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The best American Express cards in 2021:
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American Express card |
Best Amex card for lounge access, elite status, and more travel perks: |
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Best Amex card for dining rewards: |
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Best cash-back Amex card: |
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Best for bonus points on travel: |
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Best business credit card for travelers: |
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Best business card for everyday spending: |
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Great bonus categories for families: |
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Best no-annual-fee Amex card: |
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Best Amex card with a low intro APR: |
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American Express is most famous for its travel cards like the
Amex cards also offer various benefits like travel insurance and purchase protection. Additionally, all American Express cardholders get access to Amex Offers that can earn you bonus points or get cash back when you shop with certain retailers.
If you’re looking for the best Amex card for you, here are the ones you should consider.
Best Amex card if you travel a lot: Platinum Card
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The card comes with a long list of perks, including access to more than 1,200 airport lounges within the Priority Pass** network, as well as Delta Sky Clubs (when you’re flying Delta) and proprietary American Express Centurion Lounges. It also offers complimentary Gold elite status with Marriott and Hilton hotels**, as well as up to $100 per year in shopping credits at Saks Fifth Avenue**, up to $200 in Uber credits** each cardmember year, and access to special events.
Best for dining rewards: Amex Gold Card
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Best for cash back: Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
If you’re less excited about earning Membership Rewards points – which can be valuable, but also require some effort to redeem for maximum value – and want to stick with cash back, the
You’ll earn 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming services and 3% back on all transit. That’s in addition to 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 in purchases per calendar year (and 1% after that), 3% back at U.S. gas stations, and 1% cash back on everything else (cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars).
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If you travel but don’t want to pay for the Amex Platinum: Amex Green Card
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You’ll earn 3 points per dollar on all eligible travel, which includes everything from subway fare to hotels to flights. You’ll also earn 3 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide. In terms of points-earning, this puts the
Other benefits include up to $100 in statement credits toward CLEAR membership each year, and up to $100 in statement credits per year toward LoungeBuddy purchases (for airport lounge access).
The Amex Green card has a
Best business card for travelers: Amex Business Platinum Card
The
It also offers several benefits that cater to business owners, such as a 50% points bonus on purchases of $5,000 or more (up to 1 million additional points each year) and up to $200 in annual statement credits for Dell purchases** ($100 each half of the year).
If you use Amex points to book travel, you’ll appreciate the 35% Pay With Points rebate, which applies to business- and first-class flights or flights in any class with a selected qualifying airline booked through Amex Travel. You can get up to 500,000 points back in a calendar year.
The personal
Best business card for earning maximum points: The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
Another bonus is that
One downside is that there’s no welcome bonus, but the return on spending could be reason enough to consider this card.
Great bonus categories for families: Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card
The
The card earns 3 points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 each calendar year – 1 point per dollar after that), 2x points at U.S. gas stations, and 1x point on everything else. You can also get 2x points on reservations made through Amex Travel.
Best of all, if you make 30 or more purchases in a billing period, you’ll earn a 50% bonus. That means that those little $3 and $4 charges for things like coffee or a snack can help you get a ton of points quickly.
The card also offers a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 months after account opening, before switching to a
Best Amex card with no annual fee: Amex EveryDay Card
The Amex EveryDay is a no-annual-fee version, which still offers solid rewards. It earns 2x points at U.S. supermarkets (again up to $6,000 of purchases per calendar year, then 1x after that) and at AmexTravel.com, and 1x on everything else. It also offers 20% more points when you make 20 or more purchases in a billing period.
Like most Amex cards, it features a few travel and purchase protections, as well as access to the Amex Offers program.
While most people will be better off with the Preferred, the regular EveryDay is still a strong option – especially since there’s no annual fee.
Best Amex card with an intro APR offer: Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
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The card earns a lower 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 each calendar year – and 1% after that – 2% back at U.S. gas stations and select U.S. department stores, and 1% cash back on everything else (cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars). While many people spend enough in the bonus categories to make the Blue Cash Preferred the better option, this remains a decent card for anyone who’s strictly opposed to paying an annual fee.
If you’re looking to make a major purchase and pay it off over time, like an appliance or an engagement ring, you can take advantage of the 0% intro APR on purchases for the first 15 months after account opening (after that, it reverts to a
Sarah Silbert is the senior reviews editor at Personal Finance Insider. She’s covered personal finance and credit card rewards for six years, and she’s a Certified Educator in Personal Finance (CEPF).
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