Best credit cards survey

Yup, Amex is at the top of my list now. Never ever had a customer service problem with them. That is coupled with the fact that the Costco Amex card is one of the best rewards cards now (5% back on gas, 3% back on dining out, 2% back on travel, 1% back on everything else.)

No complaints with Discover either...

Hmm, I guess that means I should activate my Discover card and get a new Amex card -- I've had an account with them for ages but somehow don't know where my card is. The one thing that's really bugged me about Citibank is that you can't pay more than $1k online if it's the first payment through that bank. Consequently you have to make the $1k payment and then send a check for the remainder if you don't want to get stuck with interest. It seems to me like they're just looking for you to goof that up.

My sister has a Capital One card, and she says they close the account periodically if she hasn't used the card.

i think in terms of customer service, diners club can't be beat. i have an amex platinum charge card, and when i call customer service i still have to go through a few voice prompts. when you call diners club, it's like calling your friend or something - you hear ringing, and then someone (not indian) picks up and says "hello?".

Doctor Bagel said:

Hmm, I guess that means I should activate my Discover card and get a new Amex card -- I've had an account with them for ages but somehow don't know where my card is. The one thing that's really bugged me about Citibank is that you can't pay more than $1k online if it's the first payment through that bank. Consequently you have to make the $1k payment and then send a check for the remainder if you don't want to get stuck with interest. It seems to me like they're just looking for you to goof that up.

My sister has a Capital One card, and she says they close the account periodically if she hasn't used the card.

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??? I think this has changed. I regularly pay off thousands of $$$ of Citibank balance online with no problems.....

Sol Rosenberg said:

??? I think this has changed. I regularly pay off thousands of $$$ of Citibank balance online with no problems.....

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Oh you can -- you just can't pay more than $1k for the first payment from a bank, so if you have a new citi credit card or changed banks you get hit. It's happened to me twice (once with the first card payment and once when I switched to a new checking account), and it's sort of a pita.

mshheaddoc said:

i see what your saying, its only for hte FIRST payment, afterwards you can pay as much as you'd like. I've had that happen to me tool.

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Yeah, that's it. Not a big deal in the long run, but it always makes me mad when it happens. It stinks because you spend all this time waiting for the new bank account to be activated for online payments by citi, and then they tell you you can't pay off your full bill. And it always seems to happen when I do owe more than $1k.

I've got a USAA card. It was originally a back-up card for emergencies because it had a low rate. One day they offered me a loan at 1.9% without any fees or future rate changes, so I took them up on it and put the money to work. MMFs were paying 3.5% at the time.

I also have a US Bank REI card. I just love having that REIT dividend. Wouldn't think of carrying a balance on it.

My most recent card (still at 0%) is a chase card which offers 1% on everything, 3% on gas, fast food, and groceries. Seems okay so far. Fools raised my credit limit before the 0% expired. Now I don't have to pay for anything until Sep 08. I figure between the rewards and the money I'll make in the MMF (where I'm storing every cent I owe on the card) I'll make about $1000 on this card between now and the time I pay it off just before the 0% expires. Then I'll have to decide which I like better, this one or the REI card, and keep the other for back-up. I may never get that USAA one paid back.

I have Amex Blue Cash, and I like it. I don't carry a balance and I made $5 last year. Woohoo! And I'm already up to $0.92 this year, and the year just started. Seriously though, I think American Express is great. Only problem is it's not accepted everywhere, so I have a Capital One mastercard as backup. So far I like that card too. I got it because it was the lowest APR I found that I could qualify for (9%).

mustang sally said:

I have Amex Blue Cash, and I like it. I don't carry a balance and I made $5 last year. Woohoo! And I'm already up to $0.92 this year, and the year just started. Seriously though, I think American Express is great. Only problem is it's not accepted everywhere, so I have a Capital One mastercard as backup. So far I like that card too. I got it because it was the lowest APR I found that I could qualify for (9%).

