Is it good to have an American Express credit card?

It is good to have an American Express credit card because Amex cards offer people with good or excellent credit attractive bonus rewards on a variety of purchases. American Express cards also come with an array of welcome offers and introductory 0% APR promotions, in addition to a certain air of prestige.

However, American Express cards aren't for everybody. For example, American Express does not offer credit cards for students, or cards for applicants with less than good credit, such as secured cards. Additionally, Amex cards aren’t always the cheapest credit cards to own. While a number of Amex cards provide great value with a $0 annual fee, others don’t. The Platinum Card® from American Express for example – which has lots of high-end perks – charges an annual fee of $695.

Some of the Best American Express Credit Cards

In terms of credit card acceptance, the number of U.S. merchants that take American Express cards has risen in recent years to 10.6 million, slightly lower than the Visa and Mastercard networks. Worldwide, the number of countries where American Express cards are accepted trails the other three major credit card networks. Even in countries where American Express is accepted, some individual merchants may not accept it.