Here is why Amex cards are best for starting points and miles game?
Here is why Amex cards are best for starting points and miles game?
Amex is probably the most polarizing credit card provider in the Indian credit card community.
And in recent few months we have all read Amex hate posts which are followed by people flaunting their recent Amex acquisition.
So the newbies visiting this sub might be wondering what gravitates people towards Amex despite their obvious shortcomings such as poor acceptance, high credit card fees and limited redemption options.
Well the answer is Amex is one of the most straightforward player in points and miles game.
Your points never expire - as long as you have a valid Amex card all your points will remain with you. So unlike HDFC, axis where you have to regularly find way to redeem points you can wait with Amex - do a slow acquisition and do a redemption when time is right for you. Not because you are worried your points will expire before a deadline.
All your card points are combined - In Amex all your card points are pooled. Which means all the cards past and present unless you quit Amex entirely in between can be pooled together for one nice redemption that you can find. It may not happen frequently but you do have an option for a banger redemption when you get that chance. HDFC/Axis and others have multiple cards with different point earning and redemption criteria - which can be confusing as well as inefficient.
Customer service is still relative better - Amex customer service is not doing great in India - but they are still ahead compared to other players. My reasoning - they are primarily in card business and their customer service is centred around it. Meanwhile, everyone else is a major banking player with cards as one division. The customer service of cards isn't always a priority. With Amex I have been able to connect with customer service on chat within a minute. They don't always resolve the matter but I appreciate the prompt response. Never tried calling so don't know the experience there.
Amex is your trusted friend with untrustworthy vendors - Sometimes you might be forced to deal with untrustworthy vendors. This can be a problem when doing a service purchase abroad where you have limited legal recourse. For example, I was in NZ last year and I booked car rentals. All car rental companies demand a deposit and they inspect at the end for any damage and deduct accordingly. In case you disagree you may not have much to do. With Amex you can raise dispute in such scenario. While nearly all cards will promise you this service Amex is globally well known to be more supportive of the customer. Fortunately, I didn't need it (nor do I hope to require it in future) - but it can give you a peace of mind. Of-course, things may not always go your way so this is bit a leap of faith.
Amex monthly milestones are relatively easy to hit - The Amex trifecta has ridiculously easy path to secure 70-80K reward points very easily with very little limitations. And since points don't expire you have the option to hold onto them until they make sense. MRCC fee waiver is also ridiculously easy to hit.
Amex still has minimum exclusions - Amex by itself still has minimum exclusions on MR points. You technically can get MR on rent, e-wallet loads, gold purchase etc. You can also pay taxes via Amex Plat travel and hit milestone (not sure if MR are also there, web page suggest one should get). The real problem happens because most payment gateways don't accept Amex or charge a high markup for service. So this is a bit of a weaker plus point. But, the restriction is not from Amex side which is good.