topic Re: Current AMEX PRG cardholer question in Credit Cards

Current AMEX PRG cardholer question

BearsAndTurtlesRtheBest — Sat, 01 Mar 2014 15:40:37 GMT

How do you make the $175 AF worthwhile when using it?

Re: Current AMEX PRG cardholer question

twist7d7 — Sat, 01 Mar 2014 15:48:18 GMT

@BearsAndTurtlesRtheBest wrote:
How do you make the $175 AF worthwhile when using it?

SPEND SPEND SPEND

also the roadside assitence is worth it too

Re: Current AMEX PRG cardholer question

phonic — Sat, 01 Mar 2014 16:29:53 GMT

1) Maximize the special Amex bonus cashback offers. You can easily clear a hundred or more using things like $20 back on a $100 purchase at Best Buy. Just enroll in the promo and use the card to meet the requirements. Granted not all are useful for everyone, but I routinely save $100+ a year. And remember, these can stack on multiple AU cards!

2) Maximize the Small Business Saturday promotion. It used to be $25 back on any $25 purchase (at a qualifying small business) which was VERY nice. This year, they dropped it down to only $10. But since you can get four PRG cards for no extra AF, that's still $40 back in your pocket. Almost any non-national-chain store counts.

3) Use your MR points for travel instead of gift cards. The point value for travel is usually worth much more than the $0.01/point for gift cards.

4) Take advantage of some of the Amex benefits like purchase insurance, etc. While many other cards offer similar perks, my understanding is Amex has some of the best when it comes to actually relying on them.

Re: Current AMEX PRG cardholer question

bigblue7722 — Sat, 01 Mar 2014 17:30:40 GMT

@BearsAndTurtlesRtheBest wrote:
How do you make the $175 AF worthwhile when using it?

I was thinking the same thing... My friend has one well acutally his brother and mom are AU on the card so that makes the AF a little better. They do all their spending on it and fly to Greece every year for free. But your much better off getting a chase freedom/ discover it for the 5% catigories, then get cap one qs (if you cant get approved for fid amex) and adding a boa cash rewards assuming you again cant get approved for bce. That combo of cards basically has no AF and better rewards on everything expect for airlines tickets.

Re: Current AMEX PRG cardholer question

Anonymous — Sat, 01 Mar 2014 18:05:34 GMT

@phonic wrote:
1) Maximize the special Amex bonus cashback offers. You can easily clear a hundred or more using things like $20 back on a $100 purchase at Best Buy. Just enroll in the promo and use the card to meet the requirements. Granted not all are useful for everyone, but I routinely save $100+ a year. And remember, these can stack on multiple AU cards!
2) Maximize the Small Business Saturday promotion. It used to be $25 back on any $25 purchase (at a qualifying small business) which was VERY nice. This year, they dropped it down to only $10. But since you can get four PRG cards for no extra AF, that's still $40 back in your pocket. Almost any non-national-chain store counts.
3) Use your MR points for travel instead of gift cards. The point value for travel is usually worth much more than the $0.01/point for gift cards.
4) Take advantage of some of the Amex benefits like purchase insurance, etc. While many other cards offer similar perks, my understanding is Amex has some of the best when it comes to actually relying on them.

+1.

And also to add:

5) Spend 30k in a calendar year to get 15k additional MR points.

Re: Current AMEX PRG cardholer question

cottoncrown — Sat, 01 Mar 2014 20:51:58 GMT

If you have to ask, then it's probably not worth it. This card is designed for people who spend thousands a month on flights and run 100k a year brought the card. It's not for the average joe. I got it for the sign up bonus and there is no way I'm keeping it. 175$ is really steep.

Re: Current AMEX PRG cardholer question

370Z — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 00:08:02 GMT

Easy. Spend 30k+ to get the 15k bonus. Or a lot of gas/grocery/flight purchases if under 30k. Preferably both.

Re: Current AMEX PRG cardholer question

red259 — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 01:50:11 GMT

@370Z wrote:
Easy. Spend 30k+ to get the 15k bonus. Or a lot of gas/grocery/flight purchases if under 30k. Preferably both.

+1 If your not going to be spending over 30k a year on the card to get the extra 15k bonus its doubtful that it will be worth the AF. I only got mine to get in with amex and due to the AF being waived the first year. I'd rather spread my spend around to get initial bonus offers on multiple cards, however if I didn't need to meet initial spend on other cards I might consider this one for my non-bonus spend up to 30k.

Re: Current AMEX PRG cardholer question

Anonymous — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 03:57:36 GMT

@phonic wrote:
1) Maximize the special Amex bonus cashback offers. You can easily clear a hundred or more using things like $20 back on a $100 purchase at Best Buy. Just enroll in the promo and use the card to meet the requirements. Granted not all are useful for everyone, but I routinely save $100+ a year. And remember, these can stack on multiple AU cards!
2) Maximize the Small Business Saturday promotion. It used to be $25 back on any $25 purchase (at a qualifying small business) which was VERY nice. This year, they dropped it down to only $10. But since you can get four PRG cards for no extra AF, that's still $40 back in your pocket. Almost any non-national-chain store counts.
3) Use your MR points for travel instead of gift cards. The point value for travel is usually worth much more than the $0.01/point for gift cards.
4) Take advantage of some of the Amex benefits like purchase insurance, etc. While many other cards offer similar perks, my understanding is Amex has some of the best when it comes to actually relying on them.

