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Lyle Daly is a personal finance writer who specializes in credit cards, travel rewards programs, and banking. His work with Motley Fool Money and The Motley Fool has appeared in USA Today and Yahoo! Finance. He was born in California but currently lives as a digital nomad with a home base in Colombia.
Brittney started her writing career in the world of science, putting her physics degree to good use. Her journey into finance started with building her personal credit, but soon grew into a borderline obsession with credit cards and travel rewards. For the last 7 years, she has enjoyed the ability to share her expertise with readers, as well as the opportunity to interview companies and individuals making an impact on our financial lives. She wholly believe most problems can be solved with the right research -- and a good spreadsheet -- and she specializes in translating complex financial topics into actionable advice to help educate and empower readers.
Eric McWhinnie has been writing and editing digital content since 2010. He specializes in personal finance and investing. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance.
Many or all of the products here are from our partners that compensate us. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures that our product ratings are not influenced by compensation. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.
If I absolutely have to pick a winner, Visa gets the edge for access and sheer volume (there are more Visa cards overall than Amex cards). I have some Visa cards that I love. I have some Amex cards that I love. Most people can probably find a card on either network that works well for them. Let's dive into the details.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
300-579
580-669
670-739
740-850
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
300-579
580-669
670-739
740-850
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Welcome Offer:
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
60,000 bonus points
Welcome Offer:
$200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening
$200 cash back
Rewards Program:
Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases
Rewards Program:
3% cash back in the category of your choice, 2% at at grocery stores and wholesale clubs for the first $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases, 1% on all other purchases.
1% - 3% cash back
Intro APR:
N/A
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Intro APR:
0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 18.49% - 28.49% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers will apply. A 3% fee for 60 days from account opening, then 4% fee applies to all balance transfers.
Purchases: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases
Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days
Regular APR:
20.74% - 27.74% Variable
Regular APR:
18.49% - 28.49% (Variable)
Annual Fee:
$95
Annual Fee:
$0
Highlights:
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
Member FDIC
Highlights:
$200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
Earn 3% cash back in the category of your choice, automatic 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases) and unlimited 1% on all other purchases.
Choose 3% cash back on gas and EV charging station, online shopping/cable/internet/phone plan/streaming, dining, travel, drug store/pharmacy or home improvement/furnishings purchases.
If you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards® member, you can earn 25%-75% more cash back on every purchase. That means you could earn 3.75%-5.25% cash back on purchases in your choice category.
No annual fee and cash rewards don’t expire as long as your account remains open.
0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the Intro APR offer ends, a Variable APR that’s currently 18.49% - 28.49% will apply. A 3% Intro balance transfer fee will apply for the first 60 days your account is open. After the Intro balance transfer fee offer ends, the fee for future balance transfers is 4%.
Contactless Cards - The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
This online only offer may not be available if you leave this page or if you visit a Bank of America financial center. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.
Comparing Visa vs. American Express is a bit like comparing fruits to vegetables
Consumers often wonder which is the better choice, considering that these are two of the world's four major payment networks. There are some similarities, even some overlaps, but in the end, you're talking about a huge array of products and no one winner.
Why Visa might be the ideal choice
Amex and Visa are both credit card networks. They process credit card transactions from cards on their networks. However, Amex is also an issuer of its own cards. Visa, on the other hand, doesn't issue cards; it works with a variety of issuers who have cards on its network.
All this is to say that there are more different types of Visa cards than Amex cards, because there are dozens, if not hundreds, of issuers with cards on the Visa network. As such, it's probably easier for most people to find a Visa card that suits their needs than an Amex card.
Additionally, Visa has a broader network. More merchants, globally, accept Visa credit cards than American Express credit cards. Domestically (here in the U.S.), Amex is accepted in most places -- minus Costco -- so you may not notice the difference as much.
When American Express could be the better option
If you're trying to maximize your rewards, chances are good you're going to get an Amex credit card of some type. The Amex card lineup includes some of my absolute favorite rewards credit cards.
Two of the four cards that live in my wallet full time are American Express cards. And those aren't even the only Amex cards in my collection. My favorite travel rewards card? Amex. My favorite everyday rewards card? Amex. My go-to business credit card? Yep, Amex!
Sure, there have been a handful of times over the years that I've had to use another card because the merchant doesn't accept Amex. But those are quite rare, even when I travel.
American Express vs. Visa comparison
Even when broken down by category, you can see it's a close race.
