American Express Shop Small 2026: A Share of Up to $2 million in Grants for Small Businesses

Now in its 14th year, the Amex Shop Small initiative backs small businesses and encourages consumers to spend in their local communities. 

And this year, they’re providing even more support to help businesses grow, innovate and support their local communities with up to AUD $2M via the Amex Shop Small Grants program. Read on to learn how to get involved and apply for a grant. 

What's new: the Amex Shop Small Grants program

Amex is partnering with Mainstreet Australia to launch the Amex Shop Small Grants program, a new initiative designed to help small businesses grow, innovate, and support their local communities. Here's how the funding works:

• The program will provide an initial $1 million – with $20,000 grants to 50 small business owners across Australia. Plus, every time an Amex Card Member makes an eligible transaction at participating Shop Small businesses during  1-7 Aug 2026, Amex will contribute an additional $1 to the Grants program, up to $1 million, providing up to 50 additional grants of $20,000 each.  

• With up to $2 million of Shop Small grants, eligible small business owners can apply for grants of $20,000 each to help their business grow, innovate and support their local communities.

Key dates

• Grant applications open: 27 July 2026

• When Amex Card Members can boost contributions by shopping: 1–7 August 2026

• Grant applications close: 6 September 2026

• Grant recipients notified: October 2026

• Grant period (funds put to use): October 2026 – April 2027

Could this be you?

Learn more about the Amex Shop Small Grants program and apply for a chance to receive $20,000 in funding for your small business. Eligibility and T&Cs apply.

Find out more here

Why you should accept Amex at your business

If you’re not already, the Shop Small initiative is the perfect time to start accepting Amex at your business. Between 2013 and 2025, the Shop Small campaign has driven $9.8 billion in spending at participating small businesses across Australia (1). Plus, with Amex now accepted at millions of locations across Australia (2), customers increasingly expect it to be an option, and turning it away can be enough to send them to a competitor instead. The good news is that accepting Amex no longer means paying a premium for the privilege: with Zeller Terminal, every card is charged at the same low, flat rate as all other cards, so there's no reason to leave valuable, Amex-carrying customers, or their spend, at the door.

Ready to accept Amex?

Get started with Zeller Terminal and make sure you're set up to capture every eligible transaction during Shop Small this August.

Learn more

Sources:

1. Based on Amex internal data. Includes spend by all Amex Card Members at businesses included

2. Source: Data based on acceptance locations as of Dec 2025. Locations in force represent proprietary and partner acquired merchant locations where the merchant is enabled to accept American Express. LIF estimates incorporate data provided to us by certain third parties.