Best American Express Cards of 2023

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American Express is well-known for its travel cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express and premium "experiential" offerings like concierge service, but it also offers cards with non-travel perks and lower annual fees. Amex is also highly regarded for its excellent customer service and a wide assortment of airline, hotel, cash back, and general travel cards. Amex is an Insider partner.

If you're looking for the best Amex card for your lifestyle and spending habits, here are the ones you should consider.

Compare the Best American Express Cards

Best American Express Credit Cards in 2023

• The Platinum Card® from American Express: Best for frequent travelers
• American Express® Gold Card: Best for dining rewards
• Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express: Best for cash back
• American Express® Green Card : Best for bonus points on travel
• Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card : Great bonus categories for families
• Amex EveryDay® Credit Card : Best with no annual fee
• Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express: Best with an intro APR offer
• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: Best business card for travelers
• American Express® Business Gold Card : Best business card for big spenders
• The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express: Best business card for earning maximum points
• The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card: Best business card for cash back
• Hilton Honors American Express Card: Best for occasional Hilton travelers
• Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card : Best for frequent Hilton travelers
• Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card: Best for Delta flyers
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card: Best premium card for Delta flyers
• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card: Best luxury card for Marriott

See our picks for the best credit cards »

Methodology: How We Chose the Best American Express Cards

We considered Amex-branded cards and co-branded airline and hotel cards that are currently available to new applicants and looked at several factors:

• Simplicity — Does the card offer an easy-to-use rewards program and redemption options? Are there any restrictions to navigate?
• Earning potential — Are there generous spending categories or a strong rewards rate across all purchases, and is there a welcome bonus offer?
• Annual fee — No-annual-fee cards are appealing, but if the card charges an annual fee, does it offer benefits that justify the cost?
• Options for different types of consumers — We made sure to include cards that are geared to various users, from cards with a 0% APR offer to travel points and cash-back cards.

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.

Before you decide on an American Express card, be sure to consider what you want to do with your rewards, as well as your spending habits — some cards offer bonus rewards in popular categories, so those might be a better choice if they fit your typical purchases.

See our full methodology for rating credit cards »

American Express Credit Card Frequently Asked Questions 

Best American Express Card for Frequent Travelers

The Platinum Card® from American Express

At $695, the Amex Platinum Card has one of the highest annual fees of any mainstream card. However, as long as you're willing to float it up front, you can get way more value back from the card — for instance, it's possible to get more than $2,000 in value from it during your first year.

The Amex Platinum Card offers 5 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline, as well as flights and pre-paid hotels booked through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year, then 1x). It earns 1 point per dollar on everything else. 

The card comes with a long list of perks, including access to more than 1,300 airport lounges within the Priority Pass** network, as well as Delta Sky Clubs (when you're flying Delta) and proprietary Amex 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. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is another very popular premium credit card, so you may want to compare the Amex Platinum and the Chase Sapphire Reserve before making a final decision.

The Platinum Card® from American Express also comes with benefits such as up to $300 annually in Equinox credits**, $189 per year in credits for CLEAR® Plus membership**, up to $200 per year in credits toward eligible prepaid hotel bookings, up to $240 in annual credits toward eligible digital subscriptions**, and credits for Walmart+ memberships** and SoulCycle at-home bike purchases**.

Read more about the Amex Platinum card:

• American Express Platinum card review
• Is the Amex Platinum annual fee worth it?
• Amex Platinum benefits value
• Military members get the Amex Platinum with no annual fee

Best for Dining Rewards

American Express® Gold Card

The Amex Gold Card is one of the best cards for dining, unless you're only interested in cash back, rather than potentially more valuable rewards points.

The Amex Gold Card earns 4 points per dollar at restaurants and on up to $25,000 per calendar year at US supermarkets (and 1 point per dollar after that), 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly with the airline, and 1 point per dollar on everything else. Based on the fact that you can easily redeem Membership Rewards points for more than 1 cent of value each, this is the highest-earning card for everything food-related.

Here's another reason to consider the Amex Gold card: It adds up to $120 of dining credits** — split into up to $10 each month — at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Milk Bar, Wine.com, Goldbelly, or participating Shake Shack locations. It also offers up to $120 Uber Cash (up to $10 per month credits) each calendar year (this is only applicable to US Eats orders and Rides, and the Gold Card needs to be added to the Uber app to receive the Uber Cash benefit).

Read more about the Amex Gold Card:

• Amex Gold Card review
• Reasons to get the Amex Gold card
• Amex Gold vs Chase Sapphire Preferred card comparison

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 Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card is the best option, even with an annual fee of $0 intro for the first year, then $95.

