Best American Express Cards in February 2025

Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

Erika's Picks for Best American Express Cards

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American Express (Amex) is traditionally known for luxury credit cards with luxury price tags. 

But the Amex card portfolio has evolved, and over 30 different Amex cards are now marketed to folks of varying financial means, lifestyle goals, and travel aspirations.

Here are the American Express cards that we think have benefits that live up to their branding.

American Express® Gold Card

Rewards Rate
  • 4x points at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1x points for the rest of the year
  • 4x points at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1x points for the rest of the year
  • 3x points for flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
  • 1x points on all other purchases
Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in the first 6 months

Annual Fee

$325 (rates and fees)

The best way to travel for free is to maximize the number of points you earn from your everyday credit card spending, then redeem those points for flights. And with the heaps of points it earns in purchase categories like groceries and restaurants, the American Express® Gold Card is designed for those who plan to eat their way into first class.

The Gold card’s rewards structure helps you quickly accumulate American Express Membership Rewards® points from your grub expenses.

Although your points can be redeemed in many ways, they’re most valuable when transferred to one of Amex’s partner loyalty programs and strategically exchanged for free flights or hotel nights.

This eat-travel-repeat rewards framework is complemented by other valuable features that call out to urban foodies. For example, if you use your Amex Gold card to pay for Uber or Uber Eats, you’ll get $10 in Uber Cash each month, which can be applied toward future U.S. Uber rides and Uber Eats purchases.

The card also provides three additional restaurant and food delivery statement credits:

  • Up to $10 monthly toward dining purchases from The Cheesecake Factory, Five Guys, Goldbelly, Grubhub, and Wine.com (enrollment required)
  • Up to $50 twice a year for purchases at U.S. restaurants that allow Resy.com and Resy app reservations (enrollment required)
  • Up to $7 monthly for Dunkin’ purchases (enrollment required)

LEARN MORE: American Express® Gold Card

Of the three personal Amex cards that earn Membership Rewards — the Amex Gold, Platinum, and Green — the American Express® Gold Card’s rewards rates are the most lucrative for everyday spending. And it’s the only card of the three that offers elevated rewards for purchases made at U.S. supermarkets, a major expense category for most of us.

Based on average U.S. consumer spending, our calculations show the average American could earn about 65,000 Membership Rewards points annually by putting all their credit card-chargeable expenses onto the Amex Gold. That’s a much higher point tally than the estimates we came up with for the Platinum (about 42,000 points annually) and Green (about 47,000 points annually).

When redeemed for a flight through the Amex Travel portal, 65,000 Membership Rewards points are worth $650 — twice the Gold card’s annual fee.

But you can stretch your points’ value by transferring them to one of Amex’s 21 airline and hotel loyalty program partners — which include popular brands like Delta Air Lines, Air France-KLM, and Marriott Bonvoy — and strategically redeeming the points for a high-value flight or hotel night.

That said, while the Amex Gold has outstanding points-earning potential, it’s missing certain travel features, like airport lounge access. And although it comes with lost baggage, trip delay, and secondary car rental loss and damage insurance*, it skips trip cancellation/interruption insurance, which Amex includes only among its cards with higher annual fees.

LEARN MORE: American Express® Gold Card

* Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.

All information about the American Express Green Card has been collected independently by Erika.com. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

The Platinum Card® from American Express

Rewards Rate
  • 5x points on directly booked flights and hotels booked through American Express Travel (up to $500,000)
  • 1x on all other spending
Welcome Offer

Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 in the first 6 months

Annual Fee

$695 (rates and fees)

Even hardcore travel rewards enthusiasts might raise an eyebrow at an annual fee that costs about as much as two round-trip domestic flights. But the airport, hotel, and insurance benefits* you get with The Platinum Card® from American Express could be worth it for frequent travelers.

The Platinum’s signature feature is complimentary access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, which is made up of over 1,400 international Centurion®, Delta SkyClub®, Escape, Lufthansa, Priority Pass™ Select, Plaza Premium, and other partner lounges, and is available in most large airports.

