topic Re: Opinions on Fidelity Amex? in Credit Cards

Opinions on Fidelity Amex?

thelethargicage — Fri, 19 Dec 2014 23:52:00 GMT

I'm thinking of apping for this card and using it to pay some bills (HOA fees for 2 properties and some other stuff) thru Serve and was wondering if it's worth the hassle.

How's FIA's web interface? I can access My BofA Cash Rewards thru BofA's site, but I haven't dealt with FIA's site in years. Has it been updated it at all?

Do you need to open a CMA account before apping or will be it be opened automatically for you upon approval?

Does this card qualify for Amex's Small Business Saturday promotions since it's a fake Amex?

Re: Opinions on Fidelity Amex?

Creditaddict — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 00:21:45 GMT

Great 2% card

website is update a bit but not as good as other sites

you will need to open CMA at some point to transfer the points from fidelity so you get the full 2% but it's not a hp and you don't have to anytime soon

no amex biz saturdays

Re: Opinions on Fidelity Amex?

thelethargicage — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 01:13:07 GMT

Thanks, Creditaddict.

Re: Opinions on Fidelity Amex?

psm — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 01:26:06 GMT

This card does get the small biz Saturday $. I got it on mine this year 3x $10

Re: Opinions on Fidelity Amex?

Creditaddict — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 01:27:25 GMT

Oh fab... Sorry for my mistake

Re: Opinions on Fidelity Amex?

Christina_xyt — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 02:01:10 GMT

i like the card except that its a bit ugly and light.. and not accepted everywhere due to amex..

but in my opinon its easier to obtain than citi DC...

also.. i kinda fall in love with my CMA.. they has little interest as well.. more like a money market account with a debit card that will refund you the atm fees.. very useful card..

it does have an annoying redeem threhold.. i think it's 50.. but as long as you reach 50, you can redeem whatever amount..

as for fraud department.. mmmm.. I had unfortunately had to dispute with two transactions before.. (one is because the waitor added more tip for himself, the other time was running another transcation on me, most likely was that my friend and I ordered the same drink and we gave him the card at the same time, but somehow both transactions were on mine)

Both time, they handled it well and credited me back permenantly.. well.. but again ... those were just around $10 transaction.. so i guess they couldn't care much as I have sometimes run over 10k in a month on them and pay it off before the statement cuts..

Re: Opinions on Fidelity Amex?

Anonymous — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 02:34:42 GMT

I find their fraud alerts fairly unintrusive. I regularly buy $5K of American Express Gift cards on the web. The second time they declined the transaction, but since then no problem. And the only other time was a $500 at CVS, where I hadn't used the card in the past.

So I like it a lot. But, if the DC had been around first, I might not have got this one. As it is, I really only use it for the Amex gift cards, and double cash for "live" uncategorized spend.

Re: Opinions on Fidelity Amex?

wacdenney — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 02:49:39 GMT

Excellent card. The CMA account is wonderful and what's not to like about 2%?!? Best thing about the card is that there's no longer any reason to ever take QS out of the SD again. I also got a good for me CL on it. FIA has been good to me so far. I have no complaints with them at all.

Re: Opinions on Fidelity Amex?

mongstradamus — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 02:55:43 GMT

@wacdenney wrote:
Excellent card. The CMA account is wonderful and what's not to like about 2%?!? Best thing about the card is that there's no longer any reason to ever take QS out of the SD again. I also got a good for me CL on it. FIA has been good to me so far. I have no complaints with them at all.

Well QS is still an option due to amex not being accepted everywhere, just to play devils advocate.

Re: Opinions on Fidelity Amex?

Anonymous — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 03:01:18 GMT

@mongstradamus wrote:
@wacdenney wrote:
Excellent card. The CMA account is wonderful and what's not to like about 2%?!? Best thing about the card is that there's no longer any reason to ever take QS out of the SD again. I also got a good for me CL on it. FIA has been good to me so far. I have no complaints with them at all.
Well QS is still an option due to amex not being accepted everywhere, just to play devils advocate.

But Wacdenney doesn't like Capital One in case you haven't noticed! So DC would be a good card where Amex isn't taken.

