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【12/16 Update】The Plenti program is about to die a natural death, and the credit card is also about to be discontinued. All cardholders will be forcibly closed. For this failed program and credit card, I just want to know: did any of our readers apply for it...

【3/15 Update】Plenti points are about to add supermarket chains BI-LO, Fresco y Más, Harveys, and Winn-Dixie as redemption partners, which will make these points much more useful. According to the announcement, this will be fully implemented starting on 4/5.

AMEX Plenti Credit Card Introduction:

Application link

Basic features

  • Sign-up bonus: 5,000 Plenti Points (must spend $250 within 3 months of opening the card)
  • Earn Plenti Points on purchases: 3x at supermarkets (up to the first $6,000); 2x on dining; 1x on everything else
  • Plenti Points use: Can be used at AT&T, Rite Aid, Exxon, and Macy's
  • No annual fee

Highlights

  • The rewards structure is pretty good and works well for everyday spending: The 3, 2, 1 rewards structure gives you solid cash back on supermarket shopping and dining.
  • Plenti points redemption: At AT&T, Rite Aid, Exxon, and Macy's, you can use points directly at 1 point = 1 cent, with redemptions starting at 200 points. Redemption partners from some supermarket chains will be added soon. See: How to use Plenti
  • 0 APR on purchases: For balances created by purchases within 12 months, you only need to pay the minimum each month and you won't pay interest. Please read "How to pay off a credit card with 0 APR" carefully.

AMEX card perks

  • AMEX Offer: Amazon $20 back on $20, Walmart $15 off $5, phone bill $75 off $10. AMEX is generous and often sends cardholders great offers, which can let you earn cash rewards while you spend. See: Recent good AMEX Offers, Summary of past good AMEX Offers, AMEX Offer explained
  • Small Business Day: All AMEX credit cards can participate every year. During the Small Business Day promotion, spending at designated merchants earns extra rewards. See: Small Business Day promotion introduction
  • High credit limits: AMEX is very generous with customers and often gives much higher limits than other banks.
  • 3x credit limit increase: After holding an AMEX card for 61 days, you can request a credit limit increase to three times the original amount through the website.
  • Free ShopRunner membership: Enjoy free two-day shipping and free returns at many online stores. For details, see: Official site
  • Extended warranty: Items purchased in full with an AMEX card automatically receive an additional one-year manufacturer warranty
  • Free report: Cardholders can check their credit score from the EX credit bureau for free. See: Free credit score comparison

Drawbacks

  • The points you earn cannot be converted to cash 1:1. They can only be used at designated merchants, and gift cards cannot be purchased.

My thoughts:

Worth keeping?: This card is only worth keeping if you can use Plenti points at the designated merchants. It is essentially a credit card with a 3%/2%/1% cash-back structure. At the moment, AMEX is still expanding the Plenti program, and it will add BI-LO, Fresco y Más, Harveys, and Winn-Dixie as redemption partners in the future, which makes it convenient for grocery shopping. Of course, as a no-annual-fee AMEX card that lets you play with AMEX Offers, long-term holding definitely won't lose money.

Comparison: In fact, this card is very similar to AMEX Blue Cash EveryDay; both offer 3% cash back at supermarkets. But this card also gives 2x on dining, and redemption starting at $2 is pretty good (BCE requires a $25 minimum redemption).

Application:

  • Application difficulty: متوسط difficulty; recommended after having accounts for six months or more
  • Application status: Official application status check link
  • Notes: Before applying, please read "AMEX bank characteristics"; this card can be applied for without an SSN; if your application is denied or pending, you can consider calling for reconsideration; because this is an AMEX co-branded card with Plenti, you need to create a Plenti account during the application or enter an existing Plenti number

Application link