20 American Eagle Sale Hacks That'll Get You Free Jeans in 2023

An American Eagle sale is the perfect time to save up to 65% on jeans, T-shirts and more. But occasionally the retailer also runs limited-time promos with one-off savings just for the heck of it. Like their “Trick or Try On” event running in-store only from Oct. 27 – 31. During this event, American Eagle Real Rewards members just have to head into an AE location and try on a piece of new arrival merchandise (look for signs that denote it qualifies). Then, they get 31% off a top of their choosing (it does not have to be a new arrival). This is limited to one per customer (exclusions apply).

Of course, there are other ways to to save money at this retailer, and we’re about to get into all of that below.

Download the KCL app or text HACKS to 57299 and we’ll keep you up to date on all of the latest deals and sales.

 

1. Join American Eagle Real Rewards to get up to 8% cash back on every purchase.

American Eagle’s RealRewards offers three “levels,” based on how much you spend in a year.

• Level 1 (Any purchase) — Earn 10 points per dollar you spend and get a $5 rewards when you reach 1,250 points: 4% cash back
• Level 2 (Spend $15 per year) — Earn 15 points per dollar you spend and get a $5 rewards when you reach 1,250 points: 6% cash back
• Level 3 (Spend $350 per year) — Earn 20 points per dollar you spend and get a $5 rewards when you reach 1,250 points: 8% cash back

Learn which stores have the best free store loyalty programs.

 

2. Get up to a 25% off American Eagle birthday coupon during your birthday month.

As Real Rewards member, you’ll also get a special discount on your birthday — Level 1 receives a 15% off coupon, Level 2 gets a 20% off coupon and if you’re a Level 3 member, expect a 25% off Happy Birthday coupon.

Only bad news is you can’t stack this coupon with other offers.

 

3. Get 2x points on every American Eagle jeans purchase.

As a Real Rewards member, you’ll get 2x points for jeans purchases — doesn’t matter if you make one purchase a year (Level 1) or you blow every paycheck on American Eagle sales (Level 3). Everyone gets 8 – 16% cash back on jeans purchases!

TIP: If you sign up for the RealRewards credit card, you can get 20% off your first purchase. But considering American Eagle sale prices and the ability to earn other American Eagle coupons, the credit card may not be worth it. You’ll automatically upgrade to Level 2 as a cardholder, but weigh this with the other perks and benefits of an American Eagle Real Rewards card. If you shop American Eagle sales regularly, the card may not be worth it as you get so many perks as a Level 3 loyalty program member already.

 

4. If an American Eagle sale happens after you make a purchase, you can still get the sale price.

This is called a price adjustment, and it’s a magical little way to save money on something after you’ve made the purchase. It only works if the item you bought gets marked down and it’s within a 14-day window.

Just bring your receipt into the store and ask for a price adjustment when your item gets a price drop within the first two weeks.

 

 

5. If you don’t see your size on the floor, ask an American Eagle associate to check the back.

American Eagle stores only keep a few of the sizes on the floor, but that doesn’t mean they’re out of your size — ask them to look in the back if you don’t see what you need.

 

6. American Eagle employees get up to 40% off. (Jeans experts get up to 80% off.)

Sure, it might be an employer incentive to wear American Eagle clothing to work, but either way, this is a sweet perk!

When you first get hired, you’ll get a 50% discount for your first week. After that, the standard employee discount is 40% off.

But if you become a Jeans Expert, you can get up to 12 items a month for 60% off and three items a month for 80% off. The items must all be for you — so you cannot buy your sister a pair of jeans with your discount.

 

 

7. Use discounted gift cards to save up to 28% on top of American Eagle sale prices.

Gift cards that people sell at a loss should be your shopping BFF.

Discounted gift cards are real gift cards you buy for less than its face value — for example, if it’s worth $25.00, you buy it for $20.00.

We’ve seen American Eagle gift cards reach as high as 28% off at sites like Card Bear, which is a great discount to use on top of coupons and an American Eagle sale!

