CVO 1K 2 Million

I've had about a dozen "fraud alerts" with that card in the last 6 months...but everything was a valid charge...and it takes too much of my time to id the charge and get the card unlocked....the latest fantasy was "we have a charge for $9.06 on Aug 16....can you identify the merchant ???".....
yes but I'm done wasting my time on you....cancel the card...
I appreciate that they are trying to stop fraud...but way too many false positives...
So what is my next best option for a miles-earning card?

Tks
Dan

ckpeter

How about the SPG AMEX card? You earn 1 SPG point per dollar spent, or if you convert to AA miles, you get 1.25 per dollar spent.

In general, without considering special promotions, SPG card is a better way to earn AA miles than the AA citi cards.

videomaker

That would be annoying.

I've never had a fraud alert on two Citi AA cards (business and plat). But they have replaced the personal card twice because supposedly someone's database got hacked.

ijgordon

Ditto - go with SPG Amex, though you'll find the starpoints more valuable than AA miles most likely...

SeeBuyFly

I've had the same problem with frivolous fraud alerts for small amounts on Citi Aadvantage cards. But I started using other cards and encountered the same hassles.

In my case it went in cycles, with long quiet periods. Also, once you've had a genuinely fraudulent charge (is that an oxymoron?), the system goes into overdrive for subsequent charges. In that case I canceled the card.

Incidentally, if you ask nicely but firmly they can make a notation on your record that reduces (but may not eliminate) the fraud alerts. Not every CS agent knows how to do it though.

Landing Gear

This is absolutely true. I did it a few years ago and now they rarely bother me, certainly not for the "$3.00 at Starbucks" purchases.

CVO 1K 2 Million

the time before this last one I did have a long conversation about my travel habits, etc. and they said such a notation would be made...but apparently to no effect

CVO 1K 2 Million

Would the consensus still be the same if I told you that in my hotel "life" I'm 99% marriott & hilton ??

aamilesslave

I'm a MR (primary) and an HHonors (seconday) guy, rarely stay at a SPG property, and the SPG AMEX is my card of choice. I've yet to transfer points to AAdvantage, and at this point, don't expect to (too many AAdvantage miles sitting in the bank at the moment).

Citi is definately the worst. Notations didn't do me any good. It didn't help that I bought all my plane tickets with the card - they knew exactly where I was at any given time... I say screw them. AMEX has been much better for me.

CVO 1K 2 Million

So what do you do with your SPG points?....your travels profile sounds pretty similar to mine..

aaupgrade

In that case get a Marriott Premier Visa and get 5 points/$ on Marriott hotel charges and 2 points/$ on Dining, Car rental and Airline tickets. You can convert 1 point for 1 mile using MR travel packages. For CC points alone you will get somewhere between 2 and 5 miles/$ and if you account for Marriott stay earnings at 10 pts/$ and 50% Plat Bonus (if u r Plat) then you could get as much as 20 miles/$ spent at Marriott Properties when using the MR Prem Visa and converting the points to miles via the MR travel packages. You get to AA LT Plat pretty quickly that way.

Of course I noticed after posting this that you are 1K and EXP, so my guess is you are easily MR Plat and are probably already AA LT Plat - so that may be a moot point.

aaupgrade

FWIW, AMEX is what the OP had.

ChicagoAA

Yes and no. He had a Citi AMEX. I have never had problems with mine

dogcanyon

I think he meant non-Citibank AMEX. I have used my original green AMEX and Starwood Amex in probably 40 - 50 countries around the world and never once had a problem. However, I would never dare to use my Citibank cards overseas without informing them first - it's almost a guarantee to have your card shut down after one tiny charge.

gorgi_flyer

IMHO, the main problem is AMEX, not banks and there are relatively fewer complaints about visa/mastercard card issuers. Most state BBBs will tell you that from a statistical basis, the no. of complaints are far fewer and a diligent consumer would take a look around and see what people are talking about amex versus citibank verus wells fargo versus other banks.

You can still earn AA miles on the AA mastercard, issued by Citibank You just don't get the amex benefits.

That could be a sensible thing to do. It wouldn't be sensible to choose another amex product when other consumers are complaining about amex financial reviews and jacking interest rates and those financial reviews are essentially meant to be re-application and are similar to ebay account suspensions.

Bloomberg also announced that AMEX will confiscate all points from their blue card range for months that late payment is received. You have to pay additional fees to get them back. and its only a matter of time before they consider passing it to all their other co-branded products and impose additional fees just to be able to use your points. This has the potential to affect SPG AMEX, Hilton amex and other amex card products issued in N.A

So, no, don't choose another amex card, use the mastercard instead.