Please note: the offers mentioned below are subject to change at any time and may not be available.
Choosing the best credit card is a tricky proposition. There are many companies offering dozens of cards. Today I want to focus on one issuer to answer a simple question: How do you choose the best American Express card for your wallet? Here are our top 10 offerings from American Express:
In This Post
The Best American Express Credit Cards of 2019
- American Express® Green Card: Best for beginner travelers
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: Best for high-end benefits
- American Express® Gold Card: Best for dining
- The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express: Best for everyday spending
- Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express: Best for high-end Hilton perks
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Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant
American Express® Card: Best for high-end Marriott perks - Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express: Best for regular Delta flyers
- Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express: Best for maximizing cash back
- The Business Platinum® Card from American Express: Best for frequent business travelers
- American Express® Business Gold Card: Best for flexible earning on business expenses
- Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express: Best for everyday business expenses
Comparison of the Best American Express Consumer Cards
| CREDIT Card | Bonus | Annual Fee |
| American Express® Green Card | 30,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $2,000 in the first three months. Plus, get a $100 statement credit on Away luggage purchases within the first three months. (Offer ends 1/15/20) Terms apply. | $150 |
| The Platinum Card from American Express | 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $5,000 in first three months. Terms apply. | $550 |
| American Express Gold Card | 35,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $4,000 in first three months. Terms apply. | $250 |
| The Amex EveryDay Preferred Credit Card from American Express | 15,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $1,000 in first three months. Terms apply. | $95 |
| The Amex EveryDay Credit Card from American Express | 10,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $1,000 in first three months. Terms apply. | $0 |
| Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express | 150,000 Hilton Honors points after you spend $4,000 in first three months. Terms apply. | $450 |
| Hilton Honors Surpass Card from American Express | 150,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership, plus a $100 Statement Credit after your first purchase on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership. Offer expires 12/31/2019. Terms apply. | $95 |
| Hilton Honors American Express Card | 75,000 Hilton Honors points after you spend $1,000 in the first three months. Terms apply. | None |
| Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card | 75,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points after you use your new card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first three months. Terms apply. | $450 |
| Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express | Earn 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and 35,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months and a $100 Statement Credit after you make a Delta purchase with your new Card within your first 3 months. Terms apply. | $195 ($250 if application is received on or after 1/30/2020) |
| Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express | 30,000 bonus miles after you use your new Card to make $1,000 in purchases within your first 3 months and a $50 Statement Credit after you make a Delta purchase with your new Card within your first 3 months. |
$95 (waived first year) |
| Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express | $250 statement credit after you spend $1,000 on purchases in first three months. Terms apply. | $95 |
| Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express | $150 statement credit after you spend $1,000 on purchases in first three months. Terms apply. | None |
The information for the Amex EveryDay, Amex EveryDay Preferred has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
All of these cards should be eligible for bonuses and discounts through Amex Offers, though the exact merchants and offers you'll get will vary between cards. Note that you can only earn a welcome bonus on most of these cards once in your lifetime since American Express has tightened up its welcome-bonus policies.
Amex Cards That Earn Transferable Points
Every traveler should have a card that earns transferable points to shield yourself from devaluations and give you flexibility when it comes time to redeem. American Express’ transferable currency is Membership Rewards points. The program partners with 19 different airlines including British Airways, Delta and Singapore.
You also have the option to transfer your points to three hotel chains: Hilton, Marriott and Choice. You have the ability to use your points to book flights or hotels directly through Amex Travel, but transferring them to a partner and then redeeming them typically results in the best redemption value.
There are a few popular credit and charge cards that allow you to earn Membership Rewards points:
American Express Green Card
Bonus: 30,000 Membership Rewards points after you use your new card to make $2,000 in purchases in your first three months, plus get a $100 statement credit for eligible Away luggage purchases made within the first three months (offer ends 1/15/20).
Earning rate(s): 3 points per dollar spent on worldwide travel, transit and restaurants
Annual fee: $150
Why we chose it: The revamped Green from Amex is a great mid-tier card for beginner travelers. Amex expanded the bonus categories to include a wide range of travel purchases, including transit and homeshare rentals on top of traditional airfare and hotel purchases — something other Amex cards have yet to do. The card also got some upgrade features, like a $100 Clear membership credit and a $100 LoungeBuddy credit. although the annual fee did increase to $150, this card has jumped to the top of some TPGer's wish lists.
