Amex Platinum Cashback Card (American Express)

Member Name: catherine21

Product:	American Express
Date:	16/07/09 (60 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: High Cashback levels for 3 months, Good Customer Service

Disadvantages: High APR

I chose an Amex Platinum Cashback Card, as the idea of getting cashback on purchases appealed to me.

Application for the card was fairly easy, I had to fill in an online form, then wait until they confirmed my application by a letter in the post.

The information they initially sent me did not fully explain how cashback worked, so I phoned them to ask. I was amazed to find that their contact number was a normal landline number - not an 08 anything. I was more amazed still when the phone rang, and a person answered! No automated "press 1 for this press 2 for that". I was very impressed!

The person who answered my call was friendly and helpful and explained that cashback would be paid annually in the form of a cheque.

As soon as I started spending I could see the cashback adding up on my statement. For the first three months they give 5% cashabck, so get this card just before you make a big purchase such as a holiday or before you do your Christmas shopping. After 3 months this goes down to between 0.5% and 1.5% depending on how much you spend.

This card provides a really good deal for me personally, but I'm using it for normal spending to get the cashback, then paying it off in full. The APR on the card is quite high, around 26% I think, so if you are not going to be able to pay it off each month, it's an expensive way to borrow, and that far outweighs the cashback.

Summary: A good card for normal spending, but not so good for borrowing