American Express Credit Cards | Best Benefits and Rewards
There’s a reason people are always talking about American Express credit cards – they have some of the best perks. They’re also a company with a long history and great track record. They were founded in 1850 and are best known for their credit cards and travelers’ checks.
In 2016, American Express (Amex) captured over 22% of the market share of credit cards in the US. The company has 109.9 million cards in circulation with 47.5 million of those cards issued in the US.
Intrigued as to why so many people use American Express cards and thinking you might want one yourself? Here are some top American Express cards and reviews of each of them.
Best American Express Consumer Credit Cards
1. Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
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Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
- Annual fee: $0
- APR: 0% for first 15 months; 13.99% - 24.99% variable APR after that
- Benefit: Earn 4% cash back when you buy groceries, 2% at gas stations and select department stores, and 1% on all other purchases
- Category: Cash Back Credit Card
Want to earn money back when you buy things you buy everyday? Who doesn’t? With the Blue Cash Everyday Card, you earn 4% cash back when you buy groceries. You also get 2% cash back at gas stations and select department stores. Don’t spend a lot at those stores? No worries! You’ll get 1% cash back on all your other purchases.
In addition, you’ll get a special $200 cash back bonus when you spend $1,000 on your card in the first 90 days.
One big benefit of the card is that it has no annual fee. You’ll also get a 0% APR on all purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months. After that, the card has a variable APR that starts between 13.99% and 24.99%. What you’ll pay will depend on your personal financial and credit situation. There is no fee for balance transfers in the first 60 days. This card is for those with good to excellent credit.
Some great benefits that Amex offers include things like access to entertainment pre-sales for things like concerts, the ability to make travel bookings through American Express Travel and other Amex travel providers, return protection, roadside assistance, extended warranties, car rental loss and damage insurance, purchase protection, and travel accident insurance among many others
The Blue Cash Everyday Card is a great card for those who want all the great benefits of an Amex card with cash rewards thrown in. The card offers fairly generous cash back rewards for a card with no annual fee. The 15 month introductory rate is also great for those who are looking to pay off debt.
The drawbacks of the card are that you might be able to get better cash back rewards with another card and that you might qualify for a lower rate elsewhere.
2. Amex EveryDay Credit Card
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Amex EveryDay Credit Card
- Annual fee: $0
- APR: 0% for first 15 months; 13.99% - 24.99% variable APR after that
- Benefit: Earn 1 point for every dollar you spend and 2 points for every dollar you spend on groceries
- Category: Rewards Credit Card
Maybe you don’t like cash back rewards and you’re not planning any travel in the next little while. Wondering what kind of card could be right for you? How about a card that gives you membership rewards that you can use in a variety of different ways?
If that appeals to you, you should consider the Amex EveryDay credit card. With this card, you earn 1 point for every dollar you spend, but you earn 2 times the points if you spend money on groceries. You’ll also earn 20% more points if you make 20 or more purchases with your card in any one billing period.
The card has a great sign-up bonus of 15,000 membership rewards points when you spend just $1,000 in the first 3 months after you open your card.
The card offers a 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers with no balance transfer fee in the first 60 days. After that, you’ll pay a variable APR that starts at 13.99% to 24.99%. How much you will pay will depend heavily on your personal financial and credit situation. The card has no annual fee. This card if for those with good to excellent credit.
So, just what can you use your membership points towards? A whole host of things on Amex’s Membership Rewards site, including paying off your credit card charges and putting them towards a frequent traveler program you already belong to.
The card also offers many other Amex benefits including roadside assistance, car rental insurance, travel accident insurance, a global assist helpline, accidental phone damage, purchase protection, return protection, extended warranty, Ticketmaster special privileges and many other perks.
The benefit of the Amex EveryDay credit card is that it allows you the most flexibility with how you use your rewards. You don’t have to choose between cash back or travel rewards since with this card your membership rewards can be used towards paying off your balance, travel, and a whole bunch of other things including buying tickets to concerts or gift certificates at your favorite stores. Another perk is the low introductory interest rate on both balance transfers and new purchases, as well as the very generous sign up bonus – which doesn’t require you to spend too much in order to qualify for it.
The drawbacks of the card include the fact that you don’t earn as many points as you might with another types of card. You could get more benefits by using a cash back or travel rewards card even though you have to give up flexibility when it comes to using your benefits.
3. Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express
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Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express
- Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year; $195 after that
- APR: No interest as you pay your balance in full each month
- Benefit: Earn 3x points on flights that you book directly with the airline, 2x at restaurants, gas stations, and supermarkets, and 1x on all other purchases
- Category: Rewards Credit Card
Want more rewards? Of course you do! The Premier Rewards Gold Card offers you exactly that. The card gives you 1 point for every dollar you spend, but you also get 3 times the points on flights that you book directly with the airline and 2 times the points at restaurants, gas stations and supermarkets. Not enough perks for you?
You’ll also get a $100 airline fee each year for when incidentals like baggage fees are charged to your card and a $75 hotel credit to spend at a hotel restaurant, spa or on resort activities when you prepay a stay of at least 2 consecutive nights at one of Amex’s partners.
In addition to these great benefits, you’ll get 50,000 membership reward points when you spend just $2,000 on purchases on your new card in the first 90 days. There are also no foreign transaction fees or pre-set spending limit.
This card is a little different than most American Express credit cards in that there are no interest charges. Why? Because you’re required to pay your balance in full every month. There is, however, an annual fee of $195 which is waived in the first year. You can also apply for the Pay Over Time feature which allows you to repay your balance more slowly. This card if for those with excellent credit.
The Amex card gives you all sorts of great benefits including Amex roadside assistance, travel bookings, baggage insurance, car rental insurance, extended warranties, purchase protection, extended warranty, travel accident insurance and so much more.
There are a lot of great benefits to this card, including the very generous rewards that are offered and the great sign-up bonus, however, the fact that it doesn’t work like a normal credit card and you have to pay your balance in full every month might not be ideal for many people. The high annual fee is also something to consider. While you do make some of that up via the $100 airline credit and the $75 credit for hotel incidentals, it could take a while to earn back the value of the annual fee.
4. Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
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Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- Annual fee: $95
- APR: 0% intro APR for 12 months; 14.24% - 25.24% after that
- Benefit: Earn 6% cash back at the supermarket (up to $6,000 in purchases), 3% at gas stations and department stores, and 1% on all other purchases
- Category: Cash Back Credit Card
Want to earn cash back more quickly? If so, the Blue Cash Preferred Card might be right for you. You can earn a whopping 6% cash back at the supermarket - up to $6,000 in purchases. You’ll also earn 3% cash back at gas stations and select US department stores. You’ll earn 1% on all your other purchases. Your reward dollars can then be redeemed for statement credit.
When it comes to sign-up bonuses, this one has a great one! You get $250 cash back if you purchase just $1,000 on your new card within 90 days of receiving it.
The car has a great 0% introductory rate for the first 12 months on balance transfers and purchase then a variable APR that starts between 13.99% and 24.99%. The card also has a $95 annual fee. This card is for those with excellent credit.
The card comes with many of the great benefits of an American Express card including car rental insurance, global assist hotline, roadside assistance, travel accident insurance, and things like entertainment access and purchase protection.
As far as cash back cards go, this one has very generous rewards, but whether you can properly take advantage of them will depend on how much you use your card and what you buy. If you spend a lot on groceries, then you’ll likely really enjoy the 6% cash back offered at supermarkets. You’ll also likely love the very generous sign-up bonus.
The downsides of the card are that you don’t get the same 15 months of an introductory rate that you get with some of the other Amex cards, and you have to pay a $95 annual fee. Before you get this card, make sure that you’ll be spending enough on it to earn the annual fee back in rewards.
5. The Platinum Card from American Express
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The Platinum Card from American Express
- Annual fee: $550
- APR: No interest as you pay your balance in full each month
- Benefit: Earn 60,000 membership rewards points if you make over $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months, UBER credits, and airline fee credit
- Category: Rewards Credit Card
Is a gold card too common for you? If so, you might be interested in the Platinum Card. It has a number of great benefits, but it also comes with a hefty annual fee of $550. So, what makes that huge fee worthwhile? First, you’ll get $15 in Uber credits each month, plus an extra $20 in December giving you $200 per year in Uber credits.
In addition, you’ll get a $200 airline fee credit to cover things like checked baggage and in-flight meals. In addition, while you will get 1 membership reward for every dollar you spend, you’ll get 5 times the membership rewards when you either book flights with the airlines or you book flights through Amex Travel. Another bonus is that every 4 years you’ll get a credit for a Global Entry Visa or TSA Pre Check – which cost $100 and $85 respectively. You’ll also get a $75 hotel credit for dining, spa, or resort activities.
