American Express: A Business Choice
Open your wallet right now and chances are you will find a credit card. Credit cards have evolved from a “businessmen only” item to an item for everyone now. For those who want a “businessman” approach, look to American Express. Although this may sound like a cliché, American Express seems to be geared more towards businesses than the average shopper. The main reason for this is that American Express is not as widely accepted as other cards like MasterCard and Visa. This may be due to the fact that American Express is more of a “professional” card.
American Express has many different versions of cards for different people. The Blue card, which has no fee and has membership rewards. Then there is the “Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card.” This card allows you to earn Delta SkyMiles, which you can then redeem for Delta flight awards. The “Preferred Rewards Gold Card” is next, which has no spending limit and allows you to pay in full. The next card is the “Platinum Commercial Credit Card”, which allows you to pay over time and has no charges for 12 months.
American Express is also helpful for small businesses as it has tools including an open forum where you can discuss with other small business owners. You can also get tips on managing your small business finances. This, along with a good mindset, can help you achieve good business if you have a small business. What if you run a larger corporation and not a small business? American Express also offers corporate card programs! (See their corporate page for more information). They also have business travel solutions, which can be used to help you when you travel.
Are you a trader? Try American Express business tools. With this, American Express can help you publish print ads, such as magazines and newspapers. You can also get gift cards, which are prepaid credit cards that have a spending limit so you can safely give money to others. Lastly, merchants have free access to customer support for help with any issues you may have.
Like Visa, American Express has also introduced “prepaid” cards, which work much like a gift card that can be used anywhere American Express is accepted. This allows parents who want to give money to teens who cannot easily lose an alternative. Prepaid cards can also be reloaded and have many of the same benefits as a regular American Express, minus a checking account and PIN number. Unlike Visa, American Express offers “Special” cards, which can be obtained in “Birthday, Dinner, Movie, Kids, Teens, Girlfriend & Boyfriend, and Thank You” varieties.
In general, American Express is a good option if you have a small business, use your credit card online, etc. However, if you are looking for a good personal credit card option, I would look into Visa as they have reliable customer service as well as being very easy to use. (Although the same could be said for MasterCard.) Overall, American Express is an outstanding card that has a good track record and I highly recommend it to new businesses.