Lounge networks like Priority Pass normally charge up to $469 for an annual membership, and networks that don’t have annual memberships (like Escape lounges) can charge over $30 per entrance if you don’t have a card like the Platinum. Plus, your Platinum allows you to enter many Global Lounge Collection lounges with up to two guests for free.

Those airport perks are complemented by hotel perks, as the Platinum provides elite status with two major hotel companies: Hilton and Marriott.

With Hilton Honors™ Gold Status, you can get space-available room upgrades and free food when you stay at select Hilton hotel brands, among other treats. This status level is normally reserved for guests who stay in Hilton properties at least 40 nights a year. It’s available to Platinum cardholders for free upon enrollment, with no minimum stay requirement.

If you prefer Marriott, the Platinum also allows you to enroll for Marriott Bonvoy® Gold Elite Status, which is normally granted after staying in Marriott properties 25 nights a year. Gold Elite Status entitles you to space-available room upgrades and late checkout.

Finally, although the Platinum comes with fewer types of travel insurance than competing cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, it has competitive coverage amounts.

LEARN MORE: The Platinum Card® from American Express

* Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.

The The Platinum Card® from American Express’s long list of travel privileges makes it the most well-rounded of all American Express travel cards and one of the best travel credit cards in the U.S.

At first glance, the card’s rewards structure seems weak relative to its annual fee — it doesn’t have elevated earn rates in everyday categories like groceries, restaurants, or gas. But this is offset by statement credits and cash-like benefits that add up to $1,294 annually:

  • $15 in monthly Uber Cash with a $20 bonus in December
  • $20 in monthly statement credits for eligible purchases with Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal (enrollment required)
  • $12.95 in monthly statement credits toward a Walmart+ membership
  • $200 in annual statement credits for incidental airline fees — think fees for checked bags, in-flight food, or traveling with pets — charged by one of Alaska, American, Delta, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Spirit, Southwest, or United Airlines
  • $199 annual statement credit for CLEAR Plus Membership
  • $50 statement credit twice a year for Saks Fifth Avenue or saks.com purchases (enrollment required)
  • Up to $200 annually on select prepaid hotel bookings through Amex Travel

LEARN MORE: The Platinum Card® from American Express

COMPARE: Best Travel Credit Cards

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Rewards Rate
  • 6% cashback on purchases at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year, then 1%) and on select streaming services
  • 3% on U.S. gas station and transit purchases
  • 1% on all other spending (cashback is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or on Amazon.com at checkout)
Welcome Offer

Earn $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in the first six months

Annual Fee

$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 (rates and fees)

While most cashback cards don’t charge annual fees, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express justifies its fee with exceptional cashback rates in four spending categories, a monthly statement credit, and unusually comprehensive purchase insurance.*

The card’s high rates for groceries and gas — two of the most significant expenses for the average American — are perfect if you prepare a lot of food at home and have a long commute.

The card should also be on your radar if you bundle Disney+ and Hulu. After spending at least $9.99 monthly on an eligible auto-renewing Disney Bundle, you’ll get $7 back as a credit (enrollment required).

The Preferred card also protects you if your purchases don’t work out:

  • Purchase protection covers items stolen or accidentally damaged within 90 days of purchase. Amex will pay you up to $1,000 per qualifying item, up to $50,000 annually.
  • If a covered item has a manufacturer’s warranty of five years or less and experiences a manufacturer defect, extended warranty adds up to an extra year to the warranty period. Amex covers a replacement cost of up to $10,000 per item and $50,000 annually.
  • If you buy an eligible item with your card and attempt to return it within 90 days, but the seller won’t approve the return, it might be covered by return protection. Amex may refund you up to $300 per qualifying item ($1,000 per card annually).

LEARN MORE: Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

* Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.