Not enough bonuses? Don’t worry – we’re not done. You’ll get a great sign-up bonus of 60,000 membership rewards if you make over $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months.
Unlike other credit cards, there are no interest changes because you’re expected to pay the balance of your statement in full every month- although you can sign up for their Pay Over Time option. There are no foreign transaction fees. This card is for those with excellent credit.
The Platinum Card has a number of great benefits which include things like car rental insurance and purchase protection that you would find on other Amex cards, but it also has some special benefits like access to global airport lounges, complimentary benefits at hotels and resorts like free wi-fi and room upgrades, and access to Boingo’s wi-fi network.
The Platinum Card offers a host of benefits, but you might not be able to take full advantage of them unless you travel frequently. All the benefits are aimed at someone who travels a lot for work or pleasure and if that’s not you this might not be the right card for you. While the benefits add up to more than the annual fee, you often also have to stay at certain hotels in order to benefit. Whether or not you will save money in the end will depend on your personal situation.
6. American Express Green Card
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American Express Green Card
- Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year; $95 after that
- APR: No interest as you pay your balance in full each month
- Benefit: Earn 2x points for every dollar you spend at amextravel.com and 1x for every dollar you spend
- Category: Rewards Credit Card
When it comes to credit cards, you don’t always think of getting a green card – gold or platinum cards are far more common. But the American Express Green Card might be just what you need. It provides great rewards. For example, you get 1 point for every dollar you spend, but 2 points for every dollar you spend at amextravel.com. You also can use your membership rewards points to pay for travel.
The Amex Green Card offers a 25,000 members rewards bonus if you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months after getting your card.
The card has no interest charges because you’re expected to pay your balance in full each month but you can sign up for their Pay Over Time service. The card does charge a $95 annual fee which is waived for the first year. This card is for those with good to excellent credit.
This Amex card offers all the benefits of other Amex cards including things like car rental insurance, and baggage insurance, roadside assistance, and purchase protection.
While this card is a great way to access some of the benefits of an Amex card, you have to pay a lot of money annually in order to get it and you don’t get as many things in return as you would with other Amex cards. If you want these perks you can get them from other credit cards with better rewards program – whether they be through Amex or another card issuer. Using an Amex card that isn’t designed to work as a credit card is also something you might not be interested in doing.
7. Amex EveryDay Preferred Credit Card
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Amex EveryDay Preferred Credit Card
- Annual fee: $95
- APR: 0% for first 12 months; 14.24% - 24.24% variable APR after that
- Benefit: Earn 15,000 membership rewards points if you spend just $1,000 in the first 3 months
- Category: Rewards Credit Card
Want a card with great benefits? With the EveryDay Preferred Credit Card, you’ll fast track earning your rewards. The card offers 3 times the points when you buy groceries and 2 times the points at gas stations. You get 1 point for every dollar on all other purchases. But with this card, you’ll get the added bonus of 50% extra points if you make at least 30 purchases during your billing period.
The card has a good sign up bonus that offers you 15,000 membership rewards points if you spend just $1,000 on your card in the first 3 months.
The card also has a 0% introductory rate on purchases and balance transfers in the first 12 months. After that, you will pay a variable APR of 14.24% to 24.24%. What you will pay will depend on your personal financial and credit situation and what you qualify for. You’ll also pay a $95 annual fee to use the card. This card is for those with excellent credit.
Like most Amex cards, you’ll get some great additional bonuses including car rental insurance, travel accident insurance, access to the global assist hotline, and things like extended warranties and purchase protection.
This card has some great perks like the ability to earn a whopping 50% more in points if you make just 30 purchases on your card per month.
However, with such a large annual fee, you don’t get a lot of added benefits that would help ensure you were able to earn enough rewards to make using the card and paying the annual fee worthwhile. Before you get the card, you should do the math to make sure that you would be able to benefit from it. There are other cards for a similar annual fee that could offer you better rewards.
Best American Express Business and Corporate Cards
Need a Amex credit card for your business and unsure if you should get a business or corporate credit card? No need to wonder any longer! The difference between a business and a corporate Amex card is that corporate cards are generally for very large businesses that have revenues of over a million dollars. These cards are used to keep track of employee’s individual expenses.