American Express vs. Visa acceptance
Winner: Visa
More merchants accept Visa than American Express. In fact, Visa is one of the most accepted payment networks in the world. There's not a major difference in American Express vs. Visa acceptance in the United States, but there is internationally.
American Express has traditionally charged higher payment processing fees than other payment networks. To avoid those fees, some merchants opted not to accept American Express cards. However, after efforts to improve in this area, American Express is now accepted by 99% of U.S. merchants that accept credit cards.
In terms of international acceptance, Visa has a sizable lead. It's accepted in over 200 countries, compared to over 170 countries for American Express. When you travel abroad, using an American Express card can be hit or miss, whereas Visa can normally be used anywhere credit cards are accepted.
Visa vs. American Express annual fees
Winner: Tie
This category is a quick tie since both networks have cards all along the cost spectrum. You can find some great no annual fee cards from Visa and Amex -- and I have both.
At the other end, some of the most expensive cards you can find have Visa logos, but several also have Amex logos. Personally, two of the costlier cards in my collection are from American Express. (The annual fees are worth it, though!)
American Express vs. Visa welcome offers
Winner: Visa
Some of the most valuable welcome bonuses I've earned over the years came from my Amex cards. This applies to both points cards and cash back rewards cards.
That being said, there are two reasons I give Visa the edge in this category. The first being volume. The sheer number of Visa credit cards available means you can collect a lot more welcome bonuses before you run out of options.
The second reason is Amex's very strict welcome bonus policy. Essentially, you're limited to one bonus per card per lifetime. While this seems to be more like "per decade" in practice (anecdotally), it's still a fairly harsh rule. The most strict Visa cards I know about let you qualify for a new welcome bonus every 48 months.
American Express vs. Visa intro APRs
Winner: Visa
This is another area where Visa gets the win based on pure numbers. Some of the very best intro APR offers I've seen over the years came from Visa-network credit cards. (Remember, Visa isn't the issuer, just the network.)
That's not to say that you can't get good intro APR offers from Amex cards. Several of Amex's personal and business cards have great intro APR offers. However, even I can admit they're just not as good as some of the best offers on other cards.
American Express vs. Visa rewards
Winner: Tie
If you care at all about maximizing rewards or free travel, you will absolutely want to explore Amex cards that earn Membership Rewards. In my opinion, a good chunk of the top 10 rewards cards overall sport Amex logos.
Indeed, I'd love to give the win to Amex here because of how many awesome rewards cards Amex offers. But, again, the Visa volume means this has to be at least a tie. You can't discount the dozens of solid rewards cards -- including, yes, some of the best -- that operate on the Visa network.
American Express vs. Visa customer service
Winner: American Express
American Express consistently gets high marks for its customer service. In the 2023 U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study by J.D. Power, American Express came in first. It has taken the top spot in 13 out of 17 years that J.D. Power has done this study. If you get a card that's issued by American Express, you can expect high-quality service.
With Visa cards, you won't interact with Visa for customer service issues. You'd contact the credit card company that issued the card. Since Visa partners with so many card issuers, that means customer service is more variable. It will depend on the card issuer, and Visa itself doesn't have control over the service quality.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
300-579
580-669
670-739
740-850
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
300-579
580-669
670-739
740-850
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
300-579
580-669
670-739
740-850
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Welcome Offer:
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
80,000 Membership Rewards® Points
Welcome Offer:
Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
$250
Welcome Offer:
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
60,000
Rewards Program:
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Earn 1X Membership Rewards® Points on other purchases. Terms and limitations apply.
1X-5X Membership Rewards® Points
Rewards Program:
6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%). 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions. 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations. 3% Cash Back on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more). 1% Cash Back on other purchases. Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
1%-6% Cash Back
Rewards Program:
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 per calendar year in purchases), and earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X). Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
1X-4X Membership Rewards® Points
Intro APR:
Purchases: n/a
Balance Transfers: n/a
Intro APR:
Purchases: 0%, 12 months
Balance Transfers: 0%, 12 months
Intro APR:
Purchases: n/a
Balance Transfers: n/a
APR:
See Pay Over Time APR
APR:
18.49%-29.49% Variable
APR:
See Pay Over Time APR
Annual Fee:
$695
Annual Fee:
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
Annual Fee:
$325
Highlights:
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
$200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
$240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market. As of 03/2023.
$155 Walmart+ Credit: Save on eligible delivery fees, shipping, and more with a Walmart+ membership. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes back on one membership (excluding Plus Ups) each month.
$200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card®.
