American Express Credit Cards

American Express is the country’s largest credit card issuer by purchase volume and the fourth largest payment network in terms of cards in circulation. Those facts alone indicate it’s pretty popular. But if you need any more convincing, American Express also ranked second among all major credit card companies in JD Power’s 2016 customer satisfaction survey.

American Express does have its fair share of faults, however. For starters, nearly all American Express credit cards are for people with good or excellent credit. So you’ll have to choose another issuer if you have a lower score. What’s more, Amex cards aren’t nearly as widely accepted – both in the U.S. and abroad – as cards on the Visa and Mastercard networks.

With all of that being said, we recommend basing your credit card decision primarily on approval requirements and the terms you will receive, rather than the issuer or network. In other words, instead of looking for the best American Express card, try to find the best overall credit card for your needs.

No, American Express is not accepted everywhere. Amex cards can be used at 4.5 million merchants in the U.S. and in 160+ countries abroad. Visa and Mastercard, in contrast, can be used at 8+ million merchants in the U.S. and 200+ countries.

That’s a big reason why American Express ranks 9th out of the 10 largest credit card issuers for international travelers, according to a 2018 WalletHub report.

No, you don’t have to pay every Amex credit card’s bill in full every month. You’re only required to do so with American Express charge cards. And even they give you a bit of leeway.

Even if you don’t have to pay your bill in full every month, you should still consider doing so. American Express credit cards are known more for rewards than low rates. And paying in full every month is critical to maximizing your rewards card earnings.

The only time not paying in full is advisable is when you’re using a 0% credit card. And even then, you’d better pay off what you owe before regular rates take effect. A credit card payoff calculator can be quite helpful in that regard.

Around 8 million U.S. merchants accept Amex credit cards. You can also use them in more than 160 countries around the world. Amex’s Vicinity tool can help you find places that accept American Express credit cards in any area.

It's harder to get an American Express card than it is to get a credit card from many other major issuers simply because all of Amex's credit card offers require good or excellent credit for approval. But American Express isn't the only credit card company to target people in the highest tiers of the credit score scale. Barclaycard and Chase do too, for example. And if you're fortunate enough to have good credit or better, an American Express credit card will be no harder to get than any other credit card.

The easiest American Express cards to get are 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 companies such as Delta and Hilton as well as offers with lower annual fees. Co-branded cards often have relatively high approval rates to accommodate more fans of the brand (e.g. Hilton) in question. And some of Amex's premium cards for big-spenders, which can be relatively difficult to get, have high fees.

Here are some of the easiest American Express cards to get:

• Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
• The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express
• Mercedes-Benz Credit Card
• Blue Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express
• Hilton Honors American Express Card
• USAA® Secured Card American Express® Card
• Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express