Amex loyalists don’t have a huge selection of cashback cards to choose from. But the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express’s earning power makes it one of the best cashback credit cards offered by any issuer, Amex or otherwise.

The fee-phobic may be drawn to the no-annual-fee Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, which also offers respectable cashback rates for groceries and gas. But while the Everyday is a smart choice if you have relatively low expenses, our calculations indicate the average American will earn more cashback from the Preferred, even after factoring in its annual fee.

And since the Preferred’s annual fee only kicks in after your first year, you can always try it out, review your cashback earnings during that period, and then decide if it’s worth renewing.

If your trial run is less profitable than you’d hoped, Amex allows you to downgrade to the Everyday card. This cuts the annual fee from your budget without taking a credit score hit from canceling a credit card outright.

LEARN MORE: Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

COMPARE: Best Cashback Credit Cards

Hilton Honors American Express Card

Rewards Rate
  • 7x Hilton Honors Bonus Points on eligible Hilton hotels and resorts purchases
  • 5x points at U.S. gas stations, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. restaurants
  • 3x points on all other eligible purchases
Welcome Offer

Earn 80,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership

Annual Fee

$0 (rates and fees)

Aside from its high rewards rates for everyday spending, the Hilton Honors American Express Card has other standout features that make it a go-to if you stay in hotels for at least a few nights each year.

One of its best perks is complimentary Hilton Honors™ Silver Status. With this you’ll earn 12 Hilton Honors points per $1 spent at most Hilton properties (on top of the 7 points per $1 with your Hilton Honors Amex card). And if you redeem Hilton Honors points for four award nights in a standard room, you’ll get a fifth night free (maximum four free nights on a consecutive 20-night stay).

After making $20,000 in purchases, your status will be bumped up to Gold, which allows you to earn even more points for Hilton stays, among other perks. Gold status will last through the end of the next calendar year before resetting to Silver.

However, while the card earns a lot of Hilton Honors points for each purchase, those points are generally less valuable than points earned from competing hotel credit cards like the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card or IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card credit cards.

And the values you might get for your Hilton Honors points can vary significantly depending on where you redeem them. Our tests of different award night redemptions across Hilton’s hotel portfolio gave us an average value of 0.7 cents per Hilton Honors point. Some award night redemptions gave as little as 0.2 cents per point; others as much as 1.5 cents per point.

You can pay cash and save your points if a Hilton stay you’re interested in will give you a below-average point value. But Hilton Honors points expire if your account is inactive for 24 consecutive months.

LEARN MORE: Hilton Honors American Express Card

Hotel credit cards tend to offer sky-high rewards rates for purchases within their co-branded hotel networks while skimping on the rewards for everyday purchases.

The Hilton Honors Amex stands out from competitors because, aside from its high rewards rate for Hilton purchases, it also offers solid rates in three important spending categories: U.S. grocery, restaurant, and gas purchases.

This allows you to accumulate points rapidly. We estimate that the average Hilton Honors Amex cardholder can earn around 138,000 Hilton Honors points annually by using the card for all their credit card spending. And that bundle of points can be redeemed for a wide range of Hilton experiences.

If you need to get away for a while, you can reserve an extended stay at a budget-conscious 3-star hotel, like the Hampton by Hilton in Yopal, Colombia. Redeeming 80,000 points at that property could give you up to 20 consecutive nights — 16 nights at 5,000 points each plus four nights free — thanks to complimentary Silver Status.

Or, if you prefer a shorter but more luxurious stay, you can redeem 110,000 points to spend Valentine’s Day at the Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria resort in Maui.

Hilton’s footprint of 24 different hotel brands is big enough to ensure there will likely be a Hilton hotel wherever you go.

LEARN MORE: Hilton Honors American Express Card

COMPARE: Best Hotel Credit Cards

American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

Rewards Rate
  • 2% cashback on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year (1% after)
  • 1% cashback automatically credited to your statement after the first $50,000 spent per calendar year
Welcome Offer

Earn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases in your first 3 months.