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i can't think of a single place that takes visa/mc but doesn't take american express. i can think of two that take amex but not visa or mastercard - costco and neiman marcus

etf said:

i can't think of a single place that takes visa/mc but doesn't take american express. i can think of two that take amex but not visa or mastercard - costco and neiman marcus

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I guess I do a lot of shopping online and it always seems like a toss-up whether or not the website will accept Amex. Another local problem that I have is that the subway system here does not take Amex. Half the time the card reader will not read my debit card, so I need to have some sort of credit card backup so I don't get stranded at the metro station with no fare.

Mushy!

My forums away from SDN are the creditboards.com/forums (sorry, not trying to re-direct SDN traffic), where ALL these people obsess over is credit cards 24/7.

Mention AMEX, and people mention FR (financial review) and Big Brother gestapo. Mention Discover, and (well Discover just went independent from Morgan Stanley recently, so we'll see) and people will mention mediocre initial CL's (credit limits), rare CLI's (credit line increases), and two-cycle billing along with mediocre cash back rewards (save the 5% seasonal deals). Mention Crapital One, and it is universally tauted as subprime and shady business practices (FICO dinging due to not reporting credit limit), non-existent CLI's, etc.

I recommend doing hours and hours of research if peeps want the best CC's and terms.

But I'm a gunner with this shiz, so I apologize.

Dallenoff said:

Mushy!

My forums away from SDN are the creditboards.com/forums (sorry, not trying to re-direct SDN traffic), where ALL these people obsess over is credit cards 24/7.

Mention AMEX, and people mention FR (financial review) and Big Brother gestapo. Mention Discover, and (well Discover just went independent from Morgan Stanley recently, so we'll see) and people will mention mediocre initial CL's (credit limits), rare CLI's (credit line increases), and two-cycle billing along with mediocre cash back rewards (save the 5% seasonal deals). Mention Crapital One, and it is universally tauted as subprime and shady business practices (FICO dinging due to not reporting credit limit), non-existent CLI's, etc.

I recommend doing hours and hours of research if peeps want the best CC's and terms.

But I'm a gunner with this shiz, so I apologize.

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from what i understand, amex only does financial reviews to charge card holders, since they have to establish a baseline for your financial resources and approve charges accordingly. and it seems like a relatively straightforward process, as long as you have nothing to hide.

etf said:

i can't think of a single place that takes visa/mc but doesn't take american express. i can think of two that take amex but not visa or mastercard - costco and neiman marcus

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A lot of small locally owned stores/businesses (my hair salon, my mechanic, liquor store, etc) in my city don't take AE, I guess higher fees for them or whatever. I try to shop at locally owned stores as much as possible and have found that a great number didn't accept it, so when I got my new Citibank card which I loved I just cancelled the AE.

etf said:

from what i understand, amex only does financial reviews to charge card holders, since they have to establish a baseline for your financial resources and approve charges accordingly. and it seems like a relatively straightforward process, as long as you have nothing to hide.

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If only that were true. FR is a buttraping and on the extreme end they require the cardholder to sign an IRS form granting them permanent access to one's IRS files indefinitely. And there's so much speculation on what "triggers" it, but no one can really isolate any variables. It happens to credit card holders too.

I have an Amex and enjoy some of the bennies, but they are no longer a Prime company with Prime treatment of its entire customer base. FWIW, my deepest respect goes to Citi right now as an all-around prime company with lots of options and is at the upper echelon of good terms and conditions.

Dallenoff said:

If only that were true. FR is a buttraping and on the extreme end they require the cardholder to sign an IRS form granting them permanent access to one's IRS files indefinitely. And there's so much speculation on what "triggers" it, but no one can really isolate any variables. It happens to credit card holders too.

I have an Amex and enjoy some of the bennies, but they are no longer a Prime company with Prime treatment of its entire customer base. FWIW, my deepest respect goes to Citi right now as an all-around prime company with lots of options and is at the upper echelon of good terms and conditions.

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i guess it's hit or miss - my parents have had a costco amex credit card for a while now, and haven't been subjected to financial review. i've had an amex charge card since i was 18, and haven't been hit up with an FR either. hopefully i haven't just jinxed myself - although if they want my tax returns, they can have them, since i've never filed a return in my life.