This article only compares American Express credit cards. Our relationship with advertisers may impact how an offer is presented on our website. However, our selection of products is made independently of our relationship to advertisers.
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
- 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: 20.24% to 28.24%, 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
- 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: Pay-over-time APR: 19.99% to 28.99%, 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®
- Intro offer: You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $8,000 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: Pay-over-time APR: 19.99% to 28.99%, 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.
- More Value! $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.
- Digital entertainment credit: Get up to $20 in statement credits each month when you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card® at your choice of one or more of the following providers: Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, SiriusXM and The Wall Street Journal; enrollment required.
- More Value! $209 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps get you to your gate faster by using unique facial attributes to verify you are you at 50+ airports nationwide. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR Plus Membership* with up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR Plus with the Platinum Card®. *Excluding any applicable taxes and fees. Subject to auto-renewal.
- Other benefits: Select one qualifying airline, then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your card; free access to many airport lounges; discounts on many subscriptions and other services, such as Walmart+, Uber, Equinox, SoulCycle-at-home and Saks; enrollment required for select benefits.
- 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
American Express Credit Cards - Tier Levels | GREEN | GOLD | PLATINUM |
Annual Fee | $150 | $325 | $895 |
Intro Offer | 40,000 Membership Rewards® Points | 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points | As high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points |
Value of Intro Offer for Most Travel Purchases | $400 | $1,000 | $1,750 |
Additional Offer Value | None | None | $600 Annual Hotel Credit* |
Value of Intro Offers Less Annual Fee | $250 | $575 | $1,055 |
Points Earned Per Dollar Spent on Air Fare at AmexTravel | 3x | 3x, plus 4x points on restaurant and grocery purchases | 5x |
Points Earned on Other Purchases (Not Included in Promoted Categories) | 1x | 1x | 1x |
*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.
Related Content
- Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards
- Credit Cards That Cover Rental Car Insurance
- How to Save on Booking a Cruise
- 10 Safest Countries to Visit
As an independent publication dedicated to helping you make the most of your money, the article above is our view and is not the opinion of any entity mentioned such as a card issuer, hotel, airline, etc. Similarly, the content has not been reviewed or endorsed by any of those entities.
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