The American Express Plum Card is a trade terms card that has been on the market since 2007. It offers great options with pre-pay bonuses and flexible terms that business owners whose earning six to seven figures on a yearly basis will enjoy.

How the card works

When you say trade terms, it works like having a credit line. Business owners can manage their finances better when they can actually receive services and goods first then pay for them as collections or money come in.

Let us say you are in the retail business, you can get a Net 30 or a Net 60 deal with your wholesaler. This means that you don’t have to pay upfront for the goods that you have not sold yet. You can pay them after 30 days (for the N30) or after 60 days (N60) which is a typical arrangement.

Unfortunately, times are tough and you cannot expect a lot of business owners to provide goods under trade terms. Everyone is just tight. The Plum Card from AmEx allows you to get trade terms using the card so you can keep your business running. The card also gives rewards for those who pay their balances in full.

The AmEx Plum Card does not have a pre-set spending limit. You can also get a 1.5% discount on your purchases if you pay off what you owe 10 days within the closing date of your statement.

You can also defer the payment if you need to. You can practically roll the money. If you pay for 10% of your new purchase and settle your previous deferred balance, you will be eligible to defer as much as 90% of your purchase until the closing of the next cycle. You don’t have to worry about penalties when you properly roll your credit. It is as clear as N-60 trade terms when you pay off your existing balance.

Benefits

American Express is well known for their excellent benefit programs for their clients. The Plum Card qualifies you for the Open Savings which gives discounts from selected vendors and companies for all of your purchases when you use the card. You can checkout the forum on their website if you want to learn more about this network. You will also be able to get useful tips, advice about money management, and other business ideas.

Some notable benefits from the long list we can write are:

• Car rental insurance for loss and damage
• Identity theft 24 hour assistance
• Global assist
• Return and purchase protection
• Baggage insurance
• Travel accident coverage

Fees

The Plum Card from AmEx Open charges an annual fee of $185 which is typically waived for the first year. You can also request for an extra Plum Card which will not have an annual fee. Additional cards after the second one will cost you $45 each annually.

Late payment fees may be as high as $39 or about 1.5% of the balance on default. You can also incur 2.99% of the amount if it is tagged as super delinquent.

There are no over the limit fees since you do not have a spending limit that is pre-set.

Pros and Cons

Here are some reasons why you need to sign up for the AmEx Plum Card:

• Waived annual fee for the first year
• Very flexible terms of payment
• No need to worry about finance chargers
• Great set of benefits
• Avail of discounts from partner merchants
• There is no pre-set spending limit

The downside is a very short list. First its ideal for business owners earning 6 to 7 figures yearly, annual fee is a bit stiff at $185, and you will not enjoy any rewards program.

Verdict

The Plum Card from American Express is a big help for business owners who want to manage their finances well in these difficult times. Imagine no finance charges but still you get some flexible terms that you can enjoy. Two thumbs up for this card!

Blue from American Express

The Blue Card from American Express is the best pick for anyone who is looking for a credit card excellent for travel and shopping without any annual fee. It has the most comprehensive rewards program where you can earn unlimited points and not worry about any expiration dates.

Rewards Formula

The Blue Credit Card from AmEx gives you the chance to earn a point for every dollar you spend using the card. There are not expiration dates to worry about and there is no set ceiling for the reward points your can earn. The AmEx Blue follows the American Express Membership Rewards Program.

American Express partners with 21 airline companies where you can convert points to air miles. You can use two reward points for every air mile. They also have 15 partner hotels where you can use reward points for frequent guest points, receive hotel certificates, or choose from a list of 250 hotels to stay in.

Aside from the airline and hotel privileges, you also have perks if you love to shop, enjoy a relaxing cruise, or catch the hottest gig in the entertainment scene.

Shopping and Travel Benefits

Here are some of the travel and shopping perks when you have the Blue Card in your pocket:

Fees

You don’t have to worry about any annual fee. There is a 0% APR for your purchases on the first 6 months and then prime rate plus as low as 11.99% will be the going on rate. AmEx uses the average daily balance method to compute for the monthly balance.

Verdict

Blue from American Express is highly recommendable for any consumer who wants a card without any annual fee but still has a great rewards program. It may not be the best credit card when you travel but it is an excellent card for merchandize and other things you enjoy doing.

We recommend the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express as one of the best hotel and travel rewards card.

Quick Summary

Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express allows the card holder to do the following:

Starwood Preferred Guest

The Starwood American Express is specifically tailored for consumers who want to gain Starpoints through the Starwood Preferred Guest program. There are 9 hotels that are under the Starwood tag making a long list of 960 hotels in about 97 countries. This list includes Le Meridien, Four Points, Westin, W Hotels, and Sheraton.