Further Reading: The revamped Amex Green Card has arrived
Official Application Link: American Express Green Card (30,000-point bonus offer)
The Platinum Card from American Express
Bonus: Earn 60,000 points after you spend $5,000 in the first three months of opening your account.
Earning rate(s): 5 points per dollar spent for flights and hotels booked through Amex Travel as well as flights booked directly through the airline; 1 point per dollar everywhere else.
Annual fee: $550
Why we chose it: For a long time, the Amex Platinum was the premium travel rewards card, though this segment is now quite competitive. Nevertheless, the card does offer solid value that even a semi-frequent traveler should appreciate. The annual credits for incidental fees on airlines and for Uber trips effectively reduce the annual fee to $150, and the earning rates on tickets booked directly with an airline make it an attractive card for airfare purchases, especially given that TPG values Amex points at a solid 2 cents apiece. The lounge access on the card is quite wide and you'll also get status with two hotel programs: Hilton and Marriott. These perks are compelling by themselves, so if you're then targeted for a 100,000-point bonus through the CardMatch tool, I'd say applying is a no-brainer. For more content related to the American Express Platinum, visit our card hub.
Further Reading: Credit Card review: The Platinum Card From American Express
Official Application Link: The Platinum Card from American Express (60,000-point bonus offer)
American Express Gold Card
Bonus: 35,000 Membership Rewards points after you use your new card to make $4,000 in purchases in your first three months. However, 50,000-point offers may be available through the CardMatch Tool (offer subject to change anytime).
Earning rate(s): 4 points per dollar spent on dining worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year at supermarkets; then 1x); 3 points per dollar on flights purchased directly with the airline or at amextravel.com; 1 point per dollar everywhere else
Annual fee: $250
Why we chose it: The Amex Gold Card is a terrific option if you frequently eat out or order in, or shop at the supermarket (and pretty much everyone falls into one of these categories). The 4x earning rate on dining equals a stellar 8% return on your spending according to TPG valuations. Factoring in the $100 airline fee credit and up to $120 in annual dining credits, this card effectively costs just $30 per year. For more related content, visit our Amex Gold card hub.
Further Reading: American Express Gold Card review
Official Application Link: American Express Gold Card (35,000-point bonus offer)
The Amex EveryDay Preferred Credit Card from American Express
Bonus: 15,000 Membership Rewards points after you use your new card to make $1,000 in purchases within the first three months
Earning rate(s): 3 points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year); 2 points per dollar spent at U.S. gas stations; 1 point per dollar spent everywhere else. If you make 30 or more purchases in a billing period, you’ll earn 50% more points on those purchases.
Annual fee: $95
Why we chose it: This card can get you into the Membership Rewards program without breaking the bank with a high annual fee. It’s also great if you don’t travel that frequently. You don’t get the significant perks of the Amex Platinum or Amex Gold but still have some solid category bonuses for everyday spending. If you do use it as your primary card, you should definitely make a point of hitting 30 transactions a month to earn the 50% bonus.
The Amex EveryDay Credit Card from American Express
Bonus: 10,000 Membership Rewards points after you use your new card to make $1,000 in purchases within the first three months
Earning rate(s): 2 points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year, then 1 point dollar after that); 1 point per dollar everywhere else. If you make 20 or more purchases in a billing period, you’ll earn 20% more points on those purchases.
Annual fee: $0
Why we chose it: If you’re looking for a card without an annual fee that still allows you to participate in the Membership Rewards program, this flavor of Amex EveryDay is a terrific option. I love that it still gives you a category bonus at supermarkets, since many fee-free cards offer a flat earning rate across all merchants. It may take a while to get to a valuable redemption, but it’s a good way to start.
