Which American express card to take ? You can share your thoughts and opinions

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In my opinion I would rate Amex cards as follows :

1. Platinum Travel Credit card

Suits both Salaried and Self employed who travels domestic . Best on returns for high spenders .
Any kind of spending including fuel insurance utilities , Number of transaction doesn't matter, Supplementary card spending also will be taken into account . 8 domestic lounge access.

2.Membership Rewards Credit Card

Suits salaried and for people who can always have calculated spending
Excellent 18K and 24K Catalogues .No complimentary lounge access.

3.Platinum Charge Card

Suits self employed and frequent traveler. For people who spends very less on cards
1+4 supplementary Metal cards
• No Pre-Set Limit • Lounges • Platinum Travel • Lodging Benefits • Kaizen Benefits • Dining Benefits • Platinum Concierge • Membership Rewards • Platinum Offers: Tactical and Long Term Offers • Platinum Travel Services and Experiences • Platinum Care • Platinum Experience

4.Reserve Credit Card

Depends on your lifestyle .
Has good dining benefits(Taj and eazydiner prime),12 Complimentary lounge access including Delhi and Mumbai Amex centurion lounges ,2 Complimentary golf access every month
Flipkart/BMS movie vouchers up to 6K every year,10K Taj vouchers for a spend of 5L a year.
• Platinum Concierge Services
• Air Accident Insurance of Rs.1 Cr. – This is applicable when you purchase your air ticket on the Platinum Reserve Credit Card
• Purchase Protection: If an item is stolen due to burglary or damages or breaks due to fire, earthquake, flood, storm, cyclone, etc. within 60 days of purchase, it can be refunded.

5. Smart Earn Credit card

Personally I wont suggest anyone . You can take this if you would like to have an Amex card at the lowest fee

 

[rj_arora]

I have never paid annual charges on MRCC. I started my AMEX journey in 2015 with Gold card. At that time, monthly milestone was 4 times 1K transaction to get 1000 points. And for annual renewal charges they used to give good number of points. But when they changed 6 times 1K transaction and started giving less points on renewal, I moved to MRCC. So, far I have extracted profit more than 1 lakh from AMEX

never paid, how? Via 1.5 lakh yearly spend?

 

[kkk]

never paid, how? Via 1.5 lakh yearly spend?

Yes. I was able to easily 1.5 lakh spend per year. This was my primary card. The other card which I had was Citi Rewards card which I rarely used. So, all the expense was on Amex MRCC card. In initial days, in PayTm adding money to credit card was allowed and I used to request for refund. And even that was counted for monthly milestone.

 

[Wealth is my birth right!]

Yes. I was able to easily 1.5 lakh spend per year. This was my primary card. The other card which I had was Citi Rewards card which I rarely used. So, all the expense was on Amex MRCC card. In initial days, in PayTm adding money to credit card was allowed and I used to request for refund. And even that was counted for monthly milestone.

Hope once we reach 1.5lac spend in first 12 months they won’t even charge in bill
Or default they charge and we request refund quoting spend milestones?

 

[nigameash]

Hope once we reach 1.5lac spend in first 12 months they won’t even charge in bill
Or default they charge and we request refund quoting spend milestones?

Based on my experience with other cards, they normally charge in the bill but auto credit the charged amount back in the succeeding month's bill.

 

[Wealth is my birth right!]

Based on my experience with other cards, they normally charge in the bill but auto credit the charged amount back in the succeeding month's bill.

Thanks
I too own mrcc with smartearn and gold charge
Smart earn and mrcc I plan to get spend based waiver
Gold noway being a charge card I’ve to pay

 

[R!ppEr]

I keep getting upgrade mails from Amex for Plat travel(currently have smartearn), but having magnus already im definitely not gonna spend 4lac on any other card, but a mid range amex sounds very enticing with 10k MR points and 1k amazon voucher

 

[Tejas]

In my opinion I would rate Amex cards as follows :

1. Platinum Travel Credit card

Suits both Salaried and Self employed who travels domestic . Best on returns for high spenders .
Any kind of spending including fuel insurance utilities , Number of transaction doesn't matter, Supplementary card spending also will be taken into account . 8 domestic lounge access.

