You tweet it, you bought it.
With a new program launched this week, copying a hashtag and tweeting about means the purchase will appear on next month's Amex statement. Can it really be that easy to charge say a brand new LG 80-inch HDTV for $17,000? Sure, if your credit limit is high enough.
American Express this week added a new feature to its Sync with Twitter program that allows approved cardholders to tweet and buy American Express gift cards as well as merchandise from a handful of retailers, including Amazon, Sony, Urban Zen and Xbox 360 .
Over the past year or so, the credit card company has been testing its social syncing service by letting cardholders receive discounts on Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare . For instance, after syncing a card with Twitter, a user can copy an Amex Sync special-offer hashtag and receive a discount on a Sony TV. The savings appear as a credit on the customer's next Amex statement after making a qualifying online purchase in the Sony Store. Hundreds of retailers and customers have signed up for the program, according to an Amex statement.
The new tweet-to-buy feature adds a few extra steps plus a 15-minute time limit to make your purchase. Here's how it works:
- Go to the Amex Sync site and follow the instructions to sync your credit card with your Twitter account.
- Follow AmexSync on Twitter and then look for tweets from American Express in your Twitter feed with a special hashtag. Tweet the hashtag and then watch for a response from @AmexSync with the confirmation hashtag.
- You must confirm your purchase by tweeting the confirmation hashtag within 15 minutes of receiving the confirmation. Your product will be delivered to the address you have on file with American Express.
In a Groupon -style offer, Amex Sync offered a $25 American Express gift card for $15 by tweeting #AmexGiftCard25. The offer quickly sold out.