American Express credit card. American Express credit cards: small spool, but expensive American bank credit card

01.11.2023

Company American Express(AmEx) operates primarily in the tourism industry, so its cards are designed primarily for travelers.

The peculiarity of the card is that it is accepted in almost all financial institutions in the world, including emergency situations abroad, the holder is provided with medical and legal support, and all purchases are insured.

The owner of the “plastic” card gets access to discounts and promotions of the American Express Selects program (discounts up to 30% in stores, cafes and restaurants, hotels, travel agencies), and in Russia – also as part of the “Discount Club”. Bonuses are accumulated under the Membership Rewards program, which are exchanged for special offers from program partners (airlines, household appliances and electronics stores, beauty salons, hotels).

Due to availability additional features for travelers, even classic map AmEx costs an order of magnitude more than standard plastic cards from the same Visa and MasterCard. Therefore, for a person who rarely travels abroad, it is not profitable to have such a card, since in fact he will pay for services that he does not need. In addition, in Russia there are few places where AmEx cards are accepted for payment, and other payment systems also have discounts and promotions.

AmEx in Russian Standard

The bank has long had exclusive rights to issue AmEx cards. And although individual products can now be purchased at Sberbank and Uralsib, only Russian Standard has the full range of AmEx cards available in Russia.

Classic card without bonuses

American Express Card: limit – up to 150 thousand rubles, at a rate of 21.9% per annum. Maintenance – 1500 rubles per year, issue of an additional card – 750 rubles.

Classic Visa cards and MasterCard in the Russian Standard differ from AmEx in the cost of service (900 rubles) and account currency (rubles only). But you can choose an individual design for them. is the same for all bank cards, regardless of category and payment system.

Gold card without bonuses

American Express Gold Card: limit – up to 299,000 rubles. at 19.9% per annum, maintenance - 4,000 rubles per year, issue of an additional card - 2,000 rubles.

Conditions for gold credit cards Visa MasterCard are similar, only the annual commission for them is 3,000 rubles, and issuing a duplicate will cost 1,500 rubles. Custom design is possible.

Platinum card without bonuses

The Platinum Card. All the same programs and discounts, but exclusive services and privileges are available, and insurance programs extended. The limit is set individually (in other words, it is not limited), interest rate – 28.6%, 34%, 39% for accounts in rubles, 25%, 30% and 35% for accounts in US dollars and euros. Annual commission – 25 thousand rubles, 500 US dollars or 380 euros.

Among other systems in the platinum category, the bank offers Diners Club (but we will not consider it in this article), Visa and MasterCard. The co-branded platinum Visa is issued jointly with NES, and is also determined by the bank, and discounts are within the framework of the “World of Visa Privileges”.

For travel, Imperia Platinum (MasterCard) is more suitable, the limit of which is determined individually, but not less than 300 thousand rubles. It has unlimited cash-back of 1% (for online purchases - 2% and 5% for hotel bookings on booking.com), and 7% is credited on the remaining balance.

Cash back cards

Blue from American Express. Limit – up to 450 thousand rubles, rate – 29%, annual commission – 900 rubles. (first year – free). Cash-back of 2% on online purchases and 1% on all other purchases. It has a unique design - absolutely transparent.

An analogue among other bank credit cards is the RSB card World MasterCard Cash Back. Return on it is 1%. It may increase to 3%, but only when the amount of purchases reaches 1 million rubles.

Unfortunately, on at the moment Russian Standard Bank has discontinued the production of these two cash back products.

With miles accrual

British Airways American Express. Conditions for Classic Card: the limit is determined by the bank. Rate 36%, annual commission – 1.5 thousand rubles. When flying on regular flights with airlines of the Oneworld alliance, 1 Avios point is awarded for every 65 rubles. plus 2500 welcome bonus. At the moment the card is not issued.

Conditions for Premium Card: limit - up to 1.5 million rubles, 45,000 US dollars or 40,000 euros, at the discretion of the bank, at 28.9% in rubles and 24.9% in US dollars, annual maintenance - 10 thousand rubles ( 330 USD, 250 EUR). Bonuses: 1.5 Avios points for every RUB 65. plus 5000 welcome bonus.

Previously, similar cards were issued by Aeroflot and Transaero.

