The best American Express credit cards in 2024

American Express offers a variety of rewards cards for both consumers and small business owners. Annual fees on Amex cards are as high as $695, so you’ll need to compare the rewards and benefits carefully to find the best one for your needs.

The best American Express credit cards of 2024:

card_name: Best for groceries

card_name is one of our favorite cards for groceries, offering the highest rate of cash back you can get on U.S. supermarket purchases. Even with a annual_fees annual fee after the first year, any cardholder who spends regularly in this category should have no problem offsetting the cost, especially with additional benefits like monthly statement credits for qualifying Equinox+ and Disney Bundle subscription costs.

card_name: Best for no annual fee

card_name is a great no-annual-fee alternative to the card_name. It still offers a competitive cash back rate on U.S. supermarket purchases, and it is also a great choice for online shoppers thanks to its bonus category for U.S. online retail purchases. When combined with a lengthy intro APR for both new purchases and balance transfers, this card can be valuable for several kinds of spenders.

American Express Green Card: Best for intro travel card

The American Express Green Card might charge a $150 annual fee, but it offsets that cost with valuable perks for frequent travelers, including up to $189 per year for a Clear Plus membership and up to $100 per year for LoungeBuddy access. These benefits, combined with a solid earning rate on travel, transit and dining, make it a good entry-level travel card for those wanting to get started earning Membership Rewards.

card_name: Best for foodies

With a high earning rate on both U.S. supermarket and restaurant purchases, the card_name is a great choice for foodies who prefer dining in or out. It does come with a annual_fees annual fee, but it’s up to $120 in Uber Cash per year and up to $120 in statement credits for select restaurants can cover most of the cost if you take advantage of them.

card_name: Best for luxury travel benefits

card_name is one of the most expensive cards available, but it also comes packed with statement credits and perks tailored to luxury travelers. For one, it has the most comprehensive airport lounge access available with a credit card, including access to Priority Pass lounges, Delta Sky Club when flying with the airline and Centurion lounges. If you can take advantage of its numerous statement credits with brands like Equinox, Saks Fifth Avenue and more, you can get up to $1,600 in value.

card_name: Best for business cash back

card_name card offers a solid, flat earning rate for small business owners who don’t spend heavily in any particular bonus category and prefer not to pay an annual fee. That said, heavy spenders should watch out for the $50,000 spend limit on 2% earnings each year, when the earning rate drops to 1% back.

card_name: Best for business category earning

card_name offers the opportunity to earn rewards that shift as your business spending does. Rather than offer a high rate in a fixed category, it earns 4 points per dollar in the two business-related categories your business spends the most in each month, which can include transit, wireless phone services and more. It also comes with statement credits at businesses like Grubhub and FedEx that can help cover some of the card’s $375 annual fee.

card_name: Best for business travel

Small business owners who travel frequently will enjoy the card_name’s high earning rate on travel purchases, plus lounge access and other perks. In addition to statement credits tailored toward travel purchases, the Business Platinum offers credits with brands such as Dell, Indeed and Adobe Creative Solutions.

How we chose the best American Express credit cards of 2024

We chose the most popular American Express cards and some lesser-known cards based on the following criteria: rewards rates, welcome offers, rewards flexibility, annual fees, consumer protections included, travel benefits and perks and travel insurance benefits.

Choosing the best American Express credit card: Where to begin

Deciding which card is best for you will depend on several factors, including if you want to earn points or cash back, your credit rating and your payment habits. Follow these tips to pick the best match.

Check your credit score

Before you apply for a credit card, you’ll need to know your credit score. Eligibility for the best rewards cards is typically limited to those with a good to excellent credit score (above 670). The same goes for balance transfer cards with lengthy introductory offers. If your score is lower, you will need to either work to improve it before you apply or opt for a card designed for cardholders with poor credit.

Related: How to check your credit score

Pick a rewards currency

If you are planning on a card that earns rewards on your purchase, you’ll first need to decide what currency you want to earn in. That means choosing between cash back, which is a more flexible option, points or miles, which can be more valuable. Points or miles could be from a card issuer like Amex, in which case they can be used on all kinds of travel or from a particular hotel or airline loyalty program.

Cash back is a more hands-off rewards currency, as it can be spent on all kinds of purchases and almost always has the same value. Points and miles, on the other hand, can get you more bang for your buck, but they require some research and strategy to get the most valuable redemptions.

Match earnings to your spending

Rewards credit cards typically offer one of two earning schemes: a flat earning rate on all purchases or bonus rewards in particular categories paired with a lower rate on general purchases. While a flat rate is good for those who don’t spend heavily in one category, bonus categories can help you earn more on things you buy frequently like groceries or gas.

Decide if you’re willing to pay an annual fee

Many credit cards come with an annual fee or a charge you must pay just to keep the card open. In exchange for this cost, you’ll usually get higher earning rates or more card benefits, like statement credits or lounge access. Still, you’ll need to be able to take advantage of all the card has to offer to justify the upfront cost.

