Best Credit Cards For Christmas

24k Gold Card	Easy To Get?	Credit Limit
Pay Bill	Autopay	Activate
Should I Apply?	APR	Points

There are plenty of credit cards that might be worth applying for. To make a good decision, it?s important to take into account practical considerations like your credit score and what you spend most of your money on – gas, groceries, travel, etc.

Unfortunately, even after narrowing down on the cards you can get and examining a card’s financial value based on your particular spending habits, you may find that the actual card you ultimately receive in the mail doesn’t seem to weigh up to the financial value if offers you. Even cards that have excellent perks and benefits are often made out of weak plastic material or otherwise poorly constructed.

However, there are a handful credit cards that are both a savvy financial decision and also built to last; in particular, they tend to be made out of metal. These cards don?t wear out so easily and are also frankly just more impressive when you whip them out of your wallet.

To find out which top cards appear the most valuable, in addition to backing up their impressive appearance with real financial value, we looked at the most popular metal credit cards on the market to help answer your questions about which cards are worth getting and what makes them well constructed.

First, let?s get to some common questions.

Can you get a 24k gold credit card?

Yes. There is a 24k gold credit card from Luxury Card issued by Barclays called the Mastercard? Gold Card?. The Gold Card is made with a 24k-gold-plated stainless steel front and a carbon back. This card has a $995 annual fee, and it’s $295 to add each authorized user. In our opinion, this card is not worth the annual fee unless you overvalue the fact that it contains gold. Here are the details:

Mastercard Gold Card Review

If you like the Gold Card’s features and benefits (which you see on the card details page by clicking the link above) – which we do think are excellent for luxury customers who travel regardless of the card’s flashy construction and high price – Luxury Card has two other models that offer a similar value at a lower annual fee that are built with less valuable metals. There is the Mastercard? Black Card?, composed of stainless steel, with a $495 annual fee, and the Mastercard? Titanium Card?, composed of brushed stainless steel, at a $195 annual fee.

The stainless steel Black Card actually offers the same features and benefits as the Gold Card, but for $500 less, presumably partly due to the cost to gold-plate the front of a credit card. If you don’t think gold plating a credit card is worth $500, you’ll want to get the Black Card.

Mastercard Black Card Review

Mastercard Titanium Card

Are there any credit cards that are entirely metal?

There are no major credit cards that are entirely metal. Most cards are made with metal-alloy. This means the metal that the card is titled after, for example, in the case of the Mastercard? Titanium Card that would be titanium, is only one component in the mix of metal materials composing the card. In other words, the metal alloy comprising Mastercard? Titanium Card might contain just a trace of titanium. The exact alloy used in the Mastercard? Titanium Card is stainless steel, which is used in several popular metal credit cards. Although it’s often asked, we’re not aware of any credit cards that contain aluminum.

The one challenge with stainless steel is that with a lot of use it can rust and show scratches. The rust could begin at the corners of your stainless steel credit card, although it’s rare for rust to occur at all. If the card doesn’t rust and you mostly use it for chip and pin or contactless transactions where it won’t have the danger of getting scratched during the swipe, it will look new for a long time.

Note that there are a couple of differences in the type of stainless steel used in cards. For example, the Mastercard? Titanium Card has a “brushed stainless steel front,” while the Black card and Gold card have just a “stainless steel front” (the stainless steel on the Gold card is gold plated and the Black card is PVD-coated). The brushed stainless steel on the Titanium card is even less likely to rust and could stay even more scratch-free as you use the card a lot. It’s also less reflective, and it can look cleaner, because it hides fingerprints.

If you’re curious as to what the Luxury Cards cards look like, take a look at these videos. The first video shows the MasterCard Gold Card, and you can notice at 31 seconds into this unboxing video that the gold plating is definitely reflective.

In contrast, the Titanium card is non-reflective. It has brushed stainless steel to make it less likely to corrode. You can see how dull and non-reflective it looks in the light at 17 seconds into this video.

Meanwhile, the Black card is not brushed. It’s PVD-coated. Physical vapor decomposition helps the card resist wear-and-tear. At 21 seconds into the last video you can see the PVD-coated stainless steel front and the carbon fiber back layers clearly.