Kits

Good option for those who need an American Express card abroad, but in Russia would like to use something less “exotic”. In Russian Standard sets, AmEx comes in tandem only with MasterCard. Cards are tied to one bank account, and bonuses are awarded upon purchase of any of them.

MTS Bonus package to exchange points for MTS services. There are Classic and Premium. For Classic: limit – up to 450,000 rubles at 36%, annual commission – 900 rubles. For Premium: limit – up to 750 thousand rubles. at 29% for 3 thousand rubles. per year.

Bonuses: 1 point for every 25 rubles on AmEx and 30 rubles. for MasterCard plus 400 for the first purchase (for Premium 600 welcome bonuses and then 1 point for every 20 and 25 rubles for AmEx and MasterCard, respectively).

These cards have now been discontinued.

RSB Travel Kit. The credit conditions are the same, only the accumulated bonuses are used to reimburse funds for purchases in the “Travel” category (airlines, hotels, car rentals, travel companies). Bonuses are awarded as follows: when paying for purchases with an American Express card, you receive 1 point for every 25 rubles, and when using a Master Card, you receive 1 point for every 30 rubles. You also receive 500 and 300 bonus points, respectively.

AmEx in Sberbank

At Sberbank, AmEx is represented only in the premium segment. Only the map is publicly available American Express Platinum. The credit limit on it is up to 3 million rubles. at 17%-22% with a grace period of 50 days.

Annual maintenance is 10 or 15 thousand rubles, depending on whether Sberbank made you a personal offer, or you decided to issue a card on your own initiative.

When it comes to plastic cards, all potential holders have the opportunity to choose a payment system, and, as a rule, it stands between the two most popular systems: Visa and Mastercard or Mir, which is currently just beginning to gain its popularity. But in fact, the third largest, but not in importance, is the world payment system American Express or AmEx for short. It owns 13% of all issued plastic cards in the world. In our country, a limited number of banks are engaged in issuing payment system cards, including Russian Standard and others. Despite the fact that the payment system is not so popular in our country, its cards have many advantages. However, let’s look in more detail at what the American Express card is, its advantages, where and how to apply for it, and where it is accepted.

A little history

To understand as much as possible what advantages a plastic card has, it is worth turning to the history of the formation of the American Express company. This finance company was organized back in 1850 in the United States of America; at that time, however, the company was engaged in the transportation of large cargo across the territory of the state. But the company quickly picked up growth rates and provided services all over the world, which provoked interest in the possibility of remote use cash. Already in 1891, American Express issued the first traveler's checks.

The financial company released its first plastic in 1958, the main target audience- these are travelers. For many years, commercial banks only dealt with the world's two payment systems, Visa and Mastercard, even though American Express was a strong competitor. But she worked more on the quality of services provided rather than on the number of clients. But, as it developed, it significantly expanded its range of clients, and today it ranks third after Visa and Mastercard.

Interesting! At the initial stage of its development, the company served exclusively wealthy clients, which was associated with the high quality of the services provided, and according to legend, the first holder plastic cards American Express was Elvis Presley.

Where to get American Express

Oddly enough, this is not the most famous payment system in Russia, so you can only get it in some Russian commercial banks. Currently, the payment system cooperates only with some Russian banks, namely:

Russian Standard;
Uralsib Bank;
Raiffeisenbank.

Please note that information may become out of date as the list of American Express partners may be updated.

A few years earlier, the bank collaborated with Sberbank of Russia, but since 2014, the production of plastic from American Express has ceased. There's no getting around the fact that the cards offered so much Platinum status.

So, today, if you want to get a plastic American Express debit or credit card, then you need to contact directly a branch of Russian Standard Bank, Uralsib Bank or Raiffeisenbank. Few people know, but in our country there is an American Express bank. It also issues payment system cards, however, its main office is located in Moscow and there are no other branches throughout Russia.

If you want to become the owner of an American Express plastic card, then be sure to take into account the fact that servicing a classic plastic card will cost you 1,500 rubles per year, a gold card up to 6,000 rubles, a platinum card up to 15,000 rubles per year, because, as mentioned earlier, the product was originally designed for wealthy clients and travelers.