Amex cards that earn hotel and airline points
In addition to cards that earn Membership Rewards points, American Express issues several credit cards that are specific for a particular airline or hotel chain. The big advantage with these cards is that they often carry extra benefits with the cobranded airline or hotel partner. However, you’re locked into earning points or miles in that specific program, leaving you at the mercy of the airline or hotel chain when it comes to devaluations that can wipe significant value from your accounts.
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
Bonus: 150,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $4,000 in purchases on the card within your first three months of card membership
Earning rate(s): 14 points per dollar spent at Hilton properties; 7 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com, car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies, and U.S. restaurants; 3 points per dollar spent everywhere else
Annual fee: $450
Why we chose it: The card carries a host of valuable perks, including an annual $250 airline-fee credit (which works the same as the Amex Platinum's credit) and an annual credit of up to $250 valid at select Hilton resorts. This card is the only co-branded hotel credit card that grants you automatic top-tier status, Diamond status, with a hotel loyalty program. If you can max out the airline-fee credit, your effective annual fee drops to $200, and the value of the weekend night certificate should (by itself) nearly cover the rest. Then you have the terrific earning rates at Hilton properties, a return of 8.4% based on TPG's most recent valuations, plus Priority Pass membership and the annual resort credit. Even if you're only a semi-regular guest at Hilton's various brands, it's fairly easy to get outsized value from the card.
Further Reading: Hilton American Express Aspire Credit Card review
Official Application Link: Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express (150,000-point bonus offer)
Hilton Surpass Card from American Express
Bonus: Earn a $100 Statement Credit after your first purchase on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership, plus earn 150,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership. Offer expires 12/31/2019.
Earning rate(s): 12 points per dollar spent at Hilton properties; 6 points per dollar spent at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations; 3 points per dollar spent everywhere else
Annual fee: $95
Why we chose it: The Surpass card is a great option for those who visit Hilton properties a few (or several) times a year. You'll enjoy complimentary Gold status with the card and the ability to upgrade to Diamond status by spending $40,000 in eligible purchases in a calendar year. The card also awards a weekend-night certificate when you spend $15,000 on the card in a calendar year, and grants you Priority Pass Select membership (though you'll only get 10 complimentary visits; each additional one is $32). For an infrequent traveler, the 10 free visits to Priority Pass lounges may be sufficient You're still getting a very solid return of 7.2% on your Hilton stays plus 3.6% back on your dining, grocery and gas purchases in the U.S. You may want to sign-up for the Surpass even if your travel habits could justify the Hilton Amex Aspire with its higher annual fee.
Further Reading: Credit Card review: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
Official Application Link: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
Hilton Honors American Express Card
Bonus: 75,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $1,000 or more in purchases with your new card within the first three months of card membership
Earning rate(s): 7 points per dollar spent at Hilton properties; 5 points per dollar spent at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations; 3 points per dollar spent everywhere else
Annual fee: $0
Why we chose it: Earning a 4.2% return on Hilton stays and 3% return at restaurants, supermarkets and gas stations is impressive for a no-annual-fee card. You'll also enjoy complimentary Silver status with the card and the ability to upgrade to Gold status by spending $20,000 in eligible purchases in a calendar year. Silver status is enough to get you a fifth night free on award stays, meaning you can spend as little as 20,000 points total for a five-night stay. The Hilton Surpass or Hilton Aspire will provide better value for most travelers -- but if you're opposed to paying an annual fee, the Hilton Amex is a solid card.
Official Application Link: Hilton Honors American Express Card (75,000-point bonus offer)
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card
Bonus: 75,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points after you use your new card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first three months
Earning rate(s): 6 points per dollar at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels; 3 points per dollar at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines; 2 points per dollar on everything else
Annual Fee: $450
Why we chose it: You don't need to be a hard-core Marriott loyalist to get some great value from this card. It offers a statement credit of up to $300 each year of card membership, and this applies to room rates as well as on-property purchases like meals and spa treatments. Cardholders also get a free night award each year after their cardmember anniversary for properties that cost up to 50,000 points per night, plus complimentary Marriott Gold status (and the opportunity to earn Marriott Platinum status after spending $75,000 on the card in a calendar year) and a Priority Pass Select membership. Between the $300 statement credit that can be used toward hotel stays, the annual free-night award and complimentary Gold elite status, it can be relatively easy to justify this card's premium annual fee.
