I'll bet you thought Fidelity did that a couple of years ago. I'm not talking about those erstatz cards issued by FIA (BofA), but the real
charge cards - Gold and Platinum.
They didn't give cash back or miles (unless you paid up for Amex's mileage program). But they did have real Amex service. Not to mention the reason I got one - ATM withdrawals processed as charges, not debits, so they carried the full protection of charge/credit cards. Gold cards were provided free, you had to pay dearly to upgrade to Platinum.
No more. April 8th is the last day one can use these cards. You can find the notice here:
https://www.fidelity.com/accounts-trade/the-fidelity-card-next-steps (login required, card ownership is not)
If you need an Amex card (there are still a few merchants who only take Amex) but don't want to ping your credit report, a couple of prepaid card options are
Amex Serve and
Bluebird. The former comes in three flavors, all with monthly fees, but the fees are not charged if you live in Texas, NY, or VT. In that case, get the flavor that gives you 1% back on purchases. The latter is a joint venture between Amex and Walmart, and operates like a bank (with bill pay, FDIC coverage via sweep account, Amex debit card, etc.).
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