First Amex card
Oct 7, 2014, 12:38 pm
#61
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 32
My suggestion would be to start with a low or no fee American Express Card.
Although not available in Germany if I would be you I would just start with a yearly fee free product like the prepaid card:
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/c...paidCard-Large
or just begin with some of the cash-back or blue cards!
Or another entry level card which allows you to collect Membership rewards points:
https://www304.americanexpress.com/c...yday-LearnMore
Besides the calculation that Mia mentioned you should just have a look with which speed the Membership rewards points are accumulated and which card has a full Membership Rewards programmme and which doesn't have.
(In Germany there are e.g. to different Membership Reward collection opportunities. One with nearly the double the speed of the base programme)
If you use the card regularly I am convinced that you soon will get upselling offers to another, higher card colour.
But these two cards are a good instrument for you to have a look if you really like amex and test how their service is.
Hope this helps.
Although not available in Germany if I would be you I would just start with a yearly fee free product like the prepaid card:
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/c...paidCard-Large
or just begin with some of the cash-back or blue cards!
Or another entry level card which allows you to collect Membership rewards points:
https://www304.americanexpress.com/c...yday-LearnMore
Besides the calculation that Mia mentioned you should just have a look with which speed the Membership rewards points are accumulated and which card has a full Membership Rewards programmme and which doesn't have.
(In Germany there are e.g. to different Membership Reward collection opportunities. One with nearly the double the speed of the base programme)
If you use the card regularly I am convinced that you soon will get upselling offers to another, higher card colour.
But these two cards are a good instrument for you to have a look if you really like amex and test how their service is.
Hope this helps.
I actually have the Serve card already (I got it about a year ago)- hopefully having had it for a while will increase my chances this time.
Thanks!
Oct 7, 2014, 12:58 pm
#62
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 32
Oh goodness!
I haven't seen all these responses till now (and even accidentally posted overlapping questions a few days later)- thank you for all the response.
I didn't know about creditboards.com- looks like a great resource- thanks! I can't get the Experian score (without paying for it), but the report itself is clean, and the TU score (according to Barclays) is 768.
I think I want to wait to see if I can get at least a 50k PRG before trying for it.
Thanks a lot! Good to know!
In the end, in preparation for an upcoming AOR, I applied for a Citi Business AA card (so that I can apply for another Citi card during the AOR), and was approved with 2K CL! I just had to call in because the application hadn't processed well- didn't have to do anything besides spell my name, confirm my DOB and hold for fifteen minutes.
Thanks all!
I haven't seen all these responses till now (and even accidentally posted overlapping questions a few days later)- thank you for all the response.
Well your accounts are now six months older, you got the delinquency removed, and you likely will have fewer inquiries in the last 12 months time period than you did last time they pulled a report if you have not applied for anything in the last 6 months. I think the personal PRG is one of their easiest cards to get. You might want to try for it again. Usually the personal charge cards are their easiest cards to get. Do you have any idea what your credit score is on Experian? That's the report that AMEX looks at. You might want to look at your Experian report to make sure it is clean. You might want to look in the creditpulls section on creditboards.com to see what kind of scores get approved for the various AMEX cards.
I think I want to wait to see if I can get at least a 50k PRG before trying for it.
In the end, in preparation for an upcoming AOR, I applied for a Citi Business AA card (so that I can apply for another Citi card during the AOR), and was approved with 2K CL! I just had to call in because the application hadn't processed well- didn't have to do anything besides spell my name, confirm my DOB and hold for fifteen minutes.
Thanks all!
Oct 7, 2014, 2:50 pm
#63
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
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Oct 8, 2014, 8:00 am
#64
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Southern Bavaria, Germany
Programs: LH Blue, BA Blue, Hyatt Gold
Posts: 1,517
Apr 11, 2015, 4:28 pm
#65
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: OC/LAX
Posts: 376
What's a good first AMEX card?
Hi guys, I started collecting miles just over a year ago and have Citi, Barclay, and Chase cards. I've only gotten denied for a chase business card since I had just started my relationship with them and had too many new credit lines open with high limits and they wanted to see how I use them before approving me.
Anyways, I was thinking of getting my first AMEX card mainly because I want to start buying AMEX GCs with an AMEX account so that I can also do the yearly shipping option.
What would you guys recommend for a first AMEX card? Should I go for the old amex blue?
Anyways, I was thinking of getting my first AMEX card mainly because I want to start buying AMEX GCs with an AMEX account so that I can also do the yearly shipping option.
What would you guys recommend for a first AMEX card? Should I go for the old amex blue?
Apr 11, 2015, 7:44 pm
#66
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: IAH
Programs: Marriott Plat, Hyatt Globalist, DL Plat, UA Silver
Posts: 4,043
Can you clarify what you mean by
"Anyways, I was thinking of getting my first AMEX card mainly because I want to start buying AMEX GCs with an AMEX account so that I can also do the yearly shipping option. "
Whats your best spending categorys?
