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Great for: Premium travel and welcome bonus
Bottom Line
The high annual fee is justifiable for frequent travelers who can take full advantage of a deep bench of valuable perks, including the big welcome bonus, robust rewards, and lucrative annual travel credits. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
10 points per $1 for U.S. gas station and supermarkets purchases made in the first six months ($15,000 spending cap), 5 points per $1 on flights booked with airlines, American Express Travel, and certain hotels booked through amextravel.com, 1 point per $1 on all else
Annual Fee
$550
Foreign Transaction Fee
None
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Welcome Bonus
75,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $5,000 within 6 months
Highlights
Great for: U.S. supermarkets and gas
Bottom Line
The U.S. supermarkets and gas stations rewards are clear standouts, in addition to a leading welcome offer and a nice 0% intro APR offer. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets ($6,000 spending cap per year), 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit, 1% back on all else
Annual Fee
$0 for the first year, then $95.
Foreign Transaction Fee
2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.
Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, 12 months
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
13.99%-23.99% Variable
Welcome Bonus
$300 after spending $3,000 within 6 months
Highlights
Great for: U.S. supermarkets and gas with no annual fee
Bottom Line
One of the highest rewards-earning gas and U.S. supermarkets cards we've seen with no annual fee. The lucrative Amazon.com cash back, big welcome bonus, and 0% intro APR offer round out a diverse feature set. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets ($6,000 spending cap per year), 2% cash back at U.S. gas stations and at select U.S. department stores, 1% back on all else
Annual Fee
$0
Foreign Transaction Fee
2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.
Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, 15 months
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
13.99%-23.99% Variable
Welcome Bonus
$200 after spending $1,000 within 3 months
Highlights
Great for: One-card wallet
Bottom Line
Brings one-card wallet versatility with a big welcome bonus, long 0% intro APR offer for purchases, and unlimited cash back Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
Unlimited 1.5% cash back
Annual Fee
$0
Foreign Transaction Fee
2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.
Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, 15 months
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
13.99%-23.99% Variable
Welcome Bonus
$150 after spending $1,000 within 3 months
Highlights
Great for: Dining and travel
American Express® Green Card
Bottom Line
The newly revamped offer packs in a big welcome bonus, lucrative credits, and 3x points for travel and restaurants. These perks justify the annual fee for many potential new cardholders. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
3x points for travel and restaurants, 1x points on all else
Annual Fee
$150
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
15.99% - 22.99%, variable
Welcome Bonus
45,000 points after spending $2,000 within 6 months
Highlights
Great for: Intro $0 balance transfer fee
The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express
Bottom Line
A good no-annual-fee card that sits in the middle of the pack with a modest rewards program and bonus. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
2x points at US supermarkets ($6,000 spending cap per year), 1x points on all else. Use your Card 20 or more times in a billing period to earn 20% more points
Annual Fee
$0
Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, 15 months
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
12.99% - 23.99%, variable
Welcome Bonus
10,000 points after spending $1,000 within 3 months
Highlights
Great for: Dining and travel
Bottom Line
The welcome offer, lucrative dining, U.S. supermarkets, and travel rewards more than justify the annual fee for most who spend in these categories. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
4x points for dining worldwide and U.S. supermarkets purchases ($25,000 annual spending cap), 3x points for travel booked with airlines or amextravel.com, 1x on all else
Annual Fee
$250
Foreign Transaction Fee
None
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Welcome Bonus
60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $4,000 within 6 months
Highlights
Great for: Delta flyers
Bottom Line
This card comes with huge perks if you are a loyal Delta customer. The annual fee pays for itself in a hurry if you are able to take advantage of all this card has to offer. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
Annual Fee
$550
Foreign Transaction Fee
None
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
15.74%-24.74% Variable
Welcome Bonus
80,000 bonus miles and 20,000 Medallion Qualification Miles after spending $5,000 within 3 months
Highlights
Great for: Delta flyers
Bottom Line
The big welcome bonus and rewards rate on Delta purchases make the annual fee worth it if you fly on Delta regularly. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels, 2X Miles at restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets, 1X Mile on all else.
Annual Fee
$250
Foreign Transaction Fee
None
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
15.74%-24.74% Variable
Welcome Bonus
90,000 miles after spending $3,000 within 3 months
Highlights
Great for: Delta flyers
Bottom Line
May be the best card for most Delta travelers, given the balance of a premium rewards program and low annual fee. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
2X Miles on Delta purchases, restaurants and U.S. supermarkets, 1X Mile on all else, 20% statement credit on eligible Delta in-flight purchases
Annual Fee
$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99.
Foreign Transaction Fee
None
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
15.74%-24.74% Variable
Welcome Bonus
70,000 miles after spending $2,000 within 3 months
Highlights
Great for: Hilton guests
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
Bottom Line
This card comes with a high annual fee, but if you travel frequently and love to stay with Hilton, the benefits of the card can easily outweigh the fee. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
14X points at Hilton properties, 7X points on certain flights, rental cars, and dining, and 3X points on all other purchases
Annual Fee
$450
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
15.74% - 24.74%, variable
Welcome Bonus
150,000 Hilton Honors points after spending $4,000 within 3 months
Highlights
The information for The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by The Ascent and not provided by the issuer. Therefore, some terms may be out of date. Visit the issuer's website for more information.
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American Express cards offer some of our favorite perks and promotions, and it's no surprise that the issuer is one of the most valuable brands in the world. Whether you're looking to score some serious cash-back rewards, pay off debt with a balance transfer, or travel the world on points and miles, the best American Express cards have you covered. But before you hit "apply," here's everything you need to know about the issuer to help you choose the best Amex card for you.
