I remember recently that it was about a year since I signed up for the American Express Gold Card. The sole reason I signed up for the card was the 50,000 bonus points I received (their deals change all the time) and I knew I would be going on a trip this year so I would get most if not all of my plane ticket taken care of. The promotional time had expired but I wanted to keep the card, but how do I justify the $175 annual fee?
If you are interested I used up those 50,000 points plus another 24,000 earned over the course of a year to purchase 2 non-stop tickets to Atlanta to celebrate my 30th birthday!
Why I Like My American Express Gold Card
The Gold card is not a credit card. It is a charge card and as Wikipedia points out,
A charge card is a plastic (or occasionally titanium) card that provides an alternative payment to cash when making purchases in which the issuer and the cardholder enter into an agreement that the debt incurred on the charge account will be paid in full and by due date (usually every thirty days) or be subject to severe late fees and restrictions on card use.
So knowing that it has to be paid off in 30 days provides me a sense of urgency to make sure the bill is paid. With credit cards, it was too easy for me to say, “oh, I’ll just roll over 10 or 20% of the balance.” This is not an option with the American Express Gold Card.
I treat it as a super-charged debit card. Except this one gives me a ridiculous warranty (that I have yet to use lol), 3x / 2x / 1x points for different purchases, and allowed me to use my points to get an essentially free trip to Atlanta for my birthday.
Another feature I really like is how easy they make it to pay in increments (although I am sure most cards have a similar option):
How I Got My American Express Gold Card Annual Fee Waived
As much as I like the card, $175 in today’s world is simply outrageous! So I called:
Evan: I really like the card but a $175 feel is just crazy. What can we do?
Ruthie (yes that was her name): The first year was promotional and now you owe it.
Evan: No, I can cancel, but I prefer not to change a lot in my life considering how many regular charges I have going to it monthly.
Ruthie: Starts naming some features
Evan: I am holding an offer from chase for 50,000 miles.
Ruthie: Please hold
Ruthie: Well considering how much money you spend with us (not sure if this was a compliment lol) how about I credit you $130 right now and another $75 if you spend $3,000 in the next 60 days.
Evan: You are going to pay me to keep the card? Fantastic!
It was literally as easy as calling and just telling them that you have options.
Do You have an American Express Card? Do you like or dislike the charge card?
Good for you for asking for what you wanted. I love when efforts like this are rewarded.
Thanks! I was expecting a much bigger fight lol
I have an American Express card but there is no annual fee for it. I love it, definitely the best card to travel with internationally in my opinion.
Which card do you have one of their blue cards?
Yup.
The lesson here is to ask for it! The worst that would have happened was thy would say no.
True! you are right although not sure what I would have done if they said no.
wow, I guess I need to be more forward sometimes. Great job. I have had the gold card to get the 50k, but then cancelled before the year renewal to avoid the fee. Next time, I will approach it differently. Thanks.
Always worth asking! Worst comes to worst you cancel it.
Cool story! I have an AMEX Costco card. That’s awesome you parlayed the points to air tickets. What airlines did you use? Do they force you to go with their partners?
I did it through their site, it is almost like an expedia type site where they had tons of flight options.
LOL! Evan, you could hire out to talk down other people’s fees! Nice work.
I’ve always used all credit cards as “charge cards.” The only way to survive is to pay them off in full each month. Interesting to know there’s a real-world difference.
Hahahahah I hate but love doing it. The thrill of getting the deal is what gets me going.
That is awesome Evan! They’re paying you—how cool is that. Plus you’ll still be earning all those points. Cha-Ching. 🙂
EXACTLY! I love the points stuff…just sucks I am spending money to accrue them LOL
Nice job! Getting paid to keep the card is pretty freaking sweet!
very nice. i called to cancel two similar cards and was offered $85 on two occasions to keep it. on another one i was offered $50. i ended up canceling close to the 1 year mark anyway to avoid the annual fee, which was waived in year one
I used to have a Gold Card and tried to get the fee waived but it didn’t work. Not sure if I wasn’t stern enough or I just didn’t spend enough. I think now I’d definitely be more adamant about the charge. Good to know they will work with you.
Perhaps they were hoping you would carry a balance in the time they gave you the credit?
American Express Preferred Blue pays 6% at the grocery store. My local grocery store (Publix) has gift cards for gas, restaurants, department stores, iTunes, Disney, Best Buy, etc. I get 6% on 80% of my spending. I love my Amex card.
I have the Amex gold card also but I really don’t like the fact that I’m paying an annual fee. I think it’s a lot of money. I’m wondering if I should try for a different Amex card without a fee.
No! First trying getting it waived like I did in the post.