What does the (SM) after Blue Cash Preferred mean?

Anonymous · ‎03-02-2015

I've seen this on a few other cards as well, but what does it stand for?

NRB525 · ‎03-02-2015

Service Mark

Slightly different than a TradeMark

High Bal Jan 2009 $116k on $146k limits 80% Util.
Oct 2014 $46k on $127k 36% util EQ 722 TU 727 EX 727
April 2018 $18k on $344k 5% util EQ 806 TU 810 EX 812
Jan 2019 $7.6k on $360k EQ 832 TU 839 EX 831
March 2021 $33k on $312k EQ 796 TU 798 EX 801
May 2021 Paid all Installments and Mortgages, one new Mortgage EQ 761 TY 774 EX 777
April 2022 EQ=811 TU=807 EX=805 - TU VS 3.0 765

Anonymous · ‎03-02-2015

Thanks! I tried googling it a thousand ways and couldn't make the search bring relevant results.

It's weird that Amex does this, but neither Discover nor Chase do the same. Is it just because it sounds so generic without it? "It" is pretty generic, too, for that matter.

NRB525 · ‎03-02-2015

Discover does, it's using a Registered Trademark however. It depends on what they can lock down with the US Patent and Trademark Office.

High Bal Jan 2009 $116k on $146k limits 80% Util.
Oct 2014 $46k on $127k 36% util EQ 722 TU 727 EX 727
April 2018 $18k on $344k 5% util EQ 806 TU 810 EX 812
Jan 2019 $7.6k on $360k EQ 832 TU 839 EX 831
March 2021 $33k on $312k EQ 796 TU 798 EX 801
May 2021 Paid all Installments and Mortgages, one new Mortgage EQ 761 TY 774 EX 777
April 2022 EQ=811 TU=807 EX=805 - TU VS 3.0 765

Anonymous · ‎03-02-2015

Ah, interesting.

Well thank you for answering my question, it was bugging me to no end.

Anonymous · ‎03-02-2015

ha just learned something ..

thom02099 · ‎03-03-2015

A trademark includes any word, name, symbol, or device, or any combination, used, or intended to be used, in commerce to identify and distinguish the goods of one manufacturer or seller from goods manufactured or sold by others, and to indicate the source of the goods. In short, a trademark is a brand name and applies to goods.

A service mark is any word, name, symbol, device, or any combination, used, or intended to be used, in commerce, to identify and distinguish the services of one provider from services provided by others, and to indicate the source of the services. Unlike a trademark, it applies to services rather than goods.

Basically, a trademark and a service mark serve the same purpose but one identifies a source of goods and the other identifies a source of services. Generally, the process of obtaining a federal registration is the same for either a service mark or trademark.

An example.... think of a University such as Duke University. Duke is clearly a service mark because they provide educational services. But the school also sells merchandise such as t-shirts, coffee mugs, etc. Whenever the word "Duke Univesity" is applied in association with goods, it is a trademark. Whenever a college brochure is sent out to prospective students, the term "Duke University" is used in association with a service. The sole purpose of the the trademark/service mark is to identify a level of quality assocaited with the good or service, whether it is good or bad, there is an consumer impression of brand quality that is developed over time.

Source: http://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/service-mark-vs-trademark-761.html et al

NRB525 · ‎03-03-2015

which is fine, except that most credit cards show Registered Trademark symbol, the R in a circle, and very few have SM.

Is a Discover card a product or a service? Discover uses R rather than SM.

Most of the other AMEX logos and names are also R, only a few are SM.

Hilton HHonors is a Trademark, but Surpass is a Registered trademark.

So the academic explanation is nice, but the real world does what it wants

High Bal Jan 2009 $116k on $146k limits 80% Util.
Oct 2014 $46k on $127k 36% util EQ 722 TU 727 EX 727
April 2018 $18k on $344k 5% util EQ 806 TU 810 EX 812
Jan 2019 $7.6k on $360k EQ 832 TU 839 EX 831
March 2021 $33k on $312k EQ 796 TU 798 EX 801
May 2021 Paid all Installments and Mortgages, one new Mortgage EQ 761 TY 774 EX 777
April 2022 EQ=811 TU=807 EX=805 - TU VS 3.0 765

lg8302ch · ‎03-03-2015

@Anonymous wrote:
ha just learned something ..

me too ..

thom02099 · ‎03-04-2015

@NRB525 wrote:
which is fine, except that most credit cards show Registered Trademark symbol, the R in a circle, and very few have SM.

Is a Discover card a product or a service? Discover uses R rather than SM.
Most of the other AMEX logos and names are also R, only a few are SM.
Hilton HHonors is a Trademark, but Surpass is a Registered trademark.

So the academic explanation is nice, but the real world does what it wants

Agreed. And in the "real world" (folks not on forums), does it really matter??