• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Credit Card and banking reviews

AllCards.com

Credit Cards, Banking, and Cash Back

  • Best Credit Cards
  • Balance Transfer Cards
  • 0% Credit Cards
  • Credit Card Signup Bonuses
  • Banking
  • Calculators
Home » Credit Cards » Best American Express Credit Cards of 2021

Best American Express Credit Cards of 2021

May 4, 2020 by Rob Berger

I’ve carried American Express credit cards for years. It started with the iconic Green American Express many years ago. Since then I’ve carried the Gold card, Platinum Card, TrueEarnings CostCo card (no longer available), and the Blue Cash Preferred card. Yes, I’m an Amex fan.

Today Amex offers a wide variety of cards with excellent rewards. It offers top notch travel rewards, cash back, and even 0% introductory rate offers on balance transfers and purchases. The list below starts with consumer cards, followed by Amex business credit cards.

Table of Contents
  • American Express Personal Credit Cards
  • American Express Business Credit Cards

American Express Personal Credit Cards

Editor’s Pick: My favorite consumer Amex card is the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express. With cash back of up to 6%, the $95 annual fee is well worth the cost. The $250 statement credit after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new card in your first 3 months helps, too.

Not sure if you qualify for a credit card? With just your name, address, email, and last 4 digits of your social security number, you can see if you qualify for some of the top credit cards available today. And best of all, it won’t affect your credit score.

Get Started Now



Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Learn More
  • Limited Time Offer: $250 statement credit after you spend $1,000 on purchases with the card in the first 3 months.
  • Earn Cash Back: 6% at U.S. supermarkets up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%), and 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions including Spotify, Netflix, Hulu, HBO, ShowTime, Pandora, Apple Music, Amazon Music or Video (Does not include Prime membership).
  • Earn 3% at U.S. gas stations and on transit including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more.
  • 1% on all other purchases. Terms and limitations apply.
  • Annual Fee: $95
  • 0% APR on purchases for 12 months
  • Terms Apply
Read our full review here.
American Express Gold Card American Express Gold Card
Learn More
  • Welcome Offer: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $4,000 within your first 6 months.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards points at restaurants worldwide
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X).
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
  • 1X points on other purchases.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees, making this an excellent card for international travel.
  • Annual Fee: $250.
  • Terms Apply.
Read our full review here.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
Learn More
  • Welcome Offer: Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening..
  • 12X Bonus: Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your card directly with a participating hotel or resort within the Hilton Portfolio.
  • 6X Bonus: Earn 6X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your card at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations.
  • 3X Bonus: Earn 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your card.
  • Spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn Hilton Honors Diamond status through the end of the next calendar year.
  • Earn a Weekend Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
  • Terms Apply
The Platinum Card® from American Express The Platinum Card® from American Express
Learn More
  • Welcome Offer: Earn 60,000 75,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $5,000 on purchases with the card in the first 6 months.
  • Earn 10x points on eligible purchases on your new Card at U.S. Gas Stations and U.S. Supermarkets, on up to $15,000 in combined purchases, during your first 6 months of Card Membership.
  • 5X Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel. Beginning 1/1/2021, the 5X rewards is capped at $500,000 on these purchases annually.
  • 5X Membership Rewards points on eligible hotels booked on amextravel.com.
  • 1X Membership Rewards points on all other purchases.
  • Up to $200 Airline Fee Credit
  • Up to $200 Uber savings every year
  • Up to $100 annual Saks Fifth Avenue credit
  • Annual fee: $550
  • Terms Apply.
Read our full review here.
Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express
Learn More
  • Welcome Bonus #1: Earn 35,000 Bonus Miles after you make $1,000 in purchases on your new card within your first 3 months.
  • Earn a $100 Delta Flight Credit after you spend $10,000 in purchases on the card in a calendar year.
  • Earn 2 miles for every dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta.
  • Earn 1 mile for every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
  • Check your first bag free on Delta flights
  • Priority Boarding.
  • $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99.
  • Terms Apply
Blue Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express Blue Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express
Learn More
  • Welcome Offer: Earn 15,000 bonus miles after spending $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Offer expires 4/1/2020.
  • 2 Miles Rewards: Earn 2 miles per dollar at restaurants worldwide and on purchases made directly with Delta.
  • 1 Mile Rewards: Earn 1 mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
  • Receive a 20% In-Flight Savings in the form of a statement credit after you use your Card on eligible Delta in-flight purchases of food, beverages, and audio headsets.
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • No Annual Fee.
  • Terms Apply
Hilton Honors Credit Card from American Express Hilton Honors Credit Card from American Express
Learn More
  • Welcome Offer: Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening..
  • Earn 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for every dollar of eligible purchases charged directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton Honors portfolio of brands.
  • Earn 5X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for every dollar of eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations.
  • Earn 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your card.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status with your Card.
  • No Annual Fee.
  • Terms Apply.
American Express Cash Magnet Card American Express Cash Magnet Card
Learn More
  • Welcome Offer: Earn a $150 statement credit after you spend $1,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
  • Unlimited 1.5% Cash Back on your purchases.
  • Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be easily redeemed for statement credits, gift cards, and merchandise.
  • 0% for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable rate.
  • No Annual Fee.
  • Terms Apply.