Re: Opinions on Fidelity Amex?

mongstradamus — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 03:03:25 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@mongstradamus wrote:
@wacdenney wrote:
Excellent card. The CMA account is wonderful and what's not to like about 2%?!? Best thing about the card is that there's no longer any reason to ever take QS out of the SD again. I also got a good for me CL on it. FIA has been good to me so far. I have no complaints with them at all.
Well QS is still an option due to amex not being accepted everywhere, just to play devils advocate.
But Wacdenney doesn't like Capital One in case you haven't noticed! So DC would be a good card where Amex isn't taken.

well i didn't think he had dc , i was going by the cards in his sig :-)

Re: Opinions on Fidelity Amex?

Anonymous — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 03:05:44 GMT

@mongstradamus wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@mongstradamus wrote:
@wacdenney wrote:
Excellent card. The CMA account is wonderful and what's not to like about 2%?!? Best thing about the card is that there's no longer any reason to ever take QS out of the SD again. I also got a good for me CL on it. FIA has been good to me so far. I have no complaints with them at all.
Well QS is still an option due to amex not being accepted everywhere, just to play devils advocate.
But Wacdenney doesn't like Capital One in case you haven't noticed! So DC would be a good card where Amex isn't taken.
well i didn't think he had dc , i was going by the cards in his sig :-)

I meant in general, so the QS doesn't need to be used.

Re: Opinions on Fidelity Amex?

wacdenney — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 03:07:59 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@mongstradamus wrote:
@wacdenney wrote:
Excellent card. The CMA account is wonderful and what's not to like about 2%?!? Best thing about the card is that there's no longer any reason to ever take QS out of the SD again. I also got a good for me CL on it. FIA has been good to me so far. I have no complaints with them at all.
Well QS is still an option due to amex not being accepted everywhere, just to play devils advocate.
But Wacdenney doesn't like Capital One in case you haven't noticed! So DC would be a good card where Amex isn't taken.

You noticed?!? haha

I live near Atlanta so I haven't really experienced the phenominon of limited AMEX acceptace. Also the vast majority of my spending is category spedning so I just rarely experience anywhere that doesn't accept AMEX. I am planning to PC my Diamond Preffered to DC next month so maybe I will use it for the rare out of category spending but idk. I'm honestly not a big fan of Citi either. With the low limit on my Citi card I really couldn't use it much with out destroying the util on it.

But yeah you are correct for rare out of category spend in whatever part of the country AMEX isn't accepted DC is the obvious choice. QS is obsolete at this point. No FTF but also no chip + pin so idk how that works exactly, but I don't travel over seas either. Maybe I would figure out a use for it if I traveled more?

Re: Opinions on Fidelity Amex?

mongstradamus — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 03:33:05 GMT

@wacdenney wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@mongstradamus wrote:
@wacdenney wrote:
Excellent card. The CMA account is wonderful and what's not to like about 2%?!? Best thing about the card is that there's no longer any reason to ever take QS out of the SD again. I also got a good for me CL on it. FIA has been good to me so far. I have no complaints with them at all.
Well QS is still an option due to amex not being accepted everywhere, just to play devils advocate.
But Wacdenney doesn't like Capital One in case you haven't noticed! So DC would be a good card where Amex isn't taken.
You noticed?!? haha

I live near Atlanta so I haven't really experienced the phenominon of limited AMEX acceptace. Also the vast majority of my spending is category spedning so I just rarely experience anywhere that doesn't accept AMEX. I am planning to PC my Diamond Preffered to DC next month so maybe I will use it for the rare out of category spending but idk. I'm honestly not a big fan of Citi either. With the low limit on my Citi card I really couldn't use it much with out destroying the util on it.

But yeah you are correct for rare out of category spend in whatever part of the country AMEX isn't accepted DC is the obvious choice. QS is obsolete at this point. No FTF but also no chip + pin so idk how that works exactly, but I don't travel over seas either. Maybe I would figure out a use for it if I traveled more?

I will come to cap ones defense in this one with instant cash back as soon as it posts, you don't have to wait for statement to post and you don't have to hit an certain amount of cash before being able to redeem. With all that being said my Cap one is SD because i am just using CSP+EDP right now haha.

Re: Opinions on Fidelity Amex?

sillykitty1 — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 03:47:40 GMT

@wacdenney wrote:

I live near Atlanta so I haven't really experienced the phenominon of limited AMEX acceptace. Also the vast majority of my spending is category spedning so I just rarely experience anywhere that doesn't accept AMEX. I am planning to PC my Diamond Preffered to DC next month so maybe I will use it for the rare out of category spending but idk. I'm honestly not a big fan of Citi either. With the low limit on my Citi card I really couldn't use it much with out destroying the util on it.

