AMEX which is best?

[Glennsallnighter]

I'm thinking of getting an amex card and have a choice of a basic card, a green card or a gold card. What experiences does anyone here have of any of them and which would you recommend?

Your opinions would be gratefully appreciated!!

[VAisForEagleLovers]

I have the gold and have considered upgrading to platinum, however, it pains me to say it, the green card works as well as the gold. I got the gold for better seat choices, but to be honest, the phone number on the back is the difference, and so many people just Google the customer service number and get it that way. So what I'm saying is, there's no difference when it comes to seating.

For other things, it depends on what you want to use it for. Amex has a great way on their website of comparing the various cards. In addition, there are other Amex cards that you can get through a different entity. One the great benefits of Amex is their rewards program. Friends of mine have their Amex through Costco, it's their membership card, so they pay no membership fees, only the Amex yearly membership (or visa-versa, I can't remember). Then they get 'award checks' that give them so many dollars off Costco visits.

I prefer just the regular award points, but other friends do their Amex through airlines and get enough points to get free tickets to places. I don't ever fly one airline, so that doesn't work for me.

[Lisa]

Amex green is the standard (and original) card. I have always been able to use my Am Ex green card for every card member service I could have needed from the available Am Ex card services.

There are even more perks and services and travel options and rewards points features that go with the other Amex card levels.

I'm not working for the company, paid, or at all an expert.
I only write from my past experiences, which are good ones!

I'm sure there's a lot more experience and insight out there regarding Am Ex services for card members that I have not heard a thing about to this very day--I am always surprised by how much change the years have brought--and the travel industry changes all the time.

If you're interested in Amex travel services, perks, card member benefits, frequent-flier rewards points, other rewards points, or whatever Am Ex--I'd recommend a phone call to Amex customer service to find out what the current options are. My reason: I think there'll be so many changes with the cyber-generations that my past experiences would become unrecognizable to a modern traveler.

[Lisa]

The card fee is a little expensive for even a standard green Amex card.

Amex offers some financial services for card holders, and Amex offers some travel agency services for card holders. The Amex card is not always just another credit card; travel services are a big part of Amex membership and card-holding features.

[Lisa]

Amex has closed its international travel offices and it now does all of its business in services online, by phone or with it's own Amex team going to you at your location. There's an Amex international collect-call phone number on the back of your card that you call when you need 24 hours a day assistance, and when you are a card member.

You can now buy Amex gift cheques online. You can pay for the Amex gift cheques with even a green Amex card. (However, you'd have to call customer service before trying to use this feature, to activate your card option).

If you want to buy conventional Amex traveler's cheques--you would originally not have been able to use any credit card at all instead of cash to purchase them. I'm not going to guess about any changes in future services here.

That leaves the "lost or stolen" Amex traveler's cheques situation--where you'd need your Amex traveler's cheque receipts and valid ID of some kind required to replace your Amex "lost or stolen" traveler's cheques as a financial service.

Then why exactly AmEx??

For travel services, traveler's cheques, and small (and often difficult to obtain) financial services for travelers! Am Ex can make the unanticipated travel happening into a resolved travel situation.

[Freypower]

I have a gold Amex card & haven't used travellers cheques for years.When I need money overseas I use my own normal card at any ATM. Yes, you get charged a fee, but it's instant.

[sodascouts]

I've thought of getting AmEx solely for presales so I don't have to inconvenience others, but I think it only really pays off if you do VIP. The regular AmEx presale rarely turns up anything worthwhile.

[Lisa]

I was only going to add, while on the travel services end of this topic, that you may even be able to get a wire transfer of money in an emergency as an Amex card member. I don't know what level of Amex card you'd need for this. --Then again, maybe this is not possible--it is not everyday.

These are examples of some of the possible financial travel service features for travelers to foreign countries, with the ATM example being a premier, and modern, service option! You can use your green Amex card internationally at an ATM. (However, you'd have to call Amex customer service before activating and using this option). You can purchase Amex gift cheques online; or Amex traveler's and/or gift cheques at an approved vendor's office, such as at a bank that offers Amex traveler's and gift cheques.

There could be so many changes in services offered as card member features that you could have to check with a company about the features offered in the current situation before getting a new card! The country you visit would have its own international financial and international banking laws, too. You might not be able to get the same service features at all travel destinations because the governing laws are not the same! You'd have to call Am Ex to resolve your travel situations. You may be able to cash a personal check with an Amex gold card; however, you'd want to find out for certain whether this service is offered before traveling.

You can reach Amex with your travel situation, and you can then start to resolve your travel situation online, by phone, or by having an Amex team meet you in person at your destination.

These are complex travel situations--with no international bank account--there's not the same ease of any financial transaction that there would be at home! Travelers forget this.

Of course, you can go to your embassy or consulate.

