Detected in the CFPB-filed cardholder agreements from American Express National Bank. Verbatim quotes below — CardSleuth flags the language; this isn't legal advice.
Forced arbitration
You give up your right to sue in court — disputes are pushed into private arbitration.
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“…a description of your payment obligation for this Account, call us at 855-531-0379. If you are a covered borrower under the Military Lending Act, the Arbitration provision of the Claims Resolution section of this Agreement will not apply to you in connection with this Account. However, if you elect arbitration, we will…”
You can't band together with other cardholders in a class action.
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“…ll have the right to litigate that claim in court or have a jury trial on that claim. Further, you and we will not have the right to participate in a representative capacity or as a member of any class pertaining to any claim subject to arbitration. Arbitration procedures are generally simpler than the rules that apply in…”
Slip up and your rate can jump to a much higher penalty APR.
Jumps to ~26.74%
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“…. See Explanation of Variable Rates below. APR for Cash Advances Prime Rate + 21.99% This is a variable APR. See Explanation of Variable Rates below. Penalty APR and When Prime Rate + 26.74% it Applies This is a variable APR. See Explanation of Variable Rates below. We have the right to apply the Penalty APR t…”
“…. See Explanation of Variable Rates below. APR for Cash Prime Rate + 21.99% Advances This is a variable APR. See Explanation of Variable Rates below. Penalty APR and When Prime Rate + 26.74% it Applies This is a variable APR. See Explanation of Variable Rates below. We have the right to apply the penalty APR t…”
“…. See Explanation of Variable Rates below. APR for Cash Advances Prime Rate + 21.99% This is a variable APR. See Explanation of Variable Rates below. Penalty APR and When it Prime Rate + 26.74% Applies This is a variable APR. See Explanation of Variable Rates below. We have the right to apply the Penalty APR t…”
The contract lets you reject arbitration (usually within a short deadline) and keep your right to sue.
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“…solve a complaint to your satisfaction, this section explains how claims can be resolved through mediation, arbitration or litigation. It includes an arbitration provision. You may reject the arbitration provision by sending us written Page 4 of 6 notice within 45 days after your first Card purchase. See Your Right to Reject Arbitratio…”
“…solve a complaint to your satisfaction, this section explains how claims can be resolved through mediation, arbitration or litigation. It includes an arbitration provision. You may reject the arbitration provision by sending us written notice within 45 days after your first Card purchase. See Your Right to Reject Arbitration below. For…”
The intro rate was not broken out by credit tier — the issuer reported a single range.
Lowest offered0%
Median0%
Highest offered0%
Balance transfer APR
Promotional window: 12 months
The transfer rate was not broken out by credit tier — the issuer reported a single range.
Lowest offered0%
Median0%
Highest offered0%
Cash advance APR
The cash advance rate was not broken out by credit tier — the issuer reported a single range.
Lowest offered28.74%
Median29.24%
Highest offered29.49%
Every fee on this card
Annual fee$95
Balance transfer fee3% (min $5)
Cash advance fee5% (min $10)
Foreign transaction fee2.7%
Purchase transaction feeNone
Late fee$29
Repeat late fee (6 mo)$40
Over-limit feeNone
Minimum finance chargeNone
Balance computationAverage daily balance including new purchases
Additional fees
Returned Payment$29
Plan FeeA monthly fee up to 1.33% of each purchase or amount placed in a plan based on the plan duration, the APR that would otherwise apply to the purchase, and other factors.
Rewards, benefits and features
Rewards
Cashback rewards
Services
Access to Free Credit Scores
Automobile rental insurance
Discounts on purchases of goods and services (non travel related)
Extension on manufacturer’s warranty
Other
Features
Contactless Payments
Chip card
Mobile wallet provisioning (for example, Apple Pay)
Who can get this card
AvailabilityNational
Membership requirementsOpen to the public
Phone1-888-297-1244
Balance transfer calculator
Stay put — 12 mo at 24%$600
Transfer fee (3%)$150
Promo interest at 0.00%$0
You save$450
Assumes you pay the balance down evenly across the 12-month promotional window, so the average outstanding balance is about half the transfer. Rates revert to 27.24% afterwards.
Cost to carry a balance
Interest for a year at 27.24%$817.20
Annual / periodic fees$95
Total yearly cost$912.20
Simple interest on a constant balance — a plain-language upper bound rather than an amortisation schedule. Paying in full each month within the 25-day grace period avoids the interest entirely.
Cardholder agreements
25 documents filed by American Express National Bank in the 2026 Q1 archive.