A Wren Says

Today is September 29. It is nearly the end of the quarter, meaning the AmEx Platinum cardholders will be scrambling to make sure they use their $75 lululemon credit before midnight tomorrow.

Several months ago, American Express added the credit as a benefit, demonstrating the value of the $595 fee beyond travel. And I say they’ll be scrambling because many see it as they would be leaving money on table. Surely, they have to act now. But, just here, like I always am, I am here to tell you: You don’t have to buy anything.

I don’t mean you can get the credit for doing nothing. You absolutely have to spend money to get the credit back to your account. But, hear me out. It may not actually be saving you money.  I just remember scouring the Saks Fifth Avenue website biannually so that I didn’t “waste” my $50 credit when that was a thing. I definitely ended up spending more instead of saving money, because I wouldn’t have shopped otherwise. It wasn’t worth it for me to do that. And clearly it didn’t even keep Saks away from the edge of bankruptcy.

The point of this relationship is to drive you towards lululemon to increase their sales. And in turn, lululemon pays American Express the credit card processing fees. If you were already a fan of the brand, this great for you. If you were hoping to try the brand, also good. But if you fall into neither category, it’s okay to sit this

Don’t let American Express or lululemon hold you hostage. You can go on your merry way, buy nothing, and be okay. All this is to remind you that at the end of the day, “It’s just marketing.” Don’t get caught up in it, unless this is actually in your best interest.