Fuck American Express.

[Derrick]

So I will be flying alot soon (once a week to Miami and back in the same day), so I thought I might as well get a rewards credit card, so that way I can build credit without having to pay out the ass all at once and earn points. I get an American Express gold card and buy some stuff to break it in. I then a month later (today) get the bill. It says I have to pay everything back. Now when I got the card, I read the contract both online and the one they sent with the card. BOTH said they had a minimum payment option, something which I even highlighted.

So I call American Express and ask wtf.

"Well, the contracts we provide are general card contracts. You have a charge card, not a credit card."

"But... the contract says 'American Express Gold Card Contract and under 'minimum payment' it details an equation and says that will be on the bill for this card."

"Sir, I don't have the contract in front of me. If you want to sign up for a credit card with rewards, you can do that but the balance will be due on Saturday. I will have to cancel your account to do so, however."

"...well fine."

I paid the card off and cancelled the account. I then was transfered to India and asked to enroll for the credit card, and I was declined. Why? BECAUSE I CANCELED AN AMERICAN EXPRESS CARD! SHE TOLD ME TO! I DID AND I WAS THEN REJECTED!

I then cut up the card and went to Mastercard, I was approved with an even lower rate and better airmiles system.

tl;dr (why you on a BBS?), American Express is awful and for life, you do need Mastercard.

[B E C K]

Yeah, written words don't mean squat anymore.  Anyway... there's a difference between a charge card and credit card?  Really?

[The D]

What, you didn't realize American Express was the spawn of the devil? What planet are you living on?

[Merla]

I was going to make a comment but I didn't want to jinx myself so I shall remain silent.

[Derrick]

Yeah, written words don't mean squat anymore.  Anyway... there's a difference between a charge card and credit card?  Really?

I only just learned this myself. AMEX wants you to pay back the full month right away with the charge card. Off of 400 or so bucks, they made 70 cents off me as a customer.

[Rodent of Unusual Size]

I occasionally see people using an AMEX card in the store, and I just think, "why?"  There's absolutely no reason to use one, particularly when a lot of places don't take them any more.  Stick with Visa or Mastercard.

[IDE]

I think it was only in recent years that they started issuing credit cards instead of charge cards.

Didn't know there were 2 different names though.

[Derrick]

I occasionally see people using an AMEX card in the store, and I just think, "why?"  There's absolutely no reason to use one, particularly when a lot of places don't take them any more.  Stick with Visa or Mastercard.

Mainly, the rewards interested me. It's not worth the fucking hassle, though.

[Rodent of Unusual Size]

When a company has to woo you with bonus points and stuff that nobody else is doing, it may be a sign that they're desperate, and there's a reason why they aren't Visa.  Amex used to have a rep of doing to bat for its customers and going after scammers and ID thieves, and that's apparently fallen by the wayside in recent years.

[Derrick]

Well I got a Visa Platinum and a MC Platinum, so c'est la vie. Thankfully my credit is still find and it really only cost me 70 cents. I don't know how they make money not gaining interest over months.

[B E C K]

I don't get charge cards.  Just open up a credit card, charge it, and pay the whole thing off if that's what you want to do.  I guess if they make 70 cents off of enough people... meh, there's no way to word that that doesn't sound stupid.