Author Topic: Credit Cards Marketed As Accessories?  (Read 5389 times)

maizefolk

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Credit Cards Marketed As Accessories?
« on: January 06, 2019, 11:18:21 AM »
Did anyone else recently get a marketing e-mail (somehow it got through my spam filters) marketing an american express card with the line:

Quote
Add a little bling to every swipe with this stylish rose gold credit card

Are there people out there who actually chose credit cards based on the color/appearance of the card itself?

KodeBlue

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Re: Credit Cards Marketed As Accessories?
« Reply #1 on: January 06, 2019, 11:42:04 AM »
Are there people out there who use a plain ordinary credit card when they could be impressing the cashier (who I am sure gives damn what kind of card you use)?

exterous

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Re: Credit Cards Marketed As Accessories?
« Reply #2 on: January 06, 2019, 12:18:35 PM »
I blame Chase and the marketing team behind the Sapphire card. When it came out the metal card with numbers on the back* became all the rage (as far as credit card rage goes). You'd hand it over and people would comment on it. "oh fancy card" "oh wow that's heavy" "what kind of card is this?" So yes Cashiers can notice and care.

It showed that people could think of credit cards as status symbols beyond an Amex Black Card. As a card holder you can get attention. It also showed that card design could evolve beyond the standard layout. But now metal cards are more common and there are only so many places to put the numbers so they need to try and stir up something else

*I was an early adopter and found it to be a bit of a PITA when it first came out but I kept it for the benefits. People wouldn't recognize it as a Visa card. Some had to be coerced into trying it "Just try it. It'll go through". Sometimes it was too fat to fit in card slots, most notably at gas station pumps. When my card # got stolen Chase told me to cut it up with scissors. Yeah OK. Aviation shears maybe. Now Chase sends you a little envelope to send the metal cards back to them

HPstache

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Re: Credit Cards Marketed As Accessories?
« Reply #3 on: January 06, 2019, 12:26:04 PM »

Just Joe

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Re: Credit Cards Marketed As Accessories?
« Reply #4 on: January 07, 2019, 08:01:59 AM »
Are there people out there who actually chose credit cards based on the color/appearance of the card itself?

Apparently so. I feel the same way about phones. Once it is wrapped in some sort of case to protect it, who can see what kind of phone it is? Ooooh- the rose gold iPhone...

Show me what you can do with that fancy phone. Great pictures, amazing music collection, do you and Siri have any good debates about politics these days?

My credit card is plastic (and cracked a little), my phone is in a dark colored flip case I paid $12 for. If you have time I have some pictures I took that I'm really proud of... ;)

RWD

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Re: Credit Cards Marketed As Accessories?
« Reply #5 on: January 07, 2019, 09:03:20 AM »
I had a translucent green credit card from PayPal over a decade ago. It was so cool and people actually commented on it when they swiped it. I can't find a picture online now, unfortunately. I would never choose a credit card based on how it looked, though.

Just Joe

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Re: Credit Cards Marketed As Accessories?
« Reply #6 on: January 07, 2019, 09:21:42 AM »
I just received an email advertisement for a rose gold American Express card. Tell me its coincidence.
« Last Edit: January 07, 2019, 09:23:37 AM by Just Joe »

I'm a red panda

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Re: Credit Cards Marketed As Accessories?
« Reply #7 on: January 07, 2019, 09:22:33 AM »
I think some people use cards to "impress" business associates.

Davnasty

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Re: Credit Cards Marketed As Accessories?
« Reply #8 on: January 08, 2019, 02:08:32 PM »
I blame Chase and the marketing team behind the Sapphire card. When it came out the metal card with numbers on the back* became all the rage (as far as credit card rage goes). You'd hand it over and people would comment on it. "oh fancy card" "oh wow that's heavy" "what kind of card is this?" So yes Cashiers can notice and care.

