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.
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.)
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.
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.
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!
Want to comment on this post? Great! Read this first to help ensure it gets approved.
Want to sponsor a post, write something for Your Mileage May Vary, or put ads on our site? Click here for more info.
Like this post? Please share it! We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and sign up to get emailed notifications of when we post.
Whether you’ve read our articles before or this is the first time you’re stopping by, we’re really glad you’re here and hope you come back to visit again!
This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.