Amex Essentials coming to US?

[Anonymous]

The Amex Essentials card looks like the old zync card did but isn't yet offered here. It just dropped in Canada after runs in the UK and Australia.

The main selling point is the low fixed interest rate. I'm wondering if anyone knows whether it'll drop here in the US? As well as open discussion on the card.

[Anonymous]

Picture? 

---

@Anonymous wrote:
The Amex Essentials card looks like the old zync card did but isn't yet offered here. It just dropped in Canada after runs in the UK and Australia.

The main selling point is the low fixed interest rate. I'm wondering if anyone knows whether it'll drop here in the US? As well as open discussion on the card.

---

[Xistaben2]

I wonder how it would stack up against the Ring or the Rate Advantage.

IMO they would have to beat those APR's just based on the fact that AMEX isn't as accepted as Visa/MC or they would have to offer something the other two don't.

I've also heard of people getting their Amex ED cards APR lowered to like 6% in some cases.  If one could do that, it might render this card obsolete if it came to the US.

[CreditMagic7]

Agree that it would have to prove that it's in the range of some of the other lenders (like Ring for one example) with a decent enough fixed rate.

Thanks for bringing attention to it but time will tell if it trickles downwind to the states or not.

[galahad15]

I googled it and it appears the fixed APR is 14.99% F?

They advertise the fixed rate as being low, but IMO it's still too high for me to be interested, even if they introduced it into the U.S.

ETA:  do we mean "fixed" as in "fixed-rate APR", or a specific offered variable APR, instead of a range?

[Xistaben2]

---

@galahad15 wrote:

I googled it and it appears the fixed APR is 14.99% F?

They advertise the fixed rate as being low, but IMO it's still too high for me to be interested, even if they introduced it into the U.S.

ETA:  do we mean "fixed" as in "fixed-rate APR", or a specific offered variable APR, instead of a range?

---

Yeah, 14.99% isn't going to cut it - my EDP was 13.14% at approval and Ring is 8.25% for everyone.

I know the Ring is still variable I thing, but its soft fixed as a certain % over prime.

[SunriseEarth]

---

@galahad15 wrote:

I googled it and it appears the fixed APR is 14.99% F?

They advertise the fixed rate as being low, but IMO it's still too high for me to be interested, even if they introduced it into the U.S.

ETA:  do we mean "fixed" as in "fixed-rate APR", or a specific offered variable APR, instead of a range?

---

APRs are often higher in other countries than they are in the US.  So that might be a "low" interest rate for Canada.

And if you want a low APR on an AMEX revolver, just ask and ask again.  Over time, I've lowered my BCE APR to 8.75%...it definitely gives Ring a run for its money.

[Anonymous]

That's a pretty cool card.. thanks for opening the discussion on it OP!

More selection and competition is always better. I hope it comes to the USA!

[Anonymous]

---

@Xistaben2 wrote:

---

@galahad15 wrote:

I googled it and it appears the fixed APR is 14.99% F?

They advertise the fixed rate as being low, but IMO it's still too high for me to be interested, even if they introduced it into the U.S.

ETA:  do we mean "fixed" as in "fixed-rate APR", or a specific offered variable APR, instead of a range?

---

Yeah, 14.99% isn't going to cut it - my EDP was 13.14% at approval and Ring is 8.25% for everyone.

I know the Ring is still variable I thing, but its soft fixed as a certain % over prime.

---

Does the Barclays Ring even have rewards? 

I checked around and a product manager said, "we can't afford to offer rewards with the 8.25% rate we offer with this card." 

Yeah okay, that's why credit unions can offer rewards cards with rates around there or lower. 

As much as Barclays tries to pretend they care about the customer, they don't. In fact, they probably have the worst customer service in the industry as well as the worst lineup of cards. 

At least this AMEX would have a rewards program and the second best customer service in the industry. A credit card without a rewards program is pointless to use. 

[Closingracer99]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

---

@Xistaben2 wrote:

---

@galahad15 wrote:

I googled it and it appears the fixed APR is 14.99% F?

They advertise the fixed rate as being low, but IMO it's still too high for me to be interested, even if they introduced it into the U.S.

ETA:  do we mean "fixed" as in "fixed-rate APR", or a specific offered variable APR, instead of a range?

---

Yeah, 14.99% isn't going to cut it - my EDP was 13.14% at approval and Ring is 8.25% for everyone.

I know the Ring is still variable I thing, but its soft fixed as a certain % over prime.

---

Does the Barclays Ring even have rewards? 

I checked around and a product manager said, "we can't afford to offer rewards with the 8.25% rate we offer with this card." 

Yeah okay, that's why credit unions can offer rewards cards with rates around there or lower. 

As much as Barclays tries to pretend they care about the customer, they don't. In fact, they probably have the worst customer service in the industry as well as the worst lineup of cards. 

At least this AMEX would have a rewards program and the second best customer service in the industry. A credit card without a rewards program is pointless to use. 

---

You can't really compare a Credit Union and a Bank... One is a non profit and well the other sole purpose is to make one... A credit union can offer that because its not a Bank and vise versa with Banks...