American Express Plan It allows you to buy now and pay later with your credit card in an amazing way and it’s already available to you.
If you own an American Express credit card, you will agree it offers one of the most comprehensive rewards programs, allowing cardholders to earn points for purchases, which can be redeemed for travel, shopping, or other rewards.
The growth of buy now pay later services has made AmEx improve the power of your existing credit card, allowing you to pay later for things you need effortlessly.
AmEx Plan It
Credit Check
None
Min. Value
$100
Max. Value
Varies
Tip: Plan It is a financing tool from American Express and it is connected to your existing account hence, you can access it directly from your AmEx app.
Plan It is American Express’s answer to enable you to use your existing credit card to spread payment for purchases.
Unlike other split payment providers with a presence on thousands of merchant portals and outlets, it is only directly available for air ticket buy now pay later when booking on Amex Travel and Delta Airlines.
But the interesting thing about it is that despite not being directly accessible when you are shopping on websites, you can still turn eligible purchases made with your American Express Credit Card into Plan It orders and they will be treated as buy now pay later transactions.
Where Can You Use American Express Plan It to Buy Now, Pay Later?
While it is directly available on the payment pages of Delta Airlines and Amex Travel, this financing tool can be utilized with purchases made anywhere American Express Card is accepted. That is at almost your favorite shopping portals like:
Amazon
- It has an extensive online shopping platform where you can explore a diverse selection of products from various sellers. It’s a convenient and trusted marketplace that allows you to shop for virtually anything, compare prices, read reviews, and have items delivered to your doorstep with ease and confidence.
Trip
- A leading online travel agency, offering a wide range of travel services worldwide. With a user-friendly platform, it provides travelers with access to flights, hotels, vacation packages, and more, making trip planning easy and convenient.
Ticketmaster
- A renowned ticket sales and distribution platform. It offers access to a vast array of live events, including concerts, sports, theater, and more. Ticketmaster simplifies ticket purchasing and event discovery, making it a go-to source for event-goers.
eBay
- A popular online marketplace connecting buyers and sellers worldwide. It offers a wide range of products, from electronics to collectibles. eBay’s auction-style and fixed-price listings provide diverse shopping options.
Brilliant Earth
- Brilliant Earth is a reputable jewelry company known for ethically sourced, conflict-free diamonds and gemstones. They specialize in engagement rings, wedding bands, and fine jewelry.
How to Use American Express Plan It to Buy Now, Pay Later
If you have an American Express Credit Card, here are the steps to use Plan It to buy now and pay later:
Log into your American Express Account
Since the functionality is built into your existing American Express account, you will need to sign in to access this functionality.
You can use either the website or the mobile app if you have it installed on your device.
Navigate to your transaction history
Select the menu items and click your transaction history button to see a list of all your purchases made using your credit card.
Select any with up to $100 in spent value
The functionality can only be used for transaction that is at least $100 or more hence, you will not be able to use it if it is between $0.1 and $99.
Look through your transactions, select one that is up to the minimum amount, and proceed.
Click the ‘Create a Plan’ option
Once you have selected a transaction, you will see the Plan It option that will allow you to turn it into a buy now pay later transaction.
Simply select it to start creating your Plan It order list.
Select your preferred duration
After clicking the Create a Plan feature, you will be shown a list of how long you want it to be set from durations that include 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months.
Note that the duration that will be shown to you will vary depending on your account and other factors determined by American Express.
Review and confirm
You should review your selection and applicable fees before you submit the ‘Plan It’ request to ensure it meets your expectations.
Once you are fine with everything and other contract terms, simply submit it to turn the purchase into a buy now pay later transaction.
What are the benefits of the American Express Plan It?
If you are weighing the Plan It option and want to explore but need to know the benefits first, here are a few that might interest you:
Built into your Amex account
If you already have an American Express account, you do not need to create a new one to start using this feature as it is already available to you for purchases of $100 and above.
Simply sign in to start using it.
Usable everywhere American Express card is accepted
While many of the buy now pay later service providers require presence on a merchant portal before you can use them, Amex ‘Plan It’ works differently as you can turn any order irrespective of where the transaction was performed into a buy now pay later purchase.
No credit check required
Your creditworthiness is determined based on your existing account history hence, there is no separate credit inquiry required before you will be allowed to use the American Express buy now pay later functionality.
This is a good choice if you do not like the soft credit check performed by most of the split payment providers.
