Pros And Cons Of Metal Credit Cards
Metal cards are a bit heavier, and much harder to bend or break. From a status symbol standpoint, they are usually considered more upscale since most metal cards are focused on higher-end cardholders. On the con side, disposing of a metal credit card is a bit more complicated since they can’t simply be cut up or shredded like a plastic one.
American Express Gold Card: Best For Travel Rewards
Terms Apply.
Type of metal used and weight of the card
The American Express Gold Card is our top-rated travel card. The card is made out of stainless steel and weighs 15 grams. Cardholders will have the ability to pay with a tap of their card at select merchants thanks to the cards contactless feature.
Card rewards and benefits
The physical aspect of the card isnt the only thing there is to like. New cardmembers will have the opportunity to earn 60,000 Membership Rewards Points if they spend $4,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Other rewards opportunities include:
- 4x points on restaurants and on Uber Eats
- 4x points on groceries at U.S. supermarkets up to $25,000 in purchases per year
- 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines on amextravel.com
- 1x points on all other purchases
The Gold Card doesnt stop there. Some additional benefits include:
- Up to $10 in statement credits per month when you use your card at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruths Chris Steak House, Boxed, and participating Shake Shack locations
- Up to $10 in Uber Cash automatically per month when your card is added to your Uber account
- No foreign transaction fees
- Personalized Travel Service
Editors thoughts
The American Express Gold Card comes with an annual fee of $250. However, as you can see above, the rewards and added benefits provide the opportunity to easily earn more value than youd be spending each year on that fee.
Is It Hard To Get An Amex Gold Card
Getting the Amex Gold Card isnt the easiest card to qualify for as you need good or excellent credit. That means having a minimum 670 FICO score and existing cards in good standing.
Being an existing American Express cardholder can also make it easier to qualify.
At the same time, card churners that may be subject to the Chase 5/24 rule or similar policies may qualify for the American Express® Gold Card.
A low credit utilization rate and a positive payment history on existing cards can be sufficient if you have good or excellent credit.
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Up To $10 In Monthly Dining Credits
Amex Gold Cardholders receive up to $10 per month back in statement credits, worth up to $120 per year, toward purchases with Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruths Chris Steak House, Boxed, and participating Shake Shack locations.
Read more: The Amex Gold Card comes with up to $120 in annual dining credits heres how to use them
Even if you dont visit the participating restaurants, getting the credits for Grubhub and Seamless food deliveries makes it easy to max out the credit each month, since youll have so many restaurants to choose from. After you use your Amex Gold Card for the purchase, youll receive the statement credit but keep in mind, if you dont use the full credit one month, it wont roll over to the next.
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How Much Are The Rewards Worth
American Express Membership Rewards points are prized as some of the most valuable travel rewards you can earn, thanks in part to a diverse list of travel partners.
They hold a 2-cent market value on average for some Amex transfer partners based on The Points Guys analysis, but you should use Amexs rewards calculator before redeeming just in case. Points are best used for booking flights or upgrading your airfare class through the American Express Travel portal since theyre worth 1 cent each that way. However, your points value could shrink by up to half if theyre used for other reward options, so its worth hoarding your points till you plan to hit the skies.
For example, choosing a statement credit to cover your card charges waters down your points to 0.6 cents apiece, but most redemption options outside airfare only provide a 0.7-cent value. Points are even reduced to 0.7 cents when reserving other travel through Amex, like hotel stays, prepaid rental cars, cruises and vacations.
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The American Express Gold Card
The Gold card comes with an annual fee of $250, and there is no annual fee for adding any additional cards to a Gold account. One of the biggest perks for any cardholder is the membership rewards program, which allows consumers to earn points as they use their credit cards.
The Gold card is geared toward people who are big shoppers, eat out a lot, and do a lot of everyday spending. American Express Gold cardholders can earn four points for every dollar spent at U.S. restaurants and U.S. supermarkets , three points for every dollar spent booking flights with airline companies or through the American Express travel website, and one point for every dollar spent on any other purchase.
As of February 2021, first-time cardholders are also eligible for 60,000 points after you use your card to make $4,000 in purchases for the first six months of account membership.
Unlike traditional credit cards, American Express cards do not have a regular APR or charge interest, as all balances must be paid in full each month. However, the Gold card does offer cardmembers the flexibility to pay for purchases of $100 or more over time at a set interest rate.
*Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
What Are The Black Card Fees
There are some pricey cards out there for instance, The Platinum Card® from American Express charges a $695 annual fee and the Chase Sapphire Reserve card charges a $550 annual fee. But nothing comes close to the fees charged by the Amex Black Card.
Reports differ on how much it costs to have the Centurion card. For example, according to Forbes, the card charges a $10,000 initiation fee and $5,000 in annual fees, but Business Insider reports the initiation fee as $7,500.
One way or another, its clear that this card targets a specific slice of the consumer market.
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Is The Amex Gold Card A Credit Card Or A Charge Card
Technically, it was long considered a charge card. The various American Express cards that have just a color as the name were all technically charge products.
Unlike a typical credit card, the Gold Card has No Preset Spending Limit, which allows you to carry a balance for certain charges, but not all of them, using a feature called Pay Over Time. Your spending limit is flexible and may vary over time based on things like your purchase, payment, and credit history.
The distinction is also important because Amex has a interesting product limit per person.
You can have 5 Amex credit cards but up to 10 Amex cards that were formerly classified as charge cards. Since its very easy to run out of credit card slots in your American Express profile, its good to know that even if you are at your 5 credit card max, you could still get an Amex Gold card.
Its also important to know that American Express has moved away from the concept of charge cards for cardholders. All cards formerly referred to as charge cards now feature a Pay Over Time APR feature to make them function similar to traditional credit cards.
Traditionally, the Amex portfolio of charge cards were cards in which you could not carry a balance and had to pay all charges in full each month. But with Pay Over Time now built into the charge cards by default, this no longer really applies. Unlike typical credit cards, these Cards allows you to carry a balance for certain charges, but not all of them.
Are Metal Credit Cards Better
No, not necessarily. They are more durable than plastic cards, but they arent necessarily better than traditional cards when it comes to benefits and perks. Whether theyre better depends on what youre looking for.
Metal credit cards are often marketed to those who travel extensively and have significant disposable income. They can have annual fees in the hundreds of dollars although they often also come with fantastic perks such as free airport lounge access, elite status in loyalty programs and travel statement credits. If you stay close to home, though, you may be better off with a plastic cash-back card.
Bottom line: dont choose a credit card simply because its metal. If it otherwise fits your needs, consider the metal factor an added benefit.
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Is The Amex Rose Gold Card Metal
It has the same great features and benefits, with a stylish hue. Plus, it’s metal. The last time this rose gold variant was available was in 2019 but then, it was only by referral. … If you already have the American Express® Gold Card, you may call and request to change out your card to the rose gold edition.
How To Earn Points With The American Express Gold Card
The Amex Gold Card is among the best cards for foodies because it earns strong rewards on dining and grocery shopping. Youll earn points at the following rates:
- 4x points at restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets
- 3x points on flights booked with the airline or Amex Travel
- 1 point per dollar on all other purchases
To maximize your points earning, you can pair the Amex Gold Card with other Amex cards to earn the most points for every purchase. The Amex Trifecta of cards includes the Amex Gold Card, The Platinum Card® from American Express, and The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express.
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Metal Credit Cards In Canada: Should You Get One
Over the years, credit cards have become a status symbol in personal finance and consumerism. Who could forget the countless movies where credit cards were used by wealthy people without a care in the world? In one way or another, the company or type of credit card you owned gave you some sense of superiority and exclusivity.
The epitome of status and privilege in the credit card game is the metal credit card cards offered by credit card companies in various metals, including brass, steel, gold and platinum. The sleek, crisp design was once offered on an invitation-only basis to people back in the late 90s with the American Express Centurion Card. Fortunately, now that more players are offering metal credit cards, they are accessible to more people than ever.
With this option available to the public, the credit card experience just got better.
You may be surprised to learn that there is much more to the metal credit card than the trendy experience it provides If you are eligible for one, you may have access to the highest and most exclusive rewards and benefits.
The question in all of this is, should you get one? This article will help you make that decision.
American Express Gold Card Earn Rate
The Amex Gold card is a powerhouse in the grocery and dining space, offering 4X Membership Rewards points on all dining spend and all US Supermarket spend.