It showed that people could think of credit cards as status symbols beyond an Amex Black Card. As a card holder you can get attention. It also showed that card design could evolve beyond the standard layout. But now metal cards are more common and there are only so many places to put the numbers so they need to try and stir up something else

*I was an early adopter and found it to be a bit of a PITA when it first came out but I kept it for the benefits. People wouldn't recognize it as a Visa card. Some had to be coerced into trying it "Just try it. It'll go through". Sometimes it was too fat to fit in card slots, most notably at gas station pumps. When my card # got stolen Chase told me to cut it up with scissors. Yeah OK. Aviation shears maybe. Now Chase sends you a little envelope to send the metal cards back to them

A propane torch worked for me, and it made some pretty colors as the layers melted

Davnasty

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Re: Credit Cards Marketed As Accessories?
« Reply #9 on: January 08, 2019, 02:11:22 PM »
Are there people out there who actually chose credit cards based on the color/appearance of the card itself?

I think the simplest answer would be that providers continue to offer new and unique designs so it must be enough to sway some customers. If it didn't, they probably do the market research that would tell them so.

FIRE@50

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Re: Credit Cards Marketed As Accessories?
« Reply #10 on: January 08, 2019, 02:14:16 PM »
I would say that CC's have always been marketed this way. Care to join a Diner's Club?

OtherJen

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Re: Credit Cards Marketed As Accessories?
« Reply #11 on: January 09, 2019, 07:20:57 AM »
I would say that CC's have always been marketed this way. Care to join a Diner's Club?

Yes. When I was an undergrad 20 years ago, one of the shticks that Capital One used to market to college students was the ability to “personalize” your card (i.e., choose from one of a couple dozen background prints/designs).

Sugaree

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Re: Credit Cards Marketed As Accessories?
« Reply #12 on: January 09, 2019, 01:27:16 PM »
Did anyone else recently get a marketing e-mail (somehow it got through my spam filters) marketing an american express card with the line:

Quote
Add a little bling to every swipe with this stylish rose gold credit card

Are there people out there who actually chose credit cards based on the color/appearance of the card itself?

Sure.  Same reason there would be a card with your favorite sports team on it I guess (yes, I had one of those at one point in time.  It had no annual fee and I don't know if I ever even charged anything on it).

remizidae

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Re: Credit Cards Marketed As Accessories?
« Reply #13 on: January 09, 2019, 01:54:38 PM »
*Shrug.* It's no different than anything else credit card companies do to make their product appealing. Pretty cards, a well-designed app, friendly 24/7 customer service. I won't get a card based on that, but if i have to choose to keep one card rather than another, the one that's easy and pleasant to use is going to win.

nnls

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Re: Credit Cards Marketed As Accessories?
« Reply #14 on: January 09, 2019, 03:53:28 PM »
I applied for my first card when I was 18 (I was travelling overseas and wanted a card for emergencies and to make bookings) and I chose the credit card company for two reasons,
1. no annual fee
2. I could choose the colour of the card, they had the option of black, silver, pink, blue, green or red

So this kind of thing does work for some people   

wevan

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Re: Credit Cards Marketed As Accessories?
« Reply #15 on: January 09, 2019, 04:53:35 PM »
Yes. When I was an undergrad 20 years ago, one of the shticks that Capital One used to market to college students was the ability to “personalize” your card (i.e., choose from one of a couple dozen background prints/designs).
My friend's credit card company does this, and he really likes it:  he changes his credit card design every year or so just to get a new picture.

(And he pays off his bill every month without giving them a single dollar of interest.)

TRD

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Re: Credit Cards Marketed As Accessories?
« Reply #16 on: January 21, 2019, 07:28:47 PM »
I saw the rose gold AmEX and laughed. I was one of those university freshman years ago who got a school credit card just to have the school
mascot and logo on them. The % was something crazy but I never noticed it because I only spent what I had. At least this is a better deal than that was!

