How the gold stacks up

November 24, 1981

Charge for card Cash advances American Express $50 $1,000 MasterCard $35 $5,000 Visa Up to issuer Up to issuer

Credit life insurance Travel insurance American Express None Free $75,000 MasterCard Up to $25,000 free up to age 66 Free $200,000 Visa Up to issuer Free $150,000

Card insurance Billing date American Express $9 per year Normal date MasterCard Free Cardholder can set date Visa Up to issuer Up to issuer

Customer service Guaranteed hotel reservations American Express 24-hour card replacement Yes MasterCard 24-hour card replacement Not yet Visa Up to issuer Yes, some hotels