Which American Express Credit Card is Right for You?

If you're looking for a new credit card that rewards you for everyday purchases, American Express has three cards that achieve just that. Each of these cards specialize in specific areas such as groceries, travel perks and more.

Amex Cards Overview

These credit cards are designed for travelers, commuters and diners, earning up to three and five points per dollar spent. Cardholders earn more points per dollar depending on the tier (green, gold or platinum) and in turn, will pay a higher annual fee for cards at higher tiers.

To redeem points, you can use them on travel, trip and gift cards or to shop via the amextravel.com platform. But to get the best value, you should stick to travel or transit purchases and keep track of the best redemption rates by category.

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If you redeem points at Amazon or other online retailers, for example, you'll only get 0.7 cents per point, but buying a trip from a New York cab will get you the full one cent per point.

You might also transfer points to partner airlines or hotel chain rewards programs, typically for about one cent per point. The transfer partner airlines skew toward international carriers such as Air France, but three domestic carriers participate — Delta, JetBlue and Hawaiian Airlines.

Assessing the average value of American Express Membership Rewards® is tricky, because there are so many ways to redeem them.

American Express values each point from a half-penny to a penny. The Points Guy values each point at two cents, but assumes cardholders will employ redemption strategies that might be more complicated than some consumers will tolerate. For this comparison article, we assume each point is worth a penny.

These cards offer excellent travel benefits. For example, a WalletHub study found that American Express cards provided some of the best rental car insurance benefits**, second only to Chase cards. In addition to standard coverage, American Express offers Premium Car Rental Protection** for a small fee per rental period, not per day. This benefit also extends to SUVs and luxury cars, unlike many other plans.

Want to review card offers and fees? Jump to the card comparison section.

Amex Green Card

American Express® Green Card
This is a solid travel card, offering three points per dollar spent on travel, transit and restaurants. The card recently reduced its welcome bonus from 60,000 points to 40,000 points, but it's still worth considering for consumers who want American Express rewards without a high annual fee. See rates and fees.

View Offers

• Intro offer: Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases on your new card in your first 6 months of Card Membership, worth about $400.
• Interest rate: Pay-over-time APR: 19.74% to 28.74%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors as determined at the time of account opening.
• Annual fee: $150
• Foreign transaction fee: None
• Rewards: Earn three Membership Rewards® points for every dollar spent on travel and transit (airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rental, campgrounds, vacation rentals, trains, taxis, rideshares, ferries, tolls, parking, buses and subways). Also earn three points for every dollar spent on eligible dining, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.
• Airport security clearance: Receive up to $189 per calendar year in statement credits when you pay for your CLEAR Plus membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the American Express® Green Card.
• Other travel benefits: Trip-delay insurance up to $300 for certain expenses on a round-trip ticket paid for exclusively with your card (see terms for limitations).
• Redemption: There is no option for cash back; the greatest value comes from booking travel with points and from the many discounts and other perks.
• Disclosure: All information about the American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by Kiplinger.
• Terms apply

Amex Gold Card

American Express® Gold Card
Amex Gold has a hefty annual fee of $325, but it comes with a helping of side benefits for those who dine out frequently. Plus, new cardholders may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.

This is a great card for foodies who like to travel or cook. The card has no foreign transaction fee and a host of perks such as travel protections, up to $120 in Uber cash and dining credits and three points for flights booked through the American Express travel portal. If travel rewards are your main objective, however, we recommend a card with more flexible travel booking options. See rates and fees.

View Offers

• Intro offer: You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.
• Interest rate: See pay-over-time APR: 19.74% to 28.74%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors as determined at the time of account opening.
• Annual fee: $325
• Foreign transaction fee: None.
• Rewards: Earn four Membership Rewards points per dollar spent at restaurants or on take-out and delivery in the U.S.; earn four points at per dollar at U.S. supermarkets up to a maximum of $25,000 spent in a calendar year, then U.S. supermarkets purchases earn one point per dollar; earn three points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or with Amex Travel; two points per dollar on other eligible Amex Travel purchases; and one point per dollar on other spending.
• Experience credit: American Express Experiences include access to music, theater, sports, dining and fashion events, some of which are exclusive or early access for cardholders; now you can get a $100 experience credit with a minimum two-night stay when you book The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel; experience credit varies by property.
• Additional rewards: get up to $10 in monthly statement credits for purchases with certain restaurants and delivery services, including The Cheesecake Factory, Grubhub, Goldbelly and select Shake Shack locations, plus $10 in monthly Uber Cash that you can put toward Uber Eats purchases or Uber rides.
• Redemption: Points are redeemable at a rate of 1 cent each for flights booked through Amex and certain gift cards (points are worth less for most other redemption options).
• Terms apply

American Express Platinum Card®

American Express Platinum Card®.
At $895, the card's annual fee has climbed to a level that might seem out of reach for the typical card user. But the card packs in a laundry list of perks to overcome the fee. Points are redeemed for travel, not cash back, so this card is intended for the serious traveler.

Get more for your travels with 5X Membership Rewards® points on all flights and prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel®, including Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings. You earn 5X points on flights purchased directly from airlines or through American Express Travel® on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.

You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Terms apply. See rates and fees.

View Deals

• Intro offer: You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted. 
• Interest rate: See pay-over-time APR: 19.74% to 28.74%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors as determined at the time of account opening.
• Annual fee: $895, plus $195 for up to three authorized users and $195 per card for each user beyond three.
• Foreign transaction fee: None.
• Rewards: Get more for your travels with 5X Membership Rewards® points on all flights and prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel®, including Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings. You earn 5X points on flights purchased directly from airlines or through American Express Travel® on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
• $600 Hotel Credit: Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection* bookings through American Express Travel® using the Platinum Card®. *The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• $400 Resy Credit + Platinum Nights by Resy: Get up to $100 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card® to make eligible purchases with Resy, including dining purchases at U.S. Resy restaurants. Enrollment required. Plus, with Platinum Nights by Resy, you can get special access to reservations on select nights at participating in demand Resy restaurants with the Platinum Card®. Simply add your eligible Card to your Resy profile to book and discover Platinum Nights reservations near you.
• $300 Digital Entertainment Credit: Experience the latest shows, news and recipes. Get up to $25 in statement credits each month when you use your Platinum Card® for eligible purchases on Disney+, a Disney+ bundle, ESPN streaming services, Hulu, The New York Times, Paramount+, Peacock, The Wall Street Journal, YouTube Premium, and YouTube TV when you purchase directly from one or more of the providers. Enrollment required. 
• $209 CLEAR+ Credit: CLEAR+ helps get you to your gate faster by using your face to verify you are you at 55+ airports nationwide. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR+ Membership* with up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR+ with your Platinum Card®. *Excluding any applicable taxes and fees. Subject to auto-renewal. 
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to the Platinum Card® Account. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
• $300 lululemon Credit: Enjoy up to $75 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card® for eligible purchases at U.S. lululemon retail stores (excluding outlets) and lululemon.com. That’s up to $300 in statement credits each calendar year. Enrollment required. 
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Receive a statement credit* for one monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) after you pay for Walmart+ each month with the Platinum Card®.* Up to $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Ups not eligible.
• Other benefits: With over 1,550 airport lounges - more than any other credit card company on the market* - enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection®, over $850 of annual value, with access to Centurion Lounges, 10 complimentary Delta Sky Club® visits when flying on an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations), Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required), and other select partner lounges.* As of 07/2025.
• Redemption: There is no option for cash back; the greatest value comes from booking travel with points, and from the many discounts and other perks.
• Terms apply

Amex Card Comparison

*The Platinum Card® from American Express offers many other credits and benefits not listed here.

Where are American Express credit cards accepted?

You might have heard that many merchants refuse to accept American Express cards. While this used to be true, the company's U.S. acceptance rate is now on par with Visa and Mastercard, and its international acceptance rate has almost caught up.

One retail exception worth noting — Costco does not accept American Express cards for in-store or online shopping.

Rewards cards dos and don'ts

As with any rewards credit card, be sure to weigh these benefits against annual fees. Take some time to understand how to use your credit card effectively.

In addition, while reward credit cards are great if you use them wisely, always pay them off in full each month to avoid interest, which can dwarf anything you might gain from rewards.

Don't increase your spending to hit a required minimum that triggers a bonus; otherwise, these cards can be a false economy as you’d be overspending.

**Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. 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.

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