Rewards Program

The Starwood Preferred Guest program makes everything easy for consumers having a very lenient redemption policy.

A Starwood Preferred Guest card holder can enjoy their free nights with participating hotels without having to worry about any availability restrictions and blackout dates. You can enjoy a weekend’s stay even for as low as 2000 Starpoints. Consumers can enjoy the rewards of their spending at a moment’s notice.

The Starwood Preferred Guest program partners with hundreds of airlines so you can use your points to enjoy a great vacation.

Another great feature of the rewards program is that you can earn more points while enjoying the fruits of your spending. Earn double points when you use your card to pay for eligible purchases while staying at Starwood resorts and hotels or participating merchants.

Travel

Whether you are looking for an exciting adventure or a relaxing holiday, Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express makes sure that you will have a great time.

About 2,200 travel services with helpful travel experts can help you with essential stuff such as travel arrangements, emergency cash, traveler’s checks, and emergency card replacement.

Another great feature is that you can transfer your Starpoints to the frequent flyers program on a 1:1 basis on almost all participating airlines. There is also the starflights program where you can exchange a fixed amount of points for a ticket with a partner airline.

The travel program includes an accident insurance of up to $100,000, Global Assist hotline, and car rental protection.

Entertainment

Like the other credit cards from American Express, the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express gives you access to some exclusive events even before the general public knows about them.

You can earn more Starpoints and save money when you use the card to purchase via the American Express Ticket Saving Center.

Verdict

Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express has a very good program where you can earn reward points easily. The card is light on the pocket with no annual fee on the first year and $45 moving forward. It is also an excellent tool to accumulate air miles if you are a cool, frequent traveler.

The Chase +1 Student Credit Card can be enjoyed without worrying about an annual fee. Card holders can earn “Karma” points which can be used for donating to charities, toward merchandise, or share with friends. It has a high variable APR at 21.24% or 17.24% but a tie up with social networking site FaceBook make this card the coolest credit card for students.

The card also charges reasonable late payment fees while there is no over the limit fee too. Basically, the card can teach students good financial behavior with rewards going to those who behave right and penalties for going a bit too carefree with your spending.

How the card works

The Chase +1 Student Card is a valid card issued by a major US bank. It is made available for students who does not have a credit history or is just starting to build one.

Instead of the usual reward points for every dollar spent, the student card holders will get Karma points for behaving well towards a good credit. Things like completing a quiz on credit essentials and paying their bills on time will win them some Karma points.

These Karma points can be used to purchase goods from Chase +1 online store (concert tickets, cameras, MP3 players, and other hip things students love), donate to charity, or send to friends on Facebook. The Chase +1 card teaches student well on how they can build their credit properly. I am not sure why will be giving my Karma points away unless I take some good Karma back.

Benefits

Automatically get 20 Karma points the first time you use the Chase +1 Student Card to buy something, issue a convenience check, or when you transfer some balance to the card.

When you pay the bill on time and every month the card is in good standing, Chase will give you additional 2 Karma points. Additional 8 points can be earned if you pay on time and do not go over your credit limit for six consecutive months.

Fees

Students will love this card cause it does not have an annual fee. The structure of charges for late fees is also very reasonable. It will cost you $15 for balances through $100. Balances through $250 will charge a late fee of $29 while $39 will apply for balances of $250 and up.

The card does not charge any over the limit fee but you still have to be very careful cause it will punish you with a stiff APR of 29.99% when you spend too much or have a late payment. Of course, no Karma points for you for that month. You will also not qualify for the bonus points.

Cash advance fee is about 4% but not lower than $10. Balance transfer has also the same rate but not going below $5.

Pros and Cons

This credit card is really student friendly with all the positive features like:

• No annual fees
• No over the limit fees
• Good and fun reward points structure
• Provides great tools for students to learn credit building
• Linked with Facebook
• Encourages donation to charity
• Gives a 20-day grace period

Only downside for this card is the high APR.

Verdict

If you are a student who is still trying to build a good credit history, you should really consider getting the Chase +1 Student Credit Card. The APR is a bit high compared to other cards but the other features make it worth while. It is fun to use but then teaches you a lot about establishing a good credit.

The credit card can teach you how to be responsible coming with excellent tools and tips so you will develop good financial habits.

TrueEarnings Business Card from Costco and American Express makes shopping and saving at Costco a bigger deal. American Express gives you the best cash back credit card that you can have in the market today. It also doubles as a Costco membership card that gives you 1% cash back.

The TrueEarnings Business Card from Costco and American Express gives consumers rewards for every swipe they make. This means that the more you spend, the more rewards you get with this credit card.

