American Express Membership Rewards - 10 Good reasons to switch from Visa to AMEX. Please...

I have a visa but slowly itching to can my visa and get an AMEX, anyone got 5-10 good reason to change card?
Best thing about my card is that it gives me double points on overseas purchases and it does not charge me to convert them to my FFP. But it charge 1.5% fee everytime I purchase something overseas.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Wongo:
...anyone got 5-10 good reason to change card?</font>

Why switch - why not get an Amex to go along with your Visa? Odds are you'll run into merchants that won't take Amex.

.... and those DO exist, especially outside U.S.

There are not 10 good reasons. I might be able to come up with 3 if I put some extra effort into it.

I use the AMEX/Plat card for only a few reasons: The ability to access NWA & CO clubs and the MR program. I keep a balance of MR points in the event I need flexibility to move points to either CO, DL, USAir, or other partners. AMEX and MR have had some decent promos lately: the 5k MR points to pay fed tax (I paid $100), some bonus points for DL and CO transfers.

[This message has been edited by phoenixitc (edited 06-06-2003).]

Excellent buyer protection scheme

This looks the most attractive thing. Visa has crap protection scheme.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by drbala:
Excellent buyer protection scheme</font>

Wongo,

I suspect you're in Wellington, NZ and already hold a Qantas/ANZ Visa (given you hang around the Qantas forum too).

If that's the case, apart from Amex's buyer protection (which others have noted), there aren't really any reasons to switch.

Obviously, it depends on your purchase (and flying) habit and pattern. I used to use my Amex all the time when I was in NZ, before I got a Qantas/ANZ Visa. Amex used to allow a 1:1 transfer to Qantas, but now, it's only 1:0.87. In NZ, Amex aren't accepted as widely as a Visa (as you probably know). Take TAs, you'll probably be pinged with a large surcharge with Amex (~5%) than with Visa (~2%). My TA doesn't even charge any if I use my Qantas/ANZ Visa.

Purely from a miles point of view and if you solely focus on QFF, then the Qantas/ANZ Visa is a vastly better choice. (Amex offer 1:1 transfer to Air NZ, if you're into *A.)

Since I've joined Qantas/ANZ, I basically haven't used my Amex (in NZ).

Having said all that, I can give one or two advantages the Amex has over Visa.

On several occasions, my Visa failed to get a transaction from overseas (i.e., outside NZ). 99% of the time, the failure was attributed to the failure to initiate a transaction back to NZ/Aus (wherever they hold my records). I guess this is a failure of my Visa, rather than an advantage that Amex has, although Amex has yet to fail. These overseas places include HK and UK (but never Aus). You'll find that you need to contact ANZ back in NZ to sort out your problems, which is a pain. One time in HK, they even attributed the failure to the failure of the magnetic record on the back of my card. Maybe it's my bad luck (it was a pretty horrid trip), but I've never had that happen to me. They DHL'ed a replacement for me 2 days later, same thing...

With an Amex, you get pretty good emergency service (better than a Visa) especially when you're overseas (outside NZ).

You can get commission-free foreign exchange with an Amex, but many local banks can do that with certain cards. Qantas/ANZ can do that. Their rates are often comparable, if not favouring the banks.

If I were you, I'd stick with your Visa and get a back up card. Is it worth it to pay the Amex membership fees and use it as a back up (even with all these 'advantage')? That depends on your purchase pattern. Maybe just getting another Visa or Mastercard instead?

If you aren't in Wellington or in NZ, then you've just wasted your time reading through all that... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

... Why... the customer service reps, of course!

Oh no, wait. I may have gotten that backwards.


--ss

Thanks for the run down... hmmm I'm flying to Hong Kong in the next 3 weeks for a 5 day business trip on Air NZ, flight price went crazy last week. So cheap, had to fly... see if my TA can get the dates I want with upgrades to J. I think AMEX is on my agenda after this trip. I live in NZ... just a bit boring when you don't live in Auckland!


[This message has been edited by Wongo (edited 06-07-2003).]

1) Easier card replacement/fraud reporting if card stolen
2) You can get Starpoints
3) uh...er...well, that's about it.

QL

www.amexsux.com (http://www.amexsux.com)

You can always find a Visa/MC in some country which offers a better service at home than Amex, because the services are specified / set up by the issuing bank. "Good" bank means usually good service, "bad" bank implies often the opposite.

Visa is only a marketing umbrella offering common services to member banks. But the card is always your bank's product.

When you have some problem abroad with a Visa/MC and need assistance, you may not in all cases expect the same service than at home, simply because the issuing bank is NOT there.

Amex provides a worldwide service to it's customers, independantly of where the card was issued.

Example: A friend used primarily his Visa card on a biz travel abroad. On a Saturday evening, the card was retained by an ATM : means no cash until monday, no help from Visa, nor from his (closed) bank at home. He called Amex (he had a green card, but no PIN ). He answered a lot of security questions, and was assigned a PIN to withdraw cash.

Keep your Visa , and apply for an Amex as a 2nd card should be the good solution.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by MoreMiles:
www.amexsux.com (http://www.amexsux.com)</font>

You stole my line. If you do a search I think you will find that that is my line!

I think you should have both cards.