Source

From creating a Facebook Page to claiming your Google My Business listing, I know it can seem overwhelming to have to list your business in so many places – but I promise there’s a reason for them all.

And here’s one more.

If your business accepts American Express then you should add their Shop Small® Map to your to-do list. Like your directory listing on the chamber website, it can help drive potential customers your way.

What’s unique about this one is that you will be recommended to American Express Card Members through their targeted marketing.

There is no additional cost to your business to be included in these offers. Just claim your qualified listing.

Now is a great time to get your business added or updated, because they’re running a campaign through 9/20/2020 offering more cashback to their cardholders that shop small.

Shop Small Map FAQs

On this page:

• Do you qualify to be listed?
  • Online businesses
  • Service businesses
  • Home-based businesses
• How to claim or update your listing
• Why doesn’t my business show on the map?
• Why do some businesses show TripAdvisor reviews?
• What are the highlighted Card Member Favorites?
• Why is the chamber promoting this?

Do you qualify as an American Express Card accepting Small Merchant?

To qualify for placement on the Shop Small Map or Online Directory, Merchants must meet the following qualification criteria:

• You must be an American Express Card accepting Merchant;
• You must be located in the 50 United States, District of Columbia, American Samoa, Armed Forces Pacific, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Marshall Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands.
  • For brick-and-mortar businesses, this means that you must have at least one physical business location within these territories; for online-only businesses, this means that you must have a service area within these territories;
• You must have at least 1 but no more than 25 locations (for brick-and-mortar businesses) and meet certain American Express annual charge volume requirements;
• You must not be part of a franchise brand that has more than 250 stores; Additionally, if a franchise brand has more than 25 corporate-owned stores, then the entire brand is excluded;
• Businesses in these industries are excluded: Government agencies, public administration, gas stations and businesses located on the same premises as a gas station, travel agencies, charities, non-profits, peer-to-peer payments, crowdfunding, trade associations, shopping property management companies, direct sellers, and political organizations;
• In some cases, if you process American Express Card payments solely through a third party processor (for example, those that offer the ability to accept credit cards through a card reader attached to a mobile device) or as part of an affiliate program, you may be excluded from participating in the Shop Small Map depending on whether or not the third party provides sufficient data for American Express to determine if your business meets the foregoing qualifications.

updated 06/30/2020

My business has a physical location but I also operate online. Can my business be included on both the Shop Small Map and the Online Directory?

It depends. Each location displayed on the Shop Small Map or Online Directory is tied to a unique Merchant Number/Access Code, so you can only indicate one listing preference per Merchant Number/Access Code.

If you have separate Merchant Numbers/Access Codes for your physical store and your online business, you may include one on the Map and one on the Online Directory.

However, if you use the same Merchant Number/Access Code for both parts of your business, you will need to choose to be listed either on the Shop Small Map or the Online Directory because you can’t be listed in both.

I provide a service, such as personal fitness training, and I don’t have a storefront or online store. Can I be included on the Shop Small Map or Online Directory?

Yes! You can include your business on the Online Directory section of the Shop Small Map. This directory is for businesses that do not have a physical address for shoppers to visit. When confirming or adding your business information, make sure you update your URL, and in the Servicing section, make sure the “This is not a location Card Members can visit” checkbox is checked.

Note for Home Based Businesses

You need a physical location to be listed on the map. If you don’t want your personal address listed, you can choose to be listed on the online-only directory instead of the map.

How to update your Business Information with American Express

If it’s your first time, you will need your Merchant Number or Merchant Access Code, a ten digit number issued by American Express.

If you’ve received an email from “American Express Merchant Services” regarding your business, you may be able to find this number in the top right corner of the communication. If you are unable to find this number, unsure whether you have received a Merchant Number/Access Code, or can’t recall your Merchant Number/Access Code, you can call the Shop Small servicing center at 1-800-235-8916 (9am EST to 6pm EST, Monday through Friday).

Once you have your code:

1. Log into your Merchant account here
2. Click on your business location. A page will display your business location’s public information as it will be seen on our Shop Small Map and in other marketing channels, provided you complete the steps that follow.
3. Click the edit icon on the right side of the page to update your business location’s public information.
4. Make sure the checkbox is checked to indicate you want to get free exposure for your business by allowing your public business information to be seen on our Shop Small Map and other marketing channels.
5. Click the “Save” button after making changes in each portion of your location details to save your updates. Updates can take up to 3 days to be reflected on the Shop Small Map or Online Directory.

I tried searching for my business on the Shop Small Map or Online Directory, but it did not appear in the search results. Why would this be happening, and what can I do?

(You can view the Shop Small® Map here)

• Your business location(s) may not qualify. Please review the current qualification criteria set forth in FAQ 5 to see if your business location qualifies to appear on the Shop Small Map or Online Directory.
• Your business location(s) may qualify to appear, but you may need to indicate your preference for including your business location(s) on the Shop Small Map or Online Directory. (See how to update your listing)
• Updates can take up to 3 days to be reflected on the Shop Small Map or Online Directory.
• You may have previously removed your business from a Shop Small campaign. If so, your business location(s) will not appear on the Shop Small Map or Online Directory. You can opt back in to include your business location(s) on the Shop Small Map or Online Directory by checking the checkbox that allows us to include your public business information on the Shop Small Map or Online Directory and in other marketing channels, as outlined above.
• American Express Maps only returns 100 businesses for each search. The system takes into consideration a proprietary mix of factors to filter to those 100.
• Filtering by industry or entering more of the address information may return different search results.

Why do some businesses have TripAdvisor reviews and ratings while others do not?

TripAdvisor reviews and ratings are displayed in cases where they have been able to link an American Express Merchant to a TripAdvisor listing.

On American Express Maps, some Merchants are highlighted as Card Member Favorites. What does this mean?

Card Member Favorites are the exceptional local businesses Card Members can’t live without. We tally up the places Card Members value and visit the most and designate them as Card Member Favorites. It’s a way to recognize and thank these local spots and help Card Members discover more places to shop, eat, and enjoy.

When Card Members see that a business is a Card Member Favorite, they know that other Card Members value and visit this business the most. It is a sign of Card Member trust.

To learn more about the Card Member Favorite program, please visit here.

Why is the chamber promoting this?

The local business climate is of utmost importance to the chamber. We want to ensure our community remains positive and supportive for quality sustainable growth and a thriving economy. We are constantly working with a variety of local and national partners to support our local businesses.

American Express is the founding partner of Small Business Saturday, and has created free Shop Small resources that can help your business stand out, and reach and attract new customers throughout the year.

Okay, I’m listed, Where’s the Free Marketing?

Great! That alone will help you be promoted to American Express Card Holders.

If you want to take it further, you can:

• Check your map listing
• Use their free signage
• Promote campaigns & sales around Small Business Saturday & other Shop Small promotions

Otherwise, all you need to do now is what you’re good at – focus on your business.

To learn more about the free benefits you receive as part of accepting American Express, please visit americanexpress.com/marketing.