Further Reading: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Credit Card review
Official Application Link: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card (75,000-point bonus offer)
Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express
Bonus: Earn 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and 35,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months and a $100 Statement Credit after you make a Delta purchase with your new Card within your first 3 months.
Earning rate(s): 2 miles per dollar spent on Delta purchases; 1 mile per dollar spent everywhere else
Annual fee: $195 ($250 if application is received on or after 1/30/2020)
Why we chose it: If you're chasing elite status on Delta, the Platinum Delta SkyMiles Amex is a solid choice. If you fly once a year with a companion, the card's annual companion pass can easily save you at least the amount of the annual fee, since it's good on many round-trip Delta coach fares. The Miles Boost feature allows you to earn 10,000 MQMs with $25,000 of annual spend, and another 10,000 MQMs with a total of $50,000 in annual spend.
Further Reading: Platinum Delta SkyMiles Amex Credit Card review
Official Application Link: Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express
Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express
Bonus: Earn 30,000 bonus miles after you use your new Card to make $1,000 in purchases within your first 3 months and a $50 Statement Credit after you make a Delta purchase with your new Card within your first 3 months.
Earning rate(s): 2 miles per dollar spent on Delta purchases; 1 mile per dollar spent everywhere else
Annual fee: $95 (waived for the first year)
Why we chose it: This card is a terrific option if you occasionally fly Delta. The free-checked-bag benefit will save you up to $60 on a round-trip flight, and priority boarding can help ensure that you snag space in the overhead bin. Even though Delta has significantly devalued its program over the last few years, there are still some solid redemptions using SkyMiles.
Further Reading: Gold Delta SkyMiles Amex Credit Card review
Official Application Link: Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express
Amex cards that earn cash back
The third category is cash-back cards. Even though they don’t offer opportunities to maximize your rewards, they do offer a consistent return and simple earning and redemption structures. Here’s an overview of two American Express cards that fit into this category:
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
Bonus: Earn $250 back after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new card in your first three months. You will receive the cash back in the form of a statement credit.
Earning rate(s): 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year, then 1% thereafter); 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming services; 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations; 3% cash back on transit; 1% back everywhere else
Annual fee: $95
Why we chose it: This card may be a good option if you just want to put some spend back into your wallet, as we do value it as one of the best cash back credit cards. A 6% bonus category is among the highest you’ll find with cash-back cards, though I wish the bonus extended to merchants other than U.S. supermarkets and select U.S. streaming services. Nevertheless, if you're a big grocery shopper, getting a 6% return is solid.
Official Application Link: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express ($250 cash back bonus offer)
Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
Bonus: Earn $150 back after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new card in your first three months. You will receive the cash back in the form of a statement credit.
Earning rate(s): 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year, then 1% thereafter); 2% cash back at U.S. gas stations and select U.S. department stores; 1% back everywhere else.
Annual fee: None
Why we chose it: This card carries no annual fee but offers a lower bonus ($150) and lower bonus categories (3% and 2% instead of 6% and 3%) than the Blue Cash Preferred. If you're debating between the Blue Cash Everyday and the Blue Cash Preferred, you’d need to spend $3,166.67 each year at U.S. supermarkets or $9,500 at U.S. gas stations/department stores to justify the Preferred's annual fee, ignoring the welcome bonus.
Amex cards for business owners
There are plenty of benefits to using a small-business card for business purchases. For one, these cards often offer bonus rewards in categories more suited to business expenses, such as internet services or advertising. Plus, you want to be able to keep your business expenses separate from your personal finances and the best business cards come with management tools that make that process easier. Here are a few of Amex's top business credit cards:
The Business Platinum Card from American Express
Bonus: Earn up to 100,000 bonus points in the first three months — 50,000 after you spend $10,000 and another 50,000 after you spend a total of $25,000
Earning rate(s): 5 points per dollar on flights and prepaid hotels booked at amextrave.com; 1 point per dollar spent everywhere else
Annual fee: $595
Why we chose it: Like its consumer-card counterpart, the Amex Business Platinum is best in class when it comes to benefits for frequent travelers. Many benefits are the same across the cards, including lounge access, the $200 airline-fee credit, automatic elite status and more. You'll also get an up to $200 annual Dell credit and access to Amex's suite of business tools. Even though the card accrues valuable Membership Rewards points that can be used in a variety of ways, it offers very little in the way of spending bonuses, so it’s not the best option for maximizing everyday purchases.