If you like a slightly reflective look – but again, Gold is too much for you – then the Black card may be the best choice. At 18 seconds into this video, you can see the slight reflectivity of the non-brushed stainless steel on the Black card.

The Luxury Cards are by no means the only cards made of metal, or even the only cards made of stainless steel in particular. They happen to specifically highlight their construction as a key feature in both their name and in their promotional materials, so they are good cards to demonstrate different stainless steel finishes used in other cards.

While the Luxury Cards are on the MasterCard network, there are a number of cards on the American Express network. The most famous metal card from American Express is the Centurion? Card, also known as the Amex Black Card.

American Express Centurion? Card

The Centurion? Card is by invitation only; however, if you have an American Express credit card, you can request an invitation here.

One very popular stainless steel card in wide circulation that anyone can apply for is the American Express Platinum Card?.

American Express Platinum Card

Another major stainless steel card is the U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite?.

U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite

Editorial Note: This content is not provided by the issuer. Any opinion, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed on this page are those of the author?s alone, and may not have been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the issuer.

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American Eagle App	Easy To Get?	Credit Limit
Pay Bill	Autopay	Activate
Should I Apply?	APR	Points
Cardholder Resources	Worth It?	Bottom Line

How To Complete The American Eagle Credit Card Application

American Eagle offers two credit cards: AEO Credit Card and AEO Visa? Credit Card. When you apply here on Synchrony Bank?s website (Synchrony Bank issues the cards), you are considered for both cards and depending on your creditworthiness may be assigned the Visa, which is valid everywhere, or the store card, which is only valid at American Eagle stores.

You will have to be at least 15 years old to apply and a resident of the US or Canada, and there is no pre-approval process. This will require a hard pull on your credit.

If you call to check your application status, you might hear that the approval process could take 7-10 business days for you. This does not mean you are denied. There are multiple reasons it can take longer for some applications to get approved, while others are approved on the same day. For example, it might take time to verify your identity, particularly if you have limited credit history. If after 7-10 days, you receive a decision and you are ultimately denied, look at the reason you were denied, which the issuer is required to disclose. If it?s a delinquency that you think you is inaccurate, you might be able to get it removed from your credit report. If it?s income, you might provide an income update if you now make more than when you originally reported your income on the application.

Is the American Eagle Credit Card Easy To Get?

Getting approved for AEO Credit Card is possible even with bad credit, but it?s recommended you have a fair score of 580-669. For people with a good score of 670 – 750 and solid income, the approval rate will be pretty high for AEO Visa? Credit Card. Overall, the requirements are not very strict to get approved, and it?s easy to maintain the cards because neither has an annual fee.

How do I increase my credit limit for the American Eagle Credit Card?

If you are approved, you might not be happy with your credit limit. For example, you could be approved with a $100 credit limit, which is not that unusual for a store card. If you only shop at American Eagle a few times a year, this could be a problem, because having to split a $100+ purchase across multiple cards can be frustrating. Also, if you spend up to your credit limit, you can hurt your credit score, because credit utilization factors heavily into your credit score (it?s about a quarter of the score). You want to be aware of how your credit limit changes over time, because unfortunately, it?s commonplace to hear of people who had their credit limits lowered on their Synchrony Bank cards.

If you want to get a higher credit limit and have a higher income or increased your credit score since you first applied, you might want to upgrade to the VISA. The easiest way to do this is to reapply. It will be a new account, so your credit score will go down a few points or more from the hard inquiry, but even if you were issued an upgrade directly from the store card you would still have a new account and a hard inquiry.

That said, you may not get approved. If you want to potentially increase your chances of being approved for the Visa, you can call Synchrony Bank Credit Solutions at 877-379-8173, to request a higher credit limit on the store card you currently have. It can?t hurt to apply with a higher existing credit limit, and the Visa will almost definitely provide you an even higher credit limit than your existing limit, as well as the ability to earn rewards on all purchases, anywhere, a benefit which all AEO Visa cardholders enjoy.

How do I pay my bill for the American Eagle Credit Card?