Card with a credit limit

American credit cards also have a place in Russia. The only peculiarity is that lending services are provided not by the payment system itself, but by the bank that issues it. Therefore, if you are interested in a card with a credit limit, then you can contact, for example, Russian Standard Bank, which offers several products with a credit limit:

American Express platinum with a credit limit will cost the user 25,000 rubles for one year of use, the annual interest on the credit limit is 28.6, 34 and 39% per annum, grace period up to 55 days;
A classic American Express credit card in the amount of up to 299,000 rubles, with a grace period of 55 days and an interest rate of 21.9%, will cost the user 1,500 rubles for issue and annual maintenance;
The classic American Express credit card, which credit limit determined individually, with a grace period of up to 55 days, interest rate from 19.9% per year, its cost is 4,000 rubles per year.
Credit card from British Airways and American Express with maximum amount up to 1.5 million rubles, interest rate from 28.9% per year, with a grace period of up to 55 days, service price 10,000 rubles per year.

Benefits of the American Express Card

As you can see, the American Express credit card is quite expensive to service, so it is advisable to issue it only to those clients who often travel abroad and the reason for this is quite good, because the card has many advantages, first of all, it provides privileges for travelers. Let's consider a number of advantages:

You can pay by card anywhere in the world and receive discounts and bonuses from partners of the global payment system.
When paying for an air ticket with a card, its user automatically becomes a participant in the insurance system, and free of charge.
The card holder receives some privileges, for example, travel organizations handle ticket bookings and paperwork.
The payment system has many partners around the world, including cafes, restaurants, hotels, boutiques, where you can get a significant discount.

It is worth talking a little about the privilege for clients who travel frequently; first of all, they receive insurance for free. For example, if problems arise at airports due to the fault of the airlines, the insured person receives compensation from $500 to $1,500, and the total amount of compensation reaches 500 thousand dollars. In addition, cardholders receive support from a specialized service that deals with ordering air tickets, booking hotels and cars, and obtaining visas.

Where can I pay by card?

Perhaps a significant drawback of the payment system is that not all retail outlets in our country accept American Express cards for payment. It is quite simple to understand where American Express cards are accepted; retail outlets where plastic cards are accepted for payment paste the logos of the payment systems whose cards are accepted for payment. If there is an American Express logo at a point of sale, it means you can pay for your purchases here.

Thus, cards from American Express are an expensive product that mainly benefits travelers, since the company initially specialized in transportation. In other cases, its registration will be impractical due to the high cost of service.

American Express cards

American Express cards feature generous bonuses for travelers, discounts, insurance and cash back. In Russia, cards are not as popular as in the USA, but are accepted for payment in many retail outlets, both in Moscow and in other regions.

500,000 rub.
60 days
income certificate
25-60 years
3500 rub.
3.99% + 300 rub.
American Express/Master Card
2-3 for every 25 rubles. according to the "Compliment" program
free annual subscription to the online newspaper Vedomosti
read review
more details

RUB 1,500,000
on the day of treatment
55 days
according to 2 documents
from 29%
25-65 years
10,000 rub. / 10,000 rub.
4.9%+299 rub.
American Express
1.5 miles for 65 rubles
Generous bonus miles from British Airways for fans of long-distance travel: 5,000 welcome miles and other bonuses. read review
more details

3,000,000 rub.
3-7 days
50 days
income certificate
21-65 years old
15000 rub.
American Express
Discounts, insurance
No longer in production
Premium card from Sberbank with a large package of additional bonuses from American Express: concierge service, privileges for travelers, discounts, insurance. read review
more details

For a long time, Russian Standard Bank had exclusive rights to issue cards of this payment system in Russia, but now Amex is also in the Sberbank line. What attracts American Express card clients:

Bonus points that can be exchanged for goods, services or entertainment;
Flight and travel insurance - medical insurance, protection against lost luggage and extended warranty on card purchases;
Discount club - discounts in restaurants and hotels in Russia and around the world;
24/7 worldwide support, concierge service, assistance with flight and hotel bookings and much more.

For clients of Russian Standard Bank, gold, platinum, green and blue cards are available, as well as co-branded cards that allow you to accumulate miles under the Aeroflot, Transaero, British Airways program.

American credit card American Express

One of the most popular in the world international maps After Visa and MasterCard are American Express credit cards. In this article we will tell you everything and even more about this universal financial product.

What is an AmEx credit card?

