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Does anyone else get a little excited when perusing the blogs on the world wide web and seeing an article titled ‘BONUS 50% on Amex points transferred to XYZ airline promotion’ to then get urghhhhh when reading on and realising that it only applies to US accounts?
I am genuinely perplexed as to why the benefits for US card holders are so greater than UK cardholders. An example (apart from the above regular bonus % offers) is the sheer number of FFP’s you can transfer Amex Points from if you hold a US account – Aer Lingus, Aeromexico, Aeroplan, AF/KLM, Avianca Lifemiles, BA, CX, DL, EK, Etihad, Hawaiian, Iberia, Jetblue, QF, SQ, VS. Seventeen programs versus the twelve you can transfer to in the UK.
And AMEX aside, the bonus sign up deals you see in the USA are crazy! I mean I know we get excited at the ‘best ever offer we’ve seen – 60K amex points after £xxx spend’ or Avios or whatever. Yet, in the US you can open the ‘BA Signature Visa card’ via Chase bank which has a sign up offer with minimum spend of 100,000 Avios! And this isn’t a one off promo. This is a regular deal.
Why are american consumers so spoilt for choice compared to us poor brits when it comes to incentives on credit cards? Is it purely down to the size of the market and the number of providers or are we just being offered scraps here in blighty?
No restrictions on interchange fees so they have the cash to toss at promos.
The US GDP in 2020 being 25% of the global economy also helps.
The US GDP in 2020 being 25% of the global economy also helps.
Nothing to do with that. Singapore with a ‘tiny’ gdp has better miles earning opportunities. It comes down to interchange rate cap as BA flyer says.
I’m just glad things aren’t like other European countries such as Ireland
In plain terms US credit cards make more money from each transaction. CC penetration in the country is also very high.
Plus much higher percentage of people pays fees and interests to the CC companies making them richer. They can take risk or offer bonanzas.I still see young people in London paying by debit!
The US GDP in 2020 being 25% of the global economy also helps.
Nothing to do with that. Singapore with a ‘tiny’ gdp has better miles earning opportunities. It comes down to interchange rate cap as BA flyer says.
I disagree. They have a higher interchange fee to make money from and a huge volume of transactions to tap into. Both together make it much more worth their while in offering very good deals.
5 points per $1 spent on flights is one plus. As is no foreign exchange fees and what seems to be a standard 100k promos.
Then you got Chase with like 3 cards.
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