Once approved and content with your credit limit, you can manage your existing account, check your balance, and make a payment at the American Eagle credit card website operated by Synchrony Bank, here. You can pay using your checking account or debit card. If you forget your username, there is a Find User ID option on that page that just requires your credit card number and zip code to verify your identity. Then, if you need to, you will also be able to reset your password. You can pay by phone at 866-419-4096, but there is a fee for doing so. You can also mail in your payment using the address below for your card. Synchrony Bank just asks that you please make sure to include your account number on your check or money order so they know to apply it to your account.

AE Credit Card
PO Box 530942
Atlanta, GA 30353-0942

AE Visa Credit Card
PO Box 960013
Orlando, FL 32896-0013

There is also an address to send overnight payments to Synchrony Bank for either American Eagle credit card:

Synchrony Bank
140 Wekiva Springs Road
Longwood, FL 32779

One important note in the terms and conditions is that any payments not made online, such as payments mailed or made by phone, may be credited to your account five days after receipt. So although there is an address for overnight payments, don?t count on it being applied before 5pm ET on your due date, which is the deadline.

If you run into any issues or would like to help with a feature: say for example, you want to add an authorized user to your card, you can call Synchrony Bank customer service at 877-295-2080.

How do I set up autopay for the American Eagle Credit Card?

One important feature you want to set up when you?re in the Synchrony Bank portal, if you can afford it, is autopay. Synchrony Bank provides the following instructions:

1. From the Home Page, select the, Autopay-Off link located below the Make Payment button.

2. Click the Enroll in Autopay button.
3. Select the payment amount and payment source.
4. Agree to the Terms and Confirm Autopay.
5. Review your Autopay settings and Submit. You will see a confirmation screen showing your Autopay settings and a confirmation number. Synchrony Bank will also send you a confirmation email to the email address on file for your account.

It?s important to pay the correct amount each month, Synchrony Bank will not schedule and autopay that amount for you. It?s your responsibility to pick the amount.

How do I activate the American Eagle Credit Card?

Once you?re logged into the Synchrony Bank portal, you?ll also be able to activate your card in the portal.

The first thing you?ll want to pay attention to before using your card is the 20% off coupon on your first purchase that comes with being granted your card. If you were thinking of making a big purchase at American Eagle, this is the right time to do it. The fine print says you have to purchase AEO and Aerie branded merchandise. You also can?t combine the 20% coupon with any other discount.

Should I apply for the American Eagle credit card?

The important thing to know about AEO Connected is that it?s a loyalty program separate from the AEO Connected credit cards. You get benefits just for signing up to the loyalty program, which is free to sign up. The credit cards are also free to apply for, and have no annual fee. 

Pro Tip: When you apply for an AEO Connected credit card, make sure that you provide a valid email, so that you will also be signed up for the loyalty program. 

You?ll have to decide if the benefits given by the credit cards are worth the time spent filling out the application, especially if you are already in the loyalty program or have another card you get great rewards from. This is an important question, and in our opinion, unless you value American Eagle points very highly, we would recommend you use another card that earns flexible points that can be redeemed for cash back or travel rewards, or rewards that can be earned at more than one store. Unless you really value the side benefits, such as cardholder events and personal shopping days, the American Eagle credit card is not a good choice. Then again, if you?re not going to use a rewards card otherwise, it?s better than nothing. At the very least, make sure you sign up to the AEO Connected Loyalty Program, which grants you almost as high a rewards rate as the AEO Connected credit cards.

The complete perks offered by the AEO Connected credit cards are as follows:

Card Benefits:	AEO Connected? Loyalty Program	AEO Connected? Credit Card:	AEO Connected? Visa? Credit Card:
20% off your first AEO Connected? credit card purchase*		??	??
Extra 10% off everyday AEO Connected? credit card purchases		??	??
Extra Access Benefits*	??	??	??
Free Standard Shipping		??	??
Earn 10 points per $1 spent	??
Earn 15 points per $1 spent		??	??
2,500 points= $10 reward	??	??	??
15% off birthday coupon	??
20% off birthday coupon		??	??
Buy 5 jeans, get 1 free	??	??	??
Buy 5 bras, get 1 free	??	??	??
Personal Shopping Day coupon		??	??
Member Exclusive Offers	??	??	??
6 cardholder events each year		??	??
Mobile and online account management	??	??	??
$0 fraud liability		??	??
Earn 5 points for every $1 spent anywhere else Visa? Credit Cards are accepted.			??
Use anywhere Visa? Credit Cards are accepted			??