Modern and very comfortable means of payment, with which you can purchase goods or pay for services anywhere in the world. In other words, it is a credit card with a credit limit (renewable) and many additional services and privileges.

The first AmEx was released on October 1, 1958, and its owner was the legendary Elvis Presley. This card was cardboard, and already in 1959 the first plastic credit cards appeared. This loan product appeared in Russia in 1989.

American Express credit cards are most common in the USA and Canada, although you can pay with them in many countries around the world.

Advantages and Disadvantages

The American Express card is designed primarily for wealthy people and those who travel a lot, since it is not cheap (on average), but it gives many privileges, discounts and bonuses:

The ability to travel and easily pay for purchases, services, in cafes and restaurants, while having discounts,
When purchasing a plane, train or other transport ticket, the AmEx cardholder automatically receives an insurance policy, free of charge,
Travel arrangements (hotel room reservations, paperwork) are carried out by travel companies,
If the credit card participates in a promotion called American Express Selects, then bonuses are awarded to it, and the cardholder receives 20% discounts in hotels, cafes and restaurants, and when renting a car.
There are many stores and boutiques around the world that provide owners of this product with significant discounts,
If the AmEx card is included in the Membership Rewards promotion, its holder receives various bonuses, which are immediately converted into points - they can be exchanged for services or goods of companies participating in this promotion,
Some products, such as the Aeroflot American Express Gold Card or the British Airways American Express Classic card, offer the opportunity to earn bonus Avios points or miles that can be redeemed for award flights.

The disadvantages of these card products, despite their incredible and justifiable popularity, are the following:

In Russia, not every bank services AmEx cards, so while in Moscow and St. Petersburg you can still use them comfortably, in the regions this is still a problem,
Also in Russia, American credit cards are not very popular in themselves, compared to Visa and MasterCard, although this is rather a matter of time,
Well, and relative high cost in comparison with the same competitors.

Types of card products

The main, most popular and popular types of issued credit cards are the following:

American Express Card– the famous “green card”: credit limit up to 450 thousand rubles, rate – 36% per annum, grace period – up to 55 days, first year of service – 1,500 rubles. In addition to the standard use of a credit card as a means of payment, its holder becomes a participant in the Membership Rewards program, insurance programs, receives discounts of up to 20% in stores, hotels and restaurants of the Program Catalog, as well as the opportunity to shop online with GlobalShop.
American Express Gold Card- all the same, plus additional bonuses and privileges - for example, the opportunity to receive a free air ticket for accumulated points, services of a special Travel Service, more insurance programs and special offers from airlines and hotels.
The Platinum Card– an elite American card that provides even more opportunities and exclusive privileges, provides personalized service, and also has a chip for greater security. By the way, in some European countries this map is especially relevant, because... copies with a magnetic stripe and without a chip are not accepted there.
blue card– one of the most flexible and convenient credit cards with a unique set of functions, while having a very stylish design and made of transparent plastic. What's great is that the first year of service costs nothing, and all online purchases up to $10,000 are covered by the Online Fraud Protection Guarantee. This credit product is ideal for shopping and offers 1% cash back on in-store purchases and 2% cash back on online purchases. A special website has even been developed for this very popular card, www.yourblue.ru, where you can find out all the benefits of owning American Express Blue.

Tariffs for Blue cards from AmEx

Service fee: 1st year – free, then – 900 rubles (or 30 US dollars) per year,
Grace period - no more than 55 days,
The interest rate on the card is 29% per annum,
Issue and maintenance of an additional card – 450 rubles or 15 US dollars,
Issuing cash or transferring funds is 1.5%, and for a loan – 4.9%.

Additional credit cards– provide the opportunity to accumulate miles and points for further exchange for air tickets of the specified airlines and airlines that are members of the SkyTeam (for Aeroflot) or Oneworld alliances for British Airways:

Aeroflot American Express Premium, Gold or Classic,
British Airways American Express Premium or Classic.

There are also the following card sets:

RSB Travel Premium and RSB Travel Classic,
Malina Gold Cards and Malina Classic Cards,
MTS Premium, as well as MTS Classic.

Exclusive card products– the first two cards are opened only at the invitation of the bank:

American Express Credit Card,
American Express Gold Credit Card,
TSUM American Express Exclusive Card.