Heres a breakdown of the American Express Golds earn rate:
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on Restaurants / Dining
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on U.S. Supermarkets*
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
- 1 point per dollar on everything else
* How does American Express define a supermarket for the Amex Gold? Amex defines a supermarket as offering a wide variety of food and household products such as meat, fresh produce, dairy, canned and packaged goods, household cleaners, pharmacy products and pet supplies.
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Get The Most Out Of Your Amex Card
Now accepted in more places46,000 new places across NZ now welcome American Express Cards since the start of 2019. Discover where.
Outstanding Amex AppSee how the Amex App makes having an Amex Card a breeze
Receive an emergency Card within 48 hoursIf your Card is ever lost or stolen, you can
usually get a replacement within 48 hours,
virtually anywhere in the world8.
Gold Vs Platinum Amex Card: What’s The Difference
Thomas J Catalano is a CFP and Registered Investment Adviser with the state of South Carolina, where he launched his own financial advisory firm in 2018. Thomas’ experience gives him expertise in a variety of areas including investments, retirement, insurance, and financial planning.
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Mastercard Titanium Card: Heaviest Credit Card
Type of metal used and weight of the card
The Mastercard Titanium Card is one of three cards offered through the Luxury Card program. The Titanium Card weighs 22 grams and is made out of brushed stainless steel on the front and carbon on the back.
Rewards and benefits
This card does not offer an introductory bonus and provides a standard one point for every dollar spent on purchases. The difference with this card is in the redemption rate. Airfare can be redeemed at a rate of 2%, while cash back can be redeemed at 1%.
Other benefits include:
- 24/7 access to Luxury Card Concierge
- No foreign transaction fees
- Test drive a Porsche of your choosing with a 90-minute driving experience
- Enroll and take five eligible rides a month with Lyft and get a $10 credit
- Free two-day shipping and free returns on eligible purchases when you sign up for a complimentary ShopRunner membership
- Global acceptance
Editors thoughts
The Mastercard Titanium Card has an annual fee of $195. If youre interested in owning a luxury card at a reasonable annual cost, this could be the option for you.
To learn more about this card and its other benefits, .
American Express Gold Card Benefits
- Global Assist Hotline: 24/7 access for medical, legal, financial and other select emergency assistance and coordination services.
- Amex Hotel Collection: Get a $100 hotel credit to spend on qualifying dining, spa and resort activities, plus a room upgrade upon arrival, if available, when you book a stay of at least two consecutive nights with American Express Travel.
- Baggage Insurance: Provides coverage for eligible lost, damaged or stolen baggage. Terms Apply.
- Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance: When you use your card to pay for a rental vehicle and decline the collision damage waiver at the rental counter, you may receive secondary auto coverage in an eligible territory. Terms apply.
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How To Get A Metal Credit Card
If you desire a metal credit card, you should treat the process of choosing one the same way you would any other financial product.
- Look at the spending categories. First, browse metal cards to see what’s available and get a quick sense of which ones might match your spending style.
- Make sure you can qualify. Then, consider your own credit status, such as your current credit score and income, to determine if you have a chance to qualify for your card of interest. In many cases, metal credit cards tend to require strong credit since they often have an annual fee or require a higher level of spending to access the benefits.
- Read the terms and conditions. Once you deem a particular card a good fit for you, give a closer look at the terms, benefits and fees to make sure you’re ready to apply. Then, simply head to the issuer’s application page and fill out the form to get started. You may also choose to apply from an application that is mailed to you, or by calling the issuer.
What Is The Rose Gold American Express Card
The Rose Gold Amex is a special color of card that was issued when American Express refreshed the Gold Card in October of 2018. It was discontinued for over a year before recently being made available again.
If you are in a cash crunch, you should avoid travel rewards credit cards until you are caught up. Here are our favorite credit cards for Intro 0% APR offers and for balance transfer offers
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American Express Gold Card Vs Savor Rewards Credit Card*
If you want high rewards on food and a lower annual fee than the Amex Gold, consider the Savor Rewards from Capital One. For a $95 annual fee, the Savor card will earn 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 4% cash back on all dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, 3% cash back at grocery stores and 1% on all other purchases. You wont get the dining and Uber Cash that the Amex Gold card has, but the Savors lower annual fee may make that acceptable to you.