2.Membership Rewards Credit Card

Suits salaried and for people who can always have calculated spending
Excellent 18K and 24K Catalogues .No complimentary lounge access.

3.Platinum Charge Card

Suits self employed and frequent traveler. For people who spends very less on cards
1+4 supplementary Metal cards
• No Pre-Set Limit • Lounges • Platinum Travel • Lodging Benefits • Kaizen Benefits • Dining Benefits • Platinum Concierge • Membership Rewards • Platinum Offers: Tactical and Long Term Offers • Platinum Travel Services and Experiences • Platinum Care • Platinum Experience

4.Reserve Credit Card

Depends on your lifestyle .
Has good dining benefits(Taj and eazydiner prime),12 Complimentary lounge access including Delhi and Mumbai Amex centurion lounges ,2 Complimentary golf access every month
Flipkart/BMS movie vouchers up to 6K every year,10K Taj vouchers for a spend of 5L a year.
• Platinum Concierge Services
• Air Accident Insurance of Rs.1 Cr. – This is applicable when you purchase your air ticket on the Platinum Reserve Credit Card
• Purchase Protection: If an item is stolen due to burglary or damages or breaks due to fire, earthquake, flood, storm, cyclone, etc. within 60 days of purchase, it can be refunded.

5. Smart Earn Credit card

Personally I wont suggest anyone . You can take this if you would like to have an Amex card at the lowest fee

In the current scenario, Plat. Travel is the only card that makes sense from the Amex lineup. It makes me sad to say this (Despite having been extremely positive towards Amex for over 4-5 years) I wouldnt pick or recommend any of the other cards from the current lineup.

Amex needs to remove that 'Oh, We are offering a World class premium Experience!' goggle from their eyes.

 

[nigameash]

In the current scenario, Plat. Travel is the only card that makes sense from the Amex lineup. It makes me sad to say this (Despite having been extremely positive towards Amex for over 4-5 years) I wouldnt pick or recommend any of the other cards from the current lineup.

Amex needs to remove that 'Oh, We are offering a World class premium Experience!' goggle from their eyes.

100% agree on the Plat Travel being the best Amex for value out there at the moment.

If there is travel involved with hotel stays, the Plat Charge pays for itself with the benefits that can be availed via the hotel bonuses (FHR for hotels that support it - hotel credit, room upgrades, late checkin/checkout, breakfast) &/or the membership status upgrades (Hilton, Marriott, etc) that cover room upgrades, etc independent of FHR.

The 10k yearly birthday Taj voucher also helps offset the remaining card fees.

 

[Tejas]

100% agree on the Plat Travel being the best Amex for value out there at the moment.

If there is travel involved with hotel stays, the Plat Charge pays for itself with the benefits that can be availed via the hotel bonuses (FHR for hotels that support it - hotel credit, room upgrades, late checkin/checkout, breakfast) &/or the membership status upgrades (Hilton, Marriott, etc) that cover room upgrades, etc independent of FHR.

The 10k yearly birthday Taj voucher also helps offset the remaining card fees.

FHR is nothing extra-ordinary once you compare it with Virtuoso. You get the same benefits as FHR without needing to commitment of Rs. 60,000 + GST.

Membership Statuses are losing value faster than stock markets can fall. Marriott Bonvoy Gold, that comes with Platinum Charge, does not even guarantee complementary breakfast as a perk. Hilton Honors Gold is definitely better that MB Gold.

The yearly birthday Taj Voucher is good but it will lose value drastically the day IHCL starts forcing T&Cs.

The biggest miss from Amex on the Platinum Charge Card is no Priority Pass for 3 out of 4 possible Supplementary Card holders. Meet & Greet was brought in but was limited to Domestic Departures and only for bookings via TLS.

In the current scenario, it is extremely hard for me to convince myself to recommend the Platinum Charge card for anything other than the 115K Signup Bonus.

 

[Wealth is my birth right!]

FHR is nothing extra-ordinary once you compare it with Virtuoso. You get the same benefits as FHR without needing to commitment of Rs. 60,000 + GST.

Membership Statuses are losing value faster than stock markets can fall. Marriott Bonvoy Gold, that comes with Platinum Charge, does not even guarantee complementary breakfast as a perk. Hilton Honors Gold is definitely better that MB Gold.

