Best American Express Cards of October 2023
ALSO SEE: Best credit cards of 2023 || Visa || Mastercard || American Express || Discover || Bank of America® || Capital One || Chase || Citi || US Bank || Wells Fargo
American Express made its name with cards that were as much status symbols as payment methods. In the 21st century, the issuer offers a complete line of cards with generous rewards and valuable benefits, and many of them do not charge annual fees.
Some American Express cards earn simple cash back, while others offer rewards points and travel benefits. Many AmEx cards also come with a variety of useful side perks.
Regardless of your goals, there's likely an American Express card that fits your priorities, habits and lifestyle.
Show summary
NerdWallet's Best American Express Cards of October 2023
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express: Best for Family spending: Groceries, gas, transit, streaming
The Platinum Card® from American Express: Best for Luxury travel perks
American Express® Gold Card: Best for Travel rewards on everyday spending
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express: Best for No-annual-fee grocery and gas rewards
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: Best for Luxury perks for business travelers
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express: Best for Simple rewards for small business
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card: Best for Simple cash rewards for small business
American Express® Business Gold Card: Best for Customized rewards for business
The Plum Card® from American Express: Best for Flexible financing for businesses
Best American Express Cards From Our Partners
| Credit card | NerdWallet rating | Annual fee | Rewards rate | Intro offer | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whether you want to pay less interest or earn more rewards, the right card's out there. Just answer a few questions and we'll narrow the search for you.
Whether you want to pay less interest or earn more rewards, the right card's out there. Just answer a few questions and we'll narrow the search for you.
Family spending: Groceries, gas, transit, streaming
Luxury travel perks
Travel rewards on everyday spending
No-annual-fee grocery and gas rewards
Luxury perks for business travelers
Simple rewards for small business
Simple cash rewards for small business
Customized rewards for business
Flexible financing for businesses
BEST AMERICAN EXPRESS CARDS
Before applying, confirm details on the issuer’s website.
CONSUMER CARDS
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Our pick for: Family spending: Groceries, gas, transit, streaming
If your household spends a lot on groceries, gas, transit and streaming services, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is for you. The rewards it pays in those categories — particularly at U.S. supermarkets and on select streaming services — are among the richest of any card. There's a nice welcome offer for new cardholders and an introductory 0% APR period, too. The generous benefits come at a cost, though: Unlike most cash-back cards, this one charges an annual fee. Read our review.
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
Our pick for: No-annual-fee grocery and gas rewards
The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express pays elevated rewards at U.S. supermarkets, at U.S. gas stations and on U.S. online retail purchases. The rewards might not be as rich as on the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, but this card doesn't charge an annual fee either. New cardholders get a decent welcome offer and an introductory 0% APR period. Read our review.
American Express Cash Magnet® Card
Our pick for: Simple, flat-rate cash back
The American Express Cash Magnet® Card pays a simple, flat cash-back rate on all purchases, with no limit to how much cash back you can earn. Plus, get a decent welcome offer and an introductory 0% APR period. If you want an AmEx card with a no-hassle rewards structure, this is your card. Read our review.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Our pick for: Luxury travel perks
The Platinum Card® from American Express comes with a hefty annual fee, but travelers who like to go in style (and aren't afraid to pay for comfort) can more than get their money's worth. Enjoy extensive airport lounge access, hundreds of dollars a year in travel and shopping credits, hotel benefits and more. That's not even getting into the high rewards rate on eligible travel purchases and the rich welcome offer for new cardholders. Read our review.
American Express® Gold Card
Our pick for: Travel rewards on everyday spending
The American Express® Gold Card can earn you a pile of points from everyday spending, with generous rewards at U.S. supermarkets, at restaurants and on certain flights booked through amextravel.com. Other benefits include hundreds of dollars a year in available dining and travel credits and a solid welcome offer for new cardholders. There's an annual fee, though, and a pretty substantial one, so it's not for smaller spenders. Read our review.
American Express® Green Card
Our pick for: Travel and dining rewards
The "original" American Express card is a great fit for travelers who can make use of its extensive list of airline and hotel transfer partners and its rich rewards on dining and travel. The American Express® Green Card also offers some potentially valuable credits and a good welcome bonus offer for new cardholders. There's an annual fee to consider, however, and getting maximum value can take some work. But if you're committed to the AmEx Membership Rewards, it's a fine option. Read our review.
Amex EveryDay® Credit Card
Our pick for: AmEx points for no annual fee
The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card is the only American Express card without an annual fee that gives you Membership Rewards points ... although you shouldn't expect to get a ton of them. You can earn bonus points at U.S. supermarkets and on certain travel, and your rewards rate gets a boost if you use the card frequently enough. Read our review.
SMALL BUSINESS CARDS
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Our pick for: Luxury perks for business travelers
Like the consumer version of this card, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express comes with a big annual fee. But business travelers who prefer to go in style will find plenty that appeals to them: high rewards on certain travel purchases, bonus rewards on larger non-travel purchases, a superb newcomer welcome offer, extensive airport lounge access, elite hotel status, hundreds of dollars a year in available credits and a list of perks as long as your arm. It's not cheap, but luxury never is. Terms apply. Learn more and apply.