American Express is a financial services company that primarily issues credit cards and charge cards. Known for their excellent service and luxury perks, American Express's rewards credit cards and travel credit cards are some of the most popular on the market.
The best American Express cards offer bonuses and perks that help you make your money work for you while minimizing your costs. No credit card has it all, but here are some of the central perks offered by the best American Express credit cards:
American Express might be a favorite amongst credit card aficionados, but it's not perfect. Here are some features that even the best American Express cards could improve on.
The credit cards in most consumers' wallets don't make the most of their spending habits and credit score. You should take your time and do your research when choosing a credit card, making sure that you maximize the rewards available to you. If you find an American Express card that meets your needs, then this might be the best issuer for you.
Choosing a credit card is a personal decision. It's important to pick a credit card with both your spending habits and your specific goals in mind. The table below will help you decide whether or not one of the best American Express cards is right for you.
You want to... | You spend a lot of money on... | You should get... |
---|---|---|
Pay off debt using a balance transfer while avoiding fees and earning rewards | Groceries | The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express |
Get cash back on bonus categories and a welcome bonus with no annual fee | Groceries and gas | Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express |
Earn valuable travel rewards and premium perks worth a high annual fee | Travel | The Platinum Card® from American Express |
Use one card for all purchases and earn unlimited cash back with no annual fee | Anything | American Express Cash Magnet® Card |
Earn travel rewards and a big welcome bonus | Groceries and gas | Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card |
Pay an annual fee for the highest cash back rate possible and earn a statement credit | Groceries and gas | Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express |
Build credit and minimize the risk of being denied while earning rewards | Anything | Blue from American Express® |
When redeemed through Membership Rewards® programs, such as booking travel through the travel portal, purchasing with shopping partners like Amazon, redeeming for statement credits or gift cards, using points for Uber rides, or purchasing event tickets through the Membership Experiences portal, Membership Rewards® points yield a value of $0.005 to $0.01 each.
However, Membership Rewards points are also transferable. When you transfer your points to one of the issuer’s airline or hotel partners, you can easily get more than $0.01 out of each point. Some transfer options consistently yield a value of more than $0.02 per point.
When calculating a point value across all redemption options, we estimate that Membership Rewards® points are worth $0.012 on average.
Membership Rewards® points offer highly flexible redemption options. They can be redeemed through various American Express portals and partners for a flat-rate value, or they can be transferred to a number of different partners.
If you want to redeem your Membership Rewards® points with American Express, you’ll find the value you get per point for each option below.
These redemption options are easy and useful to just about everyone. However, the redemption rates aren’t great. If you’re looking to maximize the value of your Membership Rewards® points, you also have the option to transfer them to the loyalty programs of nearly 20 different airline and hotel partners listed below.
Apart from getting an American Express credit card, there are a number of things you can do to earn rewards at a faster rate. Here are a few tips to help you pile on the Membership Rewards® points.
While you shouldn’t apply for a credit card you won’t use just to get the welcome bonus, it is something you want to consider when choosing an American Express credit card. Often, credit cards with the biggest bonuses can provide you with more points than a year or two of use.
In order to maximize the rewards you get from your everyday spending, it often makes sense to pair up two, or sometimes even combine three, different credit cards that offer different spending bonuses. For example, if you got the Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card and The Platinum Card® from American Express, you could use the former on purchases at supermarkets for 3 points per $1 and the latter on travel for 5 points per $1 in order to maximize your rewards.
Refer a Friend is American Express’s credit card referral program. You’ll find your personalized referral link on your account page, which you can give out to friends and family. Each time someone applies for the card and is approved through your link, you’ll receive bonus points, miles, or cash back. While your rewards are capped, the maximum is often very high. For example, The Platinum Card® from American Express cardholders get 15,000 Membership Rewards® points for each successful referral, up to 55,000 points per year.
Many of the American Express credit cards on this list offer bonus points for purchases at U.S. supermarkets. In order to take advantage of this bonus category, consider buying gift cards at your local supermarket for purchases you know you’ll make elsewhere. For example, if you spend a lot of money dining out -- which only gets you 1 point per $1 on most of these cards -- purchasing gift cards for your favorite restaurants ahead of time at the grocery store will get you 2 to 3 points per $1.
There are dozens of ways to redeem your Membership Rewards® points, but with so many options, it’s easy to slip up and redeem your points for less than they’re worth. Here are the best ways to redeem your Membership Rewards® points.
This is easily the best way to maximize the value of your Membership Rewards® points, as it’s the only redemption option offered by the cards above that gets you over $0.01 per point. You’ll still have to redeem your airline miles or hotel points wisely. Popular transfer partners for high-value redemptions are British Airways, Singapore Airlines, AeroMexico, Delta Air Lines, Iberia, ANA, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, Jetblue Airways, and Air Canada.
Alternatively, some of the lowest value redemptions are the gift card and shopping portal options, which will only get you $0.005 to $0.007 per point. The same is true of redemptions done through the American Express travel portal.
While redemptions for statement credits are convenient, you only get $0.006 per point. I’d avoid this option unless you can’t find any other redemption options that work for you.
Card | Rating | Great For |
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Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Premium travel and welcome bonus |
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Rating image, 5.0 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: U.S. supermarkets and gas |
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Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: U.S. supermarkets and gas with no annual fee |
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Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: One-card wallet |
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Rating image, 3.5 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Dining and travel |
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Rating image, 3.5 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Intro $0 balance transfer fee |
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Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Dining and travel |
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Rating image, 4.0 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Delta flyers |
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Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Delta flyers |
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Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Delta flyers |
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Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Hilton guests |
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The Motley Fool recommends Amex.
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