There is a middle ground. There are lots of middle class professionals who aren't spending hundreds of thousands on luxury items, but still put $50-$100k on credit cards every year. However, much of that spend is on everyday things like utility bills and groceries. If those places don't take Amex, they lose that business to Visa. That's the situation I'm in. I'd love to put all my spend on Amex because I like the points and benefits, but it just isn't possible.