American Express Credit Cards

There are no American Express credit cards that are easy to get as they all require good credit or better. The USAA® Secured American Express® Card used to be the easiest American Express card to get as it was available to people with bad credit, but it is no longer available to new applicants. None of the current credit cards issued by American Express and/or on the American Express network are especially easy to get because they all require a minimum of good credit.

While American Express credit cards aren’t that easy to get, there are several other credit cards that are easy to get approved for. And if you have at least fair credit, you have a shot at cards with more rewards.

The American Express credit score requirement ranges from 700 to 750, depending on the card. That means people with good to excellent credit are eligible to be approved for an American Express credit card.

If your credit score is below the threshold needed for a credit card from American Express, it’s best to wait to apply until you meet the credit score requirement. You can check your credit score for free on WalletHub.

American Express Credit Score Requirements by Card

The Platinum Card® from American Express: 700 (Good credit)

Centurion® Card from American Express: 750 (Excellent credit)

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express: 700 (Good credit)

American Express Cash Magnet® Card: 700 (Good credit)

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express: 700 (Good credit)

American Express® Gold Card: 700 (Good credit)

Hilton Honors American Express Card: 700 (Good credit)

Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card: 700 (Good credit)

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card: 700 (Good credit)

USAA Classic American Express®: less than 3 years of credit history (Limited History credit)

You should note that while your credit score is an important factor, there are plenty of other things that will impact your chances of being approved for an American Express credit card, too. Some other key criteria include your income, existing debt load, number of open accounts, recent credit inquiries, employment status, and housing status.

The best American Express cash back credit card is the Blue Cash Preferred card. It offers $300 statement credit for spending $3,000 in the first 6 months. Cardholders also earn 6% cash back on the first $6,000 spent per year at U.S. supermarkets. And there’s unlimited 3% back at U.S. gas stations and 1% on all other purchases. Blue Cash Preferred has an annual fee of $0 intro 1st yr, $95 after. But it also gives introductory APRs of 0% for 12 months on purchases.

If you don’t want to pay an annual fee, the Amex Cash Magnet card is a better choice. It gives 1.5% cash back on all purchases. Its bonus is a $200 statement credit for spending $2,000 in the first 6 months. And Amex Cash Magnet helps keep interest costs low, too. It offers 0% for 15 months on purchases.

The best Amex travel card depends on your preferred type of travel, but the top contenders are the American Express Platinum card, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, the Hilton Honors Aspire Credit Card and the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. Each one shines in a particular rewards category. For example, the Hilton Honors Aspire card offers free hotel nights, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express will save you money on gas, and the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card is the way to go for airline miles. And for a good overall travel card, your best bet is the American Express Platinum card. You get a 100,000 point bonus for spending $6,000 in your first 6 months, access to 1,000+ airport lounges, and 5 points per $1 spent on flights and hotels.

But before you make your decision, you’ll want to read up on each card in more detail.

Overall: The Platinum Card® from American Express

100,000 points for making $6,000 in purchases during your first 6 months. $200 Uber credit and $200 airline fee credit annually. 5 points per $1 for flights and hotels booked through the Amex travel website or directly with airlines. Access to 1,000 global lounges with a Priority Pass membership worth $429 per year. Good credit needed. $695 annual fee. 0% foreign transaction fee.

Gas Rewards: Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

$300 statement credit for spending $3,000 in the first 6 months. 6% back on $6,000 spent at supermarkets per year. 3% cash back at gas stations and transit. 1% back everywhere else. Good credit needed. Annual fee of $0 intro 1st yr, $95 after. 2.7% foreign transaction fee.

Hotel Points: Hilton Honors Aspire Credit Card

150,000 points for spending $4,000 within the first 3 months. 14 points / $1 at Hilton hotels. 7 points / $1 on flights, and 3 points / $1 on all other purchases. Good credit needed. $450 annual fee. 0% foreign transaction fee.

Airline Miles: Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

80,000 miles and 20,000 Medallion Qualification Miles for spending $5,000 in the first 3 months (limited-time offer, ending 11/10/2021). Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs) earn you status in Delta’s tiered loyalty program. 3 miles / $1 on Delta purchases, 1 mile / $1 everywhere else. Domestic round-trip companion certificate every year on your anniversary. Good credit needed. $550 annual fee. 0% foreign transaction fee.

There are several good options for an Amex travel credit card. But it’s worth noting that Amex cards don’t have the high global acceptance rates of Visa and Mastercard credit cards, so you could run into trouble if it’s your only travel option. And if you’re interested in non-Amex alternatives, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers a 60,000 mile initial bonus, and 2 miles / $1 on every purchase for an annual fee of only $95.

There are several types of American Express cards for consumers and small business owners, including traditional rewards credit cards and charge cards that require payment in full each month. Among those two main types of Amex cards, there are offers with cash back rewards, rewards points, no annual fees, no foreign transaction fees and/or 0% introductory APRs. Some American Express cards are co-branded with airlines and hotel chains too.

The most common types of American Express cards are travel cards that do not charge foreign transaction fees. The American Express Platinum Card and the Hilton Honors American Express Card are two notable examples. Top representatives for some other Amex card types include Blue Cash Preferred (cash back), Amex EveryDay (0% intro APR) and Cash Magnet (no annual fee).

Although American Express cards fit into a wide range of categories, there’s nothing available for people with limited or bad credit. You’ll need good or excellent credit to have a good chance of getting approved for an American Express card, regardless of type.

