Is Amex good to have?

[longtimelurker]

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@Anonymous wrote:

If you are looking for a travel card, Amex is the way to go. They have such a variety of products for that purpose, as well as cashback and other cards. T

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Not sure that is really true.  Depending on your travel needs, particularly partners, many find Citi Prestige to be better than any Amex card, and there are lots of cards from other issuers, including Chase, that have good travel benefits.

[Turbobuick]

Amex day to day rebates aren't anything special. They do offer many "deals" and some them can save you an instant $25-100 x mulitple cards. If they are things you would normally be buying anyway, they can kickback some substantial rewards.

[bada_bing]

Up until 3-5 years ago, Amex had a cachet, and was "worth it" to get in with as company,

if you could. They have let most of the differences between them and other issuers go away.

Now, they are just another money center bank issuer. Because of that, I would judge their offerings

by the same standard you use with any other issuer's offerings.  

[takeshi74]

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@Anonymous wrote:
Is American express a good card to have if so what's the best one and how hard is it to get.

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American Express is a creditor, not a product.  Don't select a creditor and then try to justify a card from the creditor.  Sort out your needs/wants and use that to find specific cards that suit you.

Good, best, etc are always highly subjective.  You need to provide a lot more information regarding what you specifically need and want from a card if you want feedback.  Selecting a card isn't about the card itself but what suits the individual.

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@Anonymous wrote:
I'm looking for a better cash back card my citi DC is my best right now. I do medical transport so I spent tons on gas every week

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If you're looking for rewards on gas then find cards that offer better rewards on gas.  The Penfed Platinum Cash Rewards, for example, offers 5% on gas at the pump.

If rewards are a priority then determine what your biggest spend categories (including noncategory) are.  Find cards that maximize rewards on that spend.  Don't just rely on %.  Do the math for your spend to you understand how much in rewards you're talking about.

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@Anonymous wrote:

If you are looking for a travel card, Amex is the way to go.

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That's a gross oversimplification and much more due diligence and consideration of one's specific requirements is required.  Do not simply conflate travel with AmEx.

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@bada_bing wrote:

Up until 3-5 years ago, Amex had a cachet, and was "worth it" to get in with as company,

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Worth is also highly subjective.  Cachet, prestige, image, etc are irrelevant.  Again, consider your specific need/wants and how well a given product fits those requirements.