Also, American Express cardholders can open additional cards for their family and friends and even children over 10 years old, which will have access to the same services and benefits provided for the main product.

How to open an American Express credit card at Russian Standard Bank

In Russia, Russian Standard Bank has exclusive rights to issue, promote and acquire American credit cards, but one of the card products can also be issued at Sberbank - American Express Platinum in rubles.

So, to open the most common American Express Card at Russian Standard Bank, you need to:

Be a citizen of the Russian Federation aged 25-65 years,
Have a valid Russian passport with you,
Have one of the following additional documents with you:
1. Valid passport,
2. Used non-electronic air ticket,
3. Confirmation of the availability of a deposit in Russian Standard Bank for a period of 3 months and an amount of 30,000 rubles. (USD 1,000 or EUR 700),
4. Certificate of registration of a car in the name of the client or a car passport issued in the name of the client (age of the domestic vehicle must be no more than 5 years old, and foreign - 7 years old),
5. A valid insurance policy of any company for plastic carrier, issued in the name of the applicant, or other documents

Behind others credit products You can contact VTB 24 bank, whose credit cards have a large assortment and favorable conditions.

On the website of Russian Standard Bank, you can fill out an online form, after which you will immediately receive an SMS message with the bank’s decision, and if the answer is positive, you will be able to pick up an American card at one of the branches.

Another option for quickly obtaining a credit card is at the Russian Standard counters at Sheremetyevo, Tolmachevo, Kazan and Rostov-on-Don airports.

How to open an American credit card at Sberbank

Sberbank of Russia issues only the Platinum American Express card, to obtain which you must:

Be a citizen Russian Federation 21-65 years old,
Have permanent registration in the same region in which the card will be issued,
Over the past 5 years have work experience at least a year, and the work experience at the current place of work must exceed 6 months,
The average amount of funds placed with Sberbank over the last six months must be 3 million rubles or more,
Provide standard package documents:
- Completed application form,
- Valid Russian passport,
- Certificate 2-NDFL, and for pensioners - a certificate from the department Pension Fund Russian Federation on the amount of pension,
- For clients who do not have a deposit or salary card in Sberbank, you must provide a copy work book or other document confirming work activity.

By the way, those who like to travel can contact the Otkritie bank, whose credit card called “Transaero” is a bonus and allows you to exchange bonuses for air tickets of this company.

Features of the American Express credit card

In terms of popularity in the world of international credit cards, American Express products come after Visa and MasterCard. This is the third largest plastic card issued, making it easy to pay anywhere in the world.

What is it

The first American Express products, also known as AmEx, were first introduced back in early October 1958. Elvis Presley himself was the first to want to buy it. The first sample was made of cardboard, but a year later, the company began to seriously improve the quality and provided the public with a plastic card. In Russia, banks first demonstrated plastic cards only in 1989.

Payments with American Express products are most popular in the USA and Canada, although you can pay with them in many countries around the world.

The credit card operates on a fairly convenient payment unit, however, in Russia not all retail outlets are able to accept its operation. The card balance is constantly renewed, and the credit account itself is given access to a wide list of additional gifts and services.

Terms of use

The credit institution offers credit cards in ruble currency, as well as in dollars and euros. As for dollar and ruble accounts, here the interest rate on the use of borrowed funds is 28%; for European conventional units the rate is reduced to 24%. Making a card and activating it costs 6 thousand rubles.

For those who like to travel frequently outside our country, the bank provides standard fee cards, the limit of which can reach 500 thousand rubles. Grace period, for which the cardholder can use the borrowed balance without accruing interest is 55 days.

However, the interest rate on the loan is quite high, as it is 30 - 36%. For the production and maintenance of a credit card you will have to pay 1,500 rubles for 1 year.

For a similar Gold product, the tariff is reduced by 28% (only for ruble and dollar accounts) and 24% for euros. Maximum limit does not exceed 750 thousand rubles. Manufacturing and annual maintenance costs 1,500 rubles, while the cost of gold increases to 6 thousand rubles.

There are special cards called American Express® Credit Card, but you can only get them on the initiative of the bank itself. Manufacturing and servicing a standard product costs 900 rubles, a gold one costs 4 thousand rubles, while the rates for both range from 36 to 28%.

Read about the SKB Bank Zapaska credit card here.

