American Express (often referred to as Amex) has long been associated with providing premium credit cards for high-spenders, frequent flyers and business users. While many of its cards fit that bill, there are also a range of options that make it increasingly accessible to people looking to turn their everday spending into rewards and cashback. In this article, we explain how to find the best American Express card for you, highlighting options across a number of categories by comparing fees, interest rates, introductory offers and ongoing perks.
What is an American Express card and how does it work?
Most credit cards work on the basis of payment networks such as Mastercard or Visa managing the transactions between the retailer you use your card with and your bank. However, American Express works differently, providing its own cards, funding transactions and transferring the money itself. This is financed, in part, by charges made to the retailers, with the knock-on effect that not all places choose to accept the cards. This is particularly common in small shops and restaurants
American Express offers credit cards that come with some of the best rewards and cashback offers around. Its introductory offers are particularly attractive, though they usually require you to meet an initial spend target. Using an Amex could help you earn cashback, rewards points or extra perks.
Which cashback or rewards credit card is best for you?
We have teamed up with Creditec* to help you compare credit card deals and check your eligibility in minutes. You will be able to find out which credit cards you are most likely to be accepted for through a soft credit check, which will not affect your credit score. You can then tailor your personalised list to sort cards by the features that matter most to you. This could mean filtering for the type of credit card you want, sorting the list by the rate of interest or highlighting the cards you are most likely to be successful in applying for. You can click here to compare deals*.
What are the best Amex credit cards? - December 2024
| Card | Annual fee | Introductory offer | Representative APR (variable) | Best for |
| American Express Cashback Everyday Credit Card | No fee | 5% cashback (up to £125) on purchases for the first 5 months | 30.7% | Cashback |
| American Express Preferred Rewards Gold | £195 (£0 in the first year) | 30,000 bonus membership¹ rewards points when you spend £3,000 in your first three months | 88.3% | Rewards |
| The American Express Platinum Credit Card | £650 | Earn 80,000 reward points when you spend £10,000 in the first six months. | 701.4% | Travel |
| British Airways American Express Premium Plus | £300 | Earn 30,000 bonus Avios when you spend £6,000 in your first three months plus a companion voucher in any cabin (including Business and First Class) when you spend £15,000 in a cardmember year | 139.2% | Frequent flyers |
| British Airways American Express Credit Card | No fee | Earn 5,000 bonus Avios when you spend £2,000 in your first 3 months | 30.7% | No fees |
| The American Express Business Gold Card | £195 (£0 in the first year) | Earn 20,000 Amex points if you spend more than £3,000 in the first 3 months | N/A (charge card) | Business |
¹Offer ends 14 January 2025 and reverts to 20,000 membership rewards points
Best American Express Credit Card for Cashback
American Express Cashback Everyday Credit Card
- Representative APR: 30.7% (variable)
- Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 30.7% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 30.7% APR (variable)
- Introductory offer: New cardmembers get 5% cashback on purchases (up to £125) for the first five months of Cardmembership. Cashback rate falls to 0.5% after the five months ends, then rises to 1% once you spend £10,000.
- Interest-free period: Maximum 56 days on purchases if you pay the full amount you owe on each statement date on time each month. No interest-free period on balance/money transfers or cash advances (subject to any interest-free promotional offer)
- Fees: No annual fee
- Key information: Cashback paid after 12 months. Cashback is forfeited if you miss two consecutive months’ payment
- Pro: The card offers a punchy 5% cashback on purchases for the first 5 months of membership up to £125, dropping to a still enticing 1% on purchases once you have spent over £10,000 (0.5% on spending under £10,000) for the first 12 months
- Con: For bigger spenders, the American Express Platinum Cashback credit card comes with an introductory offer of 5% cashback (up to £125) on your purchases, but charges a £25 fee. However, it then offers a higher 0.75% cashback on your first £10,000 of purchases and 1.25% cashback on purchases beyond £10,000. This makes it a better option if you are likely to spend well beyond £10,000 to take advantage of the higher cashback tier and you are confident of being able to clear the monthly balance. On both cards, you will need to spend a minimum of £3,000 per year to qualify for any cashback.
