Best American Express Rewards Credit Cards

The Platinum Card® from American Express

• Earning Rate: Earn 5X points on airfare booked direct or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 of these purchases per year) and 5X points on prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel. All other purchases will earn you 1X.
• Annual Credits: Up to $300 in Equinox credit, up to $240 digital entertainment credit, up to $200 airline fee credit, $200 Uber Cash (up to $15 per month and up to $35 in December), $200 in Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection credit on 2 night minimum bookings, $189 CLEAR® credit, $155 Walmart+ credit (up to $12.95 per month), and up to $100 Saks Fifth Avenue credit ($50 bi-annually).
• Main Highlights: Global lounge access (Centurion lounges, Delta SkyClub lounges, Airspace lounges, Escape lounges, and Priority Pass lounges), superb purchase insurance, complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott, and up to $100 towards Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
• Intro Bonus: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Annual Fee: $695. $175 for up to 3 additional Platinum cardholders, then $175 per card for the 4th user onward. (See Rates and Fees)
• Summary: The Platinum Card has a very hefty annual fee, but it can easily be offset due to the large amount of annual credits, lounge access, intro bonus, and many other benefits. On top of that, you can add 3 additional Platinum users for $175 total and they will have their own lounge access, complimentary elite status, and Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit (which is a steal in terms of value).
• Learn More about The Platinum Card from American Express.
• Calculate Card Value & Membership Rewards Points per dollar spent for The Platinum Card from American Express.

American Express® Gold Card

• Earning Rate: Earn 4X Membership Rewards points on restaurant purchases worldwide, 4X at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year, then 1X), 3X points on airfare purchased direct or through American Express Travel, and 1X points on all other purchases.
• Annual Credits: Up to $120 in annual dining credit ($10 per month) and up to $120 in annual Uber Cash ($10 per month).
• Main Highlights: Book hotels through The Hotel Collection with American Express Travel and receive a $100 hotel credit and room upgrade upon arrival (when available) when booking at least a two consecutive night stay.
• Intro Bonus: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months.
• Annual Fee: $250. (See Rates and Fees)
• Summary: The AMEX Gold is one of the best credit cards for earning travel rewards on restaurant and supermarket purchases. If you plan on transferring points to AMEX's airline or hotel partners, this is a card you'll want to have.
• Learn More about the American Express Gold Card.
• Calculate Card Value & Membership Rewards Points per dollar spent for the American Express Gold Card.

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

• Earning Rate: Earn 6% cash back on up to $6,000 in U.S. supermarket purchases (then 1%), 6% back on U.S. streaming services, 3% back on transit and U.S. gas station purchases, and 1% back on all other purchases.
• Main Highlights: The high return on U.S. supermarket purchases.
• Intro Bonus: Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
• Annual Fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. (See Rates and Fees)
• Summary: If you spend between $500 and $1,000 per month at U.S. supermarkets, the Blue Cash Preferred Card cannot be beat. Anything less than that and you'll want to consider the Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express (see below) and anything higher than that you'll want to consider Capital One's Savor family of credit cards (see Capital One). But this is just based on supermarket and grocery purchases, so you'll want to run the calculations to factor in the other bonus categories.
• Learn More about the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express.
• Calculate Card Value & Cash Back per dollar spent for the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express.

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

• Earning Rate: Earn 3% cash back on up to $6,000 in U.S. supermarket purchases per year (then 1%), 3% back on up to $6,000 in U.S. online retail purchases per year (then 1%), and 3% back on up to $6,000 in U.S. gas station purchases per year (then 1%). All other purchases on the card earn 1% back.
• Main Highlights: The solid 3% earning rates at no annual fee.
• Intro Bonus: Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
• Annual Fee: $0. (See Rates and Fees)
• Summary: Earning 3% back on supermarket, online retail, and gas station purchases at no annual fee is hard to beat. If you spend about $500 per month in each of these three categories, you'll land in that sweet spot and rake in $540 in annual cash back... which, again, is fantastic for no annual fee.
• Learn More about the Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express.
• Calculate Card Value & Cash Back per dollar spent for the Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

