Charge Cards

Charge cards are credit cards that require the balance to be paid in full every month and are only for people with excellent credit. A charge card can therefore be a great tool for instilling the discipline to only make purchases you can pay for in full each month. While a charge card usually offers better rewards than a regular credit card, almost all charge cards have annual fees. Make sure to balance this financial burden against the benefit of rewards in order to find the best charge card for your needs. Learn more

Are you a small business owner? Check out the Business Charge Cards

Looking for store charge cards? Visit the Store Cards Section

	Rewards & Benefits	Annual Fee
American Express® Gold Card	Use points for gift cards for dining, entertainment, and to shop over 300 of some of your favorite merchants. Get discounts and low rates at hotels and resorts, plus a $75 hotel credit when you book through Gold Hotel Collection.	Basic: None 1st yr, $125 after Additional Cards: Gold: $35 for up to 5 Cards; $35 for each after the first 5 Cards
American Express ® Premier Rewards Gold Card	Earn More: earn 25K Membership Rewards® points after you spend $2K during your first three months of Card membership; earn 15K points after you spend $30,000 within one calendar year. Earn Fast: 3X points for flights booked with airlines, 2X points at US gas stations and US supermarkets, 1X points on other purchases. Terms and limitations apply. Use points for gift cards for dining, entertainment, and to shop over 300 of some of your favorite brands. Book two consecutive hotel nights through American Express Travel and receive $75 back at checkout. Restrictions may apply.	Basic: None 1st yr, $175 after
The Platinum Card® from American Express	Earn 25K Membership Rewards® points after you spend $2,000 during your first three months of Card membership. Premium travel benefits: access over 600 lounges worldwide when you enroll in Priority Pass™Select, no foreign transaction fees, bypass airport arrival lines with Global Entry. Receive up to $200 annually in a statement credit with the airline of your choice to use towards baggage fees, flight-change fees, in-flight food and beverage purchases and more. 24/7 Platinum Card® Concierge service for assistance with reservations, travel, gifts, and more. Entertainment benefits: get Advance Tickets before the public and access once in a lifetime events with By Invitation Only®.	Basic: $450 Additional Cards: $175 for up to 3 Cards; $175 for each after the first 3 Cards

Business Charge Cards

Business charge cards are credit cards that require the balance to be paid in full every month and are only for small business owners with excellent credit. Business charge cards usually offer more rewards and benefits than regular business credit cards. Learn more

Are you a consumer? Check out the Personal Charge Cards

	Rewards & Benefits	Annual Fee
Business Green Rewards Card from American Express OPEN	Receive 5,000 bonus points on your first purchase. Earn one Membership Rewards® point for every dollar you spend. Redeem points toward top-tier rewards including travel, merchandise, office equipment, and gift cards for you or your employees. No pre-set spending limit or finance charges.	Basic: None 1st yr, $95 after Additional Cards: No annual fee employee cards
Ink Bold ® Business Card	Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months from account opening. Earn 5X points per dollar in select business categories. 1:1 point transfer to leading frequent travel programs.	Basic: None 1st yr, $95 after Additional Cards: Ink Bold: No additional fees.
The Business Gold Rewards Card® from American Express OPEN	Earn 50,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $5,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 3 months of Card membership. Earn points even faster to get more rewards for your business. 3X points on airfare purchased from airlines. 2X points at US gas stations. Up to $100,000 in each category per year, then 1 point. Reduce travel costs, show appreciation for employees and clients, and offset everyday expenses by using points to get something back and grow your business.	Basic: None 1st yr, $175 after Additional Cards: No annual membership fee for Additional Gold Cards for the first year; then, $50 for unlimited Additional Gold Cards
The Plum Card® Card from American Express OPEN	Flexible Payment Options: Get a 1.5% discount for paying early or up to 60 days to pay without interest, or both each month. Do Business On Your Terms.	Basic: None 1st yr, $250 after Additional Cards: $0 for the first additional card; $45 for each additional card, after the first
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express OPEN	Limited Time Offer: Get 25,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $5,000 in the first three months of Card membership. Enroll and select a qualifying airline to receive up to $200 annually in statement credits for incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, charged by the airline. 20% Travel Bonus when using Membership Rewards® Pay with Points. Take advantage of 40 premium benefits to help power your business. Complimentary access to 600+ participating airport lounges through Priority Pass™ Select Business Platinum Concierge is like your own assistant, ready to help you with just about anything personal or professional, 24 hours a day.	Basic: $450 Additional Cards: Executive Business: $200

Charge Card Applications
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We work hard to present you with the most accurate charge card information, however, this information does not originate from us and thus, we do not guarantee the accuracy of the information. Certain offers originate from paying advertisers, and this will be noted on a card’s details page, when applicable.

Before applying for a charge card we recommend that you review and verify the charge card terms and conditions on the charge card company's web site. Please let us know if you find any differences.

Learn More about Charge Cards

Charge card vs. credit card. What's the difference? The only difference between a charge card and a credit card is that with a charge card you must pay for your purchases in full each month. You cannot simply pay a certain portion of your balance (a minimum payment) each month and stay current on your account and retain charging privileges. If you do not pay your balance in full by the designated date, you will be charged late fees (as high as 3% of your delinquent balance) and will be restricted from making purchases until you fully repay your debt. While many charge card offers have No Preset Spending Limit, this feature is not universal amongst charge cards, nor is it unique to them. Some charge card offers have clearly defined spending limits and some credit card offers have No Preset Spending Limits. Information about payment for both charge cards and credit cards is reported to the major credit bureaus, meaning both will allow you to build credit history.

Should I use a charge card or a debit card? There are benefits to using both charge cards and debit cards. Charge cards allow you to build credit history and do not require immediate payment for purchases, which provides both flexibility and added protection from fraud. You must simply pay your balance in full at the end of each month in order to retain purchasing privileges and avoid late fees. Additionally, charge card accounts provide far more lucrative perks and rewards than do debit cards. The only benefit that a debit card has over a charge card is that it makes it impossible to spend more than you can afford. Therefore, you should only use a debit card if you seek this type of inherent discipline.

Are there any charge cards for bad credit? No. Unfortunately, if you have bad credit, your credit card options are limited and at the present time there are no charge cards for people with bad credit.

Do retail stores offer their own charge cards? Many people refer to store cards as charge cards, making talk of a Sears charge card, a Walmart charge card, a Kohl's charge card or a Disney charge card quite common. However, in most cases store cards are credit cards, not charge cards, and they do not require that you pay your balance in full each month. A good rule of thumb to remember is that if it has an interest rate, it's not a charge card.

What is a charge card and why use one? A charge card is a credit card that requires the balance to be paid in full every month. Many people use charge cards because they force more disciplined spending than credit cards. Because charge cards require payment in full each month, consumers cannot adopt an "I'll pay for it later" type of approach and continue to amass more and more debt. If they do not pay their balances in full by a specific time (usually within 25 days of the bills arrival) they cannot make any more purchases. Additionally, many people enjoy the rewards and exclusivity garnered from charge cards. Users often earn points on their purchases and receive other perks like concierge service and discounted tickets to concerts and sporting events.

How to pick the best charge card? The two most important factors to consider when selecting a charge card are the rewards and the annual fee. In addition to earning points on your spending, some charge cards offer relatively extensive additional benefits such as a 24/7 concierge service, discounted tickets to concerts and sporting events, and airline and hotel perks. However, the more rewards a card provides, the higher its annual fee will likely be. So before applying for any charge card consider whether you will truly make use of its additional benefits. If you expect to only take advantage of the points earned on purchases, concentrate on finding the charge card with the lowest annual fee.

What does No Preset Spending Limit (NPSL) mean? A charge card with No Preset Spending Limit is one that does not have a pre-determined credit line. This does not mean that consumers will be able to spend limitlessly with No Preset Spending Limit credit cards and charge cards though. An issuer uses various factors including your income, credit score, payment history and spending patterns in order to determine how much money you can spend in a given month. This amount may change from month-to-month and you may not be able to find out what it is.

Interested in regular credit cards instead of charge cards?