jbd@duke.UUCP (Joanne Bechta Dugan) (06/20/85)
I recently acquired an American Express card, for an annual fee of $35. In this month's Ms. magazine, there is an application for an American Express card -- annual fee $45. Yesterday, I received an invitation to apply for a card, for an annual fee of $35. Why the difference in fees ???? Joanne Bechta Dugan Duke University
andrew@grkermi.UUCP (Andrew W. Rogers) (06/21/85)
In article <5946@duke.UUCP> jbd@duke.UUCP (Joanne Bechta Dugan) writes: > >I recently acquired an American Express card, for an annual fee of $35. > >In this month's Ms. magazine, there is an application for an American >Express card -- annual fee $45. . . >Why the difference in fees? AMEX is in the midst of raising their annual rates. Next time you renew, you'll be soaked $45 (as I already have.) The $35 application must be an old one. AW Rogers PS to all pathologically insecure status seekers: AMEX Gold is going up from $50 to $65.
thomas@utah-gr.UUCP (Spencer W. Thomas) (06/24/85)
In article <465@grkermi.UUCP> andrew@grkermi.UUCP (Andrew W. Rogers) writes: >PS to all pathologically insecure status seekers: AMEX Gold is going up from >$50 to $65. Actually, all you status-seekers just got a big kick in the butt from AMEX, with their introduction of the "Platinum" card. You're all just second-class citizens now (unless you cough up ~$250/yr for the Platinum card). Good reason to drop the Gold card for the plain old Green one. -- =Spencer ({ihnp4,decvax}!utah-cs!thomas, thomas@utah-cs.ARPA)
andrew@grkermi.UUCP (Andrew W. Rogers) (06/27/85)
In article <1485@utah-gr.UUCP> thomas@utah-gr.UUCP (Spencer W. Thomas) writes: > >>PS to all pathologically insecure status seekers: AMEX Gold is going up from >>$50 to $65. > >Actually, all you status-seekers just got a big kick in the butt from >AMEX, with their introduction of the "Platinum" card. You're all just >second-class citizens now (unless you cough up ~$250/yr for the Platinum >card). Good reason to drop the Gold card for the plain old Green one. You forgot to point out that the Platinum card isn't available to just *any* status seeker with $250 to blow on a piece of plastic - you have to have charged at least $10K/year for each of the past N years *and* be invited to apply for the privilege of wasting that kind of money! AWR
jer@peora.UUCP (J. Eric Roskos) (06/27/85)
What is the difference between these "green", "gold", and "platinum" cards,
anyway?
--
Shyy-Anzr: J. Eric Roskos
UUCP: ..!{decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4}!vax135!petsd!peora!jer
US Mail: MS 795; Perkin-Elmer SDC;
2486 Sand Lake Road, Orlando, FL 32809-7642
"Qbpx! Qbpx! Zl obj jrag bss juvyr V jhm pyrrava' vg!"bjorn@dataio.UUCP (Bjorn Benson) (06/28/85)
>What is the difference between these "green", "gold", and "platinum" cards, >anyway? The "green" card has a yearly fee of $45 and has a certain (reasonable) charge limit. College students with an offer of a $15,000 job can get one. The "gold" card gives you a bigger charge limit, a bigger yearly fee, more status, a higher income to qualify and a few extra features like a real line-of-credit (around $5000 I think). The "platinum" card has a huge fee ($1500?), allows a tremendous charge limit, and is only available to those people who travel over 10,000 (or is it 100,000) miles a year. Just what I remember from the brouchure, Bjorn Benson
bccarty@whuts.UUCP (CARTY) (06/28/85)
What advantages does a $250/yr Platinum card give you that you can't get with a $65/yr Gold one? And out of curiosity, how many folks out in netland are going to dump their "old" AMEXes for a more prestigious one? Brian Carty AT&T Bell Laboratories Piscataway, NJ
tplee@sftig.UUCP (T.P.Lee) (06/28/85)
> What is the difference between these "green", "gold", and "platinum" cards, > anyway? > -- > Shyy-Anzr: J. Eric Roskos > UUCP: ..!{decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4}!vax135!petsd!peora!jer > US Mail: MS 795; Perkin-Elmer SDC; > 2486 Sand Lake Road, Orlando, FL 32809-7642 > > "Qbpx! Qbpx! Zl obj jrag bss juvyr V jhm pyrrava' vg!" Easy. My 5-year old son would say "color" without hesitations. We adults translate them to "status and respect" by a function such as status = (green + 10 * gold) ^ platinum where each color is 1 by default and is 2 if you own one. These magic constants/formula vary from individual to individual. (.-.) I don't own any of them since my "cheap" department stores won't take AMEX. Depressing enough , Macy/Bamberger/Bloomingdale won't take may gold Visa either ; what a "class" struggle going on here.
