Is It Me, Or Does The Amex Website Suck?
Apr 13, 2010, 8:12 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: DL DM, SPG Plat, AMEX Centurion (And All That Goes With It)
Posts: 393
Is It Me, Or Does The Amex Website Suck?
Is it just me, or does the American Express website totally suck? This is a major financial corporation, and the interface is totally inadequate. My issues:
1. Membership Rewards Points. I have no idea where my bonus points are, when they post, if I am even getting them from my bonus points mall purchases, and so on. It would be nice if they showed detailed info like the 1,200 points I get from a $300 purchase at jcrew.com through bonus points mall are available.
2. The personal credit information never seems to work and looks like it leads to the AMEX website circa 1999. Check spending ability? Not sure if the website even does anything for me. Update financial information, not sure if what I enter even registers.
3. My gf (foolishly) pays for Credit Secure. Since they changed the website in the last week or so, I have no idea where to easily find it.
4. The travel website sucks. R/t airfare to Moscow from Detroit on Delta through Orbitz = $600/ticket. On the American Express travel site, the same ticket is $1,100--gee I can't wait to book through AMEX for double points.
And so on. Am I the only one perpetually frustrated by this site?
1. Membership Rewards Points. I have no idea where my bonus points are, when they post, if I am even getting them from my bonus points mall purchases, and so on. It would be nice if they showed detailed info like the 1,200 points I get from a $300 purchase at jcrew.com through bonus points mall are available.
2. The personal credit information never seems to work and looks like it leads to the AMEX website circa 1999. Check spending ability? Not sure if the website even does anything for me. Update financial information, not sure if what I enter even registers.
3. My gf (foolishly) pays for Credit Secure. Since they changed the website in the last week or so, I have no idea where to easily find it.
4. The travel website sucks. R/t airfare to Moscow from Detroit on Delta through Orbitz = $600/ticket. On the American Express travel site, the same ticket is $1,100--gee I can't wait to book through AMEX for double points.
And so on. Am I the only one perpetually frustrated by this site?
Apr 13, 2010, 2:19 pm
#2
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: MAD
Programs: DL, UA, AA, BA, Marriott
Posts: 599
I agree about how hard it is to find credit secure.
However for checking balances and such, I find amex's site to be very simple/easy to use. Also, for checking recent declines I find it useful (i can't find that on ANY of my other credit cards websites...that's right, not one easily shows me all the recent declines).
I do wish that AMEX would show pending charges somewhere on their site (or do they and I jus don't know where?)
However for checking balances and such, I find amex's site to be very simple/easy to use. Also, for checking recent declines I find it useful (i can't find that on ANY of my other credit cards websites...that's right, not one easily shows me all the recent declines).
I do wish that AMEX would show pending charges somewhere on their site (or do they and I jus don't know where?)
Apr 13, 2010, 7:41 pm
#3
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 4
I probably have used 6-7 different websites for credit cards. I actually think american express has the best one, albeit it can have improvements of course. Payment date is clear, exchanges are clear, charges have detail, etc. Membership rewards can be faster but everything is pretty easy, some credit cards make you log in completely separately! But I definitely find it better than most.
Apr 13, 2010, 10:04 pm
#4
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: TX
Posts: 219
I probably have used 6-7 different websites for credit cards. I actually think american express has the best one, albeit it can have improvements of course. Payment date is clear, exchanges are clear, charges have detail, etc. Membership rewards can be faster but everything is pretty easy, some credit cards make you log in completely separately! But I definitely find it better than most.
The feature I like the most is the ability to download a year's worth of transactions with extended details (i.e., primary/additional account, reference, address, merchant category, etc.) directly into Excel. ^
Some issuers will not even provide a year-end summary or only provide a scanned (non-searchable) copy.
Apr 13, 2010, 10:13 pm
#5
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 4
While I think the AmEx website can use some minor improvements (e.g., better website performance, MR details), I agree that it is better than most other card issuer websites.