Compare other card benefits

In addition to rewards in the form of points or cash back, your credit card can come with other benefits that add to its value. That could include statement credits for certain purchases, lounge access, travel protections, introductory APRs and more. Look beyond a card’s rewards and fee to get a full picture of what it can offer.

What is American Express?

American Express is a financial institution that offers many different products and services for consumers, businesses and merchants.

For one, American Express is a credit card network similar to Visa, Mastercard and Discover that facilitates payments between credit cardholders and merchants worldwide. These networks charge businesses a small processing fee in exchange for the opportunity to accept a certain type of credit card.

American Express is also a credit card issuer, which is to say a financial institution that offers credit card products to consumers or businesses. Card issuers serve as the lender for your line of credit.

Finally, American Express offers several banking products including checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit (CDs) and personal loans.

Types of American Express credit cards

American Express offers many different types of credit cards, but they can be divided into a few main categories.

• Cash back vs. Membership Rewards points: All of the personal credit cards currently offered by American Express offer some kind of rewards, but some offer cash back while others offer Membership Rewards points.
• Consumer vs. small business: Amex offers cards for both consumers and businesses with different rewards rates and benefits. You must be a small business owner to qualify for a business credit card.
• Co-branded cards: In addition to its own line of credit cards, American Express partners with brands including Delta SkyMiles, Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy to offer cards that earn in that rewards program’s currency.

American Express Membership Rewards

For travel credit cards issued by American Express, the issuer uses a points-currency known as Membership Rewards. These points are popular among frequent travelers because they have a high potential value, especially if you transfer them to one of Amex’s hotel or airline partners.

Membership Rewards will have a different value depending on how you redeem them, so you’ll need to be strategic if you want to stretch your rewards. For instance, if you redeem your points for a statement credit to cover card charges, they are worth 0.6 cents each, but if you redeem for flights in the American Express travel portal, they are worth 1 cent apiece.

Other redemption options include paying with points at checkout with select merchants, purchasing gift cards, making a charitable donation and more. You can use the American Express rewards calculator to see how much your points are worth with each option.

How to maximize American Express Membership Rewards

Because Amex Membership Rewards have a different value depending on where you spend them, it can take a little strategizing to maximize your points.

Perhaps the easiest way to get a good value is to spend your points on flights booked through the American Express Travel portal, as those redemptions get you 1 cent per point of value. That value is standard among travel credit cards, so you know you’re getting a good deal.

You might be able to get even more out of your points by transferring to one of American Express’s 21 hotel or airline transfer partners, however. For the most part, you’ll get a 1:1 ratio when you transfer Membership Rewards, meaning that 1,000 points with Amex will net you 1,000 points with Marriott Bonvoy. But in some cases, you can get a more favorable transfer rate, in which you get more points with the partner. American Express periodically runs offers for these kinds of deals as well.

Current transfer ratios are as follows:

Points and miles with various airlines and hotel programs have different values, so you might be able to get more than 1 cent per point when you transfer. Delta SkyMiles, for instance, are valued at around 1.16 cents each, so you could get more bang for your buck by transferring rewards. You’ll just have to do the math by comparing the price in points or miles to the price in cash for your booking to ensure you’re getting a favorable rate.

Related: American Express Membership Rewards guide

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

What credit score do you need for an American Express Card?

All American Express cards currently available are designed for applicants with at least a good credit score (above 670), and your chances of approval are likely better if your score is excellent (above 740).

Do all American Express cards have an annual fee?

No, American Express offers several credit cards that do not charge an annual fee, including the Blue Cash Everyday Card, the Cash Magnet Card and Blue Business Plus Credit Card.

Are there American Express cards specifically for business use?

Yes, American Express has many business-focused credit cards that come with perks for small business owners, such as the ability to set individual spending limits on employee cards. Business cards from American Express also tend to have rewards rates that are more in line with business than consumer spending.

How many Amex cards can you have?

American Express does not state a limit on the number of cards you can have open with the issuer. That said, the number of credit accounts you have open is a factor in your credit score, and if you open too many accounts in a short period of time, it might signal to lenders that you are desperate for credit and lead them to deny your application.

Where is the security code on my American Express credit card?

While most credit cards list a three-digit security code on the back of the card, American Express instead features a four-digit security code on the front of the card. You can find your security code, also known as a CVV, CVC, CSC, CVN or CID, on the right side of your card. Note that your American Express card will also have a three-digit code on the back of your card near the signature line, which is the same place other card issuers display their security codes. For American Express, this identification number is used for additional security, but it will not work if inputted as your security code.

Related: Credit card numbers: What do they mean?

For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express Card, please visit URL.

For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express Card, please visit URL.

For rates and fees of the The Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit URL.

For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, please visit URL.

For rates and fees of the The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, please visit URL.

For rates and fees of the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit URL.

For rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, please visit URL.