mr@hou2h.UUCP (M.RINDSBERG) (07/01/85)
> > What advantages does a $250/yr Platinum card give you that you can't get > with a $65/yr Gold one? And out of curiosity, how many folks out in > netland are going to dump their "old" AMEXes for a more prestigious one? > Brian Carty To have the platinum card you must also charge a minimum of $10,000 / Yr. Mark ..!hou2h!mr
gm@trsvax (07/01/85)
Have you heard what the requirements for the "Platinum" card are? Besides the $250 yearly fee you must: - have been an American Excess cardmember for at least 2 years. - charged at least $10,000 per year on your card. - have had your account in good standing all the time. - be "invited" to join. You won't see any Platinum applications at your local bank. They make some vague rumblings about "unlimited personal financial freedom". Right. Has anyone every seen one of these? Who is going to pay $250 a year for a charge card? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Calvin? My name's not Calvin!" "But that's the name on your underwear." gm@trsvax
andrew@grkermi.UUCP (Andrew W. Rogers) (07/02/85)
In article <137@whuts.UUCP> bccarty@whuts.UUCP (CARTY) writes: >What advantages does a $250/yr Platinum card give you that you can't get >with a $65/yr Gold one? And out of curiosity, how many folks out in >netland are going to dump their "old" AMEXes for a more prestigious one? a) The right to flash it ostentatiously! What else did you expect?? b) Count me out...in fact, I've been toying with the idea of discontinuing the *green* one and feeding some Africans with the $45. And I don't mean treating them to cold pasta salad w/quail sausage at the latest trendy exposed fern/hanging brick Yuppie hangout (like in the AMEX ads)! In article <42@peora.UUCP> jer@peora (J. Eric Roskos) writes: >What is the difference between these "green", "gold", and "platinum" cards, >anyway? That's what I say - "what's the difference?". I believe it has something to do with: a) wavelength of reflected light b) cost (as in "a fool and his money...") c) wording of the ad campaigns to convince the gullible and/or insecure to trade up to the "right" card or else forget about advancing beyond pond scum on the ladder to social success. (Future shuck: In a couple years, we'll probably see a campaign implying that the Platinum Card is about to become declasse (too many hoi polloi flashing it ostentatiously), and that any Yuppie worth his/her BMW should immediately apply for the new AMEX Plutonium to avoid being mistaken for those tacky masses...) You wanted a serious answer? OK... the AMEX green is not technically a "charge card" since the holder is expected to pay the balance in full each month (exception: airline tickets, which may be paid in installments). More accurately, it's a "credit card", which is why it's actually one of the easiest cards to get (despite the implicit snobbery in the ads). AMEX actively courts recent graduates ("Don't leave school without it!"); MC/VISA usually require 1+ years of work experience. The AMEX Gold and Platinum are true credit cards, backed by a "line of credit from a prestigious financial institution", which the applicant (supplicant? sucker?) must be - hold onto your hats - APPROVED FOR! WOW! (Drop the word "prestigious", of course, and you have the definition of MC/VISA.) They do throw in such social-climber bait as "guest privileges at private clubs" (subject to a long list of restrictions, such as location > 100 miles from your home), etc. for you to brag about (even though they're counting on hardly anyone taking advantage of them). Oddly enough, the income requirements for AMEX Gold have actually been dropping in recent years (see what I mean about "planned declasse-essence"?); the latest application I saw required only $20K/yr (down from $30K in 1980). There was, in fact, a recent article in Business Week | Fortune | Forbes (I forget which) about the delicate balance AMEX's ad agency has had to maintain in order to convey the appropriate "exclusive" image without appearing so snobbish as to discourage the desired audience from applying. Andrew W. Rogers
ark@alice.UUCP (Andrew Koenig) (07/02/85)
> Oddly enough, the income requirements for AMEX Gold have actually been > dropping in recent years (see what I mean about "planned declasse-essence"?); > the latest application I saw required only $20K/yr (down from $30K in 1980). I got an AMEX gold card in the early 70's, when my income was about $15K/year. Finally got rid of it when I went two straight years without using it. Amex advantages: 1. For every charge, you get a piece of paper with your signature on it that you can verify. 2. You can get traveler's checks from teller machines located at various major airports. 3. No fixed credit limit. I have a friend who bought a car with an Amex card, thus gaining six weeks of float on the money. 4. Some places take it and nothing else. Amex disadvantages: 1. Costs a bunch. 2. You must pay your balance in full every month. (I normally do anyway, but it would be nice to be able to spread out an unexpected purchase once in a while. My car just got a new cylinder head....) 3. A lot of places don't take it. 4. A lot of places that do take it do so only grudgingly, because they normally charge the merchant much more than MC/VISA. If I were a free-lance consultant, I would consider it a necessity because of the degree to which those little pieces of paper would simplify record-keeping.