The feature I like the most is the ability to download a year's worth of transactions with extended details (i.e., primary/additional account, reference, address, merchant category, etc.) directly into Excel. ^
Some issuers will not even provide a year-end summary or only provide a scanned (non-searchable) copy.
The feature I like the most is the ability to download a year's worth of transactions with extended details (i.e., primary/additional account, reference, address, merchant category, etc.) directly into Excel. ^
Some issuers will not even provide a year-end summary or only provide a scanned (non-searchable) copy.
Apr 14, 2010, 1:46 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: DL DM, SPG Plat, AMEX Centurion (And All That Goes With It)
Posts: 393
Well, I agree. It is easy to see charges, look up previous statements, find charges by a date range etc. I guess Membership Rewards is my gripe--I have no idea if I am ever getting all the points I should be getting. Pending charges would be nice to see.
Apr 14, 2010, 3:58 pm
#8
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Constantly Positioning
Programs: SPG Plat, CX DM, DL Gold, HHonors Gold, AA Plat
Posts: 346
Yeah I agree in regards to the MR as well.
As far as the rest of the site, in my opinion it exceeds every other card issuer I have encountered (Chase, Citi, FIA, etc).
Oh yea, the FHR site could be a bit quicker. There's no need for all the animation.
As far as the rest of the site, in my opinion it exceeds every other card issuer I have encountered (Chase, Citi, FIA, etc).
Oh yea, the FHR site could be a bit quicker. There's no need for all the animation.
Apr 14, 2010, 9:17 pm
#10
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: EWR Ionosphere Club, LAX Clipper Club, Still Traveling Global, yearly BIS miles
Programs: EAL Silver Wings, I-Club, Flying Colonels DL, WorldPass PLat from the olde Meatball and PE SMARTbank
Posts: 1,987
I completely agree, the worst website next to the old Schwab site (which is really the worst, but its old so its OK plus card is better)
AMEX is really clunky (try using it from a poor internet connection or from dial up) forget it and the onlline secure email all I can say is AGGGGGH!
Oh and MR yet that really bad too...
even little US Bank is better
AMEX is really clunky (try using it from a poor internet connection or from dial up) forget it and the onlline secure email all I can say is AGGGGGH!
Oh and MR yet that really bad too...
even little US Bank is better
Is it just me, or does the American Express website totally suck? This is a major financial corporation, and the interface is totally inadequate. My issues:
1. Membership Rewards Points. I have no idea where my bonus points are, when they post, if I am even getting them from my bonus points mall purchases, and so on. It would be nice if they showed detailed info like the 1,200 points I get from a $300 purchase at jcrew.com through bonus points mall are available.
2. The personal credit information never seems to work and looks like it leads to the AMEX website circa 1999. Check spending ability? Not sure if the website even does anything for me. Update financial information, not sure if what I enter even registers.
3. My gf (foolishly) pays for Credit Secure. Since they changed the website in the last week or so, I have no idea where to easily find it.
4. The travel website sucks. R/t airfare to Moscow from Detroit on Delta through Orbitz = $600/ticket. On the American Express travel site, the same ticket is $1,100--gee I can't wait to book through AMEX for double points.
And so on. Am I the only one perpetually frustrated by this site?
1. Membership Rewards Points. I have no idea where my bonus points are, when they post, if I am even getting them from my bonus points mall purchases, and so on. It would be nice if they showed detailed info like the 1,200 points I get from a $300 purchase at jcrew.com through bonus points mall are available.
2. The personal credit information never seems to work and looks like it leads to the AMEX website circa 1999. Check spending ability? Not sure if the website even does anything for me. Update financial information, not sure if what I enter even registers.
3. My gf (foolishly) pays for Credit Secure. Since they changed the website in the last week or so, I have no idea where to easily find it.
4. The travel website sucks. R/t airfare to Moscow from Detroit on Delta through Orbitz = $600/ticket. On the American Express travel site, the same ticket is $1,100--gee I can't wait to book through AMEX for double points.