• Earning Rate: Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy points on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, 3X points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines, and 2X points on all other purchases.
• Annual Credits: Up to $300 in dining statement credits ($25 per month).
• Main Highlights: Annual 85K-point free night award, complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status, Choice Award benefit after spending $60K, unlimited $100 luxury property credit, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit, 25 Elite nights annually towards status, and Priority Pass Select.
• Intro Bonus: Earn 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases on the Card within the first 3 months.
• Annual Fee: $695. (See Rates and Fees)
• Summary: This card is for A) travelers that plan on using it as more of a daily card or at least for restaurant purchases and B) those who spend at least a few nights per year at Marriott's luxury properties. The 85K free night award offers exceptional value, but you're not going to (typically) spend one night at a Category 7-8 hotel, so it's best coupled with additional points or paid nights. Also, the $100 luxury property credit for 2-night minimum stays at The Ritz-Carlton® or St. Regis® can be used an unlimited amount of times which adds even more value to the card.
• Learn More about the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card.
• Calculate Card Value & Marriott Bonvoy Points per dollar spent for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card.

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card

• Earning Rate: Earn 12X Hilton Honors points on Hilton spend, 6X points on U.S. restaurant, U.S. supermarket, and U.S. gas station spend, and 3X points on all other purchases.
• Main Highlights: Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status, 10 complimentary Priority Pass lounge passes annually, free weekend night reward after spending $15K, and access to Hilton's Fifth Night Free benefit.
• Intro Bonus: Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 3 months of Card Membership.
• Annual Fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. (See Rates and Fees)
• Summary: The Surpass Card is the most well-rounded card for Hilton Travelers and offers exceptional value at a standard annual fee. It's the best option if you stay at standard Hilton brand hotels. If you frequent Hilton's resort or luxury properties, check out the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.
• Learn More about the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card.
• Calculate Card Value & Hilton Honors Points per dollar spent for the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card.

Hilton Honors American Express Card

• Earning Rate: Earn 7X Hilton Honors points on Hilton purchases, 5X points on U.S. supermarket, U.S. supermarket, and U.S. gas station purchases, and 3X points on all other purchases.
• Main Highlights: Complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status and access to Hilton's Fifth Night Free benefit.
• Intro Bonus: Earn 80,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Card in the first 3 months of Card Membership.
• Annual Fee: $0. (See Rates and Fees)
• Summary: If you don't stay at Hilton's often, but you want to build up points towards a few free nights per year, then this is a solid choice.
• Learn More about the Hilton Honors American Express Card.
• Calculate Card Value & Hilton Honors Points per dollar spent for the Hilton Honors American Express Card.

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

• Earning Rate: Earn 2X SkyMiles on Delta purchases, at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. and at U.S. supermarkets. All other purchases earn 1X SkyMiles.
• Annual Credits: Annual $100 flight credit after spending $10K.
• Main Highlights: First checked bag free for yourself and up to 8 others on the same reservation, priority boarding in Main Cabin 1, 20% off in-flight purchases, and access to Delta's Pay with Miles.
• Intro Bonus: Earn 40,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
• Annual Fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99. (See Rates and Fees)
• Summary: In my opinion, this card is for the free checked bag benefit. This benefit alone can save you (and those traveling with you) hundreds of dollars per year if you normally pay for bags as it typically costs $30 to check a bag per person, per direction meaning that you'll save $60 per person round-trip. It actually saved me and my family $650 the first year I had the card.
• Learn More about the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card.
• Calculate Card Value & SkyMiles per dollar spent for the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card.