tkoppel@udenva.UUCP (Ted Koppel) (07/03/85)
In article <>, bccarty@whuts.UUCP (CARTY) claims:
-->And out of curiosity, how many folks out in
-->netland are going to dump their "old" AMEXes for a more prestigious one?
-->
--> Brian Carty
--> AT&T Bell Laboratories
--> Piscataway, NJ
I just got the renewal notice for the green card ($35 to $45)--it was
barely worth it at $35. I closed my account.
--
Ted Koppel : University of Denver Penrose Library : 303-871-3429
{boulder, cires, cisden, denelcor, hao, nbires}!udenva!tkoppel
{bilanc, csm9a, elsi, koala}!udenva!tkoppelseb@mtgzz.UUCP (s.e.badian) (07/08/85)
This does not apply to the green card since you can't run a balance. The gold card may cost more, but the current interest rate for balances on the gold is quite low. If you run big balances, this could make a big difference to you. You pay $65 up front for the card but you only pay an annual rate of 14% on your balance. When you consider that most credit cards charge you over 19% this is a pretty good. I don't know that the 14% interest rate is true for all gold cards though since you get your credit line through you own bank. Sharon Badian ihnp4!mtgzz!seb
andrew@orca.UUCP (Andrew Klossner) (07/09/85)
[]
"4. A lot of places that do take it do so only grudgingly,
because they normally charge the merchant much more than
MC/VISA."
I operated a mail order software house for a few years, and have some
experience with credit cards from the merchant's viewpoint.
Mastercard and Visa normally charge the merchant 3% of each
transaction. (They charge me 2.5%, because I take only large orders,
nothing under $95.) This happens immediately, not at the end of the
month; when you deposit your credit card slips (in a process much like
depositing checks), you subtract 3% off the top and that's the amount
of your deposit. Bear this in mind next time your bank tells you they
need to charge you for having a card; they make much more from the
merchant than from the consumer.
American Express charges 4%. The difference between 3% and 4% isn't
enough for a merchant to get bothered about, especially since you're
less likely to have an AmEx charge go bad than a Visa/Mastercard
charge. AmEx REQUIRES that you get the customer's signature, hence no
AmEx telephone orders. Visa/Mastercard don't require this, but, if you
don't have the signature, they can refuse to pay the charge (by
debiting your bank account) without justification, and the merchant has
no recourse. Also, if the charge is more than $50, the consumer can
challenge the charge even if the merchant got a signature.
What pisses off the merchants is that AmEx tells you how to run your
business. Specifically, you MUST put the AmEx new-customer
solicitation display (a cardboard sign and several application forms)
at each cashier station, and you MUST get AmEx approval of each print
advertisement before publication if it specifies that the consumer can
charge a mail order to AmEx. This advertisement MUST include a large
clip-out coupon with individual blocks for each of the several digits
of an AmEx card, and the coupon MUST be of a certain minimum size.
This is why I didn't go through with the AmEx merchant sign-up; the
cost of buying the space for an AmEx coupon in a single Byte ad is
literally over a thousand dollars.
-=- Andrew Klossner (decvax!tektronix!orca!andrew) [UUCP]
(orca!andrew.tektronix@csnet-relay) [ARPA]berry@zinfandel.UUCP (Berry Kercheval) (07/10/85)
Well, NOW,a at least, you can order by telephone using American Express. I have done it -- L.L. Bean maintains a 24-hr order desk and takes Amex by phone, as does Williams-Sonama. (Oh, no, have I just branded myself as yuppified? At least I'm SUBurban..) -- Berry Kercheval Zehntel Inc. (ihnp4!zehntel!zinfandel!berry) (415)932-6900 (kerch@lll-tis.ARPA)
ark@alice.UUCP (Andrew Koenig) (07/10/85)
> American Express charges 4%. The difference between 3% and 4% isn't > enough for a merchant to get bothered about, especially since you're > less likely to have an AmEx charge go bad than a Visa/Mastercard > charge. AmEx REQUIRES that you get the customer's signature, hence no > AmEx telephone orders. Visa/Mastercard don't require this, but, if you > don't have the signature, they can refuse to pay the charge (by > debiting your bank account) without justification, and the merchant has > no recourse. Also, if the charge is more than $50, the consumer can > challenge the charge even if the merchant got a signature. I know of several merchants that will take American Express phone orders. A number of years ago, when I still had an American Express card, I rented a car for a long trip. By way of a deposit, the rental company ran my AmEx card through their imprinter. I told them I wasn't going to sign a blank charge ticket. They said that was OK; I didn't have to sign it to be obligated to pay it. They were right. After the trip was over, and I had paid for everything, that blank, unsigned charge ticket turned into an extra charge of $99.10 out of the blue. It took me months to get it straightened out.
