Amex Gold Rewards vs SimpleCash Preferred

You should do it to help others, since your username is MrAmex

I would not use those cards for insurance anyway

Something to read, if you're into insurance (doesn't include those 2 cards at all)

[TRAVEL INSURANCE] Best Credit Cards for Emergency Medical Insurance - Pointshogger
http://pointshogger.boardingarea.com/tr ... insurance/

jerryhung wrote: ↑You should do it to help others, since your username is MrAmex

I would not use those cards for insurance anyway

Something to read, if you're into insurance (doesn't include those 2 cards at all)

[TRAVEL INSURANCE] Best Credit Cards for Emergency Medical Insurance - Pointshogger
http://pointshogger.boardingarea.com/tr ... insurance/

That review is severely lacking. It only shows 2 cards that provide insurance 65 and over, National Bank World Elite at 15 days age 65-75 and Capital One Aspire Travel World Elite at 8 days age 65+ with no upper age limit. The CUETS Choice Rewards ($150 & 2pt/$1) & Gold Choice Rewards ($120 & 1pt/$1) Mastercards, available from any credit union, both provide 31 days up to and including age 74.

Also, it only lists the Scotia Bank Platinum Amex Card which is $399 for 10 days age 65 and over with no age limit. The ScotiaBank Gold American Express Card which is not listed is much cheaper at only $99 and gives you the same 10 days with no age limit.

So, if you want the maximum emergency medical coverage as a credit card benefit when you hit age 65, get one of those CUETS Mastercards for 31 days to and including age 74 and then the C1 Aspire Travel World Elite for 8 days or one of the Scotiabank cards for 10 days age 75 and over. I myself have the C1 card and will add the CUETS card for 31 days when I hit 65 as 8 days on the C1 card (22 days under 65 on the C1 card btw) is not enough for me and top-up insurance will cost more than just paying $120 for the CUETS Gold Choice Rewards Mastercard. At 75+ I'll get the 8 days the C1 card provides. The only card that gives more than 8 days 75 and over is the Scotiabank card but it's only 10 days and it's not worth it to get that card for just 2 more days as I'll have to get top-up insurance anyway.

Travel accident is 100k vs 500k. That is the main difference as far as I can see.

You may not get certain targeted offers, and you can't exchange points for other points since you get cashback.

However, the SimplyCash cards are credit cards, not charge cards. You may be restricted by a surprisingly low credit limit, even with a decent income.

The annnual fee difference is substantial. SimplyCash Preferred is probably the better deal vs Gold Rewards.

Remember that there is a referral bonus if a SimplyCash (preferred) card holder refers a new one.

I have discovered one disadvantage of the Amex SimplyCash line: The cards are not recognized as Canadian cards. For example, the Koodo systems refuses them because they are deemed an "international" card. You have to go through a special manual process to use them with Koodo, and that process has failed for me. I'll try again. Another problem arose with Google's Canadian hardware store. It simply refuses the card as an "invalid card". I suspect that this is related to the purportedly "non-Canadian" number as well, but I can't say for sure.

On the other hand, US systems could recognize the card as a US-based card (although it isn't). That may be of advantage to some card holders who want to do cross-border payments for certain online services.

sokolov wrote: ↑I have discovered one disadvantage of the Amex SimplyCash line: The cards are not recognized as Canadian cards. For example, the Koodo systems refuses them because they are deemed an "international" card. You have to go through a special manual process to use them with Koodo, and that process has failed for me. I'll try again. Another problem arose with Google's Canadian hardware store. It simply refuses the card as an "invalid card". I suspect that this is related to the purportedly "non-Canadian" number as well, but I can't say for sure.

On the other hand, US systems could recognize the card as a US-based card (although it isn't). That may be of advantage to some card holders who want to do cross-border payments for certain online services.

Must just be your card or a glitch. My SimplyCash behaves normally.

sokolov wrote: ↑I have discovered one disadvantage of the Amex SimplyCash line: The cards are not recognized as Canadian cards. For example, the Koodo systems refuses them because they are deemed an "international" card. You have to go through a special manual process to use them with Koodo, and that process has failed for me. I'll try again. Another problem arose with Google's Canadian hardware store. It simply refuses the card as an "invalid card". I suspect that this is related to the purportedly "non-Canadian" number as well, but I can't say for sure.

On the other hand, US systems could recognize the card as a US-based card (although it isn't). That may be of advantage to some card holders who want to do cross-border payments for certain online services.

Koodo didn't recognize my old Blue Sky card as a Canadian card a couple of years ago either, so when I switched to SimplyCash and it got rejected again I gave up and use my MasterCard with Koodo. I think it is just Koodo being obtuse, I don't think it is a generalized problem.

There are a few stores when the SimplyCash chip isn't recognized and I have to swipe the card, but overall I've not had too many problems (other than the usual Amex acceptance problems in many stores).

Another issue with my Amex SimplyCash Preferred card: It doesn't work at a store that accepts Amex, including Amex Gold Rewards. The SimplyCash Preferred card results in an endless circle of chip and swipe. When using the chip it says "App not Available", when swiping it it says "use chip". I know that dance from the Gold Rewards, but after a few hops it would eventually work. Not the SimplyCash Preferred. We tried many many times, it never worked. Eventually, I paid with VISA.

I dont have Preferred yet, however, my SimpleCash works fine where Amex is accepted.

There is another difference: The Gold Rewards card comes with Trip Interruption insurance, the SimplyCash cards do not.