Benefits of TrueEarnings AMEX Business Card

It is the only credit card today which gives 3% of un-tiered rebates for gasoline purchases. Aside from that you also get the following:

Earn as much points as you want since there is no limit when you talk of cash back from your TrueEarnings Business Card from Costco and American Express.

The TrueEarnings Business Card from Costco and American Express may also offer some convenience when you travel. Aside from using it to purchase airline tickets and pay for your other travel needs, the credit card also provides $100K of accidental death and dismemberment coverage when you travel. In case you lost the card, you can make an emergency check in and the hotel can still charge it to your account.

TrueEarnings AMEX Business Card Fees

You can have your photo taken and be placed on the card so it will double as your Costco membership card. The membership fee at Costco scrapes off the effect of the annual fee that may be charged to your credit card.

TrueEarnings Business Card from Costco and American Express has a 0% introductory APR for the first 3 months. The APR after the intro period will be 9.99% plus the prime rate.

It is the best cash back credit card in the market which rewards you for every swipe that you make. Management of the account is also very easy done online.

When you get hold of the Delta Reserve Credit Card from American Express, you will realize that it may be the best airline card in the market today. If you fly with Delta frequently, then you should have this American Express credit card.

Here is a quick summary of its most essential features:

Earn more MQMs

One cool feature of the Delta Reserve Card is that your level of spending will dictate how you earn MQMs. The more you spend, the more MQM mileage you get. You can use the MQMs to qualify to a higher tier status or you can give the qualification miles away. The members of the Delta Skymiles know that there are certain benefits you get.

Here’s a glance of the Skymiles program:

When you spend $30,000 in a year you get an MQM Miles Boost of 15,000. Another 15,000 miles can be earned if you spend double that in the same year. This is not just for medallion status but you can use the extra 30,000 miles for travel.

Delta Reserve Card members also has an option to give their MQMs to friends to family members so they can up their Medallion status faster.

Companion Certificate

Every year Delta Reserve Card holders also get a companion certificate that you can use for domestic flights on coach class or first class tickets.

Crown Room Club

You also have access to the Delta Crown Room Club when you fly with Delta. You can enjoy the Crown Room with two companions or immediate family. The annual membership to enjoy a crown room is at least $350 depending on your Skymiles status. So when you do the math, your annual fee is practically covered by this feature.

Here are the rates to the Delta Crown Room Club:

Spend your Miles

Another exclusive benefit you can enjoy with the Delta Reserve Card from American Express is the ability to pay for your Delta flight with the miles that you have acquired. You can do this with a few clicks of the mouse. Just log in to delta.com, choose a flight you want to take, and click on the Pay with Miles option. You can enjoy this without having to worry about any blackout dates.

You can redeem your miles starting at 10,000 to get a $100 off the Delta flight that you choose. You can also pay your airline ticket partially using your miles and charge the rest to your card. You can also use this for Northwest flights.

Concierge Service

The Delta Reserve Card also gives you access to the 24-hour concierge service like the holders of Centurion and AmEx Platinum.

Other Perks

Travel Accident Insurance

Baggage Insurance

Loss and Damage Insurance when you rent a car

Global assistance

Save money and get access to sporting events, concerts, theater, and more

Purchase protection

Fraud protection

Identity theft assistance

Give authorized access to a third party to manage your account

Verdict

Delta frequent airline fliers must get the Delta Reserve Card.

The Discover Motiva Card is the only credit card that will reimburse a full month’s interest if you pay on time. You wise management of the card earns you some cash rewards. They will give you a Pay-on-Time bonus if you make six consecutive on time payments.

The Motiva Credit Card from Discover rewards members who pay on time for six cycles in a row by reimbursing the interest next month as a Pay-On-Time Bonus. You can get this every year, twice if you manage your card properly.

The Pay-on-time Bonus gives members of the Cashback program will have two ways of earning more cash rewards aside from earning unlimited points for every purchase made.

The Discover Motiva Card provides useful payment tools and it also helps card holders by sending payment reminders. You can also make payments over the phone for free, that is even on the due date itself.

