Entering the Amex world without disrupting my $0 wallet (A Carrie commentary)

I am having fun seeing how far I can go with a $0 credit card wallet as I re-enter the miles and points world. As a recap, I’m not naturally inclined to the skills that seem to draw most people to this hobby, so I like the idea of keeping things as simple as possible. For example, accumulating cards that I can justify keeping year in and year out without needing to jump through coupon-optimization hoops. With this goal in mind, I decided The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express might be a good next choice.

It’s a decent “everywhere” card for me

I’ve got my main spend categories covered with the Savor card (earning 3% back at grocery stores) and the Wells Fargo Autograph card (earning 3X on gas, dining, hotels, and flights). But I’ve wanted a better card for all the other miscellaneous expenses. I’ve been using my Spark Miles card for a modest 1.5X everywhere, but I primarily got that card to open up the ability to transfer Capital One earnings to travel partners, and would happily relegate that card to the sock drawer if I can find something with a better base earning rate. 2X on all purchases up to $50,000 in a calendar year is perfect for me, because my miscellaneous expenses are unlikely to exceed that amount.

I want to find out why everyone loves Amex points so much

So far, my credit card portfolio earns me transferable points, but in two of the least buzzy and exciting transferable currencies in the hobby. (Although, Stephen did win the 100K Vacay challenge with his 100K Capital One miles!)

I have to admit, I didn’t fully understand why people felt so much more excited about Amex points than either Wells Fargo or Capital One until I visited this post by Greg and Tim to better understand Amex’s transfer partners.

For one, I’ll now have access to the following transfer partners not available through Capital One or Wells Fargo:

ANA Mileage Club (1:1)
Delta SkyMiles (1:1)
Hilton (1:2)
Marriott (1:1)

For another, Amex has transfer bonus opportunities that could make a big difference once I want to actually use my points. Here are the current Amex transfer bonuses available at the moment.

I was able to confirm I’d be approved before taking on a hard pull

Amex lets you essentially accept (or decline) your acceptance, allowing you to forego the hard pull to your credit score if you’re not going to be approved. I’ve added two cards to my portfolio in the last ~4 months, so I liked the idea of confirming my approval before taking on yet another hard pull.

I’m excited to see whether or not there will be Amex Offers I can take advantage of

I’ve been enjoying the offers available to me in my Capital One account, but I’m curious if Amex will have anything either more attuned to my spending, or more profitable. (You can find current Amex Offers here.) At first glance there’s nothing specific catching my eye, but I’ll have fun paying attention to my favorite points and miles blog (yes, of course this one!) to find out if anything noteworthy comes along.