Amex Plan It Experiences

[Brian_Earl_Spilner]

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@Anonymous wrote:

A simple grocery store charge allows me up to 18 months.  Why?  I don't know.  For data points, if anybody has any questions then feel free to ask.

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wow. so they didn't even offer 3 or 6 months.

[Anonymous]

You would think it would be logical to allow larger purchases to be financed over a longer period of time.  That obviously isn't the case here.  Could you imagine still paying off a grocery purchase 1.5 years later?  If you needed to do that then you probably should cut up your cards.  Amex allowing this is fascinating.

[Anonymous]

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@Brian_Earl_Spilner wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

A simple grocery store charge allows me up to 18 months.  Why?  I don't know.  For data points, if anybody has any questions then feel free to ask.

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wow. so they didn't even offer 3 or 6 months.

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I've got the same offer on a purchase at buy buy baby. it seems though you slightly have a lower fee on your plan.

Go figure?

[Brian_Earl_Spilner]

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@Anonymous wrote:

You would think it would be logical to allow larger purchases to be financed over a longer period of time.  That obviously isn't the case here.  Could you imagine still paying off a grocery purchase 1.5 years later?  If you needed to do that then you probably should cut up your cards.  Amex allowing this is fascinating.

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You would think. Need more data, but the info that is coming has been good.

[NRB525]

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@Brian_Earl_Spilner wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

A simple grocery store charge allows me up to 18 months.  Why?  I don't know.  For data points, if anybody has any questions then feel free to ask.

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wow. so they didn't even offer 3 or 6 months.

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From my reading of the program, they only put up three time periods in the offer screen. Makes it easier to select financing for groceries if you don't also have to choose..... 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months, 15 months or 18 months to finance produce. 

I always finance produce for 18 months 

[SOGGIE]

For those who used this feature, what was your overall experience--including pros and cons?

[pinkandgrey]

I haven’t actually used it, but I’ve gone through the steps to set up a Plan just to see. Basically you don’t pay interest, but you do pay a small, fixed flat rate fee every month. The purchase has to be $100 or over I believe and your timeframe options will be “based on creditworthiness.” For a $929 purchase, it gave me the option of 3 monthly payments of 300-something or 6 months of 150-something. 

You just have to weigh your options. I think it would be really valuable if you CAN’T pay something off but none of your cards has 0%. That fixed fee is usually a lot more friendly than sky-high interest rates. 

[wasCB14]

https://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/Credit-Cards/Amex-Plan-It-Experiences/td-p/5394718 and a few other threads have discussed this.

[SOGGIE]

Thanks pinkandgrey! I always wondered if using the Plan It feature would result in AA similar to what some folks experience after they do balance transfers with various lenders.

[NRB525]

I have used Plan It at least twice. You always get exactly three options of timeframe, depending on the size of the item you want to plan.

I have done a few thousand on each, and once you sign up, my understanding is you are tied in to that fee, even if paid early, but only for that fee.

If you have the proper autopay, AMEX uses your Plan It payment amount for the month, plus payment of new non-Plan It charges in one payment. Very simple.

Keeping the Plan It apart from the new charges mean you do not get hit with interest on the new charges.

I think it is a game-changer, a very nice innovation by AMEX.

I suggest picking some small item just over $100 to try it, because the mechanics of how it shows up on your statement is quite unique. Hard to describe.