American Express

The American Express foreign transaction fee is 2.7% of all international transactions or $0, depending on the Amex card. There are plenty of American Express cards with no foreign transaction fee. Those cards tend to be the best options for travel.

If you're unfamiliar with foreign transaction fees, they're a surcharge for using a credit card with a foreign merchant. Credit cards with foreign fees usually charge 1%-3% of the purchase price. That can really add up, especially since Amex's 2.7% foreign fee is on the higher end of the spectrum.

Here are the American Express foreign transaction fees:

• American Express cards with a foreign transaction fee charge 2.7%.
• Many American Express credit cards have no foreign transaction fees.
• Amex foreign transaction fees apply when you buy things abroad OR shop at foreign merchants online.
• Some of the best American Express cards with no foreign fees include Amex Platinum and Premier Rewards Gold as well as the PenFed Premium Travel Rewards card and the Amex cards affiliated with Starwood, Hilton and Delta.

If you're looking for an international credit card, it's best to get one with no foreign transaction fee, and American Express does have a good selection. But American Express cards aren't accepted by nearly as many foreign merchants as Visa and Mastercard. So you may find yourself somewhere your Amex won't work. And that's why it's probably better to have a Visa or Mastercard for travel.

The American Express Concierge is an exclusive benefit for Amex Platinum and Centurion cardholders. The Amex concierge acts as a virtual assistant, helping cardholders secure concert tickets, deliver flowers, make reservations, and much more. You can contact the concierge service by phone (1-800-525-3355) or email: [email protected].

There are no service charges for using the Amex concierge, as it's a complimentary benefit. Any purchases required to complete your request are charged to your Platinum or Centurion card. Most cardholders report getting their requests completed within a couple of hours or days.

Types of Requests You Can Make:

• Restaurant reservations
• Concert tickets
• Travel and tour bookings
• Gift shopping and delivery
• Help planning an event
• Research for special requests
• Help finding a doctor, lawyer, plumber, handyman, etc.
• And so on

You'll likely have more success with some types of requests than others. According to cardholders, if you make a travel booking request, you'll generally just be referred to Amex Travel. On the other hand, cardholders have found great success when submitting requests for things like concert and event tickets. If given enough notice, the concierge can get tickets the second they go on sale. Even better, when the concierge secures tickets, you don't have to pay any Ticketmaster service fees.

American Express also states the concierge can be used for personalized gift-shopping. You can provide some basic information about the person you need a gift for, and they'll do the gifting for you. Requests you make through the concierge will never be shared with anyone, including any authorized users on your card, so you can rest assured no surprises will be ruined.

While there's not much information regarding the parameters of what requests you can and can't make, many cardholders said that it mostly depends on who your assigned concierge is from one request to the next. In general, the American Express concierge can be a valuable benefit for those who don't want to spend time making reservations or gift-shopping.

You cannot get the Amex Rose Gold card at this time. Amex Rose Gold was released in October 2018 as a limited-edition version of the American Express Gold metal credit card. It had all the benefits of the Amex Gold card but came in a metallic rose gold color. The last day to apply for the Amex Rose Gold card was January 9, 2019.

To get the Rose Gold card, you had to apply for the Gold card and request a Rose Gold version. If you were already a Gold cardholder, you just had to request a new card be sent to you in the Rose Gold shade. Requesting the color was quick and easy— you just had to use the online chat function of the American Express credit cards website and ask the agent assigned to you. American Express has no plans at this time to re-release the Amex Rose Gold card.

Fortunately, you can still get the Amex Gold Card and all of its incredible benefits, from high cash back rates to a huge signup bonus of 60,000 points once you spend $4,000 in the first 6 months. You also receive a $100 airline fee credit per year, as well as monthly statement credits when you dine at certain restaurants.

All of those excellent rewards do come at the cost of a $250 annual fee, so it's important to weigh the worth of those rewards against the cost of the card.

If American Express does bring back the Amex Rose Gold card at some point, having an Amex Gold will be the easiest and fastest way to get a Rose Gold version.

Yes, there is an ongoing Hertz / Amex Platinum deal. As an Amex Platinum cardholder, you'll get reduced rates and other privileges on Hertz car rentals, including free one-car-class upgrades and expedited service. You can also return your rental up to 4 hours late with no penalty. To get the benefits, just pay for a Hertz rental with your American Express Platinum card and include “CDP #211762” in your reservation.

Amex Platinum also offers free membership in the Hertz Gold Plus rewards program. You get an automatic 15% - 25% discount on all rentals, along with Hertz points. Plus, you can pick pretty much any car you want, without a reservation, as well as add your spouse/partner as a driver - among other perks.

Amex Platinum car rental insurance covers cardholders for up to $75,000 in collision damage and theft for vehicles rented with the Amex Platinum credit card or American Express rewards points. To get Amex Platinum car rental insurance coverage, you must decline the rental agency's supplemental insurance policy. To make a Platinum Card rental car insurance claim, call 1-800-338-1670 within 30 days of a covered incident.

There are a few exceptions you should be aware of, though. And there are more details about the process you'll need to follow to actually get your money. You can find the key points below.

Amex Platinum Car Rental Insurance Info:

• You're covered up to $75,000 per claim for collision damage or theft.
• You must pay for the entire rental with your Amex Platinum card or rewards points.
• You must decline the rental agency's insurance policy.
• The following types of vehicles are not covered by Amex Platinum rental car insurance: Cargo vans, vans that carry 9+ people, box trucks, trucks that weight 10k+ lbs., modified vehicles (except for handicapped accessibility), antiques, limos, off-road vehicles, motorcycles/motorbikes/mopeds, RVs, golf carts, and a few others.
• The following situations and types of damage are not covered by Amex Platinum rental insurance: Manufacturing defects, wear and tear, damage from illegal activities, accidents caused by driver's intoxication, seizure by authorities, damage by war, and a few others.
• To make an Amex Platinum rental car insurance claim, call 1-800-338-1670 within 30 days of the incident. You can also call 1-216-617-2500 collect from abroad. Amex will then mail you instructions for what to do next. You'll have 60 days to return any proof they request, which may include damage estimates, police reports, etc.

Amex Platinum rental car insurance will reimburse you within 90 days of American Express receiving your proof of the incident. Before you rent a car with your Amex Platinum card, you should take some time to read through the benefits guide. It will give you the full information.