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| Thread ID: 122952 | 2012-01-23 06:37:00 | American Express users? | Nomad (952) | PC World Chat |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 1255606 | 2012-01-25 09:27:00 | If my next one (due August 2012) has a chip and I can get a PIN then I may use it again as the Airpoints were quite good. Is yours a green or gold card?? Ahh, it's red? |
pine-o-cleen (2955) | ||
| 1255607 | 2012-01-25 10:37:00 | I think rewards needs to be watched. For some people, I guess status card might be seen as posh but if you aren't travelling not much point - if you're not gonna use the complimentary travel insurance. And you'll pay a higher annual fee. Some of the cards could cost up to $400/year. If you are a high earner, it might work out despite the travels cos they may give a higher earning point ratio. But it's all relative. A $35k salary worker probably isn't gonna clock up to get back $1,000 cash per year. For that reason Kiwibank Zero MC without annual fee might be great. Non Gold CCs could actually have the same credit limit as Gold but if you're not travelling you could just pay the lesser fee and opt out of Gold. If you like travel, $100 spending gives you back $1 Airpoint Dollar or $1.50 with AMEX. This is the fastest. And with Hotpoints which is reviewed as one of the best programmes for general use (not travel specific). Even if you had the $300 CC annual fee, you need to spend $4,500 to get a $60 (?) cookbook. These work out about 1.3-1.5% benefit. I'm not a high flyer, so I'll probably just get 2 sets of return flights to Auckland when I go overseas (grab a seat specials). And the travel insurance pays for itself - but normal travel insurance is probably more comprehensive with less conditions/exclusions and and has a lesser excess charge. Also note that if you get a special price overseas like $199 Air Asia or to Oz and back. B/c the fare is too cheap, you're not eligible for travel insurance even if you had a Gold card :lol: AirNZ used to be okay at maybe fly 6x and get 1x for free, now it's more like 12x or 18x if you choose to fly in peak time. They are worst than any other airline freq flyer programme. |
Nomad (952) | ||
| 1255608 | 2012-01-25 19:58:00 | I used to be in a business accepting cc's and Amex were the least attractive from a merchant's pov . Highest %, monthly min fee even if not used & least no . of customers with it . I ditched them pretty fast . A lot of merchants would not (and do not) accept Amex because of being slow payers . Their history of that goes back a while, at least to the 70's as far as I'm aware . Amex has always been, and is, essentially a charge card . I think it wasn't until the 80's they responded to growing competition from the banks that they introduced a credit facility . I think though that may have been also at the discretion of the individual franchise holder . To my mind, Amex has always been a manipulator of cash flows, which managed well contributes to a healthy bottom line . I remember an advertising campaign they ran in the US reportedly at a cost of many millions, that netted a return far in excess of the advertising cost . It was aimed at buyers of Amex travelers cheques . The story line was: "You've returned from holiday, and still have a couple of travelers cheques in your possession . Hey, don't cash them in, just store them in a corner of your wallet . They'll be safe there and when you really need them in an emergency, you're covered . " Of course, bits of paper get lost and overlooked in wallets, so as time goes on they can get forgotten . And in many cases, never redeemed (keeping these have been paid for by the customer, and Amex had the use of those funds until (or if) they were presented) . Almost a scam, but present day debit cards have put an end to all that . :2cents: |
WalOne (4202) | ||
| 1255609 | 2012-01-26 06:42:00 | Got my pin put on today - thanks for the tip off. | Twelvevolts (5457) | ||
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