The days when all American Express cards were rather dull looking (but rather exclusive) green pieces of plastic are long gone. That classic green card does still exist but it has been joined by over a dozen other offerings some of which do not only offer all the spending power and prestige that American Express is so famous for but some great rewards as well. Here is a little bit about some of the American Express Rewards credit cards that are available today:
American Express Green Card
The original American Express charge card is still going strong and for those who are disciplined enough to keep an American Express Green Card account in good standing these days there are some great rewards to be earned as well.
Reward points on the Green Card are awarded at the rate of 1 point for every dollar spent. In addition any travel booked through American Express’ Travel Service is rewarded at the rate of 2 points per dollar and purchases made at American Express’ shopping portal are rewarded at the rate of up to ten points per dollar spent.
Rewards can be redeemed once you have accumulated at least 1,000 points. Points can be then used to pay for air travel or hotel accommodations, redeemed for gift certificates for select retailers or to purchase hundreds of different pieces of merchandise at the American Express Rewards website.
American Express Premier Rewards Gold Card
There is of course a lot of prestige attached to being the proud owner of an American Express Gold Card and the rewards get a lot better once you have been upgraded as well. The American Express Premier Rewards Gold Card takes these rewards to an even higher level.
If you purchase gas or groceries with your American Express Premier Rewards Gold Card you will be rewarded at a rate of 2 points per dollar spent. That goes up to 3 points per dollar spent on any travel booked through American Express Travel Service. Cardholders enjoy the extra perk of being given access to some great exclusive vacation packages as well as to tickets for concerts and sporting events that are not available to others. All other purchases made on the American Express Premier Rewards Gold Card earn rewards on a 1 to 1 basis – 1 point for every dollar spent.
Rewards can be redeemed for almost anything. The Membership Rewards site offers hundreds of different products, you can choose gift certificates for a select group of higher end stores, use the rewards to pay for a vacation or even pay your taxes with them!
Zync from American Express
Zync from American Express is a newer offering designed for and aimed at twenty and thirty something’s as an alternative to the credit cards they are used to and an introduction to the world of American Express charge cards. Because it is aimed at a younger demographic the credit requirements for approval are slightly more relaxed than those for other American Express cards but you will still need pretty decent credit to get one.
The rewards program attached to the Zync by American Express card is a rather unique one. In addition to having access to the usual American Express rewards offerings that those who choose a Classic green card have Zync cardholders also have the option to personalize their rewards by adding “pacs” to their card, each one having its own special themed set of rewards. Some of the Pacs do have an annual fee attached to them though (which is in addition to the standard $25 annual fee all Zync cardholders are charged so that does need to be kept in mind when choosing pacs. You can add as many as you like so unless you are careful you can end up costing yourself more in annual fees than you will make up for in rewards and perks!
What do these pacs offer? Well the Style Pac for example says it is geared towards “fashionistas” and offers fashion themed rewards as well as exclusive offers and discounts on designer clothing and accessories as well as exclusive buying opportunities for “one off” merchandise. This particular pac costs $25 per year though that may be a small price to pay if clothes and fashion really are your big passion in life.
Other pacs include a Restaurant pac for foodies, a Give Back pac for those who like to do just that to various charities and there is even a Vegas pac that offers exclusive rewards and discounts on things to see and do in Sin City. Each pac also offers increased point reward earnings on merchandise in the category.
American Express Blue Cash Card
For years charge cards were the only things American express offered – that is cards that have to be paid off in full every month. In recent years though American Express has begun offering a limited number of traditional credit cards and the American Express Blue Cash Card is one of them and it has some great rewards attached to it as well.
American Express Blue Cash Card Basics
As a credit card the American Express Blue Cash card stacks up very well against other similar offerings from other companies. There is no annual fee and a 0% APR on purchases for 6 or 12 months (depending upon your credit rating) and variable rates of thereafter, again depending upon your credit rating.
American Express Blue Cash Rewards and Benefits
Like many of the best rewards credit cards available today you can really rack up the rewards points if you choose to pay for your grocery and gas purchases with your American Express Blue Cash card. Grocery purchases earn 3% cash back while every time you use your card to pay at the pump you earn 2% cash back while all other purchases are rewarded with 1% cash back.
When you are ready to redeem rewards points earned with your American Express Blue Card there are a lot of options to choose from. Products like electronics, fashion, accessories, and sports equipment are available from the American Express rewards center or you can choose from amongst a selection of great gift cards. You can also use rewards points for travel purchases or even to get great tickets to concerts or sporting events.