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card

• Earning Rate: Earn 3X SkyMiles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels, 2X SkyMiles at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets, and 1X SkyMiles on all other purchases.
• Main Highlights: Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year you renew your card, first checked bag free, ability to earn Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) and a Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) waiver, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit, reduced pricing for Delta Sky Club entry.
• Intro Bonus: Earn 50,000 bonus miles and 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
• Annual Fee: $250. (See Rates and Fees)
• Summary: The annual companion certificate and the ability to earn MQMs are the main selling points for this card. The companion certificate pretty much offsets the fee as it is generally worth $250 to $400 depending on the flight. You can also earn 20,000 MQMs per year if you can spend a total of $25,000 on the card (which can be stacked with other Delta credit cards).
• Learn More about the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card.
• Calculate Card Value & SkyMiles per dollar spent for the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card.

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

• Earning Rate: Earn 5X Membership Rewards points on flights and prepaid hotels booked through amextravel.com and 1.5X points on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else. All other purchases earn 1X.
• Annual Credits: $400 Dell credit (up to $200 bi-annually), $360 Indeed credit (up to $90 per quarter), $150 Adobe credit, $179 CLEAR credit, $120 in wireless telephone service credits (up to $10 per month).
• Main Highlights: 35% airline bonus (rebate) on flights booked through American Express Travel using points, global lounge access (Centurion lounges, Delta SkyClub lounges, Airspace lounges, Escape lounges, and Priority Pass lounges), superb purchase insurance, complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott, and up to $100 towards Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
• Intro Bonus: Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with your Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
• Annual Fee: $695. Additional Platinum cards are $300 each. (See Rates and Fees)
• Summary: Like its personal counterpart, it has a hefty annual fee but it can be offset by the annual credits and benefits that it offers. Outside of lounge access, the most notable benefit is the 35% point rebate which bumps up the value of your Membership Rewards points to 1.54 when booking airfare through American Express Travel. It's an easy route to high value if you don't plan on transferring points to AMEX's airline and hotel partners.
• Learn More about The Business Platinum Card from American Express.
• Calculate Card Value & Membership Rewards Points per dollar spent for The Business Platinum Card from American Express.

American Express® Business Gold Card

• Earning Rate: Earn 4X Membership Rewards points on the two select categories your business spent the most each month on up to $150,000 in spend during the calendar year. 1X on all other purchases.
• Main Highlights: 25% airline bonus (rebate) on flights booked through American Express Travel using points.
• Intro Bonus: Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
• Annual Fee: $295. (See Rates and Fees)
• Summary: There are no annual credits that can help offset the annual fee of this card. The 4X categories is what makes this card and if you can spend heavy across the card and max out it's $150,000 bonus cap, you'll be rewarded with 600,000 bonus points which is worth $7.8K to $12K in travel.
• Learn More about the American Express Business Gold Card.
• Calculate Card Value & Membership Rewards Points per dollar spent for the American Express Business Gold Card.

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

• Earning Rate: Earn 2X Membership Rewards points on the first $50,000 in annual purchases, then 1X for the remainder of the year.
• Main Highlights: The 2X points at no annual fee.
• Intro Bonus: Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership.
• Annual Fee: $0. (See Rates and Fees)
• Summary: The Blue Business Plus is the best credit card for small businesses but it is also the best credit card for miscellaneous purchases. You can pair this card with any business or personal Membership Rewards credit card to make sure you're always earning at least 2X points on your purchases (at least up until you hit the $50K annual cap).
• Learn More about the Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express.
• Calculate Card Value & Membership Rewards Points per dollar spent for the Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express.

American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

• Earning Rate: Earn 2% cash back on the first $50,000 in annual purchases, then 1% for the remainder of the year.
• Main Highlights: The 2% back at no annual fee.
• Intro Bonus: Earn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases on your Card in your first 3 months.
• Annual Fee: $0. (See Rates and Fees)
• Summary: This is the cash back version of the Blue Business Plus (see above). It's great for any small business looking to earn a solid 2% back on purchases and it's great for miscellaneous purchases when paired with the Blue Cash Preferred and Blue Cash Everyday credit cards.
• Learn More about the American Express Blue Business Cash Card.
• Calculate Card Value & Cash Back per dollar spent for the American Express Blue Business Cash Card.

Best American Express Credit Cards Summary