But 1 and 2 (and probably 4) are available on all Amex cards, right, including the 0 AF ones like BCE and Blue Sky. So can't really be used to justify the AF on PRG.

But point 3 is right, while you get MR on other cards, PRG has a useful set of bonus categories. + the 15K bonus

Re: Current AMEX PRG cardholer question

Anonymous — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 04:00:27 GMT

@bigblue7722 wrote:
@BearsAndTurtlesRtheBest wrote:
How do you make the $175 AF worthwhile when using it?
I was thinking the same thing... My friend has one well acutally his brother and mom are AU on the card so that makes the AF a little better. They do all their spending on it and fly to Greece every year for free. But your much better off getting a chase freedom/ discover it for the 5% catigories, then get cap one qs (if you cant get approved for fid amex) and adding a boa cash rewards assuming you again cant get approved for bce. That combo of cards basically has no AF and better rewards on everything expect for airlines tickets.

the card is for bigger spenders. 5% categories for Freedom/Discover max out at $300 a year. People with this card (those that keep it past the first year!) want to earn lots of MR and transfer them to travel partners. Such people are certainly not much better off with the set of cards you mention.

Re: Current AMEX PRG cardholer question

takeshi74 — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 04:25:47 GMT

@BearsAndTurtlesRtheBest wrote:
How do you make the $175 AF worthwhile when using it?

Like anything else, worth is highly subjective. The PRG isn't worth it for everyone. None of AmEx's MR cards are worth it to me since I can't redeem travel with my preferred travel companies.

Re: Current AMEX PRG cardholer question

phonic — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 08:42:09 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@phonic wrote:
1) Maximize the special Amex bonus cashback offers. You can easily clear a hundred or more using things like $20 back on a $100 purchase at Best Buy. Just enroll in the promo and use the card to meet the requirements. Granted not all are useful for everyone, but I routinely save $100+ a year. And remember, these can stack on multiple AU cards!
2) Maximize the Small Business Saturday promotion. It used to be $25 back on any $25 purchase (at a qualifying small business) which was VERY nice. This year, they dropped it down to only $10. But since you can get four PRG cards for no extra AF, that's still $40 back in your pocket. Almost any non-national-chain store counts.
3) Use your MR points for travel instead of gift cards. The point value for travel is usually worth much more than the $0.01/point for gift cards.
4) Take advantage of some of the Amex benefits like purchase insurance, etc. While many other cards offer similar perks, my understanding is Amex has some of the best when it comes to actually relying on them.
But 1 and 2 (and probably 4) are available on all Amex cards, right, including the 0 AF ones like BCE and Blue Sky. So can't really be used to justify the AF on PRG.

But point 3 is right, while you get MR on other cards, PRG has a useful set of bonus categories. + the 15K bonus

True, but since those deals can be used across multiple cards at the same time, they still apply. You could get both and double your savings.

And the question wasn't whether it was worth getting the PRG over the non-AF cards, it was just how to mitigate the AF.

Re: Current AMEX PRG cardholer question

maksimfa — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 08:49:32 GMT

Make the points worth it, the double on gas and grocery.

Otehrwise... earn your bonus, cancel before renewal.

I think the Platinum card is far more worth it for the travel benefits.

Re: Current AMEX PRG cardholer question

Anonymous — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 14:15:09 GMT

@maksimfa wrote:
Make the points worth it, the double on gas and grocery.
Otehrwise... earn your bonus, cancel before renewal.

I think the Platinum card is far more worth it for the travel benefits.

A lot of Platinum card holders seem pretty upset about the reduction in benefits on that card, with AA lounge access going away and restrictions with other airlines.

Re: Current AMEX PRG cardholer question

koalablue — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 15:13:28 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@maksimfa wrote:
Make the points worth it, the double on gas and grocery.
Otehrwise... earn your bonus, cancel before renewal.

I think the Platinum card is far more worth it for the travel benefits.
A lot of Platinum card holders seem pretty upset about the reduction in benefits on that card, with AA lounge access going away and restrictions with other airlines.

I'm really teed off about this. I got the card mainly so I could use the AA lounge and now I won't be able to after 3/22. Some Plat cardholders were offered a credit to off-set the cost of buying an AA club membership, but I wasn't. I'm still calling them though to see if they can hook me up with a credit.

Re: Current AMEX PRG cardholer question

phonic — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 15:52:46 GMT

Yeah, the ongoing losses of platinum perks are making the card less and less valuable. Especially since they don't seem to be replacing them with anything of equal value.

As-is, and as-was, the Amex Platinum's only useful if you travel a lot or you live in a major metro area and can find the other concert/etc. promotions useful.

For the average person who doesn't travel for work, it's simply not worth getting. Especially now.

Re: Current AMEX PRG cardholer question

BearsAndTurtlesRtheBest — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 04:16:11 GMT

Aw man so will it look bad if my dad closes he PRG AFTER the AF hits?