The new Gold card has a lot of benefits, if your company does a lot on shipping (you get 3x)
"Anyways, I was thinking of getting my first AMEX card mainly because I want to start buying AMEX GCs with an AMEX account so that I can also do the yearly shipping option. "
Whats your best spending categorys?
The new Gold card has a lot of benefits, if your company does a lot on shipping (you get 3x)
Apr 12, 2015, 5:11 am
#67
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
I believe aceofcards is referring to a flat rate giftcard shipping program, as discussed here, rather than to shipping merchandise for a business:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...ry-2015-a.html
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/c...ping-plan.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...ry-2015-a.html
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/c...ping-plan.html
Last edited by mia; Apr 12, 2015 at 11:06 am
Apr 12, 2015, 1:56 pm
#69
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: DTW Metro Detroit AKA The Motor City AKA Motown AKA BANKRUPT
Programs: Amex Plat, Amex Delta Reserve, Visa Black, Delta Plat FF, SPG Gold, HH Gold, TR Diamond
Posts: 68
My first Amex was a Plat when I was 18 and have been with them ever since.
It really depends.
Do you travel a lot if so there is the Delta card as well as various hotel cards.
Amex does a great job of helping you pick a card to best suit your needs on their website.
It really depends.
Do you travel a lot if so there is the Delta card as well as various hotel cards.
Amex does a great job of helping you pick a card to best suit your needs on their website.
Apr 13, 2015, 2:24 pm
#70
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 384
"First" doesn't really help to narrow it down. Different people choose different AmEx cards as their first for various reasons. It's your needs/wants that will help to narrow down the options. What are you specifically looking for from the card?
Apr 13, 2015, 2:53 pm
#71
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: SAN
Programs: AA Platinum, Bonvoy Gold, DL Gold
Posts: 1,202
The answer depends on these factors:
1) How much do you spend per year on your credit cards?
2) How much do you spend on gas, groceries, and airfare?
3) Which airlines do you most often fly?
4) Which hotel chains do you most often stay at?
5) Do you typically fly in coach or first class?
Your best first card may be the Platinum, the Everyday, the Premier Rewards Gold, the Starwood Preferred Guest, the Gold Delta, or the Blue Cash Preferred depending on your specific situation.
1) How much do you spend per year on your credit cards?
2) How much do you spend on gas, groceries, and airfare?
3) Which airlines do you most often fly?
4) Which hotel chains do you most often stay at?
5) Do you typically fly in coach or first class?
Your best first card may be the Platinum, the Everyday, the Premier Rewards Gold, the Starwood Preferred Guest, the Gold Delta, or the Blue Cash Preferred depending on your specific situation.
Apr 14, 2015, 11:02 am
#72
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: OC/LAX
Posts: 376
The answer depends on these factors:
1) How much do you spend per year on your credit cards?
2) How much do you spend on gas, groceries, and airfare?
3) Which airlines do you most often fly?
4) Which hotel chains do you most often stay at?
5) Do you typically fly in coach or first class?
Your best first card may be the Platinum, the Everyday, the Premier Rewards Gold, the Starwood Preferred Guest, the Gold Delta, or the Blue Cash Preferred depending on your specific situation.
1) How much do you spend per year on your credit cards?
2) How much do you spend on gas, groceries, and airfare?
3) Which airlines do you most often fly?
4) Which hotel chains do you most often stay at?
5) Do you typically fly in coach or first class?
Your best first card may be the Platinum, the Everyday, the Premier Rewards Gold, the Starwood Preferred Guest, the Gold Delta, or the Blue Cash Preferred depending on your specific situation.
2. I don't spend anything on gas (electric vehicle). Minimal grocery spending (occasional restaurants). Use solely points to travel, so minimal airfare expenses.
3. I use AA mostly because I have a ton of AA miles (or I'll use its partners like JAL to get to Asia), I usually only fly once or twice a year and in First.
4. I'm flexible with staying at any hotel pretty much.
I was thinking of getting the SPG mainly because I know that I want to do a Disneyworld trip sometime this year or next year and I can stay at the Swan/Dolphin with those points. But I want to wait until the bonus goes back up to 30K which will probably be sometime this summer.
It's a bit difficult sorting through all the different Amex cards and figuring out when is the best time to apply to make sure I'm receiving the highest sign up offer, especially since the bonuses are once per lifetime or whatever.
Do people pay the annual fees for the Platinum the second year or do they end up canceling?
Apr 14, 2015, 11:06 am
#73
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
Are you including manufactured spending in this total? I think the intent of the question is to determine the categories into which your real spending falls to see if there is a card with a corresponding bonus category.
Apr 14, 2015, 11:07 am
#74
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: OC/LAX
Posts: 376
My mistake, my actual spending is much much less as I'm a college student. So any points I would earn from bonus categories resulting from normal spend would be minimal.
Apr 14, 2015, 11:19 am
#75
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
Be aware, if you are not already, that you are likely to have problems with American Express if your spending level is disproportionate to your verifiable income.