jer@peora.UUCP (J. Eric Roskos) (07/11/85)
> I told them I wasn't going to sign a blank charge ticket. They said that > was OK; I didn't have to sign it to be obligated to pay it. This is true. If you read the fine print on your American Express contract, you'll see that it says that you are obligated to pay for a charge if you have expressed "intent to pay". I'm not sure what intent to pay implies, but that fact has always concerned me regarding making telephone orders with a credit or charge card. -- Shyy-Anzr: J. Eric Roskos UUCP: ..!{decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4}!vax135!petsd!peora!jer US Mail: MS 795; Perkin-Elmer SDC; 2486 Sand Lake Road, Orlando, FL 32809-7642 Gur ArgArjf... n qlvat pbzzhavpngvba sbez?
essachs@ihuxl.UUCP (Ed Sachs) (07/11/85)
> ... AmEx REQUIRES that you get the customer's signature, hence no > AmEx telephone orders. I've ordered things over the telephone from various mail order houses and charged them to my AmEx card, so the above statement cannot be strictly true. -- Ed Sachs AT&T Bell Laboratories Naperville, IL ihnp4!ihuxl!essachs
desjardins@h-sc1.UUCP (marie desjardins) (07/12/85)
> > AmEx REQUIRES that you get the customer's signature, hence no > > AmEx telephone orders. > > I know of several merchants that will take American Express phone orders. AmEx definitely takes phone orders. A few months back, somebody got hold of my husband's card number (off a carbon, I guess, now we're very careful about that!). They charged $800 of balloons and flowers through mail-orders! (I believe, though, that except for these things and maybe a few others, anything you mail-order has to be sent to your home address.) marie desjardins park
bccarty@whuts.UUCP (Brian C. Carty) (07/12/85)
> The "green" card has a yearly fee of $45 and has a certain (reasonable) > charge limit. College students with an offer of a $15,000 job can get one. I just graduated last month and I remember all the literature I saw saying the offer only needed to be for $10,000. This didn't help me any since I'm continuing my studies elsewhere. But much to my surprise, three days after graduation, a letter from AmEx came to me stating that I had been "pre-approved" for a green card regardless of whether I had a job at the time or not. There was something else about them knowing that I would soon be a responsible employee somewhere. Being the plastic-happy soul I am, I of course returned the completed form to see if they were kidding or not. Obviously, they weren't since yesterday I found an envelope containing a hard, flat object with my name embossed on it. This in spite of the fact that they know I won't be making a real salary for at least four years. Have any other recent grads received such? -- Brian C. Carty AT&T Bell Laboratories Piscataway, NJ
che@ptsfb.UUCP (Mitch Che) (07/15/85)
In article <1263@peora.UUCP> jer@peora.UUCP (J. Eric Roskos) writes: >> I told them I wasn't going to sign a blank charge ticket. They said that >> was OK; I didn't have to sign it to be obligated to pay it. > >This is true. If you read the fine print on your American Express contract, >you'll see that it says that you are obligated to pay for a charge if you >have expressed "intent to pay". I'm not sure what intent to pay implies, >but that fact has always concerned me regarding making telephone orders with >a credit or charge card. >-- When you rent a car, the contract also says you're liable to be billed for any additional charges on your credit card. This is why the rental companies hate it when you pay in cash! (Most don't allow a cash rental without a deposit!) I was stuck with a jacked-up bill from a rental company for dropping a car off at LAX instead of downtown. Since I was told this was OK, it was a surprise to see a 30% increase in my charge. I had to write a letter to my credit card company, but they handled it quite nicely. (Good work at First Interstate Bank...) -- Mitch Che Pacific Bell --------------------------------------- disclaimer, disclaimer, disclaimer, too (415) 823-2438 uucp: {ihnp4,dual}!ptsfa!ptsfb!che
jerry@oliveb.UUCP (Jerry Aguirre) (07/16/85)
> I told them I wasn't going to sign a blank charge ticket. They said that > was OK; I didn't have to sign it to be obligated to pay it. I always make them put in an ammount. Any ammount is better than a blank entry. They usually complain but always come up with an ammount if you push hard enough. Just keep telling them you won't sign a blank check. Ask them how much their deposit for cash would be. If they come back with a huge ammount, say fine and have them put it down before you sign it. If you think it's too big just remember they could write double that on a blank form AFTER you sign it. Besides covering you against abuse it prevents them from tacking on some add on charge. They would have to alter the ammount. Jerry Aguirre @ Olivetti ATC {hplabs|fortune|idi|ihnp4|tolerant|allegra|tymix}!oliveb!jerry