Annual Fee

$0 (rates and fees)

If your business is relatively new, you might not have enough operational data to weigh the cost of an annual credit card fee against its benefits. And it can be hard to predict which purchase categories will be your biggest.

That’s why we recommend no-annual-fee cards with a simple, flat-rate rewards structure. Instead of rewarding specific purchase categories that may not align with your expense sheet, the American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card gives you a predictable stream of rewards for every purchase.

Its highest cashback rate applies through $50K in annual card spending, which should be enough for most new businesses with relatively low operating expenses.

The Blue Business Cash card also has tools to help simplify business management:

  • You can receive alerts for employee card purchases outside your approved merchant categories.
  • Card transactions and receipts can be automatically sent to QuickBooks.
  • A year-end summary breaks annual card charges into purchase categories and presents the data in bar graphs or pie charts.

However, if you have high inventory, furniture, or equipment expenses, it might make sense to go with an annual-fee business credit card that offers a high flat cashback rate with no spending limit, like the Capital One Spark Cash Plus.

And although the Blue Business Cash Card’s cashback rates apply to purchases in both the U.S. and abroad, it charges a foreign transaction fee — so it’s not a good payment method if you plan to attend an overseas meeting or conference.

LEARN MORE: American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

Amex offers over a dozen U.S. business credit cards, most of which earn travel rewards.

Earning travel rewards for your business spending is theoretically nice if you have enough time to track your points, research the best transfer options, and calculate the value you’ll get for different flight or hotel redemptions. But those decisions take mental bandwidth that might be better spent tending to the zillion to-dos of running a business with limited resources.

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card is a lower-maintenance way for busy business owners to earn back on their spending and reduce operating expenses. Its rewards are earned as cashback and automatically credited to your card statement. Easy peasy.

Your business may require more frequent travel once it matures, at which point you can complement the Blue Business Cash Card with other business credit cards that offer better travel benefits.

LEARN MORE: American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

COMPARE: Best Business Credit Cards

USAA Secured American Express® Credit Card

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Rewards Rate
  • None
Welcome Offer

None

Annual Fee

$0

Minimum security deposit

$250

The credit paradox is that you need tools like credit cards to build credit, but you need credit to qualify for most credit cards. The USAA Secured American Express® Credit Card offers students a way out of this conundrum. You put down a security deposit and can then make card purchases up to a corresponding credit limit.

Your card activity is reported to the three main credit bureaus, and responsible use may eventually allow you to upgrade to an unsecured card and get your deposit back.

But the secured Amex also has some quirks — both positive and negative:

  • It doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, so it’s a good payment method if you travel or study abroad.
  • It comes with four types of travel insurance: secondary rental car insurance, trip cancellation insurance, travel accident insurance, and baggage delay coverage.*
  • Its maximum credit limit, $5,000, is relatively high.
  • Your security deposit is held as an interest-earning certificate of deposit (CD), helping you simultaneously build credit and savings.
  • You can’t make additional deposits into the secured CD, so you’re stuck with your initial credit limit.

But the card’s biggest drawback is that it’s available only to USAA members and their children. While USAA membership is free, it’s open only to current and former military personnel and their spouses.

* Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.

All information about the USAA Secured American Express® Credit Card has been collected independently by Erika.com. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Amex doesn’t offer a credit card officially designated for students, and it has limited card options for folks whose credit scores are a work in progress.

The USAA Secured Amex is one of the few Amex cards available to students and other credit builders, provided you meet USAA’s membership requirements.

But if you’re not married to the idea of getting an Amex — or if you don’t qualify for USAA membership — other credit cards for building credit might better fit your financial situation and priorities.

For instance, the Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card accepts lower minimum deposits than the USAA Secured Amex. This makes it a smart option if you have limited cash to offer as security.

Other secured card options, like the Discover it® Secured Credit Card, have lucrative welcome bonuses and earn rewards. The USAA Secured Amex doesn’t include these features.

