whats so special of amex card?

[H4LO]

TBH. There is nothing really special about any AMEX card. It's just another Charge/Credit Card.

I find it funny that people go on about the SYNC offers... You're falling for their marketing trick. You're spending money you other wise probably wouldn't be spending. Even if the retailer is the one footing majority of the bill.

I also find it funny that people wave it as a "pretty looking card" or use it as some sort of status symbol.
I find the behavior akin to those pre-08 crash that had a $300k house and a had 2 brand new cars but only brought in $25K. As if you had some "status symbol".

It's late. I digress.

Nothing special about it. 

[Legen_dary]

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@H4LO wrote:

TBH. There is nothing really special about any AMEX card. It's just another Charge/Credit Card.

I find it funny that people go on about the SYNC offers... You're falling for their marketing trick. You're spending money you other wise probably wouldn't be spending. Even if the retailer is the one footing majority of the bill.

I also find it funny that people wave it as a "pretty looking card" or use it as some sort of status symbol.
I find the behavior akin to those pre-08 crash that had a $300k house and a had 2 brand new cars but only brought in $25K. As if you had some "status symbol".

It's late. I digress.

Nothing special about it. 

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Actually the sync offers (for me at least) seem be at places where I already spend money.. so I view it as a benefit.

[PrimeRate]

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@Legen_dary wrote:

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@H4LO wrote:

TBH. There is nothing really special about any AMEX card. It's just another Charge/Credit Card.

I find it funny that people go on about the SYNC offers... You're falling for their marketing trick. You're spending money you other wise probably wouldn't be spending. Even if the retailer is the one footing majority of the bill.

I also find it funny that people wave it as a "pretty looking card" or use it as some sort of status symbol.
I find the behavior akin to those pre-08 crash that had a $300k house and a had 2 brand new cars but only brought in $25K. As if you had some "status symbol".

It's late. I digress.

Nothing special about it. 

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Actually the sync offers (for me at least) seem be at places where I already spend money.. so I view it as a benefit.

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There's plenty special about AMEX.

AMEX customer service is outstanding. I've never had to call twice on an issue. I've never had to wait on hold for a representative. I've never felt like I had to fight their system to get their system to fight for me. SP CLI's. APR reduction offers w/o asking. They've really done it all for me.

As far as the Sync bashing above goes...If you're opting in for $100 back on a "Diesel" jacket purchase of $500, it's more than likely a bad buy.

@However, I find $10 off on grocery purchases of 75 or more, spend 5 get 5 off on Starbucks/DD, Spend 30 get 5$ off @ BP, along w/ constant pet supply offers and many more; are already part of my monthly spend. When you add into the equation the cashback %'s on these purchases you are getting on top of the money off, this takes AMEX from good value to superb value.

If snazzy offers on things you don't need affect your purchasing, I recommend you cut your cards now.

[Focused10]

AMEX cards typically offer more benefits than other cards. I just received the AMEX Eveyday with no AF and I'm excited about all of the beneifts it offers, such as 6% on groceries. Compare the benefits to others and I think you'll agree. 

[longtimelurker]

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@Focused10 wrote:

AMEX cards typically offer more benefits than other cards. I just received the AMEX Eveyday with no AF and I'm excited about all of the beneifts it offers, such as 6% on groceries. Compare the benefits to others and I think you'll agree. 

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Mmmm.    6% is on the Amex Blue Cash Preferred, with a $75 AF.  The Everyday gives 2MR on groceries (both up to $6K) with no AF.  That's 6% only if you cash MR at 3c each.

And no, they really don't offer more benefits than other cards as a whole.  So Sallie Mae offers 5% on groceries, but also 5% on gas vs 3% on gas (and 5% on bookstores).  Other cards, such as Citi Prestige, offer generous benefits for those that can use them.

Note I am not saying Amex is bad (some of their cards ARE, but not as a whole), just that many issuers have one or two cards that are best in class for that type.

[Josh2942]

I just used that one lol. I also did spend 30 at BP and Mobile and get 5 back. Also slit of restaurants and shopping stores offer good cash back. A lot more places accept amex than people think. Places that say they don't often have the ability to. I only carry my blue card and my licenses. If they don't take it they are out if luck lol

[longtimelurker]

Interesting choice of go-to card!  Amex Blue is a 1% card at best isn't it?