Prairie Stash

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Re: Credit Cards Marketed As Accessories?
« Reply #17 on: January 23, 2019, 10:24:52 AM »
http://fortune.com/2017/08/30/fyre-festival-billy-mcfarland-magnises/
https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/antimustachian-wall-of-shame-and-comedy/fyre-festival-the-disaster-of-conspicuous-consumption/

Its great when two threads converge. The same man who brought us Fyre festival started by bringing us Magnises, a stylish black card for millenials of New York. It emphasized style over substance, people fell for it.


Mississippi Mudstache

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Re: Credit Cards Marketed As Accessories?
« Reply #18 on: January 29, 2019, 08:29:42 AM »
Yes. When I was an undergrad 20 years ago, one of the shticks that Capital One used to market to college students was the ability to “personalize” your card (i.e., choose from one of a couple dozen background prints/designs).
My friend's credit card company does this, and he really likes it:  he changes his credit card design every year or so just to get a new picture.

(And he pays off his bill every month without giving them a single dollar of interest.)

Yep, when I was in college I signed up for a Capital One card with a picture of Froot Loops on the front. Cashiers commented on it all the time. I think I also got a shitload of free condoms for signing up for the card.

I was also an early adopter of the Chase Sapphire card, but this time it was for points, not appearance. Got lots of comments from the cashiers. Nowadays, I rarely hand my card over to anyone. Nearly everyone uses the chip readers, so card appearance seems like less than a draw than it used to be. Maybe if you eat out a lot (I don't).

I'm a red panda

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Re: Credit Cards Marketed As Accessories?
« Reply #19 on: January 29, 2019, 08:45:22 AM »
I saw the rose gold AmEX and laughed. I was one of those university freshman years ago who got a school credit card just to have the school
mascot and logo on them. The % was something crazy but I never noticed it because I only spent what I had. At least this is a better deal than that was!

I had a school logo credit card. It had good rewards.  I have no idea what the interest rate was, I've never paid attention to that on any card I have.

Sugaree

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Re: Credit Cards Marketed As Accessories?
« Reply #20 on: January 29, 2019, 08:57:46 AM »

Yep, when I was in college I signed up for a Capital One card with a picture of Froot Loops on the front. Cashiers commented on it all the time. I think I also got a shitload of free condoms for signing up for the card.


Let me guess, you went to college sometime around 1998-2002?  When I started college in 2000, the vultures were circling around the bookstore on registration day.  Free t-shirts, frisbees, sandwiches.  You name it and they were giving it away for putting in a credit card app.  One girl in my cohort actually signed up every semester, put her entire tuition/room/board on those cards, made minimum payments every month, and then declared bankruptcy about three weeks after graduation.  I thought she was stupid then, and I still think it's underhanded, but guess who's been free from student loans for the last 15 years?

Mississippi Mudstache

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Re: Credit Cards Marketed As Accessories?
« Reply #21 on: January 29, 2019, 09:02:22 AM »
I saw the rose gold AmEX and laughed. I was one of those university freshman years ago who got a school credit card just to have the school
mascot and logo on them. The % was something crazy but I never noticed it because I only spent what I had. At least this is a better deal than that was!

I had a school logo credit card. It had good rewards.  I have no idea what the interest rate was, I've never paid attention to that on any card I have.

Same here. No clue what the interest rate on any credit card is. It's weird to think that there are people who might actually care about that sort of trivial nonsense. Credit cards are for spending money you have, not borrowing money you don't have.


Yep, when I was in college I signed up for a Capital One card with a picture of Froot Loops on the front. Cashiers commented on it all the time. I think I also got a shitload of free condoms for signing up for the card.


Let me guess, you went to college sometime around 1998-2002?  When I started college in 2000, the vultures were circling around the bookstore on registration day.  Free t-shirts, frisbees, sandwiches.  You name it and they were giving it away for putting in a credit card app.  One girl in my cohort actually signed up every semester, put her entire tuition/room/board on those cards, made minimum payments every month, and then declared bankruptcy about three weeks after graduation.  I thought she was stupid then, and I still think it's underhanded, but guess who's been free from student loans for the last 15 years?

Yep. I started fall of 2002. I actually didn't sign up from one of the vultures at the student learning center. I found a card from FreeCondoms.com. Never needed the condoms before there expiration date, lol, but I did get a free t-shirt that I wore until it was threadbare. Ah, those were the days.

Sugaree

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Re: Credit Cards Marketed As Accessories?
« Reply #22 on: January 29, 2019, 09:06:35 AM »
I saw the rose gold AmEX and laughed. I was one of those university freshman years ago who got a school credit card just to have the school
mascot and logo on them. The % was something crazy but I never noticed it because I only spent what I had. At least this is a better deal than that was!

I had a school logo credit card. It had good rewards.  I have no idea what the interest rate was, I've never paid attention to that on any card I have.

Same here. No clue what the interest rate on any credit card is. It's weird to think that there are people who might actually care about that sort of trivial nonsense. Credit cards are for spending money you have, not borrowing money you don't have.


Yeah, but when the engine in my husband's car blew up in April, after we were hit by a tornado in March, it was nice to have the ability to go out and find a card with 0% introductory rate to give us a little bit of breathing room until the insurance shit got settled. 

I'm a red panda

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Re: Credit Cards Marketed As Accessories?
« Reply #23 on: January 29, 2019, 09:17:51 AM »
I saw the rose gold AmEX and laughed. I was one of those university freshman years ago who got a school credit card just to have the school
mascot and logo on them. The % was something crazy but I never noticed it because I only spent what I had. At least this is a better deal than that was!

I had a school logo credit card. It had good rewards.  I have no idea what the interest rate was, I've never paid attention to that on any card I have.

Same here. No clue what the interest rate on any credit card is. It's weird to think that there are people who might actually care about that sort of trivial nonsense. Credit cards are for spending money you have, not borrowing money you don't have.


Yeah, but when the engine in my husband's car blew up in April, after we were hit by a tornado in March, it was nice to have the ability to go out and find a card with 0% introductory rate to give us a little bit of breathing room until the insurance shit got settled.

But did you worry about what the rate would be after the introductory period? 

Sugaree

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Re: Credit Cards Marketed As Accessories?
« Reply #24 on: January 29, 2019, 09:18:52 AM »
I saw the rose gold AmEX and laughed. I was one of those university freshman years ago who got a school credit card just to have the school
mascot and logo on them. The % was something crazy but I never noticed it because I only spent what I had. At least this is a better deal than that was!

I had a school logo credit card. It had good rewards.  I have no idea what the interest rate was, I've never paid attention to that on any card I have.

Same here. No clue what the interest rate on any credit card is. It's weird to think that there are people who might actually care about that sort of trivial nonsense. Credit cards are for spending money you have, not borrowing money you don't have.


Yeah, but when the engine in my husband's car blew up in April, after we were hit by a tornado in March, it was nice to have the ability to go out and find a card with 0% introductory rate to give us a little bit of breathing room until the insurance shit got settled.

But did you worry about what the rate would be after the introductory period?

Well, no because it's going to be paid off about 5 months before the intro ends.

merula

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Re: Credit Cards Marketed As Accessories?
« Reply #25 on: January 29, 2019, 12:56:03 PM »
I once had a card with my favorite Disney character on it. It got all kinds of comments. I've had "fancy" cards like Chase Sapphire and others, but I have to say that was my favorite physical card.

Unfortunately, my husband lost his version of the same card, and this was when all cards on an account had the same number, so we had to replace both. And they had phased out that character so I couldn't get the same one. I was pretty peeved.

I ended up cancelling the card after the rewards changed to not be as good, but I would totally sign up again if they had the same character and a decent sign-up bonus.