Amex Platinum

Alastair75

Can anybody advise me on the following;

I took out an Amex Platinum credit card following the link from moneysavingexpert.com with the expectation of 5% for the first three months and then after 1.25%. A year later I discover a £300 membership fee from Amex with reference to the same card. I contacted Amex regards this and it turns out this is not the same card as I intended to apply for back in feb 2011? However this are is under the same name (Platinum)? I know I wouldn't have applied for any other card as I simply followed the link from Martin's website the same way I have for my other cards (successfully I at that). Is there really more than one Amex Platinum? Amex have agreed to credit this years £300 however not the £300 from 2011. Can someone tell me if there's a way to retrieve that? Also the purchases we've paid for on this card only amount in points so cash wise no more than 2x £25 M&S vouchers for about £12-14k spend! I'd appreciate any sound advice.
Thankyou

hillendale

Hi
I've have a Amex Platinum credit card had a few years now, when I took the card out I received the 5% for the first few months of the account then the cash back was reduced to the normal 1-1.25%.
I've never been charged for the card. May be they have added the charge for newer platinum cards although a charge of £300 a year is some charge.
Hope you sort things
All the best

hillendale

Just checked the Amex website and it looks like they now do two type of Platinum Card one with a £300 yearly fee and the other has a £25 fee. They must no longer offer the fee free platinum card to new customers.
hope this helps
check out the info -
http://www.americanexpress.com/uk/compare-cards/?inav=gb_cards_pc_pr_compare_popular

Alastair75

Looks like I dropped a clanger!

Many thanks for your advice anyhow

Alastair

w211

The card you probably took out was the American Express Platinum Charge Card. This is not a credit card, but a charge card, where you are required to pay the balance off in full every month, hence there is no "credit" limit.

This comes with a £300 annual fee, though it does come with benefits which is worth the fee anyway if you use them (Priority Pass - airport lounge access in most airports, travel insurance, concierge service, complimentary upgrades with selected airlines/hotels, and offers they send throughout the year).

The have a membership rewards scheme where you get 1 point for every £1 spent (again offers come up from time to time, eg. double points for foreign currency spend etc.), which can be exchanged for gifts, airmiles etc.

The card you probably wanted was the American Express Cashback Credit Card, which I believe comes with the 5% cashback introductory offer as mentioned, and a £25 annual fee - and you do get double cashback during the month of every anniversary you applied for the card.

If you got the Charge Card and use the benefits (especially if you travel a lot), then it's possibly worth keeping and paying the £300. They send you almost a 1" thick file explaning the benefits along with luggage tags and forms to fill in to get your Priority Pass, hotel loyalty cards etc.

If you're not going to use the benefits then it's probably best getting rid, and if you can get the Credit Card and make use of the 5% cashback offer, and ensuring paying the balance off in full (as the interest payable will eventually be more than the cashback earned). Ensure that you're spend will cover the £25 annual charge though if you spend £12-£14k as mentioned in your first post then it won't be a problem.

If you managed your account with your Charge Card well for the past year, then it shouldn't be a problem applying for their credit card as well. They probably won't do a credit check.