American Express – the quiet player in credit cards
A sometimes overlooked player in Australia’s credit card industry, American Express (AMEX) was a pioneer in the charge card field – aimed at the overseas traveler and their foreign exchange and spending abroad. Purchases made on a charge card each month had to be paid in full when the statement was issued. Over the years, AMEX progressively added more travel-related services such as travel insurance and more recently, travel inconvenience cover to some of their charge cards.
American Express is now a very active player in the local credit card market offering a range of cards each with a different mix of prices and benefits. ‘Travel’ is still a prominent theme with most of their credit cards.
AMEX currently offers six types of credit cards. One product – Blue Skies Credit Card – has no annual card fee. Annual fees on the other cards range from $49 to $450 per annum. Interest rate on outstanding balances is 19.99% per annum.
One free return flight to a selected capital city is yours with the Platinum Credit Card and membership points accrue at the rate of 1.5 points per $1 spent. A complimentary enrollment in the Membership Rewards program saves $80 a year. Travel insurance and a priority travel booking service are part of this package, too.
A tie-up with Qantas means holders of Qantas American Express Ultimate Card, Qantas American Express Credit Card, and Qantas American Express Credit card can earn Qantas Frequent Flyer points from their spending and in some cases, additional points on their spending on selected Qantas services.
Some of their credit cards are specifically designed for Qantas Frequent Flyer Members. Others allow card holders the luxury of use of Qantas Club facilities while traveling.
If travel is part of your life, then check out the American Express credit cards. One of their cards might prove to be ideal for you. You can complete your credit card application, online.
Other popular credit card providers include: