American Express Credit Cards – Which Is Right For You?
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If you only want to own one credit card, American Express probably isn’t for you.
Its credit cards are accepted at approximately 6 million U.S. merchants, which is about 30% fewer than accept Visa, Mastercard, and Discover. Having a backup credit card is a good idea if you find yourself without cash and only have an American Express card on you.
Even if it’s your secondary credit card, American Express offers some of the best rewards around. Many of the cards Amex offers deliver rewards bonuses for new card users that are hard to find elsewhere. If you often fly on Delta Airlines, stay at Marriott or Hilton hotels, or want access to Centurion lounges at airports, among other perks, then an Amex card may be the best card you ever own.
Here are some of the best American Express credit cards available, broken down by categories that they’re best for.
Jump To
Overview of the best American Express credit cards
Card name | Best for |
American Express® Gold Card | Dining |
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express | Groceries |
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express | Amazon |
The Platinum Card® from American Express | Flights |
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card | Marriott properties |
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card | Delta Airlines miles |
Raise Your Credit 80 points*
- 5 star service trusted by over 450,000 members
- Have processed over $11,000,000 in bill payments for members
- No deposit, no credit check, no interest
- New member promotions available
*Potential increase based on StellarFi member data. StellarFi numbers observed an average of 80 points VantageScore® 3.0 increase during a member’s lifetime. Score increase based on members with an incoming score range of 300-499 pts, who made regular on-time payments, with regular on-time payments. Results may vary.
Rewards Cards
American Express® Gold Card
American Express® Gold Card
Card Name
American Express® Gold Card
APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Recommended Credit Score
Good, Excellent
Annual Fee
$325
Special Offer
60,000 points + earn up to $100 back
Special Offer Terms
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. Plus, receive 20% back in statement credits on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $100 back. Limited time offer. Offer ends 11/6/24.
Rewards Rate
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.
Why We Like It
- Generous introductory bonus offer.
- Uber Cash and dining credits.
- No foreign transaction fees.
Cashback cards
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Card Name
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
APR
19.24% - 29.99%
Recommended Credit Score
Good, Excellent
Annual Fee
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
Special Offer
Earn a $250 statement credit
Special Offer Terms
after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
Rewards Rate
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.
Why We Like It
- Buy Now, Pay Later options.
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
Card Name
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
APR
19.24% - 29.99%
Recommended Credit Score
Good, Excellent
Annual Fee
$0
Special Offer
Earn a $200 statement credit
Special Offer Terms
after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
Rewards Rate
3% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%. 3% Cash Back on U.S. online retail purchases, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%. 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%. 1% Cash Back on other purchases.
Why We Like It
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months from the date of account opening.
- Earn cash back at U.S. supermarkets on eligible purchases
Travel Cards
The Platinum Card® from American Express
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Card Name
The Platinum Card® from American Express
APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Recommended Credit Score
Excellent, Good
Annual Fee
$695
Special Offer
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points
Special Offer Terms
after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Rewards Rate
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.
Why We Like It
- Generous introductory bonus points.
- Advanced points on travel purchases.
- Up to $189 back per calendar year on CLEAR®.
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Card Name
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
APR
20.99% - 29.99%
Recommended Credit Score
Good, Excellent
Annual Fee
$650
Special Offer
Earn 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points
Special Offer Terms
after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
Rewards Rate
Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Earn 3X Marriott Bonvoy® points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines and 2X Marriott Bonvoy® points on all other eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card.
Why We Like It
- Platinum Elite members earn 50% more points on eligible purchases at participating hotels.
- Earned Choice Award benefits that include suite nights awards, free night awards and discounts.
- Fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Elite status.
- Priority Pass Select for unlimited access to over 1,200 lounges.
- No foreign transaction fees.
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Card Name
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
APR
20.99% - 29.99%
Recommended Credit Score
Excellent, Good
Annual Fee
$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150.
Special Offer
Earn 40,000 Bonus Miles
Special Offer Terms
after you spend $2,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Rewards Rate
Earn 2X Miles on Delta purchases, at U.S. Supermarkets and at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
Why We Like It
- Generous introductory bonus offer.
- First checked bag free on Delta flights.
Raise Your Credit 80 points*
- 5 star service trusted by over 450,000 members
- Have processed over $11,000,000 in bill payments for members
- No deposit, no credit check, no interest
- New member promotions available
*Potential increase based on StellarFi member data. StellarFi numbers observed an average of 80 points VantageScore® 3.0 increase during a member’s lifetime. Score increase based on members with an incoming score range of 300-499 pts, who made regular on-time payments, with regular on-time payments. Results may vary.
FAQs
Will the welcome bonus pay me in cash?