Lowered fee for long-term financing
The ‘Plan It’ is set to be a monthly installment financing tool with a fixed fee which will be paid as part of your Minimum Payment Due on your billing statement.
This could be cost-effective for the long term as you are not charged a percentage (APR) as applicable to many of the spread payment services.
Applicable to offline transactions
You can also use this functionality on all eligible transactions made with your credit card at a store outlet.
Since Amex cards are acceptable virtually everywhere, it is a great tool to use for offline transactions as well when you want to defer payment for some of your purchases.
Enjoy your existing perks
American Express credit cards are popular for their amazing rewards program that allows you to earn points that can be used for discounts and other perks.
With the Plan It functionality, you will still have access to these rewards in addition to being able to spread the costs of your purchases allowing you access to use your credit balance to handle other necessities.
No extra effort required
Accounts with conventional pay-in-4 providers require you to do more to be able to use your purchasing credit for transactions at places where they are not directly accepted.
An instance is having to opt for virtual buy now pay later cards, installing browser extensions, shopping merchants in-app, and others.
With American Express ‘Plan It’, those are not required as you only need to log into your account and select any transaction you want to spread the payment and it will be applied if eligible.
American Express Plan It FAQs
Below are some of the frequently asked questions regarding the use of Plan It by American Express:
Can I use American Express buy now pay later without a credit card?
Yes, you do not need your credit card to use ‘Plan It’ rather, your transactions are used. You simply have to select any qualifying transaction on your account and add it to your list of buy now pay later purchases.
Though your credit card is not required to access this functionality, you must have used the credit card somewhere to have the transactions appear on your history.
In terms of where you can use this feature with no credit card required at all, you can only do that when booking flights and packages on Delta Airlines and Amex Travel as the feature is directly available on their checkout pages.
What is the minimum and maximum amount to use American Express Plan It?
All Amex Plan It eligible transactions must have the minimum value of $100 but the maximum amount varies depending on your credit balance limit but it will not exceed 95% of your allowable credit line.
Does Amex Plan It reduce balance?
No, the Amex Plan It will not reduce your credit balance rather, it will readjust it higher once you add a purchase to your buy now pay later list.
If your total credit limit is $1,000 and you made a purchase of $150; if you decide to turn the $150 transaction into a Plan It order, your $1,000 credit line will be restored but the fee will passed at the end of the billing cycle.
How many transactions can I add to my Amex Plan It lists?
While this typically varies depending on your account and creditworthiness, most users are limited to a maximum of 10 active Plan It transactions.
Does Amex Plan It affect credit score?
The American Express Plan It relies on your existing account creditworthiness and requires no new credit bureau inquiry to determine eligibility hence, it will not affect your credit score as there is no soft or hard inquiry performed.
How long is the payment plan for Amex’s buy now and pay later service?
The plan duration starts from three months up to 24 months but what you will be able to access depends on your account history, creditworthiness, and other factors determined by American Express.
How can I view all my Plan It transactions?
Upon logging into your American Express account online, you can access your present plans under the “View Your Plans” category. Similarly, when using the American Express app, your current plans are visible within the “Plans” section. Your monthly billing statement also details your active plans in the “Plan Balance Details” section.
Why can’t I access Plan It on my American Express account?
The absence of qualifying purchases or a qualifying amount in your account can result from multiple factors determined by American Express. This may include purchases pending posting, purchases not meeting the qualification criteria, or a temporary inability to create new plans.
Your eligibility to initiate plans depends on several things, such as your creditworthiness and the relevant Credit Limit or Pay Over Time Limit.
Creating plans is not feasible if your account is canceled or if any of your American Express Accounts are enrolled in a debt management program, experience a payment returned unpaid, or are in a delinquent state.
How do I know the fees before I make a new transaction?
If you have a qualifying Card with the Plan It features, you can utilize the Plan It Pre-Purchase Calculator.
It allows you to explore plan duration and fee options for a specific transaction amount before making a significant purchase.
You can access the tool by visiting the Plan It hub within your online account.
Where can I learn more about the feature?
You can visit the Amex Plan It FAQ page as there are a lot of things you will be able to clarify by reading through the content.
If you have an American Express account and like the idea of deferring payment because you need extra funds to handle other needs, you can spare your existing credit and utilize the Amex Plan It as it is a very handy tool to buy now and pay later at most places.
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