- Summary: A good all-round credit card that will be the right fit for most people. It has a generous introductory offer, no annual fee and cashback increases to 1% once you spend more than £10,000. You can read more on the Amex site here.
Best American Express Credit Card for Rewards
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold
- Representative APR: 88.3% (variable)
- Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 30.7% (variable) p.a. with a fee of Year 1 - £0, Year 2 onwards - £195 per annum, your representative rate is 88.3% APR (variable)
- Introductory offer: 30,000 bonus membership rewards points when you spend £3,000 in your first three months (Offer ends 14 January 2025 and reverts to 20,000 membership rewards points)
- Interest-free period: Maximum 56 days on purchases if you pay the full amount you owe on each statement date on time each month. No interest-free period on balance/money transfers or cash advances (subject to any interest-free promotional offer)
- Fees: £195 annual fee (£0 in the first year)
- Pro: Earn 1 point for every £1 spent, 2 points per £1 for purchases made directly with an airline, 3 points per £1 for spending with American Express Travel. There are also a range of perks and rewards you could enjoy, including four complimentary airport lounge visits per year, personalised offers from a range of shops and restaurants, access to events through American Express Experiences, the ability to transfer your points to a variety of airline loyalty programmes and being able to use your points to pay with merchants including Amazon, £5 cashback on eligible Deliveroo purchases twice a month.
- Con: The annual fee, although this is waived in the first year
- Summary: An excellent range of rewards and benefits including access to events. The card is free for the first year but after that, you'll pay an annual fee of £195. You can read more on the Amex site here.
Best American Express Credit Card for Travel
The American Express Platinum Credit Card
- Representative APR: 701.4% (variable)
- Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 30.7% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £650 per annum, your representative rate is 701.4% APR (variable)
- Introductory offer: Earn 80,000 reward points when you spend £10,000 in the first six months.
- Interest-free period: Maximum 56 days on purchases if you pay the full amount you owe on each statement date on time each month. No interest-free period on balance/money transfers or cash advances (subject to any interest-free promotional offer)
- Fees: £650 annual fee
- Pro: There is a long list of perks, ranging from complimentary lounge access across the globe to exclusive access to premium events and worldwide travel insurance
- Con: The high fee
- Summary: If you’re in the category of being able to shoulder the hefty £650 annual fee, as well as paying off the balance in full each month, the Platinum card offers regular travellers extras such as the Platinum Concierge service, complimentary access to 1,400 airport lounges worldwide, hotel upgrades, exclusive dining experiences, comprehensive travel insurance for you and your family, to name but a few. You can read more on the Amex site here.
Best American Express Credit Card for Frequent Flyers
British Airways American Express Premium Plus
- Representative APR: 139.2% (variable)
- Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 30.7% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £300 per annum, your representative rate is 139.2% APR (variable)
- Introductory offer: Earn 30,000 bonus Avios when you spend £6,000 in your first three months plus a companion voucher in any cabin (including Business and First Class) when you spend £15,000 in a cardmember year
- Interest-free period: Maximum 56 days on purchases if you pay the full amount you owe on each statement date on time each month. No interest-free period on balance/money transfers or cash advances (subject to any interest-free promotional offer)
- Fees: £300 annual fee
- Pro: If you spend more than £15,000 per year, you qualify for a complimentary companion voucher on British Airways
- Con: The high minimum spend to qualify for the companion voucher
- Summary: The central appeal of this card for frequent travellers is the prospect of a complimentary companion voucher, along with travel insurance that covers both inconvenience and accident. These factors, coupled with the potential to earn 1.5 Avios for every £1 spent and 3 Avios for every £1 spent with British Airways or BA Holidays, make it easy to see its appeal to those looking for something more down-to-earth than the Platinum card experience. You can read more on the Amex site here.