Cash is always nice, but that’s not exactly what you get with the welcome bonuses we’ve outlined for these Amex cards. For example, if a card promises new members $200 in cash after spending $1,000 in the first three months of opening a card, you won’t get a $200 check in the mail and spend it any way you’d like. You can’t pay rent to your landlord with cash back from a credit card. Instead, you’ll get a statement bonus. It will be listed on your credit card statement and applied to that month’s bill or a future one if it isn’t used immediately.
When is it worth paying an annual fee?
It depends on how you use the card. If you’re not going to use most of the perks a card offers, you may want to start with a credit card with a $0 annual fee. And we mean it should remain zero in the coming years, not just an introductory period, Free flights and hotels aren’t the only things you can use rewards points for. Amex rewards can be used in a variety of ways: redeemed for a gift card, a statement credit to pay all or part of your next Amex bill, upgrade flights with Amex points, rent a car, or pay for a cruise. American Express has a shopping portal to use rewards points to buy almost any product and brand you can think of. A North Face men’s jacket, for example, can cost $199 or 39,800 points. The value of reward points varies according to how you choose to use them. Amex has an online calculator to show how much points are worth. It’s worth checking the airlines, merchants, and other businesses that accept these reward points as cash. All of the travel bookings must be through American Express Travel, which may not have access to all of the flights you want.
What else can I use rewards points for?
Free flights and hotels aren’t the only things you can use rewards points for, though the cards we’ve recommended that are tied to hotels and airlines can give you the most value when used with those brands. Amex also rewards to be used in a variety of ways. They can be redeemed for a gift card, or simply as a statement credit to pay all or part of your next Amex bill. You can also upgrade flights with Amex points, rent a car, or pay for a cruise. American Express has a shopping portal to use rewards points to buy almost any product and brand you can think of. A North Face men’s jacket, for example, can cost $199 or 39,800 points. The value of rewards points varies according to how you choose to use them. Amex has an online calculator to show how much points are worth.
What credit score do I need?
American Express is well known for requiring customers to have good to excellent credit, and many websites have reported that as a fact. The credit reporting agency Experian says that while each Amex card has its own standards for approval, getting a card directly from American Express will generally need good credit to qualify. That’s a FICO credit score of around 700. However, Amex allows other companies to offer its cards also, so you may be able to qualify elsewhere with a lower credit score.
Raise Your Credit 80 points*
- 5 star service trusted by over 450,000 members
- Have processed over $11,000,000 in bill payments for members
- No deposit, no credit check, no interest
- New member promotions available
*Potential increase based on StellarFi member data. StellarFi numbers observed an average of 80 points VantageScore® 3.0 increase during a member’s lifetime. Score increase based on members with an incoming score range of 300-499 pts, who made regular on-time payments, with regular on-time payments. Results may vary.
Pros and cons
Pros
- American Express credit cards offer some of the best benefits among credit cards. It has high travel and other rewards, which can make a vacation free, or simply give you a lower monthly bill on your Amex card through a statement credit.
- If you keep an eye out for promotions, you should be able to find a welcome bonus that fits your spending habits. If you like to stay at Marriott hotels, for example, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card offers 125,000 rewards points to new members who spend $5,000 in the first 3 months of having the card, and make it to their one-year anniversary as a card member.
Cons
- Amex charges annual fees for most of its credit cards, and some can be quite high, up to $550.
- American Express cards are accepted at about 30% fewer U.S. merchants than Visa, Mastercard and Discover are, so you may not always be able to use an Amex card where you want to. As a backup, you may want a Visa or other type of credit card to cover you.
- If you’re shopping locally, your local merchant may not be so thrilled when you use an American Express card. A swipe from an Amex card can cost merchants 2.5% of the sale, compared to lower fees of 1.7-2% for other credit cards.
The bottom line
Applying for a credit card isn’t something you want to do lightly. It’s a big responsibility that can hurt your credit score if you don’t pay it monthly on time. Ideally, you want to pay the bill each month so that you don’t pay finance charges.
If you can do that with an American Express credit card, you can be on your way to earning more rewards points than you may be able to find elsewhere. For people who regularly use Hilton or Marriott hotels or fly on Delta Airlines, getting an Amex card branded with those companies can help them earn many more rewards points for purchases on those hotels or airlines.
If you’re looking for a way to be rewarded for your daily expenses, an Amex credit card may be one of the best ways to achieve it.
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Writer
Aaron Crowe is a freelance journalist who specializes in personal finance writing and editing. He has worked at newspapers, where he won a Pulitzer Prize, and has written for numerous online publications. These include AOL, US News & World Report, WiseBread, Bankrate, AARP, and many websites focusing on housing, credit and insurance. He lives in California with his wife and daughter.
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