topic Re: Which is better American Express or DIscover?? in Credit Cards

Which is better American Express or DIscover??

timmis1127 — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:52:21 GMT

i am debating between the 2 cards and i want to see peoples opinions about which one they like better??

Re: Which is better American Express or DIscover??

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 21:05:12 GMT

timmis1127 wrote:
i am debating between the 2 cards and i want to see peoples opinions about which one they like better??

Lots of strong opinions about each of them, depending on who you ask. They both have their pros and cons. It mostly depends on what you want the card to do for you.

IMO, Amex is easier to get, has better rewards programs (depending on the specific card type), and they are more generous with initial CLs as well as CLIs. Amex customer service is second to none. However, they are a moody lender, and like to be paid in full frequently. Expect frequent account reviews, and perhaps the dreaded F/R if they see something they don't like.

Discover rewards are mediocre, but they usually won't freak out if you carry a balance for a while.

Message Edited by cheddar on 03-06-2008 04:05 PM

Re: Which is better American Express or DIscover??

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 21:05:03 GMT

Both are great cards, to be sure. Some of the most stringent approval standards.

Either one would be an excellent choice, imo.

Re: Which is better American Express or DIscover??

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 01:29:52 GMT

timmis1127 wrote:
i am debating between the 2 cards and i want to see peoples opinions about which one they like better??

Hi timmis,

I have no idea which one is better even I have both (Amex Blue and Discover More).

When you make a call to their customer service:

Amex ... it requires whole 15 digit card number only, then automated system will confirm your telephone number you registered on your account with them. Does not tell you account information at this time, you have to follow the instruction to get to where you want/need to go.

Discover ... it requires last 4 digit of your card number, last 4 digit of your SSN, and 5 digit of zip code. Then it will reach to your account information and automated system will tells you your current balance and etc. Then you need to follow the automated system instruction.

Credit Line Increase:

Amex ... gave me CLI automatically from 4K to 8K on my account one day, and no inq has reported.

Discover ... I just got this card end of January 08, and they told me to wait at least 6 months before request CLI. Because I never had business with them and they don't know about how I use the card and pays. Some member posted they said minimum of 3 months.

Online Account:

Amex ... You can view your spending by category and sub-category in graph view. This is cool.
Discover ... You can change the font size (S, M, L) if you want to. And it shows Minimum Payment Due, New Balance, Cash Back Bonus Balance and Available to Redeem in orange font on your statement. You can set E-mail Reminder to alert you in more categories than Amex alert.

I wish I can tell you more to help you make your decision, but these are what I can say at this moment.

Additional Info.

The Due date:

Amex ... about 3 weeks after the closing date as usual.

Discover ... It is very interesting. The due date on this card is same day as closing date.

Message Edited by bunnyrabbit on 03-06-2008 05:29 PM

Re: Which is better American Express or DIscover??

athensguy — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 21:56:42 GMT

I previously wanted to get an American Express card. I probably could if I still wanted to, but after reading all the stories about financial review and special CSRs for people they don't like, they sound too much like BoA to me. I have a Discover card and haven't ever had a problem with it.

Re: Which is better American Express or DIscover??

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 22:03:31 GMT

Just make sure whichever one you get, you treat it well. They do not like late paments, over limits, etc. And they have a memory like an elephant; you can get blackballed for future cards if you really misbehave.

Re: Which is better American Express or DIscover??

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 22:33:26 GMT

amex

Re: Which is better American Express or DIscover??

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 05:32:13 GMT

Discover!!! course i'm on honeymoon w/them right now!

Re: Which is better American Express or DIscover??

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 14:46:55 GMT

OP - what kind of purchases do plan to make on the card? If you plan to make a any big ticket electronics item purchases, I would recommend the Amex for their auto warranty extension coverage. This feature alone makes Amex "prestigious" for me, lol. GL!

Re: Which is better American Express or DIscover??

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 14:52:28 GMT

I agree, pj. Waiting for OP to tell us what s/he wants the card to do for him/her. That makes all the difference in the decision.

Re: Which is better American Express or DIscover??

Anonymous — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 08:50:14 GMT

I am second ... I agree with pj too.