*Extra Access Benefits are available when you spend $350 or more in a calendar year at American Eagle. After a 2 week processing period, you receive $15 off for every 2,500 points earned (rather than the normal $10 off), and you become eligible for free shipping. You also get a 20% birthday discount.

As shown above, the only difference between the two AEO Connected credit cards is that the Visa can be used anywhere and earns 5 points for every $1 spent everywhere, while the store card can only be used and can only earn rewards at American Eagle stores.

There are a few perks that stand out for the AEO credit cards.

First, the buy 5 get 1 free benefit for jeans and bras can be valuable, but keep in mind this excludes clearance and third-party items (we think third-party items means non-American Eagle and Aerie items). Also the details reasonably state that jeans not include denim items like skirts, shorts, and shirts.

Second, the free shipping benefit provided by both American Eagle cards is very valuable if you spend a lot at American Eagle online, at ae.com. The free shipping is standard shipping, which will take about 3 – 10 business days. Note you also get free standard shipping automatically on the website if your order is more than $50.

What is the APR for the American Eagle Credit Card?

The main thing you?ll want to pay attention to with these cards is the high APR: 27.49%. This is normal for a store card to have a high annual interest rate, but it?s something to watch nonetheless. The other billing details are also normal. The late payment is normal, stated as up to $39, and the grace period of 23 days is average, just above the minimum of 21 days. This means your payment due date is 23 days after the close of the billing period. Your billing cycle length and due date are on your credit card statement.  

Because the APR is high, it?s important to not fall behind on payments. Synchrony Bank has been around since 1932 and is the largest provider of private label credit cards in the US, so it is a company you can trust is providing value to its customers. However, there are still reports on its BBB profile that its customer service phone system and online portal is not intuitive, even causing some accounts to go to collection due to errors with billing. With this in mind, your American Eagle Synchrony account is an especially important account to keep on top of. 

The AEO Connected Visa also carries a 3% foreign transaction fee. If you?re traveling internationally, this is not the card you want to use. You also want a different card for balance transfers, as there is no balance transfer period. The cash advance fee (cash advances are only allowed on the Visa) is 5%, with a minimum of $10, so if you?re trying to get cash out of AEO Visa credit card, be aware that this is a high cash advance fee. As you can see, there are few advantages that AEO Visa has, and you?re almost just as well off with the store card. However, there are a couple key differences. First, you are likely to have a higher credit limit with the Visa, and second, you have the ability to earn points outside of American Eagle that you can redeem at American Eagle with the Visa. However, the value of the points you can earn with these cards is not very high.

How do American Eagle Credit Card Points Work?

For every 2,500 points you earn, a $10 Reward is issued. This means each point is worth $0.004. Although it looks like cashback, It?s not really cashback, because you can only redeem it at American Eagle. 

There are a few options for redemption. You can redeem in store, online, by phone, and through the AEO | Aerie mobile app. 

If you earn Extra Access Benefits by spending $350 or more at American Eagle, you get  $15 off for every 2,500 points. In this case, each point is worth $0.006. These are normal point values for store cards, but if you had a normal credit card, like Chase Freedom, Citi Double Cash, or Discover It Cash Back, for example, you would be earning at least double these point values for every dollar you spent in almost all cases. Plus, you would earn this rewards rate at every store and on every purchase, not just on purchases at American Eagle stores. This is something to consider when looking at any store card.

Another thing to consider is that if you just sign up for the AEO Connected loyalty program, you get 10 points for every $1. This is a free loyalty program and you can sign up without the card. To redeem rewards, you just pull up your rewards coupon on your phone at checkout in the store, or if you?re shopping online and signed in, your rewards can be applied before you checkout. AEO Connected is a convenient way to earn points toward future purchases with very little effort required in redeeming the points.

With AEO Connected, whether you have one of the cards or not, you typically receive points within 2 – 3 weeks. However, it may take up to 90 days to receive them. To prevent points expiring, you need to make sure you make a purchase every 375 days. Keeping your points from expiring will also keep any jeans and bra credits active that you have earned towards a free bra or free pair of jeans. Any free bra or free jeans certificates you have already received will expire on the date stated on the certificate, which is at least 45 days after the certificate is issued to you. Because it will take about 2-3 weeks to receive your reward certificate after buying the needed 5 bras or jeans, at the very least you?ll have a month to cash in the reward certificate to get your free bra or pair of jeans.