American Express Business Credit Cards

Editor’s Pick:For Amex business cards, I give the top pick to the SimplyCash® Business Card from American Express. As a small business owner, I know the value of 5% cash back on office supplies and wireless. Add to that 3% cash back on a category of your choice and no annual fee, and this card is a clear winner.

Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card
Learn More
  • Limited Time Offer: Earn 75,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points after spending $3,000 within the first 3 months
  • Earn 6x points at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels
  • Earn 4x points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations, U.S. purchases on shipping, and wireless telephone services purchased from U.S. service providers
  • Earn 2x points on all other eligible purchases
  • Receive 1 Free Night Award each year after your Card account anniversary you can use at a participating hotel.
  • Enjoy complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status.
  • Earn Gold Elite status after spending $35,000 on eligible purchases on your card in a calendar year.
  • Annual fee is $125
Hilton Honors American Express Business Credit Card Hilton Honors American Express Business Credit Card
Learn More
  • Welcome Offer: Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases in the first 3 months of Card Membership.
  • Earn 12X at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio
  • Earn 6X on Select Business & Travel Purchases
  • Earn 3X Everywhere Else. Terms & Limitations Apply.
  • Enjoy complimentary Gold status with your Hilton Honors Business Card.
  • Earn a Weekend Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 in purchases on your card in a calendar year.
  • Earn another Weekend Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend an additional $45,000 in purchases on your card in the same calendar year.
  • Enjoy 10 free airport lounge visits each year once enrolled in complimentary Priority Pass(TM) Select membership, which offers access to over 1,000 lounges in over 120 countries.
  • Terms apply.

The Plum Card® from American Express The Plum Card® from American Express
Learn More
  • Early Payoff Discount: Get a 1.5% discount when you pay early, with no cap on what you can earn back.
  • Take up to 60 days to pay with no interest, if you pay your minimum due.
  • Additional Employee Cards at no annual fee – and an early pay discount on employee spending.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Introductory annual fee of $0 for the first year, then $250
  • Terms & Restrictions Apply.
child=’bestamexcards’

