American Express vs. Visa: Two Different Worlds of Wonderful Cards

If you're looking for a new credit card, you may find yourself picking between American Express vs. Visa. Consumers often wonder which is the better choice, considering that these are two of the world's four major payment networks.

Comparing Visa vs. American Express is a bit like comparing fruits to vegetables. There are some similarities, even some overlaps, but in the end, you're talking about a huge array of products and no one winner.

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. 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). Let's dive into the details.

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.

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.

Even when broken down by category, you can see it's a close race.

American Express vs. Visa acceptance

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.

Winner: Visa

Visa vs. American Express annual fees

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!)

Winner: Tie

American Express vs. Visa welcome offers

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.

Winner: Visa

American Express vs. Visa intro APRs

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.

Winner: Visa

American Express vs. Visa rewards

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.

Winner: Tie

American Express vs. Visa customer service

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.

Winner: American Express

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.

Still have questions?

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