American Express: Timeless Quality

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By Matthew C. Keegan

January 2, 2007

 

In the early days of charge cards, Diner's Club led the way followed by the American Express card. Visa and MasterCard weren't on the radar screen even under their original Bank America Card and Master Charge names. There is one thing that American Express has upheld over the years and that is timeless quality. It isn't always the easiest card to get, but it could be the best card to add to your portfolio. Let's take a look at the American Express advantage.

 

Not too many years ago if you ordered an American Express card, you knew a few things about the card that set it apart from the pack:

  • The card was more difficult to get. Cardholders typically had to have a higher annual income in order to qualify for a card.

  • You paid an annual fee for the privilege of being a card holder.

  • Your monthly bill was due in entirety -- no month-to-month charges were permissible as the original American Express card was a charge card not a credit card.

Of course, this elitism meant that the American Express card was typically reserved for the few instead of for the masses. However, by the 1980s things began to change as the company became more aggressive in seeking new customers. Today, you can get American Express credit cards and you can find them as cash back cards, rewards cards, affinity cards, even the standard green and gold cards that helped shape the company over the years.

 

Where Visa and MasterCard were the sole choice for many consumers, American Express has muscled in by dropping annual fees and increasing rewards in order to entice new customers. Indeed, an American Express student card would have been unthinkable a generation ago, but it could be the right card for your co-ed to carry today.

 

Check out our American Express offers today to see if this timeless classic is right for you. You just may find that an American Express credit card has more to offer to you, then cards from Discover, Visa, or MasterCard with a certain amount of quality not found elsewhere!

 


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Copyright 2007 – For additional information regarding Matt Keegan, The Article Writer, please visit his blog for wit, quips, and freelance writing tips.