[H4LO]

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@TheOptimusMan wrote:

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@Legen_dary wrote:

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@H4LO wrote:

TBH. There is nothing really special about any AMEX card. It's just another Charge/Credit Card.

I find it funny that people go on about the SYNC offers... You're falling for their marketing trick. You're spending money you other wise probably wouldn't be spending. Even if the retailer is the one footing majority of the bill.

I also find it funny that people wave it as a "pretty looking card" or use it as some sort of status symbol.
I find the behavior akin to those pre-08 crash that had a $300k house and a had 2 brand new cars but only brought in $25K. As if you had some "status symbol".

It's late. I digress.

Nothing special about it. 

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Actually the sync offers (for me at least) seem be at places where I already spend money.. so I view it as a benefit.

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There's plenty special about AMEX.

AMEX customer service is outstanding. I've never had to call twice on an issue. I've never had to wait on hold for a representative. I've never felt like I had to fight their system to get their system to fight for me. SP CLI's. APR reduction offers w/o asking. They've really done it all for me.

As far as the Sync bashing above goes...If you're opting in for $100 back on a "Diesel" jacket purchase of $500, it's more than likely a bad buy.

@However, I find $10 off on grocery purchases of 75 or more, spend 5 get 5 off on Starbucks/DD, Spend 30 get 5$ off @ BP, along w/ constant pet supply offers and many more; are already part of my monthly spend. When you add into the equation the cashback %'s on these purchases you are getting on top of the money off, this takes AMEX from good value to superb value.

If snazzy offers on things you don't need affect your purchasing, I recommend you cut your cards now.

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Sure. AMEX CS is great. Though so is the CSP's CSRs. 

While I guess I get a good offer one time or another, most of the offers are for "hip" junk that I'd never purchase. Though I know who it's marketed to and who will fall for it.

Don't get me wrong, AMEX is great. Though it's not the holy grail of all cards as some make it out to be.

I use my AMEX BlueCash for 5% on Gas and use my CSP/FIA AMEX for pretty much everything else. 

[takeshi74]

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@Christina_xyt wrote:

so why is it so special?

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It's not about why AmEx is "so special".  It's about whether or not their specific products suit you -- same as any other card out there.  Backdating does apply to all AmEx cards.  I added 2 new AmEx cards last year and since my MSD is 1998 they both report as 16 year old accounts thanks to backdating.  The 3x CLI (read the 3x CLI thread) is also something that find useful about AmEx's revolvers.  I've used it on both of those cards.

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@Christina_xyt wrote:

Why do my friends tell me that amex is generally more difficult to get?

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Because they generally have stricter underwriting approval critiera.  However, not all of their products have the same critiera and several are easy to get.

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@Christina_xyt wrote:

I don't really like it so much since some places don't take amex.. 

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Does that really trump all other benefits for you?  Acceptance is a bit more limited compared to Visa and MasterCard but I still find my AmEx cards very useful.  Same for my Discover card.

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@Closingracer99 wrote:

Oh yea i forgot about the Cap... But still $6000 with 6% cash back is pretty great and then 1% on that 4% would still make it a card thats probably one of the best if you spend a lot on grocories every year.

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As longtimelurker says it really depends on spend.  There's a chart out there that longtimelurker mentions that compares the BCP, BCP & Sallie Mae.  For very high levels (don't recall the break point off the top of my head) of spend the old Blue Cash is an even better fit.

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@H4LO wrote:

I find it funny that people go on about the SYNC offers... You're falling for their marketing trick. You're spending money you other wise probably wouldn't be spending. 

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That's not a given.  One could be spending money that one would not otherwise spend.  Or one could be spending money that one would have spent anyway.  Nothing inherent about Sync that makes it what you assert.

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@H4LO wrote:

I also find it funny that people wave it as a "pretty looking card" or use it as some sort of status symbol.

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People do that with all sorts of products.  It's not the product that's the issue in such cases -- it's the people.

[kaskuli]

Amex has the best AU management. If you want to add a family member to your account, Amex lets you get your OCD on and micromanage the heck out of them.