The main reason why Amex cards are so expensive is that many American Express credit cards offer generous rewards rates and high-end perks, which warrant steep annual fees. Amex cards are targeted toward people with good credit and high incomes who are likely to charge large amounts to their cards every month.
Overall, the Amex Platinum still remains worth it if you can take advantage of the benefits without overextending yourself. At the end of the day, it's not financially savvy to spend more money just to take advantage of the card's benefits.
Apply for the Amex financial relief program: If you're having difficulty paying your annual fee due to unforeseen financial difficulty, apply for the financial relief program online or call Amex at (866) 703-4169. You could potentially have your annual fee waived.
In fact, according to the company's website, American Express' cardholders average 60% higher incomes than non-Amex customers, and are more likely to charge everyday purchases than pay cash. The average American Express customer charges 53% of all personal spending on their card.
American Express' revenue sources
Interest income basically includes the APR charged to credit card customers on balances they carry on American Express cards, while non-interest income includes things like payment processing (swipe) fees and annual fees charged to cardholders, as well as other fees and commissions.
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.
American Express will refund the annual fee on a card if you cancel it within 30 days of the closing date of the billing statement on which the fee appears. Beyond that period, a refund is not possible.
The American Express annual fee is $0 to $695, depending on the card. If an Amex credit card has an annual fee, it gets charged to the card when the account is opened and again every year during the month of the card's anniversary.
A credit card can be canceled without harming your credit score; just remember that paying down credit card balances first (not just the one you're canceling) is key. Closing a charge card won't affect your credit history (history is a factor in your overall credit score).
A lifetime free credit card is a card which does not charge the usual annual fee ever. They may charge some money for extra services like a hard copy of the itemized bill or may have some conditions as well for getting the card but technically no annual or joining fee.
The different fees often make or break a deal for a merchant. This is why many merchants, especially small businesses, don't accept American Express. American Express' interchange fee is just too high. Providers like Visa and Mastercard charge between 1.5% and 2.5%, while Amex charges merchants between 2.5% and 3.5%.
This requires more work and even more spending — approximately $6,250 to $25,000 in purchases is required to offset the annual fee, depending on the categories you spend in. The quickest way to recoup the Amex Gold's annual fee is to spend a combined $6,250 at U.S. supermarkets and restaurants.
Interest charges accrue when you don't pay the bill off in full. Pay Over Time charges an interest rate that is the same across the Green, Gold and Platinum products. As of August 2020, cardholders who use the feature will pay an APR between 15.99% to 22.99%, depending on creditworthiness.
Are credit card annual fees tax deductible? Here's the good news — annual fees and some other credit card fees, on business credit cards are tax deductible, according to guidelines from IRS Publication 535. In order for an expense to be deductible, it must be “both ordinary and necessary,” the IRS specifies.
Amex will refund the annual fee if you cancel within 30 days after the statement in which the annual fee hits. In other words, you should have 30 days from the statement cut date for the statement on which your annual fee appears.
Will American Express cancel my Card due to inactivity? For your security, if we notice that your Card hasn't been used for a long period of time, we may close your account. Please be assured that we won't close your account without warning.
The standard advice is to keep unused accounts with zero balances open. The reason is that closing the accounts reduces your available credit, which makes it appear that your utilization rate, or balance-to-limit ratio, has suddenly increased.
Drawbacks of American Express include the notorious annual fees. Although an annual fee is almost expected, the actual fee itself varies.
Amex is so popular because it offers high-end credit cards with great rewards and luxury perks, which have become status symbols in popular culture over time.
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. Every month an open Amex account is used responsibly, positive information will be reported to the credit bureaus.
American Express earns most of its money through discount revenue, primarily represented by earnings on transactions that take place with partner merchants. The company also generates revenue from cardholders through annual membership fees, interest on outstanding balances, conversion fees, and more.
Winner: Visa
American Express has long charged higher credit card processing fees than other payment networks. To avoid those more expensive fees, some merchants have opted not to accept American Express cards. It's accepted in over 170 countries; however, Visa is accepted in over 200 countries.