Species

The most popular and in demand types of credit cards are:

How to apply for an American Express credit card

You don't have to fly to America to become the proud owner of an American Express card.

In America, the production of cards is carried out by the organization of the same name, while in Russia the production process is entrusted to the following authorized banks:

This role is performed by Russian Standard. Especially for residents of Russia, the bank offers American Express credit cards of various types.
The issuance of American credit cards could not have happened without Sberbank. The only thing to keep in mind is that it only provides Platinum cards. This card offers customers a lot of benefits, but the tariffs for such privileges limit the possibilities for many. Annual maintenance Platinum cards costs 15 thousand rubles, with a fixed annual rate of 22%.
The third representative of American Express in Russia is the Latvian financial company Rietumu. Its offices are located in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Kazan and some other large cities.
More recently, Raiffeisenbank became the fourth representative in our country, so we can look at the functioning of credit cards in Russia with optimism.

As for the functioning of the system in our country, the company has some work to do here, since using cards is not very convenient. The technical equipment of many cash registers retail chains of various types is not able to work with these American credit cards. In particular, this applies to those who do not live in Moscow.

To become an American Express card owner, the client must meet the following criteria:

to be a citizen of our country;
at the time of execution of the contract, the person must already be 25 years old, but not more than 65 years old;
he must have a Russian passport with him;
take with you in advance one of the additional documents: an international passport, an airline ticket, a registration certificate of a vehicle that is owned by the applicant (for the domestic automobile industry the maximum age is 5 years, for a foreign one - 7 years), and an insurance certificate on a plastic carrier.

Advantages and Disadvantages

The terms of the American Express credit card are primarily aimed at wealthy people and those who cannot imagine their life without travel.

Despite the high cost of the product, the company has endowed it with many advantages:

you can take the card with you anywhere in the world, and easily pay with it in cafes and restaurants, receiving discounts on every purchase;
as soon as the owner pays with the card for the purchase of an air ticket, he automatically receives an insurance policy, and free of charge;
all organizational aspects, including paperwork and room reservations, are provided by tourist organizations;
if the product is part of the American Express Selects promotion, then it will be replenished with bonuses. The card holder receives a 20% discount for paying at a hotel, cafe, renting a vehicle, etc.;
There are many boutiques and supermarkets all over the globe where you can pay with a card of this payment system, with significant discounts;
If the Membership Rewards promotion is activated on the card, its owner has a chance to receive a variety of bonuses, which are automatically converted into points. Later they are exchanged for services or the purchase of goods from partner companies;
Some products, for example, British Airways American Express, Aeroflot American Express Gold Card, provide a cumulative mechanism of points, which can later be exchanged for an air ticket.

Despite all the incredible demand, the card could not avoid obvious shortcomings. Fortunately, their list is not that long:

Not all banks can issue a ready-made card in Russia;
for those who are not residents of Moscow, using the product will be especially problematic;
high cost of product release and maintenance.

The procedure for obtaining a Mir credit card is described here.

What is it

Payments with American Express products are most popular in the USA and Canada, although you can pay with them in many countries around the world.

Terms of use

For those who like to travel frequently outside our country, the bank provides standard fee cards, the limit of which can reach 500 thousand rubles. The grace period during which the cardholder can use the borrowed balance without accruing interest is 55 days.

However, the interest rate on the loan is quite high, as it is 30 - 36%. For the production and maintenance of a credit card you will have to pay 1,500 rubles for 1 year.

For a similar Gold product, the tariff is reduced by 28% (only for ruble and dollar accounts) and 24% for euros. The maximum limit does not exceed 750 thousand rubles. Manufacturing and annual maintenance costs 1,500 rubles, while the cost of gold increases to 6 thousand rubles.