Resources for AEO Credit Card Holders:

How do I change my address?

To change your address for your card, you can check the box on your statement and print your new address in the space provided. Or, you can call the number on the back of your card or on your statement. That number is 877-295-2080.

How do I cancel my card?

To cancel your card, you can call the number on the back of your card. Or, you can call 877-295-2080 to reach Synchrony Bank or send a letter to the address on your billing statement. Calling is the easiest way to cancel the card. If you?d like to get rid of your AEO Connected membership entirely, you can email CustomerCare@ae.com or call 1-888-232-4535. When you cancel your AEO Connected membership, you lose points or credits you have earned. However, when you just cancel the card, you still retain an active AEO membership.

Why was my card closed?

If your card was closed by Synchrony Bank and you want to get it back, you can call 877-295-2080. To get a better understanding of why your card was closed, you should check to see if any new items were added to your credit report and be aware of recent purchases you may have made that decreased your credit utilization.

What do I do if my card was lost or stolen?

If you lose your card or if your card is stolen, you should report this by calling Synchrony Bank at 1 800-843-0875. The card has $0 fraud liability like nearly every credit card, so you won?t be responsible for charges, unless they are from someone you gave account access to.

What is the customer service number for my card?

The American Eagle credit card department customer service number is 1-800-843-0875. The customer service hours for Synchrony Bank are Mon – Fri: 8:00 AM – 12:00 AM ET and the number is 1-866-419-4096, but you also have the option of using the chat to speak with a virtual representative, and the chat is surprisingly fast and helpful.

Is the American Eagle credit card worth it?

For most people, just signing up for AEO Connected Rewards, which is free and doesn’t check your credit, is worth it and a good use of time, and there is no need to take extra time and effort to get an AEO credit card. This is because the credit cards only earn 15 points per $1 spent at American Eagle, while the loyalty program earns 10 points per $1. Yes, you earn 50% more points with the cards, but with the points being worth less than one cent and redeemable only at American Eagle stores, almost any major credit card will get you better rewards than the American Eagle credit cards. 

Even if you spend a lot at American Eagle on ae.com, there are not that many pros to holding the credit cards, because as soon as you spend $350 per calendar year at American Eagle stores, you get free standard shipping with the AEO Connected rewards program even if you don?t have an AEO credit card. That said, if you spend less than $350 annually, you will need one of the cards to get free shipping, so if it?s worth it to save $10-$30 on shipping, depending on how much you spend at ae.com each year, you might want to apply for the card. 

The Bottom Line: How Good is the American Eagle Credit Card?

The bottom line is that most people would be better off with a cash back card, like Citi Double Cash, which earns 2% cash back, 1% when you make a purchase and 1% when you pay your bill. In contrast, the AEO Connected cards earn 0.6% back and it must be spent at American Eagle stores. Plus, if you are willing to venture outside of American Eagle stores, and shop at other department stores or shop online at a department store?s online store like Target.com, you could earn 5% cash back with Chase Freedom or Discover It Cash Back when these categories are active, which they typically are every year. There is a $1,500 spending limit per quarter for these high cash back cards, but regardless, 5% cash back is almost ten times higher a cash back rate than the 0.6% provided by the AEO cards.

Like most store credit card interest rates, the AEO Connnected credit cards? interest rate is high, and even the more flexible of the two AEO cards, the Visa card, is not that useful outside of American Eagle stores, because the rewards rate is so low. We are also yet to see reports of people using the American Eagle cards with mobile wallet, such as Apple Pay, either, which is a feature that is becoming increasingly standard for credit cards. 

With all that said, if earning and redeeming American Eagle rewards by using a dedicated American Eagle credit card is important to you, the AEO Connected cards are the right choice for you. There are in fact side benefits like cardholder events and the personal shopping day coupon that could be important to longtime American Eagle fans. However, for everyone else, stick with a card that gets rewards you can redeem everywhere, not just at American Eagle.

Editorial Note: This content is not provided by the issuer. Any opinion, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed on this page are those of the author?s alone, and may not have been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the issuer.

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