Best American Express Cards: Best for Travelers, Business & Cash Backs

Best American Express Cards: People have reasons for always talking about American Express credit cards — they have some of the best benefits on the market.

The company also has a good and long history of serving customers around the world. American Express was founded in 1850, and presently, it is best known for its array of credit card options.

Amex-Cards

American Express is the second-largest US card processing company,Behind Visa, beating Mastercard in total transactions and market share.

The company can tag this success to its credit card selections, both for businesses and individuals. Before deciding if or not American Express has what it takes to put a new card into your wallet, it’s needful to know which credit cards are the best in terms of rewards, costs, and other perks.

Among the best American Express cards, you will find credit and charge cards of all sorts, including cash-back, general travel, and airline cards. All from a company known for its good customer service.

If you are ready to add an American Express card to your wallet, review the offers below first. These are the Amex credit cards which we have seen to be the best.

Best American Express Cards

  • Amex EveryDay Credit Card
    Best Overall, Best With No Annual Fee, Best for Balance Transfers, Best for Cost-Conscious Travelers
  • Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
    Best for Cash-Back Rewards, Best for Financing Large Purchases
  • The Platinum Card from American Express
    Best for Luxury Travelers, Best Sign-Up Bonus
  • American Express Blue Business Cash Card
    Best for Businesses

1. Amex EveryDay® Credit Card

Best Overall, Best With No Annual Fee, Best for Balance Transfers, Best for Cost-Conscious Travelers

RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE : Good – Excellent
REGULAR APR (%) 14.49% – 25.49% variable
ANNUAL FEE $0
REWARDS EARNING RATE Earn 2 points per $1 at US supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year. Earn 1 point per $1 for other eligible purchases.
INTRO PURCHASE APR 0% for 15 Months
FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEE (%) 2.7%

WHY WE CHOSE THIS CARD

This is the best American Express card for several reasons. Transfer a balance within 60 days of opening your account and get 15 months to pay it off without interest and balance transfer fee. This card is also good for cost-conscious travelers who don’t want to pay yearly fees, but want various travel redemption options, including 1:1 transfers to many hotel and airline partners.

2. Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

Best for Cash-Back Rewards, Best for Financing Large Purchases
RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE : Good – Excellent
REGULAR APR (%) 14.49% – 25.49% variable
ANNUAL FEE $0
REWARDS EARNING RATE Earn 3% at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year in purchases), 2% at U.S. gas stations & select U.S. department stores, and 1% on other purchases.
INTRO PURCHASE APR 0% for 15 Months
FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEE (%) 2.7%

WHY WE CHOSE THIS CARD

For anyone that needs a card that rewards everyday purchases, this is a great option. You will earn extra cash back for purchases at grocery stores, gas stations, and select department stores.

New cardholders will also get 0% APR on every purchase for 15 months, which is an excellent offer for a cash-back card. That promotional offer makes the Blue Cash Everyday the best Amex for financing large purchases.

3. The Platinum Card® from American Express

Best for Luxury Travelers, Best Sign-Up Bonus

RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE: Good – Excellent
REGULAR APR (%) N/A
ANNUAL FEE $550
REWARDS EARNING RATE 5X Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel. 5X Membership Rewards points on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com.
FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEE (%) 0%

WHY WE CHOSE THIS CARD

This card comes with a $550 annual fee, but if you are a traveler seeking all sorts of extra benefits, this card is worth it. The 60,000-point Membership Rewards bonus can be worth more than $600 when transferred to one of the program’s hotel or airline partners.

Also, you will get airport lounge access, premium travel insurance benefits, travel-fee reimbursement, and elite hotel membership status, and more. And, as with all good travel cards, there is no foreign transaction fee.

American Express® Blue Business Cash Card

Best for Businesses

RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE : Good – Excellent
REGULAR APR (%) 14.74% – 20.74% variable
ANNUAL FEE $0
REWARDS EARNING RATE Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%
INTRO PURCHASE APR 0% for 12 Months
CASH ADVANCE FEE This product does not offer cash advances.