Overview of Benefits

• No Annual Fee

• Unlimited cash rewards

• You can choose a due date that will comfortably fit in with your schedule and finances

• Receive automatic email reminders so you will not miss your due date

• You can pay over the phone for free even on your due date

• Get a Pay-on-time bonus when you make six consecutive on time payments

• Cash Back Bonus of 5% through 20% from online shopping sites

• 1% automatic cash back bonus for other purchases

• Redeem your rewards and convert them to great branded items from more than 100 well-known brands

• No liability for fraudulent transactions and get fraud alerts

• No hassle secured online shopping

Rates and Fees

• Intro APR of 3.99% for the first 12 months if you have excellent credit

• APR of 3.99% for the first 6 months; standard APR goes for 11.99% through 18.99% variable

• Cash Advances at 23.99% variable

• Although you enjoy unlimited cash rewards you don’t have to worry about any annual fee

• Late Fee of $19 for balances up to $250; $39 for balances more than $250

Analysis

The Discover Motiva Card is perfect if you are the kind who maintains a balance on your credit card but still pays on time. The intro APR is an icing on the cake for people with an excellent credit. The other features like no annual fee, payment over the phone, cash back bonuses, and online access is perfect features for good value and convenience.

The downside of this card is that it somehow encourages you to be in debt by maintaining a balance on your card and getting some reward for it. The interest rates are a bit high if you will compare it with other offerings for low-risk individuals. You need to do the math if it will cost you more to carry the remaining balance or it is well worth it to enjoy the rewards.

Verdict

The Discover Motiva credit card is offers good value for those who do not immediately pay their balances. Carrying a balance in sense pays off as long as you manage your payments well. The cash back bonuses like other reward programs is a good treat.

The Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express is specifically designed to denote status and prosperity just like how American Express and Delta Airlines want their consumers to experience. This platinum card from AmEx is a perfect credit card for those who are frequent fliers who want to accumulate Delta SkyMiles.

If you have an excellent credit and always on the go, having the Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express in your pocket will be very beneficial.

Here is a quick summary of its features before we go into the details:

A Perfect Airline Rewards Credit Card

Through the reward’s program of AmEx for Platinum Delta SkyMiles holder, you can earn one mile for every dollar you spend using the credit card. So, it will help when you use the card when you shop at drugstores, groceries, gas stations, hardware stores, or practically any where AmEx is accepted. The Delta Miles you earn can be redeemed through Award Travel with Delta Airlines or with the other 15 airline partners.

Another good feature of the SkyMiles card is that you even earn points when you buy tickets at Delta. Every dollar you spend means getting closer by a mile to your next great vacation.

American Express wants you to be the boss of the miles you earn. They have a program called Pay with Miles which allow you to use what you have earned to pay for your Delta or Northwest tickets. You can start doing this when you have already earned 10,000 miles and have $100 off your ticket with any Delta flight.

You can use your miles to pay in full or pay part of your airfare. You also don’t have to worry about any blackout dates. This is your exclusive benefit as a Platinum Delta SkyMiles credit card holder.

What’s good about this card is how you can enjoy the benefits of your spending especially when you travel a lot. Each bag of candy, cup of coffee, or an LED TV you buy counts for your Award Travel perks.

Platinum Delta SkyMiles Membership Benefits

One benefit your wallet and bank account will love how American Express allows you to pay what you charge over time. It will also be very convenient to have your Delta Frequent Flyer number on your credit card so your travel can go without any hassle.

Every year, you will get a complimentary Platinum Companion Certificate so you can share the benefits of your membership. Again, there is no minimum fare requirement and no need to worry about any dates on the calendar.

The Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American has a built in feature called Mile Boosts. This means that you can see your loved ones sooner since annually you can earn as much as 20,000 miles of MQMs. A boost of 10,000 miles can be earned when you have made $25,000 of eligible purchases. Another 10,000 miles will be rewarded to you when you get to the $50,000 line of spending.

Credit Card Perks

As a Platinum Delta SkyMiles credit card holder, you have a treasure chest of perks so you can enjoy your shopping, have access to excellent entertainment, and manage your finances without any glitch.

Entertainment

You can get access to sporting events, concerts, family shows, theater, and other exclusive premium events through Ticket Master. Save some dollars on those tickets when you use AmEx’s Ticket Savings Center. You just need to use AMEX as your promo code when you purchase your tickets.

If you love stage plays and musicals, American Express has AmEx Presents Broadway Live on Yahoo!. Aside from getting tickets before the general public knows about it, you also get to see exclusive footages, photos, and behind the curtain buzz.

The best card gives you the best entertainment access and best seat in town.

Shopping

You can enjoy an Extended Warranty with the items you purchases paid entirely using your credit card. The original warranty period of the manufacturer can be extended by up to a year. Any item which has a warranty period less than 12 months will also have an extended warranty based on the original time period.

When you purchase goods using the card, you get Purchase Protection for no extra cost. The items you buy will be protected against theft or accidental damage up to 3 months after the date of purchase.

You will also get exclusive offers as a Platinum Delta SkyMiles credit card holder.

Financial Management

The Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express also comes packed with different financial management features:

Is the Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express right for you?