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 that can be redeemed as statement credits).

You'll also get the following statement credits:

• $7 monthly credit when paying for a Disney Bundle subscription costing $12.99 or more with your card**. This is up to $84 in annual value.
• $10 monthly statement credits toward Equinox+ membership (an on-demand fitness app that costs $40 per month)**.

The Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card offers a 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers from the date of account opening, before switching to a 19.24% - 29.99% Variable APR. 

The Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card comes with a handful of travel and purchase protections as well. Cash back comes in the form of a statement credit, so effectively you can use it to "erase" purchases.

Read more about the American Express Blue Cash Preferred card:

• American Express Blue Cash Preferred review
• Blue Cash Preferred vs Blue Cash Everyday card comparison

Best for Bonus Points on Travel

American Express® Green Card

The Amex Green Card has become a top option for earning Membership Rewards points on travel and dining. And it's currently offering its highest welcome bonus offer ever: 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership and earn 20% back on eligible travel and transit purchases, up to a total of $200 back, made during your first six months of card membership. However, this offer will only be available for a limited time, so this is your last chance to earn it.

You'll earn 3 points per dollar on all eligible travel, which includes everything from subway fares to hotels to flights. You'll earn 3 points per dollar on transit such as trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways. You'll also earn 3 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide. In terms of points-earning, this puts the Amex Green Card on par with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, which also offers 3 points per dollar in these spending categories (when purchases are not made through Chase Ultimate Rewards®).

Other benefits include up to $189 in statement credits toward CLEAR® Plus 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 $150 annual fee, but that's relatively moderate, especially if you can take advantage of those two annual statement credits.

Read more about the American Express Green Card:

• Amex Green card review

Great Bonus Categories for Families

Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card

The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card is a strong option for anyone looking for a Membership Rewards card, but who's not interested in a premium card like the Platinum or the Amex Gold. It also has a strong points-earning scheme and a lower annual fee of $95.

The card earns 3 points per dollar spent at US supermarkets (up to $6,000 each calendar year — 1 point per dollar after that), 2 points per dollar at US gas stations, and 1 point per dollar on everything else. You can also get 2 points per dollar 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 (made in the first 60 days) for 12 months from the date of account opening, before switching to a 15.99% - 25.99% Variable APR. If you have a big purchase coming up and want some time to pay it off, but don't want to pay interest fees, this is a great option.

Read more about the Amex EveryDay Preferred card:

• Amex EveryDay Preferred card review

Best With No Annual Fee

Amex EveryDay® Credit Card

The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card is a no-annual-fee version of the Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card — and it still offers solid rewards. It earns 2 points per dollar at US supermarkets (again, up to $6,000 of purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar after that) and at AmexTravel.com, and 1 point per dollar 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.

Read more about the Amex Everyday card:

• Amex EveryDay credit card review
• Amex EveryDay versus the Amex EveryDay Preferred

Best Card With an Intro APR Offer

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

The Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card is similar to the Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card, with a different earning structure and no annual fee.

The card earns a lower 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 each calendar year (then 1%), 3% back at U.S. gas stations on up to $6,000 each calendar year in purchases (then 1%), 3% back on online retail purchases on up to $6,000 each calendar year (then 1%), and 1% cash back on everything else (cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as statement credits). 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 and balance transfers for 15 months from account opening (after that, it reverts to a 19.24% - 29.99% Variable APR). You'll earn cash back on the purchase, which you can put right towards paying it off.

This card also offers the following statement credits:

• $7 monthly statement credit toward your Disney Bundle subscription** (which includes Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+), up to $84 per year.
• $15 monthly credit towards your Home Chef subscription** (up to $180 in credit per year).

Read more about the American Express Blue Cash Everyday card:

• Blue Cash Everyday Amex card review

Best Business Card for Travelers

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

The Amex Business Platinum Card is Amex's top-of-the-line business card, and it has many of the same perks you'll find on the personal Amex Platinum Card, including up to $200 in airline fee credits each year for checked baggage fees, lounge day passes, and more at one selected airline**, access to airport lounges including Centurion Lounges and Priority Pass lounges**, up to a $100 credit to cover the application fee for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck**, and up to $189 back per year on CLEAR® Plus memberships.

It also offers several benefits that cater to business owners, such as 1.5 points per dollar on purchases of $5,000 or more — and 1.5 points per dollar in select categories (up to $2 million per calendar year).