COMPARE: Best Credit Cards to Build Credit

All information about the USAA Secured American Express® Credit Card has been collected independently by Erika.com. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Bottom Line: Are Amex Cards Worth It?

Amex cards are generally worth it if you:

  • Can qualify for a big welcome offer. Amex cards’ welcome offers can be more than twice as valuable as competing cards’ offers.
  • Regularly travel with one or more Amex partner brands, like Marriott, Hilton, or Delta Air Lines. Amex credit cards co-branded with those providers offer perks like free checked bags, a flight companion certificate, or elite status.
  • Want to strategically redeem credit card points for free travel. Amex Membership Rewards points have a more diverse list of transfer partners than competitors, and Amex periodically offers lucrative transfer bonuses.
  • Are willing to pay an annual fee in exchange for high rewards rates, good insurance, and luxury travel benefits like lounge access.

But Amex has a few limitations. For instance, Amex cashback can’t be converted into and combined with Membership Rewards points earned from cards like the Platinum or Gold. This is a disadvantage compared to some other rewards programs, like Chase Ultimate Rewards® and Capital One miles, which allow you to combine cashback and rewards points earned from select card pairings.

“Amex” is a nickname for the financial services company American Express.

Though Amex offers a variety of financial products — including high-yield savings accounts, checking accounts, and personal loans — it’s best known for its credit cards.

Amex acts as both a credit card issuer and a network:

  • As an issuer, it approves or rejects applicants for its credit cards, administers card benefits, and loans money by paying for transactions on cardholders’ behalf.
  • As a network, it facilitates merchants’ credit card transactions.

No, American Express isn’t accepted everywhere. We recommend carrying some cash and a Visa or Mastercard as a backup, particularly when traveling overseas.

Though Amex says the number of international merchants accepting Amex cards has more than tripled since 2017, many Amex cardholders still complain of inconsistent acceptance rates in popular destinations like France, Germany, and Italy.

Acceptance rates abroad are generally higher among larger, urban merchants than rural, mom-and-pop stores.

Acceptance is better in the U.S., where Amex cards are welcomed by 99% of U.S. merchants who take credit cards.

No, Costco doesn’t take American Express credit cards as payment methods at its U.S. warehouses and gas stations, nor on its website.

If you’re a frequent Costco shopper, good credit cards for earning rewards at Costco include the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Credit Card for personal use and the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card for business use.

Amex travel cards generally don’t charge foreign transaction fees, though some Amex cards in other categories do.

Of the cards featured in this article, the Blue Business Cash and Blue Cash Preferred cards charge a 2.7% foreign transaction fee.

The Gold, Platinum, Hilton Honors, and Secured Amex cards don’t charge foreign transaction fees.

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Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.

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I'm an award-winning lawyer and personal finance expert featured in Inc. Magazine, CNBC, the Today Show, Business Insider and more. My mission is to make personal finance accessible for everyone. As the largest financial influencer in the world, I'm connected to a community of over 20 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. I'm also the host of the podcast Erika Taught Me. You might recognize me from my viral tagline, "I read the fine print so you don't have to!"

I'm a graduate of Georgetown Law, where I founded the Georgetown Law Entrepreneurship Club, and the University of Notre Dame. I discovered my passion for personal finance after realizing I was drowning in over $200,000 of student debt and needed to take action-ultimately paying off my student loans in under 2 years. I then spent years as a corporate lawyer representing Fortune 500 companies, but I quit because I realized I wanted to have an impact; I wanted to help real people and teach them that you can create a financial future for yourself.

Advertiser Disclosure

Our aim is to help you make financial decisions with confidence through our objective article content and reviews. Erika.com is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as MileValue.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

Advertiser Disclosure

Our aim is to help you make financial decisions with confidence through our objective article content and reviews. Erika.com is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as MileValue.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

Advertiser Disclosure

Our aim is to help you make financial decisions with confidence through our objective article content and reviews. Erika.com is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as MileValue.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.