Best American Express Credit Cards

The Platinum Card® from American Express is full of caché and its heavy metal design will catch more than a few looks. While the fee isn't small, you get a lot back in the form of statement credits and other perks and benefits.

Statement Credit Offers

• $200 in Uber credits annually ($15 per month with a $20 bonus in December)
• $100 in annual Saks Fifth Avenue shopping credits per year ($50 January-June and $50 July-December) as statement credits (Enrollment required)
• $200 in annual airline fee credits (as statement credits) for your chosen airline (Enrollment required)
• $240 Digital Entertainment Credit which is good for up to $20 back each month on select digital subscriptions with Peacock, Audible, SiriusXM, and The New York Times.(Enrollment Required)
• $200 Hotel Credit as statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel. (Enrollment Required) 
• $179 CLEAR Credit as statement credits when you pay for your CLEAR membership with your Card. (Enrollment Required) 
• $300 Equinox Credit as a $25 statement credit valid each month at Equinox, valid for Equinox All Access, Destination, or E by Equinox membership fees, or for Equinox+.(Enrollment required)

(All above offers require enrollment after you receive the card.)

You also get access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, which includes the Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass, and Delta SkyClubs when you are flying Delta. (Enrollment required)

In addition, you get elite status in two hotel programs (enrollment required):

• Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite
• Hilton Gold

While the Bonvoy Gold status is mostly good for small room upgrades and bonus points on stays, Hilton Gold confers free breakfast - a benefit that can really add up!

More Platinum Card benefits:

• Reimbursement (as a statement credit) for your Global Entry or PreCheck membership fees every 4 years.
• Secondary Car rental CDW/LDW collision/damage coverage
• Lost, damaged or stolen baggage insurance
• Extended warranty, purchase protection and return protection on covered purchases
• No foreign transaction fees.
• Access to the Platinum Concierge line

NOTE: This card earns 5x on airfare and hotels, however, the airfare must be booked direct with the airline or at Amex Travel and the hotels must be prepaid at Amex Travel to earn 5x. This site's Estimated Rewards Values will calculate all airfare and hotels at 5x points, so if your hotels are booked directly (which you generally need to do to earn hotel points and status/benefits) please note that they will not earn 5x and your actual rewards value will vary accordingly.

Is the American Express® Gold Card the best credit card for dining and groceries?

The Gold Card offers 4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants (including takeout and delivery) and at US supermarkets (up to $25,000 a year; 1X thereafter), as well as 3x on flights.

And at long last, American Express is once again offering both new and existing cardholders the opportunity to get the Rose Gold version of the Gold Card. (Simply select it when applying.)

It also offers $20 in monthly dining statement credits - $10 monthly at GrubHub/Seamless (and select other restaurants; enrollment required) and $10 in Uber Cash each month. Enrollment required / terms apply.

(Note that the airline incidental credits will no longer be offered after 2021 and are no longer available to new applicants.)

While many Amex bonus categories are US-only, this card earns 4x on all restaurants, including internationally.

American Express defines a supermarket as offering a wide variety of food and household products such as meat, fresh produce, dairy, canned and packaged goods, household cleaners, pharmacy products and pet supplies. (Superstores, convenience stores and warehouse clubs are NOT considered supermarkets.)

It's also important to note that as a card product that American Express used to classify as "charge" - meaning that it has No Preset Spending Limit - so it is not counted against your 5 Amex credit card limit. The Gold Card will still be in the category of cards (former charge products) in which you can have up to 10. Those include the Green, Gold, Platinum, and Centurion.

The biggest feature of this card is 3X American Express Membership Rewards points on Travel, Transit and Dining.

The new Amex Green card also comes with a few annual credits:

• $100 credit towards a CLEAR membership for expedited airport security lines.
• $100 credit to Lounge Buddy (airport lounges - a competitor to Priority Pass lounge access

Get complimentary top-tier Hilton Diamond status, an annual $250 Hilton Resort credit, an annual $250 airline incidental fee credit, and a Free Weekend Night Award.

Also includes Priority Pass Select Airport Lounge Access for you and up to 2 guests per visit at no additional charge. (Enrollment required).

Earn Rate:

14x Hilton Honors points at Hiltons; 7x points on flights booked directly with airlines, car rentals booked direct, and US restaurants; and 3x points everywhere else.

Only in 2021 - Additional Hilton Aspire Benefits 

• Bonus points earned through eligible purchases, if they post to the card member’s Hilton Honors account by Dec. 31, 2021, will be classified as base points and will count toward elite tier qualification and lifetime Diamond status.
• Unexpired and newly issued free weekend night certificates can temporarily be used on any night of the week.
• All newly issued Free Weekend Night Reward certificates issued after Jan 1, 2021 will be valid through December 31, 2022.

