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What is alternate option to Zync now?

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GoldenloveNY
Frequent Contributor

Re: What is alternate option to Zync now?


@Cdnewmanpac wrote:

@Anonymous wrote:

I'd really find it hard to believe the Zync was anyone's goal card.  It may have been a good card to use for awhile, but it seems like there are all kinds of better choices out there once you have (re)built your credit.  I'm sure Amex won't force everyone out of the card for awhile, so just continue using it for now and you will probably be able to qualify for a better card before you are forced out.


It was my "goal" card. I wanted a charge card that could do 3 things: work at Costco, allow me to charge large purchases (that exceed my credit limit on revolving cards), get Amex purchase protection for complex or high risk items I order on the internet. The zync did all three of these for much less than the green.

People go on and on about MR vs MRE, but I got 1cent/point every time I converted points to Home Depot GCs. No fees, worked great. I know you can't push points to airlines, but with a green card I wouldn't have had enough points to make it a concern. Also, I fly United and Southwest almost exclusively, so pushing miles to partners I don't use isn't really useful either.

 

Plus, at the moment I don't have another card that has a restaurant multiplier. Yes, I eventually plan to use either a CSP or Citi Forward for this, but that is probably a year away. In the meantime, I have already run about 4000 in restaurant spending through the card, so Green would have yielded at least 4000 fewer points.

 

I am not averse to paying annual fees. 4 of my 6 cards have fees. I earn plenty of money, but I did the math and once I subtract the $125 difference between PRG and zync, I still would have earned more points using Zync. Green and Gold are relics and Platinum, while easily affordable, is not something I would use enough to justify. I don't need prestige from my cards. And if I did, I've gotten plenty of waiters impressed with my "white" Amex already.

 

I honestly plan to keep the Zync  as long as it works. One of these days, I'm going to burn out on clinical medicine and may very well accept one of the consulting jobs I get offered. That would mean weekly travel, etc. and I would clearly migrate to a PRG or Platinum. But otherwise, the Zync gives me exactly what I want for the least amount of outlay. And despite what several have suggested, I think Amex is just fine with me as a member and has no desire to see me go away.


+1! This is exactly my stance on Zync. It wasn't for everyone. It had it purposed. It was geared toward a specific population, and/or specific spending habit. It didn't go as AMEX planned, but it was a winner for many. I was "pre-approved" for their Green charge card, but I still went for the Zync. Why? I am not a traveler. I am college student. I don't care about "MR vs MRE". I loved the packs. It was geared towards ME, not the business traveler accross the room. Perhaps in the future, I will do traveling and in that case, the "higer-end" charge card might be beneficial, but either way, I am happy with my Zync....Zync serves my purpose now. I got my foot in the AMEX door, and that is what matters to me.

 

Citi Double Cash: $1,000
Capital One Secured: $500
Capital One Savor One: $1,650
Amex Gold- NPSL.
Amex Platinum- NPSL.
Amex Delta Gold: $1,000
Best Buy Store Credit Card: $2,000
Amazon Store Credit Card: $6,000
Verizon Visa Card: $2,000

Bj's Perks Elite Mastercard: $2,300

Merrick Credit Card: $1,400
First Savings Credit Card: $1,250
Message 51 of 61
MrShush
Valued Contributor

Re: What is alternate option to Zync now?

@espnjunkie, the Green isnt a shoddy card, it is a basic charge, their bread and butter. No there isnt a fantastic point multiplier, but it serves its function. It was my first card back in with them in June 2010. I used it and they rewarded me. Summer 2011, they ran a promo for dining where they would credit the statement for restaurant charges. I received close to $300 back in statement credits. Very worth the annual fee.
Message 52 of 61
Revelate
Moderator Emeritus

Re: What is alternate option to Zync now?


@MrShush wrote:
@espnjunkie, the Green isnt a shoddy card, it is a basic charge, their bread and butter. No there isnt a fantastic point multiplier, but it serves its function. It was my first card back in with them in June 2010. I used it and they rewarded me. Summer 2011, they ran a promo for dining where they would credit the statement for restaurant charges. I received close to $300 back in statement credits. Very worth the annual fee.

Think you meant that to me, but in reflection I was being somewhat hypocritical vis a vis the Zync works for me and as such isn't a junk card, and the Green doesn't and ergo it's shoddy.  My apologies on that, but I meant it in terms of the 1% typical reward max on a Green compared to what can be gotten elsewhere even at the subprime strata.  I'm unfamilar with the Amex promotions on the card, thank you for pointing those out to me.

 

Edit: June 2010 in my opinion the Green looked a lot better than June 2012 with BOFA's 1-2-3 rewards and Chase Freedom now both available to deep subprime which in my limited opinion are both better everyday cards than a Green as far as rewards go if one doesn't travel, which is yet another generalization Smiley Sad.  Having a bad day week apparently.

 

 




        
Message 53 of 61
MrShush
Valued Contributor

Re: What is alternate option to Zync now?


@Revelate wrote:

@MrShush wrote:
@espnjunkie, the Green isnt a shoddy card, it is a basic charge, their bread and butter. No there isnt a fantastic point multiplier, but it serves its function. It was my first card back in with them in June 2010. I used it and they rewarded me. Summer 2011, they ran a promo for dining where they would credit the statement for restaurant charges. I received close to $300 back in statement credits. Very worth the annual fee.