The card also comes with potentially $1,000 in annual statement credits on business purchases between Dell Technologies, Indeed, Adobe, and U.S. wireless service providers each calendar year.**

If you use Amex points to book travel, you'll appreciate the 35% Amex Travel 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 Amex Platinum Card has the advantage when it comes to travel bonus categories — it earns 5x points on flights booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel, while the Business Platinum only earns 5x points on flights and prepaid hotels booked with Amex Travel. 

Read more about the Amex Business Platinum:

• Amex Business Platinum card review
• Amex Platinum vs Amex Business Platinum card comparison
• Things to do with your new Amex Business Platinum card

Best Business Card for Big Spenders 

American Express® Business Gold Card

Small-business owners who spend a lot on typical business expenses should have a close look at the American Express® Business Gold Card. It earns 4x American Express Membership Rewards points on the two categories (from a list) where your business spends the most each billing cycle, up to $150,000 per calendar year (then 1x), and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

The list of 4x categories is quite broad:

• Airfare purchased directly from airlines
• US gas stations
• US restaurants (including takeout and delivery)
• US shipping providers
• US computer hardware, software, and cloud systems from select technology providers
• US purchases for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio)

The card currently offers a big welcome bonus: 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of card membership. That's worth $1,260 based on Insider's points and miles valuations, and the card also comes with good travel and shopping benefits. These include a 25% points rebate on first- and business-class flights (or economy flights on your selected airline) booked through Amex Travel, which is a great deal if you like redeeming points for airfare.

There's a $295 annual fee, but it could be well worth paying if you can take advantage of the card's bonus categories and perks.

Read more about the American Express Business Gold:

• Amex Business Gold Card review
• Amex Gold vs Amex Business Gold card comparison

Best Business Card for Earning Maximum Points

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

Amex Blue Business Plus Card earns 2 points per dollar on the first $50,000 you spend each year (then 1 point per dollar). Up until that $50,000 threshold, you're effectively earning a 3.6% return on all your purchases, based on Insider's points and miles valuations.

Another bonus is that Amex Blue Business Plus Card has no annual fee. Just remember that it is a small-business credit card, so if you don't have a side gig or a small enterprise that would qualify you for a business card, you won't be eligible.

Cardholders also qualify for a 0% intro APR on purchases for the first 12 months from account opening, followed by a 18.49% - 26.49% Variable APR. This makes the card a good choice if your business has larger purchases coming up that you want to pay for over time. 

Read more about the Blue Business Plus card:

• Amex Blue Business Plus credit card review

Best Business Card for Cash Back

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

If you like the idea of a no-annual-fee business card and prefer earning cash back, The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card is a great option. Cardholders earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases, on the first $50,000 spent per calendar year, then 1% back (cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as statement credits).

There's also a 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening (then a 18.49% - 26.49% Variable APR), so if you're planning to make big purchases after opening the card, you can get a bit of breathing room by taking advantage of this offer.

Read more about the Amex Blue Business Cash:

• Amex Blue Business Cash card review

Best for Occasional Hilton Travelers

Hilton Honors American Express Card

Amex issues four co-branded Hilton credit cards, and the best option for occasional travelers is the Hilton Honors American Express Card with a $0 annual fee.

The card is offering a welcome bonus of 80,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $1,000 in purchases on the card in the first three months of card membership. The points are worth $400 based on Insider's valuation of Hilton points. It also comes with perks that include automatic Silver elite status, which qualifies you for the fifth night free on standard award bookings of five or more nights.

Using this card for everyday spending can earn you lots of Hilton points quickly. Cardholders earn 5 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at US restaurants, US supermarkets, and US gas stations, and 3 points per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.

If you don't mind paying an annual fee, be sure to check out the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card card as well. It has a higher welcome bonus offer and earns more points on spending, and comes with more benefits, including Hilton Gold elite status, a free night certificate after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year, and Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership** with 10 free visits per year. There's a $95 annual fee. 

Read more about the Hilton Honors Amex card:

• Hilton Honors American Express card review

Best for Frequent Hilton Travelers

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

With a $450 annual fee, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card isn't for the casual Hilton traveler. But if you can make the most of the card's incredibly generous benefits, it could prove to be the most valuable card in your wallet.

Cardholders start with a welcome bonus offer of 150,000 points after spending at least $4,000 in the first three months of account opening, worth $750 based on Insider's valuations. New cardholders also receive a free reward night certificate after account opening, valid at just about any Hilton hotel in the world.

Where the card shines is through the excellent perks you'll get, including:

• Hilton Diamond elite status (the highest tier)
• Free reward night certificate each year on your card anniversary
• Another free reward night certificate after you spend a total of $60,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year
• Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership 
• Up to $250 in airline incidental fee credits per calendar year**
• Up to $250 in Hilton resort credits each cardmember year
• Up to $100 in on-property credits for minimum stays of two nights at participating Waldorf Astoria and Conrad properties

This card also offers the highest earning rates of any Hilton card, with 14 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels, 7 points per eligible dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or Amex Travel, on car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies, and at eligible US restaurants, and 3 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases.