NOTE: For the purposes of calculating your expected rewards for this card, we are assuming that the spend you put in "Hotels" is all spent at Hilton portfolio hotels and resorts. If some is spent at other hotels, your actual rewards will be slightly lower.

This mid-tier Hilton card comes with complimentary Hilton Gold status.

It will allow you to earn 12x Hilton Honors points at Hilton; 6x at US restaurants, US supermarkets, and US gas stations; and 3x everywhere else.

There is also an opportunity to earn Diamond status and a free weekend night via card spend.

American Express defines a supermarket as offering a wide variety of food and household products such as meat, fresh produce, dairy, canned and packaged goods, household cleaners, pharmacy products and pet supplies. (Superstores, convenience stores and warehouse clubs are NOT considered supermarkets.)

Note: Estimated Rewards Values shown throughout this site assume your hotel spend will be at Hilton brand hotels and resorts. If you have additional hotel spend not associated with Hilton, your actual return will be lower.

With the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, you'll get an annual main cabin "Buy One, Get One" companion certificate, plus your first checked bag free and priority boarding on Delta.

Earn bonus Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs) and bonus miles at tiered spending thresholds. Spending $25,000 in a year on this card will waive the MQDs requirement for Medallion qualification up to Platinum status.

Delta Platinum Bonus Categories

• Earn 3X miles on Delta purchases
• Earn 3X miles on hotels (purchased directly with the hotel - much better than when you have to use a booking portal!)
• Earn 2X miles at U.S. supermarkets
• Earn 2X miles at restaurants, worldwide
• Terms apply

Additional Delta Platinum Benefits

• $100 statement credit every 4 years for Global Entry or an $85 credit for TSA Pre✓^® every 4.5 years.
• Buy One, Get One Companion Certificate on select fares.

Get a 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date your account is opened, then a variable 15.74%-24.74%. Offer expires 7/28/2021.

NOTE: Our rewards calculator and Estimated Rewards Values assume all "Airfare" is on Delta and is therefore counted at 3x points. If you also fly another carrier, you will only earn 1x points for those purchases and your Reward Values would be lower than indicated.

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card gets an annual domestic companion certificate in any class, including First and Business, plus your first checked bag free and priority boarding on Delta. Moreover, it includes Delta SkyCub membership with an annual fee ($550) that is only $5 more than buying a Delta SkyClub membership on your own!

Earn bonus Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs) and bonus miles at tiered spending thresholds: Get 15,000 MQMs and 15,000 bonus miles when you spend $30,000 in a calendar year - up to 4 times per year! Terms apply.

Spending $25,000 in a year on this card will waive the MQDs requirement for Medallion qualification up to Platinum status.

Earn Rate:

• Earn 3X miles on Delta purchases

Primary Benefits:

• Complimentary Delta Upgrades: For those without Delta Medallion Elite status, you will still be eligible for complimentary domestic upgrades after all elite members have cleared.
• Additionally, Reserve cardholders with status get upgrade list priority over members at the same Medallion tier without the Reserve card
• Annual domestic companion certificate in any class, including First and Business (This can be an amazing value, especially on a Delta One transcontinental flight).
• $100 statement credit every 4 years for Global Entry or an $85 statement credit for TSA Pre✓^® every 4.5 years.
• Terms apply.

NOTE: Our rewards calculator and Estimated Rewards Values assume all "Airfare" is on Delta and is therefore counted at 3x points. If you also fly another carrier, you will only earn 1x points for those purchases and your Reward Values would be lower than indicated.

The no-annual fee Hilton Honors American Express Card comes with complimentary Hilton Silver status, earns bonus Hilton points on Hilton stays, US restaurants, US gas stations, and US supermarkets*. Terms apply.

*American Express defines a supermarket as offering a wide variety of food and household products such as meat, fresh produce, dairy, canned and packaged goods, household cleaners, pharmacy products and pet supplies. (Superstores, convenience stores and warehouse clubs are NOT considered supermarkets.)

NOTE: For the purposes of calculating your expected rewards, we are assuming that the spend you put in "Hotels" is all spent at Hilton portfolio hotels and resorts. If some is spent at other hotels, your actual rewards will be slightly lower.

With the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, get your first checked bag free and priority boarding on Delta. It also earns 2x miles on Delta spend. More serious Delta flyers should consider the Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express.

Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card Earn Rate

• 2X Delta SkyMiles on Delta purchases
• 2X miles on U.S. supermarkets
• 2X miles on restaurants worldwide
• 1X miles on everything else

New Delta Flight Benefit

Get a $100 Delta credit towards a flight when you have spent $10,000 in a calendar year. Terms apply.

0% Intro APR Offer

Get a 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening, then a variable rate of 15.74%-24.74%. Offer expires 7/28/2021.

NOTE: Our rewards calculator and Estimated Rewards Values assume all "Airfare" is on Delta and is therefore counted at 2x points. If you also fly another carrier, you will only earn 1x points for those purchases and your Reward Values would be lower than indicated.