Geez, Even Fargo Has Gone Upscale with Online Payment
It used to be you didn’t make change in the ATM or pull the plastic out of the slot until you were ready to cash out. The days of putting something new on a credit card or phone are long gone. With online payment, small charges aren’t the only thing we’re willing to pay for.
For example, American Express is letting you pay for your purchases with a debit card you can load with your own money right now, and it’s already on the debit card that you can buy things with.
The company says that it’s the first of its kind.
If you still don’t get the concept, American Express says, “we’re not going to pay for that stuff you buy by carrying around a card that’s just like a regular plastic card, but when you go to pay for it with the card we have loaded with your money, it costs you exactly the same amount of money we gave you to give us.”
The company is offering a few benefits:
You won’t have to set up a separate checking account to buy things, like a new TV or car. Instead, you can just buy items on your debit card at any American Express merchant.
A monthly statement shows how much you’ve spent at the store, and then you can tell the store what you’d like to do with your money. No more waiting until the last minute.
You can buy gift cards, if you want, and then gift them with your purchases.
If you set up an account with American Express and sign up for automatic bill pay each month, your bill comes to you in the mail instead of your bank.
If you’re just one of the many who had to go through the painful process of getting an American Express card (which comes with an annual fee of $15), now you have an alternative that’s both better for you and the store