Blue Business Cash Card from American Express Blue Business Cash Card from American Express
Learn More
  • Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%.
  • Cash back earned is automatically credited to your statement.
  • Spend beyond your credit limit with Expanded Buying Power.
  • The amount you can spend above your credit limit is not unlimited. It adjusts with your use of the card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to us and other factors.
  • 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate based on your creditworthiness and other factors as determined at the time of account opening.
  • No Annual Fee
  • Terms Apply
The Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express The Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express
Learn More
  • Earn 2X points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners.
  • 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter.
  • 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months, then a variable rate based on your creditworthiness and other factors as determined at the time of account opening.
  • No Annual Fee
  • Terms Apply
The Business Platinum Card from American Express The Business Platinum Card from American Express
Learn More
  • Welcome Offer: Earn up to 75,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on qualifying purchases within your first 3 months of card membership.
  • Rewards:
    • Get 5X Membership Rewards points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com.
    • Get 50% more Membership Rewards points on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more.
    • 35% Airline Bonus: Use Membership Rewards Pay with Points for all or part of a flight with your selected qualifying airline, and you can get 35% of the points back, up to 500,000 bonus points per calendar year.
    • Get 35% points back on all First and Business class flights, with all airlines available through American Express Travel.
  • Terms Apply
American Express Business Gold Card American Express Business Gold Card
Learn More
  • Welcome Offer: Earn 35,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 within your first 3 months.
  • REWARDS: Get 4X Membership Rewards® points on the 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month (applies to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year).*
  • BONUS: Get 25% points back after you use points for all or part of an eligible flight booked with Amex Travel, up to 250,000 points back per calendar year.*
  • Get up to 1 year free on subscriptions to both G Suite Basic for up to 3 users and ZipRecruiter Standard, a combined value up to $3,200.*
  • A flexible payment option to help manage cash flow on purchases of $100 or more.*
  • Connect to Quickbooks, access SpendManager?, receive a Year-End Summary, and more.*
  • Add EMPLOYEE CARDS with a no annual fee option. Earn rewards on employee purchases and track employee expenses with spending limits, alerts, and summary reports.*
  • *Terms Apply
Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card
Learn More
  • Earn 45,000 bonus miles and 10,000 Medallion(R) Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new card in your first 3 months. Earn an additional 20,000 bonus miles after your first anniversary of Card Membership.
  • Earn 15,000 Medallion(R) Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you reach $30,000 in eligible purchases on your card in the calendar year, up to 4 times a year.
  • Earn 3 Miles per dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta.
  • Earn 1 mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
  • Pay no foreign transaction fees when you spend overseas.
  • Complimentary Delta Sky Club(R) Access.
  • Terms and limitations apply
Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express card Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express card
Learn More
  • Welcome Bonus: Earn 40,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 within your first 3 months.
  • After you spend $10,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you will earn a $100 Delta Flight Credit to use toward future travel.
  • Rewards: Earn 2 Miles on every dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta, U.S. purchases for advertising in select media, U.S. shipping purchases, and on dining at restaurants. Earn 1 mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
  • Enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding
  • No foreign transaction fees when you spend overseas.
  • $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99.
  • Terms and limitations apply
Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Express Card Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Express Card
Learn More
  • Welcome Offer: Earn 45,000 bonus miles and 5,000 Medallion Qualification Miles after spending $3,000 within your first 3 months.
  • You can also earn a $100 statement credit when you make your first Delta purchase with the card in the first 3 months.
  • Rewards:
    • Earn 3 Miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta.
    • Earn 1 mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
  • Check your first bag for free.
  • Priority Boarding.
  • Miles don’t expire.
  • Terms and limitations apply
  • $250 annual fee


About Rob Berger

Rob Berger is the founder of allCards.com. He's written about personal finance and investing since 2007 and is the author of the highly acclaimed book, Retire Before Mom and Dad. He currently serves as the Deputy Editor of Forbes Money Advisor.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Advertiser Disclosure

Credit Cards by Category

  • Balance Transfer
  • 0% APR Cards
  • Cash Back
  • Travel
  • Miles
  • Business
  • Gas Rewards
  • Prepaid Debit Cards

Popular Credit Cards

Chase Freedom Flex

NEW: Up to 5% cash back + $200 signup bonus + No annual fee

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Up to 6% cash back

American Express Gold Card

Welcome Bonus: 60,000 Membership Rewards points

Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card

Best: 100,000 bonus miles

Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
Chase Freedom Unlimited

New Benefits: Up to 5% cash back + $200 signup bonus + No annual fee

United Explorer Card

Signup Bonus: 60,000 miles

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card
Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card
British Airways Visa Signature
IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card
Chase Sapphire Reserve Card
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
IHG Rewards Club Traveler Credit Card

Banking

  • Best Online Banks
  • Best Online Savings Accounts
  • Best CD Rates
  • Best Checking Accounts

Credit Cards by Issuer

  • American Express
  • Capital One
  • Chase
  • Citibank
  • Discover
  • U.S. Bank
  • Wells Fargo

About Allcards.com

Rob Berger founded allcards.com in 2008 to help consumers make data-driven decisions about credit cards and banking. A retired trial attorney, he’s written about credit cards, banking and personal finance since 2007, and is the author of Retire Before Mom and Dad. He currently serves as the Deputy Editor of Forbes Money Advisor.

  • Best Credit Cards of 2020
  • 0% Credit Cards
  • Best Cash Back Credit Cards
  • Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards
  • Credit Cards with Signup Bonuses
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • RSS Feed

© 2020 A.R. Roberts LLC All Rights Reserved

Advertising Disclosure: allCards.com is an independent, advertising-supported blog offering financial product comparisons. We are compensated when users click links to or apply for sponsored financial products including, but not limited to, credit cards or bank/brokerage accounts. Credit card reviews and listings express the opinions of the author aline, and not those of any credit card issuer. The content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card advertisers. This compensation may impact how or where links appear on this site. This site does not include all available financial companies or offers.

Banking Content Disclosure: Content is not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser(s). Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of the bank advertiser(s), and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser(s). This site may be compensated through the bank advertiser(s) Affiliate Program(s).

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.