IN: LA® Card from American Express Review
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Editor's Rating:
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| Intro Purchase APR | Regular APR | Intro Balance Transfer | Annual Fee | Credit Needed |
| N.A. | $0* | Excellent |
Summary - The IN:LASM Card from American Express® is specifically designed for Los Angeles residents who would like to earn reward points which can be exchanged for gift vouchers to trendy restaurants, bars and theatres in the LA area. Read on....
Reward Formula - The IN:LASM Card from American Express allows you to earn one INSIDE (SM) reward point for every dollar you spend. You earn double points when you spend on city essentials like dining, movie tickets, cell phone service, cable and internet service, gym memberships, and newspaper and magazine subscriptions. You can earn unlimited points, which do not expire. These reward points can also be redeemed for items in two other cities, New York and Chicago. At present, the INSIDE Reward Program has 35 Dining (restaurant outlets) partners, 13 Drink partners and 11 Play (Theatres) partners.
Annual Fee and APR - There is no annual fee. The apr varies depending on your credit. Tha APR is as low as prime rate plus 3.99%. The IN: LA® Card from American Express uses the average daily balance methdd (including new purchases) to calculate monthly balances. You get an introductory 0% apr on both purchases and balance transfers for 6 months. You do not pay any balance transfer fee for this offer.
Reward Program Partners - At present, INSIDE Rewards has 59 partners for the this Card. The table below list them.
| Bella Cucina | Ciudad | Nick & Stef's Steakhouse | Tengu |
| BLUE ON BLUE at Avalon Beverly | Doice | Patina | The Lincoln |
| BOA Steakhouse (Santa Monica) | Geisha House | Pinot Bistro | Venice Cantina |
| BOA Steakhouse (West Hollywood) | Grace | Pinot Provence | WHIST at Viceroy Santa Monica |
| Border Grill | Har's Bar & Grill | Rockenwagner | Zucca Ristorante |
| Brasserie Vert | Hollywood and Vine Restaurant | Spago | |
| Cafe Pinot | Katana | Spanish Kitchen | |
| Chaya Brasserie | Kendall's Brasserie & Bar | Sushi Roku (Hollywood) | |
| Chaya Venice | L'Orangerie | Sushi Roku (Pasedena) | |
| Chinois on Main | Meson G | Sushi Roku (Santa Monica) |
| Avalon Hollywood | El Centro | The Belmont |
| Bar Nois at Maison 140 Beverly Hills | Golden Gopher Cocktail Lounge | Vine Street Lounge |
| Broadway Bar | Lounge at Delfina | WHISKEY BLUE |
| CAMEO BAR at Viceroy Santa Monica | Nacional | |
| Concorde | Spider Club |
| Ahmanson Theatre | Mark Taper Forum |
| Broadway.com | Pasedena Playhouse |
| Gen Art | The Knitting Factory |
| LA Galaxy at the Home Depot Center | The Museum of Contemporary Arts |
| LA Kings at STAPLES Center | The Roxy Theatre |
| LA Opera |
Conclusion - The IN:LASM Card from American Express® will appeal to Los Angeles residents who frequent the trendy places (partners ) of the INSIDE LA reward program. If you live in LA, and visit the above places frequently enough and want to earn reward points which can be redeemed for vouchers, then this may be the right card for you. However, if you travel, you might just want to consider other travel credit cards.
Update - This card is no longer offered by American Express.
Conclusion - This card has been discontinued by Amex and is no longer issued.
Positives
- Earn unlimited INSIDE Reward Points
- INSIDE Reward Points do not expire
- Earn double points for City essentials
- No annual fee
- 0% APR on balance transfers for six months
- Rewards can be redeemed for other INSIDE rewards based in Chicago and New York
| IN: LA® Card from American Express | |
| Reward Benefits | |
| Point Accumulation |
Earn 1 Award Dollar for every dollar you spend Earn 2 Award Dollars for every dollar you spend City Essentials. |
| Caps on Award Dollars | Earn unlimited INSIDE rewards points |
| Points Expiration | INSIDE Rewards do not expire |
| Cost/Fees/Interest rates | |
| Introductory rate | 0% APR for six months for both purchases and balance transfers |
| Annual Fee | No annual fee |
| Purchase APR | As low as Prime Rate plus 3.99% |
| Balance Transfer APR | As low as Prime Rate plus 3.99% |
| Cash Advance APR | Prime Rate plus 14.99% |
| Penalty/Default Rate APR | Prime Rate plus 12.99% or 21.99% |
| Min Finance Charge | $0.50 |
| Grace Period | 20 days |
| Balance Calculation Method | Average Daily Balance (including new purchases) |
| Balance Transfer Fee | No balance transfer fee during introductory offer |
| Cash Advance fee | 3%, min $5.00 |
| Over-the-credit-limit fee | $35.00 |
| Late Payment fee |
$15.00 - less than $100 $29.00 - between $100.00 to $1000.00 $35.00 - greater than $1000.00 |