Good morning everyone. On May 1, American Express introduced many new (temporary) benefits to the American Express Business Platinum Card, including a $20 monthly credit for shipping (which includes USPS, UPS & FedEx) that is valid from May 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020. A few days ago, I wrote How to Purchase & Print USPS Shipping Labels Online (AMEX Business Platinum Card $20 Monthly Benefit). I’ve also read a few other blog posts where travel bloggers said that they will buy $20 of stamps every month, even though they have no need for stamps. I thought it would be a good idea to share 2 strategies for buying stamps online. Just a heads up, the USPS charges a small $1.30 shipping charge for buying stamps online, but if you would rather avoid the $1.30 fee, you can visit your local post office.
Strategy 1: Buy Stamps Throughout the Year for the Holidays
You might be surprised to know that there are 40 different versions of Forever Stamps currently available for sale on the USPS website, with new stamp designs added throughout the year. If you are someone who sends Christmas / Hanukkah / holiday greeting cards, there are several options available and you can purchase the necessary stamps monthly throughout the year. If you live in Alabama or Maine, there are also specific stamps featuring your state.
Strategy 2: Buy Stamps to Resell on eBay
Another strategy that works well with most AMEX Platinum statement credit offers is to buy something, earn the statement credit, then sell the item on eBay (or your other favorite marketplace). As of early May, here are some recent USPS Forever Stamp listings that sold on eBay. From doing my research, the classic US Flag design is the most popular choice and sells year-round. Here are some recent sales:
- 200 stamps = 10 books of 20 stamps x $11 per book = $110 in postage, sold for $85 = 77% return
- 100 stamps = 5 books of 20 stamps x $11 per book = $55 in postage, sold for $50 = 91% return
These numbers do not factor in eBay fees (~10% of the selling price), PayPal fees (~3% of the total amount paid), and shipping cost (~$3-$5). Considering American Express is giving all AMEX Business Platinum cardholders $160 of shipping credit in 2020, you can sell $160 of USPS Forever Stamps and make some money. Alternatively, if you know any local businesses or schools that send mail, maybe you can sell your stamps directly to them for a small discount and avoid all the online selling fees and shipping costs.
Here is the direct link for the US Flag Forever Stamps. 2 books of stamps will cost $22 + $1.30 shipping.
If you want to get closer to $20, you can get 1 book of US Flag Forever Stamps and 1 book of TREX Forever Stamps for $19.80 + $1.30 shipping.
And if you are a big fan of Scooby Doo cartoons, you can get 3 books of Scooby Doo Forever Stamps for $19.80 + $1.30 shipping.
Like I mentioned earlier, there is a small $1.30 shipping fee for buying stamps online, but you can avoid that fee if you buy stamps in person at the post office. You can probably get the US Flag design at your local post office, but there is no guarantee that your local post office will have some of the other styles.
I hope those 2 strategies are helpful and you take full advantage of the $20 monthly shipping credit and all the other temporary benefits that were recently added to the American Express Business Platinum Card. If you have any questions about buying or selling USPS Forever Stamps online, please leave a comment below. Have a great day everyone!
Do you think there will be clawbacks if not used on shipping? Wonder if they get l3 data
I don’t think so, but you never know with AMEX. I think as long as you buy something from the USPS, UPS, or FedEx, you should be fine. Is there something in mind that you think might be clawed back by AMEX?
I think that stamps might get clawed back. Shipping of course if fine. But if you combine the two, maybe it will slip through!
I don’t see how AMEX could claw back the purchase of stamps from the USPS. That is almost the definition of shipping.
Some organizations like League of Women Voters are asking volunteers to send postcards to encourage voter participation. One could buy and donate postcard stamps (less expensive than letter postage), and take it as a tax deduction (if to a charitable 501(c)(3) group – or not, if to a group not designated as a charity). Since this is an election year, the May to October credits are well timed for using stamps for that purpose.
That is a great idea, Judy. Here is a link to the 35 cent postcard stamps: https://store.usps.com/store/product/buy-stamps/coral-reefs-postcard-stamp-S_745104