The yearly birthday Taj Voucher is good but it will lose value drastically the day IHCL starts forcing T&Cs.

The biggest miss from Amex on the Platinum Charge Card is no Priority Pass for 3 out of 4 possible Supplementary Card holders. Meet & Greet was brought in but was limited to Domestic Departures and only for bookings via TLS.

In the current scenario, it is extremely hard for me to convince myself to recommend the Platinum Charge card for anything other than the 115K Signup Bonus.

So first year it’s a good go with the card considering ur last point
Later to think of whether continue card

 

[kkk]

Hope once we reach 1.5lac spend in first 12 months they won’t even charge in bill
Or default they charge and we request refund quoting spend milestones?

I was never charged so far for MRCC card.

 

[kkk]

I keep getting upgrade mails from Amex for Plat travel(currently have smartearn), but having magnus already im definitely not gonna spend 4lac on any other card, but a mid range amex sounds very enticing with 10k MR points and 1k amazon voucher

Ooh they are giving 1k amazon voucher as well? I didn't get this offer.

 

[R!ppEr]

Ooh they are giving 1k amazon voucher as well? I didn't get this offer.

yep, and im super confused if i should go for it or not. Will they let me downgrade next year if i do not like it?

 

[kkk]

yep, and im super confused if i should go for it or not. Will they let me downgrade next year if i do not like it?

You can negotitate renewal charges. Like they can offer you 10k-15k MR points or ask you to give 10k MR points for making it free. I will be able to spend 4 lakh in a year for sure, so I'll extract the maximum benefits.

 

[R!ppEr]

will reply them over the weekend and see what they get back with! thanks!

 

[vip3rc5]

Got SmartEarn Card about 1.5 Months ago. Though I have paid the joining fees I have already spent over 15k from the card so I will receive Rs 500 Voucher. I can easily waive off the annual fees. I got this card just to enter into the Amex Club and since I can't spend over 1.5 lakh to justify MRCC, I got smartearn. Would probably move to MRCC when I have enough Spend

 

[Wealth is my birth right!]

Got SmartEarn Card about 1.5 Months ago. Though I have paid the joining fees I have already spent over 15k from the card so I will receive Rs 500 Voucher. I can easily waive off the annual fees. I got this card just to enter into the Amex Club and since I can't spend over 1.5 lakh to justify MRCC, I got smartearn. Would probably move to MRCC when I have enough Spend

I too spend 10k in my smart earn and paid card fee in first statement
Pinged cc for my 500 cb they said 90 days to wait

 

[onlyhg]

Amex mrcc and plat travel are good card to start with

 

[ALOAK]

Good write up and you've missed my fav gold charge (maybe u spoke about the plat charge so gold ignored).
My AmEx cards are SE, MRCC and Gold charge (took in combo for a 5k RPs in a month so that 60k RP when turned to MB or any flyer can be used for a family trip in an year, first month of the card good to get 4k points joining benefits each in gold charge and mrcc)

Yes as you said plat travel is the best amex card in india. For fuel and utilities gold chg if people use for fuel and utilities. Mrcc is also good for budget spending.

Plat chg is good for frequent flyers and luxury lifestyle but can be used diligently too for people who frequently stay at hotels of 5 star we good benefits and discounts.

Currently hold plat travel my bestie card then gold chg and mrcc. Would like to get a hold on plat chg so that I can have plat travel and mrcc as companion card . Then I can close gold chg card. Alas if u could help in getting a plat chg.

 

[Wealth is my birth right!]

Yes as you said plat travel is the best amex card in india. For fuel and utilities gold chg if people use for fuel and utilities. Mrcc is also good for budget spending.

Plat chg is good for frequent flyers and luxury lifestyle but can be used diligently too for people who frequently stay at hotels of 5 star we good benefits and discounts.

Currently hold plat travel my bestie card then gold chg and mrcc. Would like to get a hold on plat chg so that I can have plat travel and mrcc as companion card . Then I can close gold chg card. Alas if u could help in getting a plat chg.

Wait for upgrades at year end mostly
U can reap around 1lac plus points for the first year plat charge fees