Further Reading: The Business Platinum Card from Amex review
Official Application Link: The Business Platinum Card from American Express
American Express Business Gold Card
Bonus: Earn 35,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $5,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
Earning rate(s): Earn 4 points per dollar on the two categories you spend most on each month. The choices include airfare purchased directly from airlines, U.S. advertising purchases in select media (online, TV, radio), U.S. purchases made from select technology providers of computer hardware, software and cloud solutions, U.S. gas stations, U.S. restaurants and U.S. shipping purchases. Earn 1 point per dollar on all other spending.
Annual fee: $295
Why we chose it: Unlike the Platinum business card, the Business Gold Rewards Card offers some valuable spending bonuses on categories that are popular for small businesses, so this is ideal for those of you wanting to boost your Membership Rewards balance. The flexible rewards structure that automatically chooses your top categories also makes it easier to maximize rewards each month.
Further Reading: Amex Business Gold Card review
Official Application Link: American Express Business Gold Card
Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express
Bonus: N/A
Earning rate(s): Earn 2 points per dollar spent on up to $50,000 annually; then 1 point per dollar.
Annual fee: $0
Why we chose it: Earning 2x on all purchases is the best flat earning rate for business expenses on the market today. It means you don't have to juggle bonus categories and it's perfect for business owners with smaller annual budgets. It's a bummer that you don't earn a welcome bonus with this card's current offer, but there is still a lot to love about the simplicity of this card. Its lack of an annual fee also makes it a great card to pair with other Membership Rewards cards. For example, you could pair it with the Amex Business Platinum to earn 5x on business travel and 2x on your other everyday business spending.
Further Reading: Blue Business Plus Credit Card review
Official Application Link: Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express
Gold Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card from American Express
Bonus: Earn 30,000 bonus miles after you use your new Card to make $1,000 in purchases within your first 3 months and a $50 Statement Credit after you make a Delta purchase with your new Card within your first 3 months.
Earning rate(s): Earn 2 miles per dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta; then 1 point per dollar.
Annual fee: $95, waived the first year
Why we chose it: If you fly Delta for business travel, it's a good idea to have a cobranded Delta credit card in your wallet. The card also comes with a free checked bag on Delta flights, along with priority boarding and 20% savings on eligible inflight purchases. You can also use the card to get out of Delta’s Medallion Qualification Dollar (MQD) requirement by earning the required MQMs and spending at least $25,000 in a calendar year.
Further Reading: Gold Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card review
Official Application Link: Gold Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card from American Express
How we chose the best Amex cards
After going through details for each specific card, let's discuss our overall approach to this analysis. I started by selecting what I believe to be the best American Express credit cards on the market today. Then I divided those cards up into four different categories:
- Those that earn transferable points
- Those that earn points or miles in a specific program
- Those that earn cash back
- Those that are suited for small businesses
Then, within each category, I broke down the individual perks of each card using the following criteria:
- Welcome bonus
- Earning rate(s)
- Benefits
- Annual fee
Finally, I tried to provide some context for each card and suggest to whom it might appeal based on a variety of factors, including spending habits, travel patterns and desired rewards. As always, you likely have your own criteria for these decisions, so feel free to use this analysis to help you come to your own conclusions.
Bottom line
As you can see, American Express offers a wide range of selections including some of the best rewards credit cards and best travel credit cards with benefits along with varied earning and redemption options. My personal recommendation is The Platinum Card from American Express thanks to the lucrative welcome bonus and incredible collection of perks.
If you aren't sure what card is best, start by figuring out what type of rewards you want to earn and benefits you want to enjoy. Then you can consider each product to see which one carries the perks and points that’ll work best for you.
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.