There are a lot of unexpected events that go with travel, including the possible misfortunes of theft and lost items. Unfortunately, some of the countries that you could travel to could make you spend a night in jail if you don't have any place to stay or a way to pay for a place to stay overnight somewhere in the world. This could be the law in some countries. (You don't know whether you could end up without identification documents; credit cards; and traveler's cheques all at once; and all of a sudden; when traveling).

You don't want to end up without funds all of a sudden when you have traveled.--After business hours--you may only have your embassy or consulate to make you a small loan; maybe for a hostel or lodgings; which would only be at their own personal discretion; (out of someone's own pocket; temporarily; for example); because there is not a formality at an embassy that allows for this.

I think the card at the ATM example is very cheerful for traveling. I like this feature very much. It could resolve so many situations, even temporarily. Additionally, you could have the "lost or stolen card" scenario--at which point you'd have to notify Amex by phone or somehow that you'd need a replacement card.

[Glennsallnighter]

Thank you ladies, I've learned a lot just reading all the responses.

Firstly VA we do not get offered any kind of 'reward' program for having an American Express card on a European account. So I don't need to be influenced by that. Its purely a method of making credit purchases.

However is it only the gold card that allows you accss to tha AmEx presales? If so I will get that. I couldn't justify the fee for a platinum, but E100 would be ok for me if I can get good tickets for shows. Most of the American acts are now advertising AmEx presales.

Travelling overseas I will usually have my accommodation booked and paid for in advance and like FP I will use my ATM card. I would also carry a small amount of currency. Haven't used travellers cheques in about 15 years!

[Freypower]

Thank you ladies, I've learned a lot just reading all the responses.

Firstly VA we do not get offered any kind of 'reward' program for having an American Express card on a European account. So I don't need to be influenced by that. Its purely a method of making credit purchases.

However is it only the gold card that allows you accss to tha AmEx presales? If so I will get that. I couldn't justify the fee for a platinum, but E100 would be ok for me if I can get good tickets for shows. Most of the American acts are now advertising AmEx presales.

Travelling overseas I will usually have my accommodation booked and paid for in advance and like FP I will use my ATM card. I would also carry a small amount of currency. Haven't used travellers cheques in about 15 years!

GA, surely the green card could be used for a pre-sale. If not, I would have thought they would specify 'gold card only'. I thought the green card WAS the basic card.

[Glennsallnighter]

Maybe I will check that out then FP. Thanks

[VAisForEagleLovers]

GA, I'm sorry I wasn't more clear! ANY AmEx card (even those with hotels and airlines, etc) will get you a presale ticket. However, American Express also reserves seats (not VIP or those designated for Official Platinum) for the various levels of cards. If you put in the 800 for a gold card you get one set of seats, the number for Platinum you get another set of seats. So what I was saying, people get the 800 numbers off the net, so you can get these seats as long as you check out with any AmEx card. It's not really fair, and maybe some day they'll fix it, but I doubt it. If you don't put in any 800 number, you just get regular presale seats (but you need an AmEx card to check out with).

I've gotten some really awesome seats at concerts through AmEx presales with the gold card number...just not to any Eagles concerts.

[Lisa]

I do try to have traveler's cheques for convertible cash whenever I am in a foreign country. I don't like to carry too much cash currency.

Amex offers both regular traveler's cheques, (that you must sign for the vendor yourself before leaving your purchase transaction)---and also Amex Gift Cheques--which are possible to purchase and to assign (unsigned)--(to give to a different person unsigned)-- for the different person other than yourself to sign--and for the different person to cash independently of you.



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I have an answer from Ticketmaster American Express online to your question about what you get with an Amex card for tickets: The information you've asked about can be found at = ticketmaster.com/americanexpress

For Ticketmaster Ticket Pre-sales--all American Express cards, including an Amex pre-paid card, can be used.

For Preferred Seating--(of the Amex personal cards) Gold and Platinum American Express cards can be used,, but not the standard Amex Green card. and not new Amex Basic card, which, I think, is a "Blue" card(??)--There is now a Blue card--maybe that is the new one?? An Amex pre-paid card cannot be used for this card member benefit option with Ticketmaster.
--What other Amex cards, other than the Personal Amex Gold card and the Personal Amex Platinum card, can someone use to get this benefit--the preferred seating option?? There are also a number of Amex business cards mentioned here, and some Amex/airline card holder cards, too--

To get the cardmember benefit(s), you must (in addition to holding an Amex card) pay for your ticket(s) with your Amex card.

International Amex card holders/members also do qualify to get the ticket benefits briefly-mentioned above--this is from an online query at Ticketmaster American Express--it is the current description of the ticket-purchasing benefits, and it goes into detail about exactly which other types of card (not mentioned here) could be used to acquire these ticket purchase options.