$200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card® Members can get out and about and explore their local area with $15 in Uber Cash for US rides each month, plus a bonus $20 in December. That can be up to $200 in annual Uber savings. Simply download the Uber app and add your Platinum Card® to your Uber account to get started. Available to Basic Card Member only. Effective 11/8/2024, an Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit.
$199 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps to get you to your gate faster at 50+ airports nationwide and get up to $199 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card. CLEARLanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues.
Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile.
$695 annual fee.¤
Terms Apply.
Highlights:
Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
Buy Now, Pay Later: Enjoy $0 intro plan fees when you use Plan It® to split up large purchases into monthly installments. Pay $0 intro plan fees on plans created during the first 12 months from the date of account opening. Plans created after that will have a monthly plan fee up to 1.33% of each eligible purchase amount moved into a plan based on the plan duration, the APR that would otherwise apply to the purchase, and other factors.
Low Intro APR: 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening. After that, your APR will be a variable APR of 18.49% - 29.49%.
6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%).
6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.
3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations.
3% Cash Back on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more).
1% Cash Back on other purchases.
Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
$84 Disney Bundle Credit: With your enrolled Blue Cash Preferred Card, spend $9.99 or more each month on an auto-renewing Disney Bundle subscription, to receive a monthly statement credit of $7. Valid only at Disney Plus.com, Hulu.com or Plus.espn.com in the U.S.
Terms Apply.
Highlights:
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
$120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year. Effective 11/8/2024, an Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit.
$84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations.
$100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
$120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. Eligible charges vary by property.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Annual Fee is $325.
Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply.
Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
Trip delay and cancellation insurance and cell phone protection underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
Extended warranty, purchase protection, car rental insurance, and baggage insurance underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
• Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply.
• Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
• Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.
• Extended warranty, purchase protection warranty, and car rental loss & damage insurance underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
American Express vs. Visa card selection
You'll have far more card options with Visa vs. American Express. Most of the major card issuers partner with Visa for at least some of their credit cards. It's also the payment network with the greatest market share.
There's not as wide a selection of American Express credit cards. It offers its own cards and a limited selection of cards with other card issuers on the American Express payment network. You'll have plenty of options, just not as many as you would with Visa.
Winner: Visa
Should you get an American Express or Visa card?
You can't go wrong with either an American Express card or a Visa card. Both offer high-quality credit cards. And even though American Express has a reputation for luxury, it's not so simple anymore. You can find every type of card, from cards without an annual fee to luxury cards, with American Express or Visa.
Visa has one important advantage when it comes to international acceptance. In the United States, you don't need to worry much about American Express vs. Visa. If a U.S. merchant accepts credit cards, then it most likely accepts either payment network. In other countries, you could encounter merchants that will take Visa, but not American Express.
If you travel internationally often, a Visa card is good to have. Other than that, both American Express and Visa cards can do the trick.
Choosing a credit card
Don't you wish you could take a peek inside a credit card expert's wallet sometimes? Just to see the cards they carry? Well, you can't look in anybody's wallet, but you can check out our experts' favorite credit cards. Get started here:
Visa is a payment network that processes transactions, whereas American Express is both a payment network and a card issuer. That means Visa doesn't actually issue cards, but American Express does. In addition, more merchants accept Visa cards, especially internationally. Visa is accepted in over 200 countries, compared to American Express which is accepted in over 170.
American Express offers excellent credit cards and highly rated customer service. It's also different from most card issuers because it both issues credit cards and has its own payment network.
American Express is just as good as Visa and Mastercard, but it's not as widely accepted. It's accepted in over 170 countries. Visa is accepted in over 200 and Mastercard in over 210.
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We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. Motley Fool Money does not cover all offers on the market. Motley Fool Money is 100% owned and operated by The Motley Fool. Our knowledgeable team of personal finance editors and analysts are employed by The Motley Fool and held to the same set of publishing standards and editorial integrity while maintaining professional separation from the analysts and editors on other Motley Fool brands.
JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Bank of America is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. American Express is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Brittney Myers has positions in American Express. Lyle Daly has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bank of America, Costco Wholesale, JPMorgan Chase, Mastercard, Target, U.S. Bancorp, Uber Technologies, Visa, and Walmart. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2025 $370 calls on Mastercard and short January 2025 $380 calls on Mastercard. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
For rates and fees for the American Express® Gold Card, click here
For rates and fees for the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, click here
For rates and fees for the The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here
The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Visa. The Motley Fool recommends Amex.
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