Species

The most popular and in demand types of credit cards are:

American Express Card	It is a well-known “green card”. The company issues borrowed funds in the amount of 450 thousand rubles, at a rate of 36% per annum. A person can use credit funds free for 55 days. For beginners, in the first year of the card’s validity, the cost of maintaining it will cost 1,500 thousand rubles. On par with the standard method of using a credit card as payment instrument, the cardholder automatically becomes a participant in insurance programs, Membership Rewards, an active recipient of 20% discounts on payments in hotels, supermarkets, restaurants, etc.
American Express Gold Card	The functionality of this card contains everything that the American Express Card has, but with the addition of additional privileges and bonuses. So, a person can get an air ticket completely free of charge, paying for it with accumulated points
The Platinum Card	This card is included in the elite class, as it offers a wider range of privileges and special features. It provides personalized service and also has a special chip for security purposes. In some European countries this product is especially popular because samples without a chip and magnetic stripe are not accepted there.
Blue card	The conditions here are more flexible and therefore comfortable. An exclusive set of options is included. It also has a different design because it is made of transparent plastic. Those who have purchased the product for the first time can use the card for free throughout the year. Any purchases on the Internet in the amount of 10 thousand US dollars are automatically insured by the Online Fraud Protection Guarantee service. The offer is ideal for making purchases, as it returns up to 2% of the purchase amount to your account

How to apply for an American Express credit card

You don't have to fly to America to become the proud owner of an American Express card.

In America, the production of cards is carried out by the organization of the same name, while in Russia the production process is entrusted to the following authorized banks:

This role is performed by Russian Standard. Especially for residents of Russia, the bank offers American Express credit cards of various types.
The issuance of American credit cards could not have happened without Sberbank. The only thing to keep in mind is that it only provides Platinum cards. This card offers customers a lot of benefits, but the tariffs for such privileges limit the possibilities for many. Annual servicing of the Platinum card costs 15 thousand rubles, with a fixed annual rate of 22%.
The third representative of American Express in Russia is the Latvian financial company Rietumu. Its offices are located in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Kazan and some other large cities.
More recently, Raiffeisenbank became the fourth representative in our country, so we can look at the functioning of credit cards in Russia with optimism.

As for the functioning of the system in our country, the company has some work to do here, since using cards is not very convenient. The technical equipment of the cash registers of many retail chains of various types is not capable of working with these American credit cards. In particular, this applies to those who do not live in Moscow.

To become an American Express card owner, the client must meet the following criteria:

to be a citizen of our country;
at the time of execution of the contract, the person must already be 25 years old, but not more than 65 years old;
he must have a Russian passport with him;
take with you in advance one of the additional documents: an international passport, an airline ticket, a registration certificate for a vehicle that is owned by the applicant (for the domestic automobile industry the maximum age is 5 years, for a foreign one - 7 years), and an insurance certificate on a plastic carrier.

Advantages and Disadvantages

The terms of the American Express credit card are primarily aimed at wealthy people and those who cannot imagine their life without travel.

Despite the high cost of the product, the company has endowed it with many advantages:

you can take the card with you anywhere in the world, and easily pay with it in cafes and restaurants, receiving discounts on every purchase;
as soon as the owner pays with the card for the purchase of an air ticket, he automatically receives an insurance policy, and free of charge;
all organizational aspects, including paperwork and room reservations, are provided by tourist organizations;
if the product is part of the American Express Selects promotion, then it will be replenished with bonuses. The card holder receives a 20% discount for paying at a hotel, cafe, renting a vehicle, etc.;
There are many boutiques and supermarkets all over the globe where you can pay with a card of this payment system, with significant discounts;
If the Membership Rewards promotion is activated on the card, its owner has a chance to receive a variety of bonuses, which are automatically converted into points. Later they are exchanged for services or the purchase of goods from partner companies;
Some products, for example, British Airways American Express, Aeroflot American Express Gold Card, provide a cumulative mechanism of points, which can later be exchanged for an air ticket.

Despite all the incredible demand, the card could not avoid obvious shortcomings. Fortunately, their list is not that long:

Not all banks can issue a ready-made card in Russia;
for those who are not residents of Moscow, using the product will be especially problematic;
high cost of product release and maintenance.

Video: American Express Blue card from Russian Standard Bank

Our portal is a convenient and modern instrument, allowing you to simplify various financial transactions. If you need an American Express card in Russia, then on the website you will find all the up-to-date information about the conditions for its use and receipt.

American Express is a world-famous payment system that is especially popular among travelers. More recently, it has become possible to obtain a card in Russia in order to take advantage of its features.

In particular, when purchasing an air ticket or other transport services, the owner receives free insurance when leaving the country. Overall, traveling abroad becomes much easier as AmEx has many partners in the travel industry. So what will you have credit instrument, as well as assistance in paperwork, hotel reservations and other formalities.

