Best AMEX cards?

[kilroy8]

BCP is a good card, but use 4.4% CB on groceries as the real return (after AF), if you max out the $6K/yr. It does have other benefits, though. BCE is not a very good card anymore since they nerfed all the benefits. Those are still there on BCP.

[AverageJoesCredit]

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@socalchef00 wrote:

Hey all,

First, I'm happy I found this forum, lots of great info.

Been browsing and reading alot lately, very helpful.

I've heard alot about AMEX and how great they are and I wanted to add one as my final personal card. Currently have 9 CC's and 9 Store cards, so I'm happy with what I have.

There are so many different AMEX's out there, which one do you all think is the best to get overall? I've been eye balling the Gold card.

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Honestly it depends on your spend and needs. I have 4 cards and i can live without them really. Im not into spending big as my current lot in life doesnt pernit that so MRs dont do much for me . Cashback with Amex to me isnt ideal for me as you need a $25 increment to cash out and its statement credit which isnt bad but i prefer to be able get my cb and use as i wish. There are cards out there that you can use your cb as you want or without redemption thresholds  so imo Amex isnt essential but its nice to have. Just my own view though.

[wasCB14]

What are the cards you have already?

If you have a 2% card, then you might not get much value from a 3% category card or a 1.5% card. If you have a Freedom and Discover, which often give 5% at supermarkets (for perhaps 3 + 3 = 6 total months of the year) without an AF, that may reduce the value of adding BCP.

[socalchef00]

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@wasCB14 wrote:

What are the cards you have already?

If you have a 2% card, then you might not get much value from a 3% category card or a 1.5% card. If you have a Freedom and Discover, which often give 5% at supermarkets (for perhaps 3 + 3 = 6 total months of the year) without an AF, that may reduce the value of adding BCP.

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I do have a 2%er, I have the Fidelity Visa Signature

[NRB525]

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@socalchef00 wrote:

Hey all,

First, I'm happy I found this forum, lots of great info.

Been browsing and reading alot lately, very helpful.

I've heard alot about AMEX and how great they are and I wanted to add one as my final personal card. Currently have 9 CC's and 9 Store cards, so I'm happy with what I have.

There are so many different AMEX's out there, which one do you all think is the best to get overall? I've been eye balling the Gold card.

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While it is true the AMEX Gold card is a charge card with an annual fee, the card does earn rewards points for both dining out and groceries, as well as airline tickets. The several fee credits, while something of a monthly game, do help defray the annual fee. And if someone has never had an NPSL card, saying one "does not ever want" a charge card is a bit premature.  There's nothing terribly different about a charge card vs a revolver with a limit, the merchants accept both. 

There's also the benefit of the sign up bonus points, which is quite rich for the Gold now. It's a way for AMEX to encourage cardholders to "try it on for size, see if it grows on you".  

[Anonymous]

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@wasCB14 wrote:If you have a Freedom and Discover, which often give 5% at supermarkets (for perhaps 3 + 3 = 6 total months of the year) without an AF, that may reduce the value of adding BCP.

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The other issue with BCP is where you buy groceries.  Target and some Walmarts don't count for the 6% (and as with any bonus category, with various non-chain supermarkets you will need to confirm somehow that they code as expected.    If you have Amazon Prime and you mainly shop at Albertsons/ACME/Shaws/Stop&Shop/Giant/Safeway, you can buy gift cards (no limit) and get 5% back with Chase Amazon Visa (or I assume the Sync version)  which beats the 6% BCP with an annual fee (and with WholeFoods you can just use the card)

[Yasselife]

@socalchef00 

I like the BCP for overall spend, a card I can go with when I don't feel like chasing reward points from different cards; I put all my monthly spend and not stress about it. 
the $250 annual fee on the gold card is a turn off, no way I can justify it with my spend. The problem of having a high annual fee is that it pressures you to spend to cover it, when we should always strive for saving/increase cash flow.

[wasCB14]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@wasCB14 wrote:If you have a Freedom and Discover, which often give 5% at supermarkets (for perhaps 3 + 3 = 6 total months of the year) without an AF, that may reduce the value of adding BCP.

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The other issue with BCP is where you buy groceries.  Target and some Walmarts don't count for the 6% (and as with any bonus category, with various non-chain supermarkets you will need to confirm somehow that they code as expected.    If you have Amazon Prime and you mainly shop at Albertsons/ACME/Shaws/Stop&Shop/Giant/Safeway, you can buy gift cards (no limit) and get 5% back with Chase Amazon Visa (or I assume the Sync version)  which beats the 6% BCP with an annual fee (and with WholeFoods you can just use the card)

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Given the up-to-$300 of Uber and dining credits on Gold, $250 seems like the better bargain to me than $95. And if someone flies enough to use "single airline cash back", Business Platinum makes Gold's 4x on groceries (as well as restaurants) work out to more than 6%. I got my re-upgrade bonus just a few weeks ago and have already SDed the BCP.

Most of my grocery spend is with WWFCR in the Costco warehouse or with Gold for Instacart deliveries (including Costco-by-Instacart deliveries).

[MrDisco99]

It's a bit like saying you want a Mercedes without knowing what kinds of cars they make.  Do you actually like the product or are you just attracted to the shine of the brand?  In most cases, choosing based on brand alone is not smart.

If you want rewards on dining and groceries but don't want a charge card, maybe Amex is not the best fit for you.  The Citi Premier, Chase Freedom Flex and/or Sapphire Preferred, Capital One Savor or Savor One, US Bank Altitude Go, or Synovus Cash Rewards might be better options for what you're looking for.

[MrDisco99]

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@increasingmyfico wrote:

You can carry a balance on the Gold. Amex calls it pay over time. Not advisable to use but the option is there. The Blue Cash Preferred is a credit card. It earns 6% cash back at grocery stores and 3% on gas and transportation expenses. 

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The option is usually not available to new cardmembers until they've had it for several months, and there's some finicky rules around it, like it only applies to charges above $100.  If we're keeping it simple, I would say the Gold card is not for carrying balances.