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I have had the Charge card since 2007 and generally been happy.
There are differences between the two products most notably that the credit card is regulated but the charge card is not. This has never been an issue for me as Amex to date have always acted in reality as though it were.
The question is what is the benefit of remaining a charge card holder against the benefit of switching to the credit card. They are two distinct products in Amex’s eyes but with exactly the same benefits.
Not sure if Rob has done an article on this but I couldn’t find it
NB…. I appreciate the charge card cannot be applied for now, but unless you switched at the time Amex made the changes my understanding is that charge card holders remain charge card holders. Indeed Amex web site make it clear that there is a difference.
The main one I can see Paul is the ability to have an extra two supplementary gold card holders, this is the reason I haven’t looked to change. It means all 3 of my kids have travel insurance. The main advantage of the credit card would be S75 support over Amex’s own cardholder protection.
For the charge card version, I’m pretty sure it is up to 5 supplementary cards.
1x Complimentary Platinum
4x Complimentary Gold/Green@DJ Correct, charge card as you say, credit card 1 x Plat and 2 x Gold/Green, so the charge card is 2 extra.
As above, the principal benefit of the charge card is the additional free supplementary cards. Against that, you obviously have to pay in full each month, which most are probably doing anyway so the key negative is that you have none of the protections of a regulated agreement under the Consumer Credit Act 1974, which amongst other things means you don’t have s75 protection.
Amex says that it will effectively replicate that for you (ie trust us) but they have become increasingly hawkish on s75 and in a recent FOS decision, Amex offered no such protection to a charge card holder, although the Ombudsman says his claim might have been successful had he been able to claim under s75. When these things effectively rely on Amex goodwill, beware.
Separately, looking at the many recent decisions vs Amex, it’s astonishing how many petty, totally meritless claims people make! Why not complain about not getting an offer you saved two weeks after the purchase because it wasn’t clear you need to save the offer in advance.
There’s a marginally more sensible one re a £200 airline offer (not specified, but I assume AF/KL) where the offer was for Premium/Business but the cardholder took the first leg in Y and complained on the basis of no Premium on the short haul (although silent about Business) so offer terms impossible to achieve. Mr B lost.
credit card 1 x Plat and 2 x Gold/Green
I don’t think they offer anything other than the first Platinum card for free. I don’t even think they offer the other cards anymore. Annoying.
That’s interesting, I have the charge card but hadn’t really considered the extra supps as a benefit before.
Do the Supp gold card come with all the standard gold benefits and do they have to be registered to the same address as the Platinum one or could you apply for one for a close family member at a different address?
no does not come with Gold benefits. It is just coloured gold and get plat insurance.
Amex does not have the same address requirements as other providers, my children have fortunately left home.
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