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
Our pick for: Simple cash rewards for small business
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card boasts one of the better introductory APR offers among business credit cards. Beyond that, you earn a solid cash-back rate (at least for a while — the rate drops after you hit a spending threshold). There's also a $0 annual fee. Learn more and apply.
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
Our pick for: Simple rewards for small business
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is a near-twin to The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, with one key difference: Rather than cash back, it pays you in AmEx Membership Rewards points. Learn more and apply.
American Express® Business Gold Card
Our pick for: Customized rewards for business
The rewards on the American Express® Business Gold Card adjust according to your spending: The card has six bonus categories, such as travel, advertising, U.S. restaurants and U.S. gas stations. You automatically earn bonus rewards in the two categories where you spend the most each month. That can translate into outstanding rewards, as long as your business spends money in those categories. If it doesn't, the steep annual fee probably isn't worth it. Learn more and apply.
The Plum Card® from American Express
Our pick for: Flexible financing for businesses
Businesses with high working capital needs but sometimes inconsistent cash flow might find The Plum Card® from American Express a perfect fit. Pay early and get a discount, or enjoy up to 60 days without interest. Terms apply. There's a substantial annual fee, but if you're using the card for, say, big inventory purchases, the benefits could far outweigh the costs. Read our review.
Other cards issued by American Express
American Express issues branded credit cards in partnership with airlines, hotels and others. Learn more about these cards by reading the reviews linked below:
Delta Air Lines credit cards
Hilton Hotels credit cards
Other credit cards
• • •
OTHER RESOURCES
By Melissa Lambarena, NerdWallet
What is American Express?
American Express is a financial services company that, within the credit cards industry, operates both as a card issuer and as a payment processing network:
As an issuer, it provides credit cards to consumers and businesses and manages those card accounts. In this way, it's like Chase, Citi or your local bank or credit union.
As a payment network, it facilitates transactions among merchants, credit card issuers and banks. In this way, it's like Visa or Mastercard.
Several banks offer credit cards that operate on the American Express payment network, but these cards are not issued by American Express itself. You can use them anywhere that accepts AmEx, but their rewards, perks, fees and rates are dictated by the card issuer, not American Express. Those cards are not included on this page.
Examples include the U.S. Bank Cash 365™ American Express® Card and the USAA® Rewards™ American Express® Card
Where is American Express accepted?
American Express is accepted by more than 99% of U.S. merchants, according to a February 2020 survey from the Nilson Report, which covers the payments industry. American Express is also accepted by more than 66 million businesses worldwide.
For years, AmEx lagged Visa, Mastercard and Discover in acceptance, mostly because it charged higher fees to process transactions. AmEx has essentially closed that gap with programs that make it easier for smaller merchants to take its cards. Even so, there are still some merchants that accept other credit cards but not American Express.
What credit score do you need to get an American Express card?
American Express cards typically require good to excellent credit to qualify, which can be generally defined as a credit score of 690 or higher. But credit scores aren't the only factor in approval decisions; others include your income, outstanding debts and the number of American Express cards you currently have.
Newcomers to the country who don't have a U.S. credit history may be able to qualify for an American Express card through Nova Credit, a financial technology company that makes it possible for immigrants to use their credit history from qualifying countries.
What are the interest rates on American Express cards?
American Express credit cards typically charge a range of interest rates. The exact rate on your account will be determined based on several factors when you apply. Typically with credit cards, the better your credit, the lower the rate you may be able to qualify for. Credit card interest rates are usually tied to the prime rate, which is the interest rate that banks charge their biggest customers. When the prime rate goes up, credit card interest rates increase with it.
You can avoid finance charges entirely by paying off your credit card bill in full and on time every month. Doing so gives you a recurring grace period, in which interest never accrues on your purchases.
Some American Express cards, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express and the American Express® Gold Card, were historically charge cards that were designed to be paid in full every month. Now, however, you can use them more like credit cards with their Pay Over Time feature.
Finally, some American Express cards offer a 0% introductory APR period, which gives you. a year or more without interest on purchases, balance transfers or both. These cards include the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express and the American Express Cash Magnet® Card.
What credit limit can I get with an American Express card?
With any kind of credit card, your credit limit will depend on factors such as your credit score, payment history, income, credit utilization and large recurring expenses such as rent. Issuers take these factors into account when determining your credit limit, and they also consider macroeconomic factors like the state of the economy. In an unstable economy, it’s not uncommon to see issuers be more conservative with’ credit limits.
Several American Express cards do not have a hard credit limit, or what the issuer refers to as a "preset spending limit." These include the issuer's Platinum-, Gold- and Green-branded cards. "No preset spending limit" doesn't mean your credit is unlimited, however. According to the issuer, "the amount you can spend adapts based on factors such as your purchase, payment and credit history."
