Though they are often mentioned together, and their FAQs are lumped together at the same informational page on the American Express website, “Pay It” and “Plan It” are two distinct features that American Express offers to its credit card customers. Both are designed to provide the cardholder with flexibility when it comes to managing account balances and making credit card payments.
In short:
- Pay It allows the cardholder to make small payments toward qualifying purchases as a way of managing account balances, one small transaction at a time.
- Plan It allows cardholders to create installment plans to complete qualifying purchases over several months at 0% interest.
If you’re looking for more detailed instructions on how to manage payments, update contact information, and monitor transactions on your American Express cards, check out our article on how to manage your account settings.
Otherwise, read on for a closer look at the Pay It and Plan It features from American Express.
The “Pay It” Feature
What is “Pay It”?
Pay It is a feature which is available only through your AmEx mobile app, and which allows you to make small payments toward your outstanding balance by targeting specific transactions. This is a great way for cardholders to manage account balances one small purchase at a time. By allowing cardholders to direct small payments toward specific transactions, the Pay It feature provides a unique alternative to simply managing account balances through monthly payments.
How Does Pay It Work?
In order to access the Pay It feature, you must log into your account using your American Express mobile app. Once you do, you can view your transaction history. You’ll note that there is a “Pay It” icon next to some, but not all, of the transactions listed in your statement. That icon tells you which of these transactions are eligible purchases for inclusion in the Pay It plan.
With that in mind, select the transaction you wish to pay, click the “Pay It” icon next to the transaction, and follow the prompts to complete your targeted payment. The total amount that you pay will be deducted from your overall account balance as well as from your minimum payment due requirements for the given month.
*American Express notes that payment amounts will not be applied to specific transactions, even if you use specific transactions to select payment amounts. As noted above, payment amounts will simply be deducted from your total balance.
Which American Express Cardholders are eligible to use the Pay It Plan?
The Pay It Plan is designed specifically for consumer card accounts from American Express. This means that business cardholders may not be eligible to use the Pay It plan. In addition, this feature is only available to cardholders whose American Express cards carry a credit limit.
This means that customers with charge cards carrying no preset spending limit such as the Platinum Card, the Gold Card and the Green Card may not be eligible to use the Pay It Plan. By contrast, this feature may be leveraged with a number of popular and accessible consumer cards carrying preset spending limits including the AmEx Everyday Credit Card, the Blue Cash Everyday Card, and the American Express Cash Magnet Card.
Fun Fact: You can actually make up to five payments to your American Express account in a single day using any combination of options including your online account portal, pay by phone, and the Pay It feature.
[If you like fun facts, you’ll love our list of 30 trivia tidbits about the American Express Credit Card company. Did you know AmEx actually started out as a New York-based messenger service at the height of the California gold rush? Read the whole article to learn more!]
The “Plan It” Feature
What is “Plan It”?
The Plan It feature lets cardholders create installment plans to help manage the cost of qualifying purchases. This is a great feature for cardholders looking to manage larger purchases by dividing them into monthly payments. The big advantage with the Plan It feature is that you’ll pay a fixed monthly fee along with your installment payments, in lieu of interest charges. As long as you settle your balance by the predetermined payoff period, this should save money for you in the long run.
How Does Plan It Work?
You can access the Plan It feature through both your online account and your mobile app. Whichever channel you use, view your statements to select specific transactions for incremental payment. You’ll note that any qualifying purchase will have a “Plan It” icon next to it. You can select any of these purchases for entry into an installment plan.
Not only that, but you can use the Plan It feature to bundle several purchases together. The online and mobile app both allow you to select up to ten qualifying purchases for inclusion in the payment plan.
Once you’ve selected purchases for inclusion in your plan, you’ll be given three options for plan duration. Each will include an indication of your plan fees, which you will typically be required to pay upfront.
After you enter into the Plan It agreement, the monthly payment plan amount will be added to the overall minimum due payment for each month.
Which American Express Cardholders are eligible to use the Plan It Feature?
As with the Pay It Plan, the Plan It Feature is available only to consumer card accounts from American Express which carry a credit limit. This excludes many premium rewards based charge cards in the AmEx portfolio but include a number of Cash Back and Everyday Spending cards.
There are several other conditions relating to your personal financial situation which may limit your eligibility to use the Plan It feature. American Express notes that you may not see any qualifying purchases listed in your account for a variety of reasons relating to your “creditworthiness, and your Credit Limit or Pay Over Time Limit, as applicable. You won’t be able to create plans if your Account is canceled. You won’t be able to create plans if one or more of your American Express Accounts is enrolled into a debt management program, or has a payment that is returned unpaid, or is delinquent.”
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If you don’t see the Plan It icon listed next to a transaction in your account that you believe is a qualifying purchase, you may want to reach out to customer service at American Express to find out more. Check out our listing of key contact numbers and find out how you can contact customer service online, by phone, or through your mobile app.