And so on. Am I the only one perpetually frustrated by this site?
Apr 18, 2010, 11:05 am
#12
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: MSY
Programs: BA GfL
Posts: 5,926
I am OK with most of AmEx's online functions except the MR part, which is absolutely infuriating. It is by far the weakest link in an otherwise pretty good experience, and never fails to drive me nuts when I try to figure out what points have posted and why. It is truly lame.
About ten days ago I got an e-mail *and* a letter from Amex saying "Congratulations, you've earned the 15,000 points from your Premier Gold Rewards promotion! The points are in your account." Needless to say, there was no 15,000 point addition in my account, and when I called to chase them down, the CSRs (including a supervisor) said they couldn't find them, they had no idea why I had gotten the e-mail and letter, and "that's done by the Marketing Department. We don't know why you got it." The first CSR actually went so far as to tell me I should fax her the letter I'd received from AmEx itself! (At which point I blew a gasket and escalated the call to a supervisor.)
Still don't have the points, but according to the supervisor, they should post after my April statement is printed. We shall see. I'm sure the reason for the posting that appears on the website will say something illuminating like "null."
About ten days ago I got an e-mail *and* a letter from Amex saying "Congratulations, you've earned the 15,000 points from your Premier Gold Rewards promotion! The points are in your account." Needless to say, there was no 15,000 point addition in my account, and when I called to chase them down, the CSRs (including a supervisor) said they couldn't find them, they had no idea why I had gotten the e-mail and letter, and "that's done by the Marketing Department. We don't know why you got it." The first CSR actually went so far as to tell me I should fax her the letter I'd received from AmEx itself! (At which point I blew a gasket and escalated the call to a supervisor.)
Still don't have the points, but according to the supervisor, they should post after my April statement is printed. We shall see. I'm sure the reason for the posting that appears on the website will say something illuminating like "null."
May 22, 2012, 3:18 pm
#14
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,953
May 22, 2012, 5:57 pm
#15
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: US
Programs: (PM)AA SPG (Marriott), Hilton
Posts: 1,040
AMEX Web site (2012 Version) is decent
The web site changed earlier this year, so some of the pre-2011 comments in this thread may apply to the older version of the web site, not the current one.
I find it to be a decent web site (and the previous one was good too.) I happen to like the tags and the automatic rules you can assigned. MR point information details are a little buried, but I can't get any details out of chase UR, just a total of bonus categories, leading to "Did that last item post and I did I get bonus points for it?" type of thoughts. The MR points posting seems to be a procedural function (1 month behind) rather than a web site issue, although I supposed they could add the expected points-to-post in the transaction detail to make it more clear what you'll get when you get it.
There's a lack of Flash, animation and other web bloat which is always a welcome plus.
All other things equal, I'm more inclined to pull out the AMEX over other cards, because of the website & tagging, reporting and transaction detail download features. Chase offers some analysis in Blueprint, but it's their rules, not mine, so when the merchant is not correctly categorized I can't 'fix it' on Chase.
Is it perfect? No, but no web site is. I can deal with the few things that aren't completely to my taste.
I find it to be a decent web site (and the previous one was good too.) I happen to like the tags and the automatic rules you can assigned. MR point information details are a little buried, but I can't get any details out of chase UR, just a total of bonus categories, leading to "Did that last item post and I did I get bonus points for it?" type of thoughts. The MR points posting seems to be a procedural function (1 month behind) rather than a web site issue, although I supposed they could add the expected points-to-post in the transaction detail to make it more clear what you'll get when you get it.
There's a lack of Flash, animation and other web bloat which is always a welcome plus.
All other things equal, I'm more inclined to pull out the AMEX over other cards, because of the website & tagging, reporting and transaction detail download features. Chase offers some analysis in Blueprint, but it's their rules, not mine, so when the merchant is not correctly categorized I can't 'fix it' on Chase.
Is it perfect? No, but no web site is. I can deal with the few things that aren't completely to my taste.