Best American Express Credit Card with No Fees
British Airways American Express Credit Card
- Representative APR: 30.7% (variable)
- Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 30.7% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £0 per annum, your representative rate is 30.7% APR (variable)
- Introductory offer: Earn 5,000 bonus Avios when you spend £2,000 in your first 3 months
- Interest-free period: Maximum 56 days on purchases if you pay the full amount you owe on each statement date on time each month. No interest-free period on balance/money transfers or cash advances (subject to any interest-free promotional offer)
- Fees: No annual fee
- Pro: You have the ability to earn 1 Avios for every £1 spent, alongside a complimentary companion voucher on British Airways when you spend £15,000 per year
- Con: It seems a little light on non-travel related perks compared to some of the other cards in the range
- Summary: In terms of Amex cards without an annual fee, this has stiff competition from the Platinum Cashback Everyday credit card. However, the British Airways American Express card pipped its rival to the post because of the companion voucher, albeit that it requires a relatively high annual spend. You can read more on the Amex site here.
Best American Express Business Card
American Express Business Gold Card
- Representative APR: N/A
- Introductory offer: Earn 20,000 Amex points if you spend more than £3,000 in the first 3 months
- Interest-free period: 54 days on purchases
- Fees: £195 annual fee (No fee for the first year)
- Pro: As well as allowing you to earn Amex points (1 for every eligible £1 spent), this card also allows you to earn double points on American Express travel. Earn an additional 10,000 Amex points points per quarter if your business spends £20,000+ per quarter. Over £500 savings available through offers and discounts with partners including Airbnb, Amazon.co.uk, British Airways, BP, Deliveroo, Lidl, Nando’s, Now TV, Hackett, PayPal and Sainsbury’s
- Con: The annual fee
- Summary: This card is well-suited to larger companies with multiple offices and a requirement for frequent travel among card holders, as well as the capacity to swallow the £195 annual fee
How to make the most of an Amex credit card
- Use your card for as much of your day-to-day spending as possible, but only spending you would have been doing anyway
- Use the card for your business expenses, which you can then claim back from your employer
- Look out for opportunities to earn extra points through limited incentives and offers
- Add additional cardholders to your account, as you will earn points from the spending they do on their card
What to consider before you apply for an American Express credit card
Make sure you understand the different offers and understand your spending. There is no point picking the card offering the most valuable rewards if you do not usually spend enough money to earn those rewards. Spending extra in order to activate certain offers or rewards can be a waste of money, as you are usually spending more than that reward is worth. If you understand your usual spending habits and can match it to a card, using an American Express could earn you some great extras.
It is also important to know how to use your card. It may surprise you how many different purchases can be made using a credit card, including some household bills. This can help maximise the amount of spending you do on the card without adding one any unnecessary extra costs.
Ensure you can clear the balance each month too, as Amex cards are not usually designed for spreading costs or borrowing money. You should also check the fine print of the card you choose, as some rewards points can expire after a certain period of time. This could be a problem if you plan to stock up points for a big holiday or purchase in a few years' time.
Pros and cons of Amex
Pros of Amex
- Amex is second-to-none in the quality of rewards and incentives it offers to cardholders
- It now has four cards within the range without annual fees, which opens it up to more people
Cons of Amex
- It is not universally accepted by retailers and, in some instances, stores will require a minimum spend
- Some of the most attractive offers and rewards are for new customers only and only last for a limited period of time, after which it reverts to being a 'normal' credit card, sometimes with a higher-than-average annual fee
- The fees and interest rates on some of the cards can be off-putting
Alternatives to an Amex credit card
The best alternative to an American Express card will depend on what you want to use the card for. We have dedicated pages for the best cashback credit cards, the best rewards credit cards and the best travel credit cards.
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