[DISCONTINUED] American Express Holt Renfrew Card
Just when I thought we were done with the discontinuations for 2014, we see another one being shut down. This time, it is the American Express Holt Renfrew Card. Below were the highlights of the credit card:
- No annual fee
- Earn 5,000 points when referred
- Earn 2,500 points referral bonus for every approved referral
- Earn 1.4 point for every $1 spent at Holt Renfrew stores
- Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases
- Earn 10% off your first purchase at Holt Renfrew
- Purchases over $100 will be delivered directly to your door free of charge
- Free hem and cuff alterations on any of your purchases in-store
I am in a bit of a shock seeing so many different credit cards being shut down this year. I am actually curious to know what is happening behind the scene. Are companies re-thinking their products and ready to come out with new ones? Are they simply just shutting down the products that are unpopular or unprofitable? Are they shrinking the number of different products and concentrating their energy on less choices for streamlining purposes?
What I also notice is that it is a lot of co-branded credit cards that are being shut down. We did see some new cash back credit cards introduced this year, but not much new co-branded credit cards. There were the TD Aeroplan credit cards, but Aeroplan is already affiliated with other institutions. Aeroplan is not new to the credit card scene.
Either way, we’ll see what happens next. Usually when one door closes, another door opens.
Any update on what will happen?
Seems like existing cardholders can continue to use it for the time being: http://www.americanexpress.com/ca/en/content/membership-benefits/holt-renfrew-credit-card/rewards.html. Otherwise I would give American Express a call to get more information.
I dont like this at all – how can they discontinue a card that offers you benefits to replace it with a card that doesn’t. The card they have replaced it with – the “Choice” card does not come with any insurance benefits. I this this is very unfair and bad business.
Unfortunately there is so little competition in Canada that the companies tend to control the market more than the consumers.