 

8. Use American Eagle gift cards at Aerie stores.

Since Aerie is owned by American Eagle, you can use their gift cards interchangeably.

Use this strategy along with the discounted gift card strategy. Buy whatever retailer’s discounted gift card offers better savings! For example, at the time of this writing, an AE gift card is worth 28% savings and an Aerie card is worth 26%. Go with AE. Or buy them both and combine them to pay for your purchase!

 

9. Stock up on American Eagle undies when you can get them for $4 each or less.

Once a month, you’ll see a deal on American Eagle and Aerie undies, like “10 for $38.”

Aim to spend less than $4 per pair of underwear during this promotion. Each pair comes out to $3.80 each. When you see this particular American Eagle sale, stock up!

 

10. Stock up on American Eagle jeans when you see them for $24.99.

Checkout the ae.com clearance section and you’ll find American Eagle sale jeans for as low as $24.99. You’ll save up to 58% because these jeans are normally $59.95.

Otherwise, plan to spend your Real Rewards points on jeans! Even better, spend them on clearance jeans.

 

11. Shop American Eagle sale racks at the end of each season.

You can get up to 50% off clearance prices once a quarter, typically toward the end of each season. This is a great time to get cheap jeans and T-shirts.

TIP: Stock up on basics like jeans, T-shirts and more for back to school during the summer clearance sale.

 

12. Students get a 20% discount when shopping online.

Are you a student? Just download the UNiDAYS app and get access to 20% off every time you shop ae.com.

The only bummer is the American Eagle student discount is only good on regular-price items.

 

13. Don’t buy outside shoe brands like Hunter boots at AE — buy them at 6pm.com instead.

When you shop online at American Eagle, you get access to loads of brand-name items like Hunter, Birkenstock and more.

You can get these brands for up to 55% less online at 6pm.com.

Hunter Original Short Gloss Rain Boot

• American Eagle: $140.00
• 6pm.com: $63.75

Birkenstock Arizona Sandal

• American Eagle: $110.00
• 6pm.com: $52.50

 

14. In fact, don’t bother with any American Eagle shoes at all. They’re made cheaply.

Outside brands are cheaper elsewhere and AE’s brand of shoes and boots won’t last longer than a season or two.

If you find shoes you must have and you can get them for at least 50% less than regular price during a sale, you could make an exception and get them. Otherwise, stay away!

 

 

15. Look for deals on jeans, bras, underwear and outerwear during Black Friday.

During the days leading up to Black Friday, American Eagle sales really shine.

Plan to see $17.99 jeans, “10 for $30” underwear (that’s $3 each!), 60% off clearance sales, 50% off hoodies, outerwear and more.

Plus, free shipping!

 

16. Only shop American Eagle online if you plan to spend at least $75 to get free shipping.

Basically, shop in the store if you just need one inexpensive item. Otherwise, you’ll pay $7 for shipping.

 

 

17. Or opt for free store pickup if it’s available at your location.

American Eagle offers free store pickup and even curbside pickup at some locations.

If your store offers either of these options, you’ll see it during checkout. Instead of selecting shipping, choose pickup.

 

18. Get free shipping when you add a swimsuit or a bra to your online order.

I’m not suggesting you do this instead of paying $7 for shipping because you’ll pay a lot more than $7 to add a suit or a bra, but if you’re planning to buy one of these items, that’s the time to toss in a graphic tee or something else. The whole order will ship for free!

 

19. Get an extra 25% off when you refer a friend (they’ll get 20% off).

Enter your friends’ email addresses, and if they sign up and make a purchase, you’ll get a 25% off coupon.

20. Recycle your old jeans for $10 off a new pair (and 2x points).

American Eagle has partnered with “Cotton’s Blue Jeans Go Green” program to turn your old jeans into housing insulation. In exchange, you’ll also get a coupon for $10 off a new pair of jeans! Helping the environment and a discount as well? That’s something we can happily get behind.