Wondering what CC or DC is better or worse in the US.

My personal experience with banks always turn to a nightmare due to the uncertainty of my country’s economy and the Wild West factor. No recourse to the Law being the rule.
As a result, i try to avoid CC and being a regular bank customer. Fir example, we rented a Safe Deposit Box 3 years ago, payed the yearly fees and we are dtill to receive the keys to it. The clerks pkay dumb and point fingers to different abstract departments but nobody will resolve the issue. Hence i have no CC, just a lical DC.

A lifetime ago, i had an Amex extension from my parents accoun. Nobody would take AMEX in those days, they wanted Master or Viss. Then Amex started harassing me to get my own card and when i finally applied they refused to issue me one.

Just a small example of past experiences.

Seems to me that AMEX fares better than Visa and Master nowadays but need first hand opinions.
Have had enough weird experiences with Amex to willingly appliy for a card unless you guys advise me otherwise.
Very likely, I can get Vise/MC no problem based on my regular bank account. Have no debts, can’t afford them

Thanks.

Obviously everyone's experiences and opinions will be different.

In my experience, Visa/MC (mid tier) are more universally accepted (especially in Asia). Amex (Platinum) has better customer service.

I cancelled Amex; I just found myself using Visa/MC almost always; never had a reason to use Amex. Especially with cash back programs.

I don't get Visa/MC from anywhere though - I only get it through large banks and the like (iFruit Pay).

I never use DC - only at the ATM/Teller. Never for anything retail.

In the US, the Visa is the most widely accepted credit card.

AMEX used to be a premium experience 20 years ago. They had perks that nobody else had, and their customer service was top notch. Like everyone else their customer service was moved out of the country to a call center so it's no longer a differentiator. AMEX has lost a lot of market share and Visa has surpassed in perks.

The only premium experiences any more are when you pay a $599 annual fee to AMEX or Visa.

On the merchant side, American Express is slow to pay the merchant, and charges a higher transaction percentage. A lot of businesses don't accept their card for that reason.

Another possible option: Apple Pay/Apple Card. This is a Mastercard issued by Goldman Sachs, you can pay with your iPhone or other iOS device (using NFC to an appropriately-equipped card reader), use a "virtual number" for web, etc. purchases, person-to-person transfers through the Wallet app., and they will issue a physical card upon request. Don't know how well supported in Arg., but has a strong presence in the US.

It depends. If you want travel rewards it could vary by who you typically fly on.

If you want basic cash back rewards, most card issuers have some without a fee that give 1.5-2%.

Most valuable input, thank you.

Just want the go for an efficient and trouble free csrd valid almost everywhere.

Haven’t visited the US in 20 years now. Avoided and still do, our credit cards because of our insane economy. The second you use a CC here exhorbitant fees appear out of nowhere, inflation, weird and unexplained exchange rates apply and it’s an endless pit.
I like to spend up to what i’ve got and not a dime more. DC more or less lets me do just that.
My personal horror stories with bank are unbelievably if it wasn’t tgat they all happened to me.

Will skip AMEX and stick with Visa.

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quote:

Originally posted by 0-0:
Most valuable input, thank you.

Just want the go for an efficient and trouble free csrd valid almost everywhere.

Haven’t visited the US in 20 years now. Avoided and still do, our credit cards because of our insane economy. The second you use a CC here exhorbitant fees appear out of nowhere, inflation, weird and unexplained exchange rates apply and it’s an endless pit.
I like to spend up to what i’ve got and not a dime more. DC more or less lets me do just that.
My personal horror stories with bank are unbelievably if it wasn’t tgat they all happened to me.

Will skip AMEX and stick with Visa.

0-0

Be sure to have alternate cards. Also, notify your CC company that you'll be traveling to where ever you're going and will be using their card.

Don't want to be stuck in a foreign country with your card locked by the company. It's a hassle to contact them.

You may have problems using a non-USA bank issued card. My European bank debit card works at some US retailers but not at all. Verify before you travel. Previous comments seem to be related to US residents with US issued Credit Cards.

quote:

Don't want to be stuck in a foreign country with your card locked by the company. It's a hassle to contact them.

The only problem I have ever had is with USAA Credit Cards. USAA Security makes the cards worthless.

^^^^Good points. Am thinking of getting a local CC here and then figuring out, if they’re OK, how to get CC issued elsewhere. Therewill always be the hiccup that the cards will come from a different country than my passport.

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We get a lot of customers from Argentina.

There are US banks which seems to let foreign nationals open accounts. Not sure if you can do so from Argentina, but might be a good idea to open one in the US.

Can you open a UBS account?

Apple Pay seems to work very well.

Not sure about the fees, but what about those “coin” atms? Might be better keeping your money in a stable coin, if that’s an option

If you plan to travel internationally you would be wise to get a Visa or MC. If you plan on traveling quite a lot from now on, it makes sense to get a card that doesn’t charge extra for foreign transactions. If international travel will only be every few years, then look for the most benefits earned here. Big step, but you might want to shop for two CCs to cover both scenarios.

Oh crap, I forgot that you lived in Argentina. As far as American based CCs, are all transactions in Argentina considered “foreign” transactions?