What are the benefits of American Express cards?
Benefits of American Express cards include:
Rewards: All American Express consumer cards offer rewards in the form of cash back, Membership Rewards points, or points or miles in the loyalty programs of partner airlines or hotels. American Express cards also usually come with a "welcome offer" — an opportunity for new cardholders to earn a bonus by spending a certain amount in the first few months they have their card.
AmEx Offers: American Express cards can give you bonus rewards or discounts when you shop with certain merchants through offers that appear in your account. AmEx has a wide variety of merchant offers to choose from, and the offers are easy to activate.
Pay It and Plan It features: This option lets you pay for your purchases, big or small, one at a time and might help you save on interest.
An “apply with confidence” feature: When you see this option for a card on AmEx's website, you can check your odds of approval before applying with no initial impact on your credit scores.
Can you combine points on American Express cards?
You can link eligible American Express cards so that the Membership Rewards points you earn can be combined. To ask about linking your cards, call the issuer at 800-668-2639. You cannot combine Membership Rewards points with rewards from co-branded credit cards issued by American Express, such as those for Delta Air Lines or Hilton Hotels.
Which American Express card is easiest to get?
American Express credit cards generally aren’t easy to get. You'll need good or excellent credit to qualify, which generally suggests a credit score of 690 or better. If you’re unsure as to whether you’re a good candidate for an American Express card, you can use AmEx’s "apply with confidence" option to find out if you’re eligible for some cards with no initial impact on your credit scores.
• • •
All information about the American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by NerdWallet. The American Express® Green Card is no longer available through NerdWallet.
To view rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, see this page.
All information about the American Express Cash Magnet® Card has been collected independently by NerdWallet. The American Express Cash Magnet® Card is no longer available through NerdWallet.
To view rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, see this page.
All information about the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by NerdWallet. The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is no longer available through NerdWallet.
To view rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, see this page.
All information about the Amex EveryDay® Credit Card has been collected independently by NerdWallet. The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card is no longer available through NerdWallet.
All information about The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by NerdWallet. The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express is no longer available through NerdWallet.
All information about the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express has been collected independently by NerdWallet. The Business Green Rewards Card from American Express is no longer available through NerdWallet.
To view rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, see this page.
To view rates and fees of The Plum Card® from American Express, see this page.
To view rates and fees of The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the Amazon Business Prime American Express Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the Amazon Business American Express Card, see this page.
Last updated on September 21, 2023
Methodology
NerdWallet's credit cards team selects the best credit cards in each category based on overall consumer value. Factors in our evaluation include fees, promotional and ongoing APRs, and sign-up bonuses; for rewards cards, we consider earning and redemption rates, redemption options and redemption difficulty. A single card is eligible to be chosen as among the "best" in multiple categories. Learn how NerdWallet rates credit cards.
Which American Express card is right for you hinges on your goals, spending habits and lifestyle.
Are you interested in cash back, or are you looking for travel rewards? Do you spend more on groceries, or is dining out a bigger line item in your budget? Are annual fees a nonstarter for you, or are you willing to pay one in exchange for more value? Are you a small-business owner?
AmEx has options to fit many different kinds of profiles and budgets.
No. There are several American Express cards with no annual fee, including cash-back cards, travel rewards cards, co-branded cards (offered in partnership with a brand or merchant), and small-business cards.
Depending on the American Express card in question, it may earn rewards in the form of:
Cash back (generally as a statement credit).
American Express Membership Rewards (flexible points that can be redeemed for a variety of different things, including travel).*
Airline miles (if the card is offered in partnership with an airline).
Hotel points (if the card is offered in partnership with a hotel chain).
*It's possible to earn Membership Rewards points in other ways aside from direct spending on an AmEx card.
American Express cards — especially travel rewards cards — may also come with a variety of benefits, credits and perks, depending on the card.
Yes. It can be difficult to get an American Express card because they usually require good to excellent credit. That generally means a credit score of 690 or higher, although credit scores aren't the only thing considered in card issuers' approval decisions.
As of February 2023, American Express was accepting applications for 17 different consumer credit cards for travel, dining and everyday spending. These cards earn points, miles or cash back in different spending categories.
American Express historically lagged behind Visa, Mastercard and Discover in acceptance among merchants because of the higher interchange fees it charged to process card transactions. AmEx is now accepted at more than 99% of merchants, according to industry data, but some places that take other credit cards still don't accept American Express.
American Express credit cards generally require good to excellent credit to qualify. Unlike some other card issuers, it does not have secured cards or other credit-builder options.
American Express cards can add value to your spending if you pay the credit card bill in full every month to avoid interest charges. They aren’t ideal if you carry a balance since they tend to have high interest rates, as most rewards credit cards do. AmEx does have the Pay It Plan It feature if you want to pay off small or large purchases in installments, but not all purchases will be eligible. If you tend to carry an ongoing balance every month, you can save more money with a low-interest credit card at a credit union even if it doesn’t earn rewards.
