Your best (and worst) looking cards?

[recordaras]

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@Themanwhocan wrote:

I don't have this card, the cashback is only 1% for the first $1000 of spending per month. But, I do like the image:

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That's pretty awesome, although in general I tend to prefer a nice design and not an image on a cc. NASA can definitely get away with it though.

[p-]

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recordaras wrote:  Which cards are your personal favorites design-wise? And which ones are the ugly ducklings?

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Can't believe no one has mentioned the Amex Unicorn yet:

The pic doesn't show how it shimmers and sparkles.  Oh, +1 on the Freedom.  That looks nifty too.

My least favorite would have to be the Orchard Bank Gold Card.  They took a cheap looking sunset card and turned it onto something that looks right at home in an off the strip low rent casino.  I feel like I should be smoking hand rolled cigarettes, drinking well drinks, and playing penny slots while wearing leopard print pants and a cowboy hat when I use it.  If I ever have to pay rent on a half spot at a trailer park adjacent to an airport runway, I know which card to use.  It has all the glitz and glamour of gold paint on Styrofoam.

[p-]

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370Z wrote: Personally, I think all cards that are all or mostly black are just plain ugly, like my previous BoA card. No creativity whatsoever.

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Yeah, I always brag that I have a black amex card, but the USAA design is not fooling anyone.  They could really do something neat with this; maybe a slick carbon fiber background with a monochrome amex logo or something...

[recordaras]

Haha, I had to google that one after that description... I think it definitely deserves to be presented here:

(PS - that was the largest image Google has of it)

[WunderCard]

The lack of durability on the BCE is a huge pet peeve of mine.

I like to think a prime card should have an air of quality about it, but after about 3 months of usage the BCE looks like an old scratch off lottery ticket.  The blue design starts decaying literally the FIRST time you swipe it.  I can't believe Amex uses such a crappy printer.

I've gotten into the habit of ordering a new BCE card about once or twice per year.  It's free and you keep the same acct number, but they extend your expiration date by another year.

[recordaras]

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@WunderCard wrote:

I like to think a prime card should have an air of quality about it, but after about 3 months of usage the BCE looks like an old scratch off lottery ticket.  The blue design starts decaying literally the FIRST time you swipe it.  I can't believe Amex uses such a crappy printer.

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I was SO excited to get my first Amex, I literally RAN up the stairs to get inside and open the envelope... And then there was instant disappointment followed by an attempt at denial ("Maybe it's not as bad as I think?.. Maybe it looks.. unique?"), then I took it out on my first shopping trip and saw the hologram and clear plastic pretty much get murdered by a couple of swipes, and then finally came acceptance that nothing in life is perfect, lol.

[recordaras]

By the way I think the Discover It is a great example of creative and simple cc design that just works.

The BCP seems pretty awesome, and what do you guys think about the Inks? They look pretty nice on product images, what are they like in reality?

[p-]

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recordaras wrote: ...I had to google that one after that description... I think it definitely deserves to be presented here

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The original card I got was orange with a sunset or something... but they sent a replacement card and it came in gold.  And it was a new gold design, without the black lettering.  The gold sparkles like glitter at a cheap cabaret, and it has kind of a sparkly doodled line all over the front.  No luck finding one of those on Google.

Also, it's amazing how many pictures of Mr. T come up when you do that search.  Maybe he designed it....

[p-]

You know, a card design contest would be a great promotion.  Get a mid-level card issuer to come up with a new rewards card, and set up a contest where you have to app and be approved to enter, but then you get to submit a design for the card.  Winner gets a 100k miles bonus or something.

Would you app for that?  Hello myfico marketing peeps, did you catch that?

[Radek7752]

I definitely like the look of the Chase Freedom Visa. The Signature version looks even better than the standard one in my opinion. I also like the look of the Sapphire Preferred. The silver Mastercard logo looks great on the back.

My least favorites are the Discover IT and the Citi Simplicity. Perhaps if the Discover IT was made of some kind of metal then the look would make sense.