Opinion on Amex Clear?

MountainHiker · ‎10-03-2012

How does this card stack up to the Amex Blue cards?

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ajh5408 · ‎10-03-2012

With BCE/BCP on the market, it's just not worth it... Fees are somewhat lower, but if you're fee-averse to begin with, it's just a straight 1% card with the odd quirk that rewards are automatically distributed months after you earn them in the form of $25 AMEX gift cards.

Also, the experience of most posters has been that you can't PC a Clear card into any other product, so if you get it, you're stuck with it.

Anonymous · ‎10-03-2012

The Amex Clear is useless compared to the BCE/BCP. The rewards are terrible and it doesn't even waive all fees (forex fees are still charged). If you are the type to incur the fees that are waived by this card, Amex isn't for you.

youngandcreditwrthy · ‎10-03-2012

I think the rewards are better w BCE even though the Clear does look pwetty :-)

TheConductor · ‎10-03-2012

If you are the type to incur the fees that are waived by this card, Amex isn't for you.

This is the crux of it right here. It's such a weird product for that very reason...why would Amex have a product that is really only going to appeal to the kind of customer Amex doesn't want? If you're constantly doing cash advances on credit, paying late, and going over your limit, then yeah, it's a great card. And Amex doesn't want you for it.

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thom02099 · ‎10-03-2012

@MountainHiker wrote:
How does this card stack up to the Amex Blue cards?

Clear is your garden variety basic AMEX card. As others have noted, bennies with the other AMEX products are superior. I chose the Clear card primarily since I didn't need any sort of significant rewards program, was more interested in the brand, and more importantly, to add my kids as additional card-holders. They have their own cards, own card number tied to mine, and they get my history with AMEX. Good basic card to start kids out, so you can monitor their activities before letting them go on their own. Plus, they thought the cards were really cool looking !

espnjunkie · ‎10-03-2012

I honestly have no idea why anyone would choose the clear over the Blue Cash Everyday. It's an all around better card. The BCP annual fee pays for itself pretty quickly if you buy 50 bucks of groceries per week or so

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