According to Nerdwallet, American Express charges merchants almost twice the amount in swipe fees than Visa, Mastercard, and Discover. Amex charges between 2.5 and 3.5 percent, while its competitors charge anywhere between 1.5 and 2.5 percent.
American Express is not popular among some consumers and merchants because it charges high interchange fees, causing Amex cards to be less widely accepted around the globe than Mastercard or Visa cards. These fees can be very costly to merchants.
The primary drawback of American Express cards is the fact that they charge companies for the payments that they process. This is because they have their own payment network and don't rely on companies like Visa and Mastercard. This means that some businesses, especially smaller ones, may not accept American Express.
Millionaires use credit cards like the Centurion® Card from American Express, the J.P. Morgan Reserve Credit Card. These high-end credit cards are available only to people who receive an invitation to apply, which millionaires have the best chance of getting.
Yes, an American Express card is worth it for people with good or excellent credit scores who want to earn rewards on U.S. purchases that they'll pay for in full by the due date every month. An Amex card may also be worth it for people who want an introductory low-interest period in addition to rewards.
Centurion® Card from American Express
Why it's one of the hardest credit cards to get: The hardest credit card to get is the American Express Centurion Card. Known simply as the “Black Card,” you need an invitation to get Amex Centurion.
American Express is special because it is a luxury credit card brand, known for offering elite rewards and having exclusive approval requirements. American Express also is among the country's largest credit card issuers by purchase volume, and it is one of the four major payment networks.
Yes, it's hard to get an American Express card because they all require good or excellent credit for approval. But American Express isn't the only credit card company to target people in the highest tiers of the credit score scale. Barclays and Wells Fargo do too, for example.
Although American Express doesn't specify any minimum credit score requirements, you'll need good credit (or better) to qualify, which means a FICO score of at least 670. A premium Amex card — say, the American Express Gold Card — likely requires a “very good” FICO score, somewhere in the range of 740 and above.
But in terms of comparing eligibility requirements for Visa, Mastercard, and American Express, American Express may be the hardest issuer to qualify for as most cards require applicants to have a “good” credit score of at least 670 to qualify.
When applying for the Amex Blue Card, try to have a good credit score, which is a FICO® Score of 670 or above. This is one of the easiest Membership Rewards cards to open, and even consumers with average credit scores have a decent chance of approval.
They take advantage of rewards cards to get cash back or earn free travel. The wealthy can benefit more than average earners from credit card rewards because they charge a lot. If your card pays you 2% cash back and you spend $100,000 per year, you can earn a lot more in rewards than the typical card user.
American Express is good because its credit cards offer customers a wide selection of bonus rewards in popular purchase categories. American Express credit cards also have an assortment of lucrative welcome offers, introductory 0% APR offers, and luxury travel benefits.
Salary Needed for Amex Platinum Credit Card
If you make near $100,000 a year and have good credit, you should have no issue getting approved. But, applicants with annual incomes as low as $40,000 have also been approved if they have a low debt-to-income ratio and pay their other credit cards in full every month.
If there's one card most associated with celebrities, it's the American Express Business Centurion Card, often referred to as the Amex Black Card. It's an invite-only card, and although you don't need to be famous to get it, the spending requirement for an invite is rumored to be at least $250,000 per year.
Currently, you can have up to five American Express consumer credit cards at one time. It is important to note that American Express offers multiple types of cards — business cards and consumer cards — and that the rule only applies to consumer cards where you are the primary cardholder.
American Express is often better than Visa and Mastercard for use in the U.S. by people with good or excellent credit who pay their bill in full monthly and redeem rewards for domestic travel or cash, depending on the Amex.
Yes, it is good to have an American Express credit card because Amex cards offer attractive bonus rewards on a variety of purchases for people with good or excellent credit. American Express cards also come with an array of welcome offers and introductory 0% APR promotions, in addition to a certain air of prestige.
The credit card billionaires are most likely to use is the Centurion® Card from American Express, also known as the Amex Black Card, which has unique benefits and is reserved for high-net-worth individuals. Some of the rich and famous people rumored to have the card include Jerry Seinfeld and Halle Berry.
Dubai First claims its Royale Card is the most exclusive credit card in the world. The Royale Card by Dubai First is an invitation-only credit card with no pre-set spending limit. The card is trimmed with gold on two sides and features a solitary . 235-carat diamond centered on the front.
American Express can help your credit score if you are the primary accountholder or an authorized user aged 18 or older on an American Express credit card or charge card account. For an Amex card to be good for your credit score, the account must be kept in good standing with on-time monthly bill payments.
According to the score ranges from FICO, that means American Express applicants typically have at least a 670 score: Exceptional. 800 and above.
Amex EveryDay® Credit Card
This no annual fee credit card is another solid pick for credit card beginners.
It's known for its top-notch customer service and some of the best rewards available. From ultra-elite business travel cards to everyday rewards, American Express has credit cards that are a good choice for many different types of cardholders.