John S Kiernan, Managing Editor
@John
Yes, it's hard to get an American Express card because you will need a good or excellent credit score for approval, along with enough income for monthly bill payments. American Express cards are generally considered some of the most exclusive credit cards on the market.
If you want to maximize your approval odds for an American Express card, focus on those that require a minimum of good credit for approval, as opposed to excellent credit only. You may also want to target cards that are co-branded with a certain hotel or airline, as well as offers with annual fees, if you're concerned about getting approved.
Easiest American Express Cards to Get
- Rates & Fees Terms ApplyBest for Everyday Purchases: Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American ExpressLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
- Rates & Fees Terms ApplyBest for Everyday Purchases: Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American ExpressLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
- Best for Everyday Purchases: Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American ExpressLearn MoreLearn More
- Rates & Fees Terms ApplyAirline Rewards: Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express CardLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
- Rates & Fees Airline Rewards: Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express CardLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
- Airline Rewards: Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express CardLearn MoreLearn More
- Rates & Fees Terms ApplyHotel Perks: Hilton Honors American Express CardLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
- Rates & Fees Terms ApplyHotel Perks: Hilton Honors American Express CardLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
- Hotel Perks: Hilton Honors American Express CardLearn MoreLearn More
- Best for Everyday Purchases:
- Airline Rewards:
- Hotel Perks:
Keep in mind that American Express also evaluates each applicant's income and debt obligations to make sure they can afford monthly bill payments on a new line of credit. There isn't much information available about Amex's standards in those regards, but you shouldn't expect them to differ too much from other credit card companies' policies.
You should also note that while Amex cards are relatively hard to get, there are several credit cards from other issuers that are easy to obtain.
American Express Credit Cards Alternatives
- No Credit Check: opensky® Secured Visa® Credit CardLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
- No Credit Check: opensky® Secured Visa® Credit CardLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
- No Credit Check: opensky® Secured Visa® Credit CardLearn MoreLearn More
- No Annual Fee: Petal® 2 Visa® Credit CardLearn MoreLearn More
- No Annual Fee: Petal® 2 Visa® Credit CardLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
- No Annual Fee: Petal® 2 Visa® Credit CardLearn MoreLearn More
- Rates & Fees Unsecured: Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding CreditLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
- Rates & Fees Unsecured: Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding CreditLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
- Unsecured: Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding CreditLearn MoreLearn More
- Rates & Fees Cash Back: Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit CardLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
- Rates & Fees Cash Back: Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit CardLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
- Cash Back: Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit CardLearn MoreLearn More
- No Credit Check:
- No Annual Fee:
- Unsecured:
- Cash Back:
If you don’t know where you stand, check your credit score for free, right here on WalletHub. You can also track your progress with free daily updates.
Popular Credit Cards from American Express, Our Partner
-
Cash Back
-
Travel Rewards
-
Dining Rewards
-
Business Rewards
People also ask
How do I get a credit card for the first time?
To get a credit card for the first time, you must be at least 18 years old and have enough income to afford monthly credit card payments, in addition to your other expenses. The minimum payments on a starter credit card usually are around $15 per month.
The two basic steps involved in getting a credit card for the first time are to: 1) compare credit card offers designed specifically for people with limited or no...
read full answer by Adam McCann, Financial WriterWhat's the easiest unsecured credit card to get approved for?
Some of the easiest unsecured credit cards to get are the OneMain Financial BrightWay® Card, the Petal® 2 Visa® Credit Card and the Capital One QuicksilverOne (see details, rates & fees) Credit Card. You can apply for the OneMain Financial BrightWay® Card with bad credit, while the Petal 2 Card and Capital One QuicksilverOne (see details, rates & fees) accept people with no credit history.
Easiest Unsecured Credit Cards to Get
Alternatives to unsecured credit cards for bad credit
Unsecured credit cards for people with bad credit tend to be very expensive, charging lots of fees and high interest rates. So, if you don’t need...
read full answer by WalletHub, Financial CompanyCan you get a credit card without a job?
Yes, you can get a credit card without a job, as most credit card applications let you put student, homemaker, unemployed, or enter other sources of income. Annual income and assets are more important than employment status when applying for a credit card, though.
What Counts as Income for a Credit Card Application
Income is usually from a job, but it can also come from other sources like an inheritance or investments. Your assets are anything...
read full answer by WalletHub, Financial CompanyDid we answer your question?
Important Disclosures
Ad Disclosure: Certain offers that appear on this site originate from paying advertisers. For full transparency, here is a list of our current advertisers.
Advertising impacts how and where offers appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear and their prevalence). At WalletHub we try to present a wide array of offers, but our offers do not represent all financial services companies or products.
Advertising enables WalletHub to provide you proprietary tools, services, and content at no charge. Advertising does not impact WalletHub's editorial content including our best picks, reviews, ratings and opinions. Those are completely independent and not provided, commissioned, or endorsed by any company, as our editors follow a strict editorial policy.