could use an enrolled Citi AAdvantage card to earn 1 mile per dollar on my Dell Technologies purchase. And the AAdvantage eShopping portal would give me 3.5 miles per dollar on Dell Technologies accessories.
You might also try to stack a Citi Merchant Offers deal. However, you can no longer stack most SimplyMiles offers with most Citi Merchant Offers. For example, you'll usually see the merchant disappear from SimplyMiles when you enroll in a Citi Merchant Offer. And if you add a SimplyMiles offer to your account before enrolling in a Citi Merchant Offer, your SimplyMiles offer for the merchant will usually be removed. So you may want to avoid enrolling in conflicting Citi Merchant Offers if you'd rather earn via SimplyMiles.
Bottom line
There is no shortage of ways to earn AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points. From the AAdvantage eShopping portal to American Airlines credit cards, you don't have to fly frequently to earn American Airlines miles and status.
The SimplyMiles program is a great tool if you're looking to earn more miles and Loyalty Points when shopping. From gas stations to clothing and luggage delivery services, you'll find various merchants on the SimplyMiles website. However, offers are frequently added, so you'll want to check for new offers every week to maximize your earnings.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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