0 Card Credit Financing Article
American Express Credit Card
Anyone who lives in America and has access to television could not miss knowing about the American Express credit card. I mean nearly every channel has an American express credit card ad, nearly every hour on the hour. And what made the American express credit card advertisements that much more memorable were the tagline, “Don’t leave home without it”. I must confess that it was this tagline that made me go in for my very first American express credit card. After seeing one more of those seemingly never ending commercials, I promptly went online, logged on to the American express credit card website and submitted my application.
Imagine my joy when a few days later, I received a package containing… you guessed it! My very own American express credit card. I felt so privileged. And my American Express credit card also came with a slew of offers and attractive (or so it seemed then) packages. For one thing, the American express credit card promised me the widest possible coverage and acceptance at millions of establishments all over the world. For another it came with an incredible balance transfer facility which meant that I could transfer the debt from some of the other, not so popular credit cards to it. Since I had applied for it, my wife and my college going son also got add on, supplementary cards at no extra charge. Finally, it came with gift vouchers and coupons to some of the finest establishments in my city. It is a gross simplification to say that I was overjoyed. But little did I know that my joy was to be short lived!
For one thing, my wife and especially my kid made the most of the sudden bonus of having an American express credit card. Since I was the main card holder, I was often stumped by inexplicable bills at various malls and pizza parlors. While my wife was responsible for the former, my son had been treating his friends to ‘free’ meals at the pizza parlors, thanks to the new freedom the American express credit card gave him, although it was just an add-on card. The next thing was that had transferred all my balances to the new American express credit card without realizing that the preferential rate of interest was valid for just six months. Pretty soon, my new American express credit card too was maxed out and the debts had only gotten bigger and more unmanageable.
Within a year, I had enough of the American express credit card and was ready to give it up. But the advertisements on the television continued and am sure, kept inducing even more people to sign up for the American express credit card. But I feel it is high time they changed the tagline. From “Don’t leave home without it”, I suggest they make it, “Don’t leave home”. Period!
When I wanted to switch from Visa to an American Express card, I didn't quite realize what I was getting myself into. Not having kept up with the company's new products and services that have been introduced over the years, I figured I would just get that classic green American Express card and be done with it. What I didn't realize was that there are now several different cards to choose from, each offering various perks and protections. Of course there were different fees and annual interest rates associated with each one too. I am not very good at reading the "fine print," so that's why I'm glad I decided to use an independent third party to help me choose the American Express card that best fits my needs.
There are many websites out there that allow users to compare all the credit cards offered by major banks and corporations. This was very helpful to me in my latest search because I was able to see the different features, interest rates, and special rewards that I would get if I signed up. I could easily see how the American Express card stacked up to competitors, which enabled me to make a more informed decision.
Before I actually visited one of these websites, I had a couple of questions about how they worked. Fortunately, I was able to find the answers to these questions relatively quickly. First, I wanted to know if I would be getting a genuine American Express card issued directly from that company, or if I would be getting one that was backed by some outfit I've never heard of. I discovered that if I did fill out an application for an American Express card, it would indeed be the real deal. The website simply acts as an information provider and probably gets a commission for every application they steer towards the banks.
A second question I had was how secure the whole process was. After all, I didn't want some random website to have access to my personal financial information. Again, what I found out really put my mind at ease. Any application forms I chose to fill out would be done so directly on the card issuer's official website. My American Express card application was submitted over a secure server and none of my personal information ever found its way to a third party.
Websites that offer side-by-side comparisons of credit cards are free to use and are an exceptional tool for consumers. I recommend checking out some of these websites before you apply for an American Express card. By doing so, you'll be able to shop around for the best deals and offers without having to expend a lot of time or effort. So go fill out an application today, and you'll have a brand-new American Express card in your wallet before you know it!