WHY WE CHOSE THIS CARD

This is a great, low-maintenance business card that gives automatic cash back for no yearly fee. You will get 2% back on all purchases for the first $50,000 spent yearly, and then 1% back after that, which makes it a strong offer for small business owners with minimal monthly expenses. If you need to finance a large purchase, the year-long 0% intro APR offer can help make that happen.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What Is American Express? 

American Express has been in existence for a long time. Back in the late 1800s, it reached limelight by issuing its first financial product: traveler’s checks. Charge cards came some  decades later.

Today, American Express is one of the biggest credit card issuer and  card network. American Express credit card spending accounted for almost a quarter of U.S. credit card spending in 2018.

Its duo issuer-network role means American Express is the major source for all your needs and questions as a cardholder. As an issuer, American Express is the bank that gives credit cards to consumers and maintains the card accounts—just as other issuers like Chase and Citi do. As a network, it helps with card payment processing for merchants who take Amex payments, just as Mastercard, for merchants who take Mastercard payments.

Who Should Get an American Express Card?

American Express cards are not for everybody. To begin, you need good or excellent credit to be approved for most Amex cards. American Express does not have secured or student cards for people with low or no credit.

Since American Express cards offer cash-back and travel rewards, they are best for consumers who can pay off their balance in full every month. Rewards cards tend to have higher interest rates than non-rewards cards, and when you pay the interest, any value earned from credit card rewards is quickly lost. Also, most American Express rewards cards charge annual fees, which add to your cost burden if you carry debt month-to-month.

Additionally, American Express card acceptance still pales outside of the U.S. when compared to Visa and Mastercard acceptance. So, international travelers will need to use a different card when going overseas.

What are the Common American Express Card Benefits?

Just like other payment networks, American Express offers travel and purchase perks on its cards. The exact array of benefits you will get will vary depending on the kind of card, but overall, the benefits may include:

  • Extended warranties
  • Insurance for stolen or damaged purchases
  • Refund when merchant won’t accept returned item
  • Insurance coverage for lost or delayed luggage
  • Rental car collision insurance
  • Travel and emergency hotline
  • Roadside assistance hotline
  • Travel accident insurance

How Does American Express Membership Rewards Work?

Depending on the card you have, you may earn rewards in three different ways:

  • Cash back
  • Points or miles in a co-branded loyalty program (such as Delta SkyMiles)
  • Travel rewards in Amex’s own loyalty program, Membership Rewards

Membership Rewards points can be redeemed in several ways, but they are really meant for travel. Most cards will let you to use your points to book flights, hotels, rental cars, or cruises through American Express Travel. Your points are worth 1 cent each when you do that.

Does American Express have a student credit card?

American Express does not offer credit cards specially designed for students. But if you are at least 18 years old and have a good credit score, you can apply for any American Express credit card. If you do not meet application requirements, look into becoming an authorized user to build credit and subsequently get your own card.

Student credit card features to look for

Generally, student credit cards are standard cards that offer fewer features. If you are looking to apply for such a card, keep an eye on:

Amex Cards for students?

  • Annual fee. Student credit cards rarely require yearly fees. If your card does, weigh whether the card’s benefits are worth it.

  • Intro APR period. Most student credit cards do not offer intro APR periods on balance transfers & purchases. If they do, it is often extended over a short one to six months. If you need this benefit, consider Bank of America’s student credit card that offers up to 15 months without interest.

  • Student credit cards often offer poor or no rewards program at all. But more traditional credit cards offer accelerated rewards on select categories, which are worth checking out.

  • Reports to credit bureaus. Check that the card provider reports your card activity to all three major credit bureaus — TransUnion, Experian and Equifax. If it does not, building or rebuilding your credit score may not happen as quickly.

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