Read more about the Amex Hilton Aspire card:

• Hilton Honors Aspire card review

Best for Delta Flyers

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

Delta flyers have a whopping seven co-branded Amex Delta credit cards to choose from, ranging from the no-annual-fee Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card to the luxury Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card.

For the average traveler who flies Delta a few times a year, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card is our top pick. For a moderate annual fee of $0 intro for the first year, then $99, cardholders receive elite-like perks that include a free checked bag on Delta flights for themselves and up to eight companions on the same reservation. You'll also get priority boarding and 20% off inflight purchases as a statement credit on Delta flights, a $100 flight credit when you spend $10,000 or more in a calendar year, and 15% off award flights on Delta with the new Amex Delta TakeOff 15 benefit.

There's currently a welcome bonus offer of 40,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card in the first six months from account opening (worth $440 in flights according to Insider's valuation of Delta miles). Cardholders also get decent travel and shopping benefits, including car rental insurance, baggage insurance, purchase protection, and extended warranty.

Read more about the Amex Delta Gold card:

• Gold Delta SkyMiles Amex card review
• Delta Gold card vs Delta Platinum card comparison

Best Premium Card for Delta Flyers

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

If you fly Delta on a regular basis, especially if you travel through airports that have Delta Sky Club airport lounges, the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card could end up saving you a lot of money along with making your travels more comfortable.

The card's standout feature is Delta Sky Club and Amex Centurion lounge access when you fly Delta, and if you make the most of this benefit, it could be well worth paying the $550 annual fee.

You'll also receive a slew of other perks, including a free first checked bag and priority boarding on Delta flights, an annual Delta companion certificate, 15,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $30,000 in purchases on your card in a calendar year (up to four times), access to complimentary upgrades and upgrade priority, and a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit after you apply through any authorized enrollment provider. 

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card currently comes with a welcome bonus offer of 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new card in the first six months from account opening. That's worth around $660 in flights, according to Insider's valuations.

Read more about the Amex Delta Reserve:

• Delta Reserve review
• Amex Platinum vs Delta Reserve
• Delta credit cards companion certificate

Best Luxury Card for Marriott

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

American Express and Chase both issue Marriott Bonvoy credit cards, and Amex's versions — Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card, and Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card — are excellent picks if you stay with Marriott on a regular basis.

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card is the most rewarding of the bunch, and it's best suited to Marriott loyalists who can use its excellent range of benefits. It's got a $650 annual fee, so it's not for infrequent travelers — but if you can maximize its perks, you can get tremendous value from the card.

Cardholders receive perks at Marriott and for general travel as well, including:

• Up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year (up to $25 per month) for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide
• Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Platinum elite status
• Annual free night award (valid at participating Marriott Bonvoy properties that cost up to 85,000 points)
• 25 elite night credits each calendar year
• Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership**
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fee credit

The card is currently offering a welcome bonus offer of 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first six months of card membership. That's worth around $665 in travel, based on Insider's valuation of Marriott points. In addition, cardholders earn 6x bonus points on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program (on top of the points normally earned from a stay), 3x points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with the airline, and 2x points on all other purchases.

Read more about the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card:

• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex card review
• Things to do with the Amex Bonvoy Brilliant to activate benefits

 

 

 

Jasmin Baron

Editor

Jasmin Baron was an editor at Insider, responsible for credit card coverage on Personal Finance Insider. Before joining the Insider team, she was a senior editor at The Points Guy and Million Mile Secrets, covering credit cards, points and miles, and loyalty programs. Her expertise in maximizing travel rewards grew from over two decades of experience in the aviation industry, including 18 years working as a pilot and flight instructor in her native Canada. Learn more about how Personal Finance Insider chooses, rates, and covers financial products and services »

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Angela Fung

Marketing Compliance Manager

Angela Fung is the marketing compliance manager at Personal Finance Insider, overseeing a team that ensures content accuracy and editorial independence so readers are always getting up-to-date and objective financial advice. She is the primary contact for credit cards compliance and has experience managing content and partnerships for the banking, loans, and investment verticals as well.  The compliance team's mission is to provide readers with stories that are fact-checked and current, so they can make informed financial decisions. The team also works to minimize risk for partners by making sure language is clear, precise, and fully compliant with regulatory and partner marketing guidelines that align with the editorial team.

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