Business credit cards though can be used with all kinds of small and large businesses. The benefits of corporate cards are that they help monitor employee expenses, the drawback is that the annual fees might be significantly higher. The benefits of a business card are that it can help a newer business develop a credit score and low or no fee cards are more common.
1. The Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express
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The Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express
- Annual fee: $0 for first 12 months; $175 after that
- APR: No interest as you pay your balance in full each month
- Benefit: Earn 3x points on a category of your choice and 1x per dollar on all other purchases
- Category: Business Credit Card
When it comes to business credit cards, you want something that also offers great points. With the Business Gold card, you earn one point per dollar you spend but you also get to choose a category where you earn 3 times the points.
These categories include advertising, shipping, gas stations, airline purchases, and computer, software and cloud computing. This flexibility allows you to decide how to best take advantage of the rewards. The best part? You get 2 times the points on all the other categories.
The card also has a sign-up bonus of 50,000 membership points when you spend at least $5,000 in your first 3 months of owning the card.
The card has no interest rate because you are expected to pay the balance on your card every month. You can enroll in a Pay Over Time feature that does allow you to carry a balance.
The card has no pre-set spending limit so purchasing power changes depending on your payment history, credit record, and finances.
There is a $175 annual fee, which is waived for the first year. There are no foreign transaction fees.
The Business Gold Rewards Card has a number of great benefits including things like car rental insurance, roadside assistance, and things like extended warranties and purchase protection.
There are a number of great benefits involved in using the Amex Business Gold Rewards Card, which is perfect for small to mid-sized business. The rewards points you get are more generous than other personal or business rewards points and allow you to customize your rewards. That flexibility is key.
Some downsides include the fact that you’re expected to pay off your balance every month and the fact that the annual fee is so high.
2. The Business Platinum Card from American Express
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The Business Platinum Card from American Express
- Annual fee: $450
- APR: No interest as you pay your balance in full each month
- Benefit: Earn 5x points when you book travel through amextravel.com, plus 50% more points on large business purchases, and 35% more points on airline purchases
- Category: Business Credit Card
Do you travel a lot for business? If so, then the Amex Business Platinum Card might be the perfect card for you. While the card comes with a hefty $450 annual fee, it has so many benefits it’s hard to list them all. You get 5 times the membership rewards when you book travel via amextravel.com, plus 50% more points on large business purchases and 35% more points on airline purchases.
You earn 1 point for every other dollar in purchases. You also get a $200 airline fee credit for things like checked bags and in-flight purchases, a hotel credit of up to $75 for incidentals, and a credit to cover the purchase of a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck pass.
You are eligible for a sign up bonus of 75,000 membership rewards points. You get the first 50,000 points when you spend $10,0000 within three months and you get a 25,000 bonus if you spend an extra $10,000 within three months.
You won’t pay an interest rate on the card since you are expected to repay your balance every month, but you can sign up for Pay Over Time which will charge you interest.
The card has a number of great benefits including access to premier airport lounges and freebies at hotels like room upgrades and free wi-fi. It also offers roadside assistance, baggage insurance and other great perks.
The Business Platinum Card is a great fit for someone who travels a lot for work. However, if you don’t travel then you might find the card quite costly since you’ll be paying a high annual fee. There are other cards that could provide similar benefits for lower annual fees.
3. The Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express
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The Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express
- Annual fee: $0
- APR: 0% intro for 15 months; 12.49% - 20.49% variable APR after that
- Benefit: Earn 2x membership rewards points on every dollar you spend
- Category: Business Credit Card
The Blue Business Plus Credit Card could be the right card for you if you’re looking for a great card with good rewards and no annual fee. It provides 2 membership rewards points on every dollar you spend.
The card does not have a sign-up bonus, but it does have a 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months. After that, your APR would be variable and could start at either 12.49%, 16.49% or 20.49%. What you will actually pay will depend on your personal credit and financial situation as well as that of your business. The card has no annual fee or balance transfer fee on transfers in the first 60 days.
The card also offers expanded buying power. You can buy above your credit limit if you have a big business need that comes up.
The card features a number of the great benefits that you expect from an Amex card including extended warranties, and purchase protection.
Overall, this card is a great no-fee card for businesses. The introductory interest rate and rewards make it a great choice. While you might be able to get more generous rewards if you pay an annual fee – often that annual fee eats into the rewards you earn.