Think you meant that to me, but in reflection I was being somewhat hypocritical vis a vis the Zync works for me and as such isn't a junk card, and the Green doesn't and ergo it's shoddy.  My apologies on that, but I meant it in terms of the 1% typical reward max on a Green compared to what can be gotten elsewhere even at the subprime strata.  I'm unfamilar with the Amex promotions on the card, thank you for pointing those out to me.

 

Edit: June 2010 in my opinion the Green looked a lot better than June 2012 with BOFA's 1-2-3 rewards and Chase Freedom now both available to deep subprime which in my limited opinion are both better everyday cards than a Green as far as rewards go if one doesn't travel, which is yet another generalization Smiley Sad.  Having a bad day week apparently.

 

 


Oh, my bad espnjunkie--thanks for point that one out Revelate.

 

I understand your point of view one the other tiers of AMEX charges. I don't particulary have a need for the Platinum right now, but I still carry it. I do wish the rewards were more attractive to justify the the hefty fee, but I have taken advantage of many of the benefits like upgraded rentals, airport lounges, concierge (that failed), signup bonus, 20% bonus MR points when booking vacations, etc. Keeping it past next June, however, might call for a downgrade.

 

Message 54 of 61
kibarrow
Established Member

Re: What is alternate option to Zync now?

Hey guys... I spoke with AMEX jsut this morning. After April Amex WILL be allowing upgrades from Zync. The rep could said which cards specifically she could not comment on. "probably Green and GOLD to fit in line with Charge card as Zync is".
So that's awesome news. Also... if upon expiration, mine in 2016, they will renew it. For now.. 1:1 dollar to MR Express.

http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/2760iB9166C1A493A3CBC/
Message 55 of 61
birjest
Frequent Contributor

Re: What is alternate option to Zync now?

I concur with Kibarrow, I just got off the phone with AMEX, and I was informed that the card will be eligible for an upgrade on 15th April.  Now, I don't want to get rid of my lovely card, but the MRE can't be compared to the MR.  any thoughts...


5/30/15 EQ 596; TU 605; EX 580.
12/18/17 EQ 646; TU 660; EX 674.
7/30/23 EQ 708; TU 703; EX 721.
Message 56 of 61
RyVision
Valued Contributor

Re: What is alternate option to Zync now?


@birjest wrote:

I concur with Kibarrow, I just got off the phone with AMEX, and I was informed that the card will be eligible for an upgrade on 15th April.  Now, I don't want to get rid of my lovely card, but the MRE can't be compared to the MR.  any thoughts...


 

Last year while I was on the phone with AMEX, they asked me if I wanted to upgrade it to something else (I don't know why they asked, I didn't even know it was eligible at all at the time, maybe she meant in the future being I asked about upgrading my BLUE later).  I told them no (I was just seeing about a CLI on my BLUE, no PCs) and that I liked the low AF and the look and uniqueness of the card, odd as that may sound.   She agreed and said she understood. I don't use it enough to justify the higher AF.  I don't see myself giving up my Zync regardless of what other AMEX products I might consider.


AKA 840flippedto480
Message 57 of 61
a3quit4s
Regular Contributor

Re: What is alternate option to Zync now?

+1 to whoever said Zync was easy to get so you could say you had Amex. That's what I did. I have the PRG now and will cancel when the annual fee comes do. I think I remember someone saying you had to spend like 30K on it a year to justify that. I was trying to get BCP and evne with the info in my sig I was still declined due to INQ which is stupid because Merrill Lynch told me that didn't matter when I got the Merrill + but every company is different and

 

Y

M

M

V


EQ 733 3/3/13 GOAL: 800 Merrill Lynch Merrill+ $12,500 | AMEX BCE 6K | AMEX PRG NPSL | CSP 6K | Freedom 5K | Discover IT 5K | HVFCU 10K | American Eagle Visa 5K | Citi Thank You Preferred 6,100

In the garden since 4/22/13 | Hating on Capital One since '09
Message 58 of 61
jm00ser
Regular Contributor

Re: What is alternate option to Zync now?

Sweet! Good to hear about the upgrade. I presume that upgrading will not require a HP?

In full gardening/ debt annihilation mode! (4/15/13)
Notre Dame FCU Visa 0/2k (8/04); CapOne Best Buy 800/1.5k (7\06)
Citi Thank You World MC 4800/9.7k (1/11); Amex Zync NPSL (9/11)
Chase Freedom Visa 1600/3.8k (9/11); Chase Southwest RR Premier Visa Signature 4300/10.7k (6/12); Discover It 0/3k (7/12)
EQ: 751 (4/1/13) EX: 742 (4/8/13) TU: 732 (4/8/13)
Message 59 of 61
RyVision
Valued Contributor

Re: What is alternate option to Zync now?


@jm00ser wrote:

Sweet! Good to hear about the upgrade. I presume that upgrading will not require a HP?


99.99% of the time no, AMEX doesn't HP for PCs or upgrades.   I don't say 100% because nothing ever truly is 100%.   Also, on my call with them I asked about that specifically and was told "We never do a hard inquiry for upgrades or credit limit increases."  That was during a phone conversation with a credit analyst, not a first line CSR, if that means anything.


AKA 840flippedto480
Message 60 of 61
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