Opinions Needed! What would you REALLY pick?

[DrZoidberg]

I've used my Centurion card at Starbucks with no second look or anything. They are probably too busy to notice anyway.

[Trivolve]

No experience with CU but if they don't give any type of cashback, I would only get it to pad my utilization.

But since I don't need to, I would get the Amex BCE. Plus, AMEX has a lot of one-time offers listed on their website that are awesome (i've used $25 off amazon, $5 off chevron, $10 off small business day, etc)

[fot1]

Why are we just picking one card?.. Get 3-4 good/great cards and cover all your bases..lol

[Anonymous]

Well the goal was to compare Amex to all other available credit cards out there and see if it still comes out on top.

[Gunnar419]

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@DrZoiberg wrote:

Not everyone can get a NFCU card and not everyone can get Amex. Both have their appeals to their certain clients. You prefer NFCU and I'd take my Amex. Most people like the NFCU for the high credit limits, but see little value otherwise. As the saying goes (and I know from belonging to car forums how true this statement is) "to each their own."

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Anybody can work their way up to an Amex simply by building good credit. Most people wouldn't qualify for NFCU or PenFed no matter what we did because we don't have government connections.

[parakleet]

I don't understand why it's so necessary to have to put down Amex because you like NFCU so much. NFCU is a fine bank that offers good products but people also like Amex for the MR points. One's not necessarily better than the other. One may just fit people's different needs. Also, there really seems to be a lot of fear mongering about FRs - they really are not that common as people seem to make it. On here flip side, other companies will just close your accounts if they see something they don't like without the benefit of giving you a chance to explain. I don't see people knocking citi or chase when they do that so I just don't understand why there's such consternation about why some people want Amex and etc.

and I say this as someone who doesn't have a MR card. I prefer to rack up UR points personally as it meets my current needs. I do have a BCP that I use exclusively for groceries. 

[parakleet]

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@DrZoiberg wrote:

I've used my Centurion card at Starbucks with no second look or anything. They are probably too busy to notice anyway.

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+1 as someone who used to work at Starbucks, trust me, no one is looking at your card during the morning rush. 

[Anonymous]

Lol no I get that. But as a previous employee, you get that a lot of "elitist" type people come to Starbucks   My brother is one of them lol.

I used my Chase card in Jan-Mar there because of the points and 5% cash back

P.S. I guess it's a different strokes for different folks kind of deal like one poster mentioned. So if everyone else had to say, is Chase the #2 credit card lender in the U.S. with Amex being first? I'd say BoA is at least 3rd or 4th. I do like them.

[longtimelurker]

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@Gunnar419 wrote:

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@DrZoiberg wrote:

Not everyone can get a NFCU card and not everyone can get Amex. Both have their appeals to their certain clients. You prefer NFCU and I'd take my Amex. Most people like the NFCU for the high credit limits, but see little value otherwise. As the saying goes (and I know from belonging to car forums how true this statement is) "to each their own."

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Anybody can work their way up to an Amex simply by building good credit. Most people wouldn't qualify for NFCU or PenFed no matter what we did because we don't have government connections.

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Unlike NFCU, Penfed is also open to all by a one time membership fee (~$20) to an affiliated org.

[longtimelurker]

There are lots of different measures, http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/credit-card-industry-facts-personal-debt-statistics-1276... has lots of facts.  Basically Amex has many fewer cards than Visa or MC, but spending per card is much higher.

Can't quickly find break down of volume by issuer, but the customer satisfaction results are interesting (since as a consumer this is really what matters most).  For 2013, the JD Powers survey http://www.jdpower.com/press-releases/2013-us-credit-card-satisfaction-study  ranked: