Some Of The Most Obscure Credit Cards Out There

by joeheg

Ever wondered why you still hold on to that one quirky credit card? You’re not alone. Let’s be honest—there’s probably one card in your collection that’s the oddball. Maybe you’ve kept it for years to preserve your credit score, or it offers a specific perk you can’t give up. Or maybe, like me, you just haven’t found the right reason to part with it.

The Appeal of Quirky Credit Cards

If my wife, Sharon, would ever let me get the Buc-ee’s Credit Card (Note from Sharon: STILL not happening), you better believe it would be the most obscure card in my wallet.

a chipmunk with a hat on a cell phone

While some will find it odd that I still have the Disney Credit Card from Chase, I find it useful for the Disney Parks perks —like discounts on merchandise—and the referral bonuses it provides. (Thanks to everyone who’s signed up using our link.)

a credit card with a cartoon character

I had a Diners Club card back in the day when it was one of the only credit cards I could get that offered primary rental car coverage. However, I got rid of it over a decade ago because it wasn’t worth paying the annual fee.

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My Most Unusual Card: The Optima Platinum

However, none of those are the most obscure cards I have. That honor goes to the American Express Optima Platinum card.

a close-up of a credit card

American Express launched the Optima line of credit cards in 1987. Previous to that, all American Express offerings had been charge cards. (Here’s a post explaining the difference between the two.)

AMEX has since gone full into issuing credit cards, while the original four cards are still charge cards that need to be paid in full every month.

Over the years, AMEX forgot about the Optima card, even for those of us who upgraded to the Platinum version, which earns Membership Rewards points. (Not to mention that for a while, they didn’t even bother to update the image of the card on the payment emails, leaving an “image not found” icon in its place). AMEX did find a use for the Optima card in its portfolio. It’s now called AMEX’s “second chance” card, or the one card they’ll offer to customers who defaulted on their accounts but have since repaid their debts to the company. It’s the OTHER invite-only card AMEX has, but it’s the polar opposite of the Centurion card.

How Obscure Cards Can Still Provide Value

Do I mind having a card held mainly by people rebuilding their credit after making some financial missteps? Not at all. The Optima Platinum has no annual fee, and since I have other AMEX cards that earn Membership Rewards, I earn 1 point per dollar on all charges put on the card.

In all honesty, I don’t use the card much. Before I had the AMEX Platinum, it was my only personal card earning Membership Rewards. That meant I’d get targeted AMEX offers that I didn’t see on my business AMEX cards. It also has a referral link for all AMEX cards that pays cashback instead of Membership Rewards points.

Now that I’ve admitted to still having an American Express Platinum Optima card, what’s the most obscure card you have in your wallet? Let me know in the comments!

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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary

1 comment

ACinCLT December 24, 2024 - 3:08 pm

I had the Iceland Air US card for over a year but dropped in 2024, even though no AF, since points were worth so little. Have flown Iceland Air 3 times to Iceland connecting to Europe but card wasn’t a keeper. Now Norwegian Cruise Line card from Bank of America is probably my outlier but I do cruise w them and 3x points (plus bonus for B of A Platinum Preferred status) makes it a keeper.

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