dkatz@zaphod.UUCP (Dave Katz) (07/18/85)
>> I told them I wasn't going to sign a blank charge ticket. They said that >> was OK; I didn't have to sign it to be obligated to pay it. > >I always make them put in an ammount. The one time I was in that situation, an exact amount was not available so I made them produce an estimate and then wrote clearly on the ticket "Amount not to exceed $XXX.00" That worked well. BTW, if you plan to do something like this, let them make the impression and put the ticket in your hand before discussing it (get your card back too). That way you hold the POWER OBJECT and they have to negotiate with you!!! D.Katz
john@hp-pcd.UUCP (john) (07/22/85)
<<<< You also have to be careful when using a credit card to pay for a hotel room. Hotels don't like to find out at checkout time that you exceeded your credit limit and the card company won't give them authorization for the room charge. So when you check in (and use your card) they will call in and "reserve" an estimate of the room charges against your card. That way they will get paid even if your card is stolen while staying at their fine establishment. The problem is that they must assume that you are the advance agent for a rock and roll band that likes to party when they make the estimate because they make it high enough to cover anything short of a declared war. This normally is not a problem since it is cleared as soon as the actual bill is processed. But if you stay in several different hotels in a short period of time then all of those estimates may combine to exceed your limit and you will be stuck without use of your card. John Eaton !hplabs!hp-pcd!john
faunt@hplabs.UUCP (Doug Faunt) (07/24/85)
> is processed. But if you stay in several different hotels in a short period > of time then all of those estimates may combine to exceed your limit and > you will be stuck without use of your card. > You can get a temporary extension on your credit limit to cover such things if you ask in advance. At least I could, 6 years ago. -- ....!hplabs!faunt faunt%hplabs@csnet-relay.ARPA HP is not responsible for anything I say here. In fact, what I say here may have been generated by a noisy telephone line.
edg@micropro.UUCP (Ed Greenberg) (07/29/85)
In article <69600026@hp-pcd.UUCP>, john@hp-pcd.UUCP (john) writes: > You also have to be careful when using a credit card to pay for a hotel > room.... > John Eaton > !hplabs!hp-pcd!john I suspect that a decline should be followed by a call to the 800 number. Explain that you've used the card in five hotels this week and think that you are over authorized. You will probably get the next authorization approved. Some notes... There is NO mention of a credit limit in the AMEX cardmember agreement. Further, AMEX sells their card as better than VISA or MC because they do not impose a "fixed" credit limit. It is determined by your history and needs. I also suspect that car rentals are much more guilty of overauthorizing than hotels. -- -edg UUCP: {hplabs,dual,ptsfa}!well!micropro!edg USPS: Ed Greenberg MicroPro Int'l Corp 33 San Pablo Avenue; San Rafael, CA 94901 MABELL: 415-499-4096 COMPUSERVE: 76703,1070 MCIMAIL: EDG
jcjeff@ihlpg.UUCP (Richard Jeffreys) (07/30/85)
> Some notes... There is NO mention of a credit limit in the AMEX cardmember > agreement. Further, AMEX sells their card as better than VISA or MC because > they do not impose a "fixed" credit limit. It is determined by your history > and needs. > Ed Greenberg 1. Correct there is no mention of a credit limit on Amex cards. 2. They do, however, expect you to pay the FULL amount on recipt of the bill. 3. There may be certain exceptions to this however when one buys items direct by mail order from Amex. You may be able to choose either a single payment or a few (3/6) monthly payments. 4. Visa/Mastercard bills may be payed off as desired ( which of course incures a nice piece of interest for the companies). -- [ It's not the end of the world....no it's not; If it's the end of the world, well so what ? - Marti Webb ] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ || From the keys of Richard Jeffreys ( British Citizen Overseas ) || || employed by North American Philips Corporation || || @ AT&T Bell Laboratories, Naperville, Illinois || ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ || General disclaimer about anything and everything that I may have typed || ------------------------------------------------------------------------------