The verdict for this platinum credit card from American Express can be expressed in a sentence. If you are looking for the best airline rewards program in the market today, then you have found it with Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express.

Simmons First Visa Platinum Travel Rewards card does not have the lowest APR in the market right now or the most generous rewards system but they have very fair policies. When all you can do is gloat at the default APRs as high as 20.99% or over the limit charges as high as $59, this credit card can boast of very reasonable terms during these rough times.

You can tag it as the best credit card for those with excellent credit score but makes a few small financial blunders from time to time like paying a bill late for a month. The card has no annual fee and the rewards programs plus the travel benefits are highly commendable.

How the card works

The Simmons First Visa Platinum Travel credit card has a variable APR of 9.25% and gives 25 days of grace period when you pay off your balance at the end of the cycle. This is feature plus the travel perks make this credit card perfect for travel purchases and day to day use.

The low APR of the credit card makes it useful for emergency spending or if you really need to carry a balance on the card for a few months. The interest rate for your cash advance is reasonable at 13.25% while the default APR is 16.25 if in six months you miss on two payments. In case you default but able to pay on time for the next six months, your interest rate will go back to the 9.25% variable. The reasonable rates make rebounding from small financial decision making lapses manageable.

You can also use this credit car for transferring balances from your credit cards with higher APRs. You don’t have to worry about any transfer fees. It is free.

Shopping and Travel benefits

Remembering a list of shops that participates in the program can make things complicated at times. The rewards program of Simmons First Visa Platinum Travel Rewards credit card is very simple. You don’t have to think about a list or frequently visiting the credit card’s website to check, you can quickly build up points for a holiday or travel.

Every dollar you spend gives you a point for travel rewards. You can use these points for any US based airline and don’t have to worry about seat restrictions and blackout dates.

You can also use your points for vacation packages, cruises, car rentals, hotel stays, or dining gift certificates. The redemption is hassle free. We heard that they also have a great customer service in case you have questions about your card or the rewards program.

Cardholders will also enjoy up to about $1 million in travel insurance and coverage for car rentals when you use your card for this spendings.

Fees

The credit card does not collect any annual fee. Late fees will cost you a reasonable charge of $29 when some banks can charge as high as $59. Convenience checks or cash advance fees range is 3% or ranging from $4 to $50 tops. You can also use this for balance transfers since they don’t charge any fee.

Pros and Cons

The plus side will be the easy redemption of the reward points, grace period for finance charges, low fee for cash advances, insurance coverage, and no black out dates or seat restrictions when you travel using your travel rewards.

You need excellent credit to have this card in your pocket. Another downside is a variable APR.

Verdict

This credit card is great for balance transfers and everyday use. There is no annual fee plus the card has a very reasonable APR. The travel rewards are comparable to other rewards programs. If you are looking for these thumbs up features then the Simmons First Visa Platinum Travel Rewards credit card fits your lifestyle.

The Marriott Rewards Premier Visa Signature Card is a credit card from Chase specifically designed for those who travel frequently and allows you to get some extra reward points if you stay at Marriott hotels, or use it for travel expenses like hotel rooms and airfares.

How it Works

You automatically get 20,000 reward points when you use your Marriot Rewards card for the first time. Then every dollar you spend using the card at a Marriott location will earn you 5 points. You get 2 points for each dollar you charge on the card for car rentals, dining, and airfare. All other purchases will give you 1 point for every dollar.

Benefits

The Marriott Rewards you earn can be used to stay for free in any of the 3,000 Marriott hotels worldwide. You can also spend it for cruises, car rentals, airfares, and other event and travel related stuff. If you travel a lot, you can use the points to access the VIP lounge of airports.

A really good feature of this premier visa signature card is that you can use the rewards for 5 day or 7 day of vacation packages. All inclusive. That means your airfare will be taken cared of, and even your dining expenses. At 70,000 points they have some good listing of cool destinations like the Caribbean or to the heart of Latin America.

Fees

You need to shoulder $65 of annual fee for the Marriott Rewards Premier Visa Signature Card.

You can take advantage of cash advances but you need to pay a 3% fee. Late payments will cost you $15 applicable to balances through $100. Late fees for balances through $250 will cost you $29 while balances over $250 will cost you $39.

Weighing the Pros and Cons

Looking at the features of the Marriott Rewards card we see these positive things:

• Annual fee is low
• Free overnight stay at a Marriott hotel is cool
• Sign up bonus of 20,000 points is good

One downside is that the rewards program is pretty restrictive. You can earn bigger points if you go to Marriott hotels.

Verdict

This card is perfect for those who travel a lot and for those who really frequent the Marriott hotels.