But yeah you are correct for rare out of category spend in whatever part of the country AMEX isn't accepted DC is the obvious choice. QS is obsolete at this point. No FTF but also no chip + pin so idk how that works exactly, but I don't travel over seas either. Maybe I would figure out a use for it if I traveled more?

I recently canceled my Arrival + which was my go to on noncatagory spend. I replaced it with the Fidelity Amex & JCB (Discover Network). I have been surprised how many places only accept Visa/Mastercard. There have been numerous places over the last couple of months that I have had to pull out my Freedom or CSP, because earning 1 UR is my next best option. It makes me wish, just a little, I had gone w a DC instead.

For the record I live in SoCal, so I assume an area with a very high Amex/Disco acceptance rate. I also have tons of non catagory spend ... and I always wonder how those that say they don't, spend their money (or don't spend thier money in this case)?

Re: Opinions on Fidelity Amex?

thelethargicage — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 04:05:52 GMT

My car insurance (Progressive) doesn't take Amex, so I still have some use for my QS.

Re: Opinions on Fidelity Amex?

Anonymous — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 04:53:13 GMT

@sillykitty1 wrote:
@wacdenney wrote:

I live near Atlanta so I haven't really experienced the phenominon of limited AMEX acceptace. Also the vast majority of my spending is category spedning so I just rarely experience anywhere that doesn't accept AMEX. I am planning to PC my Diamond Preffered to DC next month so maybe I will use it for the rare out of category spending but idk. I'm honestly not a big fan of Citi either. With the low limit on my Citi card I really couldn't use it much with out destroying the util on it.

But yeah you are correct for rare out of category spend in whatever part of the country AMEX isn't accepted DC is the obvious choice. QS is obsolete at this point. No FTF but also no chip + pin so idk how that works exactly, but I don't travel over seas either. Maybe I would figure out a use for it if I traveled more?
I recently canceled my Arrival + which was my go to on noncatagory spend. I replaced it with the Fidelity Amex & JCB (Discover Network). I have been surprised how many places only accept Visa/Mastercard. There have been numerous places over the last couple of months that I have had to pull out my Freedom or CSP, because earning 1 UR is my next best option. It makes me wish, just a little, I had gone w a DC instead.

For the record I live in SoCal, so I assume an area with a very high Amex/Disco acceptance rate. I also have tons of non catagory spend ... and I always wonder how those that say they don't, spend their money (or don't spend thier money in this case)?

I recently posted a graph from WSJ, that shows in 2013, Visa/MC/Discover are accepted in the US by about 9M merchants (Discover is a little lower than the other 2 but very close) whereas Amex is accepted by 6.5M So non-acceptance statisfically shouldn't be very rare, but it depends where you shop (a lot of the difference may be very small stores for example)

Re non-category spend: some people may simply have more category cards than you, or your spending may have a wider spectrum than others.

Re: Opinions on Fidelity Amex?

Anonymous — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 10:13:17 GMT

Fido = best all-round card due to a) no AF b) 2% on everything w/o caps or stupid categories c) Amex offers via Twitter/Facebook. Downsides are a) limited acceptance (ex. Burger King, KFC and Jack in the Box) at least here in SoCal b) $50 minimum redemption c) need to redeem into Fidelity CMA but it's free and you can send the funds right back to the card so it's like a statement credit afterall.

Re: Opinions on Fidelity Amex?

lg8302ch — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 10:22:59 GMT

@mongstradamus wrote:
@wacdenney wrote:
Excellent card. The CMA account is wonderful and what's not to like about 2%?!? Best thing about the card is that there's no longer any reason to ever take QS out of the SD again. I also got a good for me CL on it. FIA has been good to me so far. I have no complaints with them at all.
Well QS is still an option due to amex not being accepted everywhere, just to play devils advocate.

+1 ...and do not forget the no FTF on Cap1 cards ..lol

Re: Opinions on Fidelity Amex?

kdm31091 — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 12:11:31 GMT

I don't think that the quicksilver is totally obsolete. I have a double cash also and honestly the rewards on the quicksilver are more straightforward. They're instantly visible and redeemable for any amount. Like it should be. And no hassle at all. Obviously the double cash or fidelity Amex gives a slightly higher rate though.

Re Amex acceptance idk it's just me but I've found the non acceptance of it to be a non issue. Almost any major place will take it. I've seen exactly one place who only took visa and MasterCard and it was a mom and pop in NYC. I wouldn't stress about Amex not being accepted in day to day shopping life.