The very name "American Express" conjures up images of wealth and prestige. Since its introduction to the credit landscape the American Express credit card has been synonymous with luxury and affluence. This little piece of plastic can buy respect wherever you go. The reason for this exclusivity is because American Express offered its customers unlimited lines of credit; and only chose to give this incredible buying power to people who they were assured could pay them back. In fact, American Express demanded full payment of the account every single month - no exceptions allowed.

Today it is possible to get an American Express card with a pre-set spending limit. Their terms of repayment have also become more flexible and they do allow balances to be carried from one month to the next. However, the prestige and respect that were given to an American Express owner are still very much the same. Although it is easier to obtain an American Express credit card than it used to be in the past, you still have to have a spotless credit rating and a good job.

American Express also offers luxury reward cards that draw customers in with fabulous incentives from fully paid African safaris to racing around an F1 track. These cards come with an annual fee, but allow customers to collect points quickly. American Express knows how to cater to their market and for that, their customers are very loyal them and have allowed them to grow exponentially making them one of the world's premier credit cards for both personal and business use.

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