Why you should get a credit card from AmEx

American Express offers its customers many advantages. Among them it is worth highlighting the following:

fast service - ordering a product, service or booking a trip becomes easier;
bonus programs - cardholders, when participating in promotions, enjoy discounts in cafeterias, hotels, car rentals, and receive bonuses for purchasing goods from partners;
depending on the type of card, you can get an online loan, insurance, access to VIP airport lounges and other privileges;
Commission-free cash withdrawals from ATMs abroad.

It is worth noting that ordering credit cards is recommended for business people and travelers. In Moscow or another Russian city, most of the advantages disappear, but the service fee remains.

Design features

We invite you to order a card on the bank’s website using our convenient portal. Just choose which terms of cooperation are important to you: the size of the limit, the availability of contactless secure payments, and so on. The system will automatically issue cards that suit you.

Then fill out the application and wait for a representative to contact you financial institution. For approval, your credit history, additional documents will be required.

American Express until recently was the only representative of American Express in Moscow and Russia. What advantages do these cards have, where is American Express accepted for payment in Moscow, and at which ATMs can you withdraw money.

Transactions on American Express cards in the States account for 24%, so along with Amex, it is one of the three largest issuers bank cards. Interestingly, in the USA they are issued exclusively by the bank of the same name, and in 70 of the 120 countries where they operate, the rights to issue cards are transferred exclusively to one of the local banks. In Russia, this exclusive representative is Russian Standard Bank, which has been issuing cards since 2005, and since 2007 has had exclusive rights to acquiring (service for accepting AmEx at retail outlets). The already limited number of stores in Russia that accept AmEx became even smaller when acquiring was transferred to Russian Standard. And potential clients there was a lack of trust in this product. Now the number of stores accepting cards is growing, and at the end of 2011, Sberbank announced that it was starting to issue American Express for the bank’s VIP clients, which will likely give the American Express brand a second wind in Russia.

Where is American Express accepted?in Moscow?

List of shops, restaurants, car services and travel agencies, accepting American Express in Moscow and other Russian cities can be found at http://www.americanexpress-rsb.ru/rus/cards/for-clients/card-service/. If you need to withdraw money, use a Russian Standard ATM. In the USA, American Express is accepted almost everywhere; in Europe you can pay in almost all restaurants, hotels and airline ticket offices.

Advantages and disadvantages of American Express cards

American Express, in addition to “premium” and “vip status”, provides holders with a number of additional advantages:

Insurance - medical insurance, legal support, as well as insurance against accidents, delays or loss of luggage.
Protection against unauthorized transactions
Free recovery in case of loss
Discounts in partner stores, special offers from airlines and hotels
24/7 support worldwide
Credit limit and
Concierge service and travel planning assistance

The main disadvantage is the cost annual maintenance and a limited number of stores accepting cards in Russia.

Russian Standard American Express cards

Offers both classic American Express credit cards and bonus cards airlines and mobile operators:

American Express Card – credit limit up to 450,000 rubles, annual maintenance - 1,500 rubles or $50
American Express Gold Card – limit 750,000 rubles or $25,000, annual maintenance - 6,000 rubles or $200
A set of Travel Premium and Travel Classic cards - included in the AmEx and MasterCard set, bonus welcome points + 1 point for every 20 rubles spent. The cost of service is 3000 and 900 rubles, respectively.
British Airways, Aeroflot, Transaero – co-branded cards of Classic, Gold and Platinum airlines. All offer generous welcome bonuses and points for money spent
MTS - bonus points from the mobile operator
Raspberry - bonuses from the Raspberry program
American Express Credit Card - credit limit up to 450,000 rubles, annual service - 900 rubles, issued only by invitation.
American Express Gold Card - credit limit up to 750,000 rubles, annual service 4,000 rubles, issued by invitation only
The Platinum Card - individual credit limit, Concierge service, travel arrangements, fine dining program, Membership Rewards, invitations to events.

Sberbank American Express cards

Sberbank currently only offers the American Express Platinum card. AmEx from Sberbank can only be received by invitation from the bank. The cost of annual maintenance is 15,000 rubles or $500. In addition to the package of bonuses from American Express, the holder receives access to Sberbank Premier - top-level service from Sberbank.