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.

Easiest American Express Cards to Get:

• Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
• The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express
• Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card
• Hilton Honors American Express Card

Of course, 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. But there isn't much information available about Amex's standards in those regards, and you shouldn't expect them to differ too much from other credit card companies' policies.

You can check your latest credit score for free on WalletHub and then track your progress with free daily updates.

American Express isn't a Visa or a Mastercard. American Express, Visa and Mastercard are three of the four major card networks, the other being Discover. All four act as card networks, dictating where credit cards can be used and sharing responsibility for processing transactions, but American Express along with Discover also extend credit and issue cards directly to consumers. A credit card never has two networks, so you'll never see an American Express Visa card or an American Express Mastercard. Furthermore, lots of the credit cards on the Amex network are actually issued by American Express itself. The rest come from the likes of Bank of America, USAA, Citibank and BBVA Compass. Visa and Mastercard, on the other hand, don't issue any of the cards on their networks or any of the others.

For a bit of background, card networks control where cards can be used and help process transactions. They also determine the fees merchants must pay when a consumer uses a card with their logo on it. And they provide cardholders with additional benefits like travel insurance and purchase protection. American Express is quite different from Visa and Mastercard, though.

American Express vs Visa and Mastercard:

• In addition to being a card network, American Express issues credit cards (as does Discover) as well. Visa and Mastercard do not. So Amex actually has a lot more control over the cards on its network, at least in terms of interest rates, fees and rewards.
• Visa and Mastercard are accepted at more than 11 million U.S. merchant locations. American Express added 1.6 million U.S. merchant locations in 2018, now reaching a total of more than 10 million.
• Amex cards work in about 160 countries and territories. Visa and Mastercard are both accepted in over 200.
• Some credit card issuers have American Express, Visa and Mastercard offers. Those issuers include U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo.
• Citi, Chase, Bank of America, Barclays and Capital One issue Visa and Mastercard credit cards but not Amex cards.
• PNC and TD Bank only offer Visa cards, and you may find banks that are exclusive to Mastercard, too.
• American Express’s fraud liability policy is excellent, while Mastercard and Visa provide good coverage, according to WalletHub’s research.

So American Express doesn’t have the acceptance and reach of Mastercard or Visa. But it’s the go-to network for charge cards. And there are credit card offers on each network that could serve you well.

Best American Express, Visa & Mastercard Credit Cards:

To learn more, check out WalletHub’s guide on credit card companies and card networks as well as our editors’ picks for the best credit cards on the market.

The most common American Express benefits are special cash back rebates with popular retailers through Amex Offers and exclusive access to entertainment events. Many Amex cards also offer benefits like travel insurance, rental car insurance, extended warranties, purchase protection, return protection and more. Certain cards might have less traditional perks, too, like airport lounge access or account credits for certain types of purchases.

Other benefits of having an American Express card include 24/7 customer service, a hotline for assistance when you’re traveling abroad, and free expedited shipping on replacement cards. Plus, Amex gives you the chance to get your card number instantly after approval so you can start using it online before the card comes in the mail.

11 Best American Express Benefits:

Amex Offers

Cash back rebates for spending a certain amount of money at select merchants that rotate. Available on all Amex credit cards.

American Express Experiences

Access to special ticket presales and cardmember-only entertainment events. Available on all Amex credit cards.

Baggage insurance

Covers luggage lost or damaged on a common carrier (plane, train, boat, etc.) when the fare is paid for with an eligible American Express card. Available on over 30 Amex cards.

Trip delay insurance

Reimburses essential purchases you need to make (e.g. clothes, toiletries, food, lodging) when a trip you paid for with an eligible Amex card is delayed for at least 6 - 12 hours, depending on the card. Available on around 20 cards.

Trip cancellation/interruption insurance

Typically covers $10,000 per trip and $20,000 per year for trips cancelled or cut short by unforeseen circumstances. The trip must be paid for with an eligible Amex card (more than 10 cards are eligible).

Rental car insurance

Provides $50,000 to $75,000 per rental in coverage for vehicles rented with an eligible Amex card, when you decline the rental agency’s insurance. Available on over 60 cards.

Purchase protection

Reimburses the cardholder for items that were purchased with an eligible Amex card and damaged or stolen within 90 days. Available on over 60 cards.

Return protection

Pays for items bought with an eligible Amex card when the merchant refuses a return within 90 days of the purchase date. Available on over 15 cards.

Extended warranty

Adds up to a year to the existing manufacturer’s warranty on items purchased with an eligible Amex card. Available on over 45 cards.

Customer service benefits

Amex cardholders enjoy 24/7 customer service, a hotline for assistance when traveling abroad, and free expedited shipping on replacement cards.

Instant use after approval

Amex gives you the chance to get your card number instantly after approval so you can start using it online before the card comes in the mail.

While there are a lot of American Express benefits, they vary from card to card, so it’s important to read your card’s benefits guide for the full details. Finally, it’s also important to touch on the cool factor that Amex cards can have. Many people see American Express cards as prestigious, which makes sense considering the fact that they tend to offer high rewards rates and require good or excellent credit. In addition, several Amex credit cards are metal rather than plastic, which may impress others when you make a purchase.

An American Express card is worth it for people with good or excellent credit scores who want to earn rewards on U.S. purchases that they’ll pay for in full by the due date every month. An Amex card may also be worth it for people who want an introductory low-interest period in addition to rewards.

The bottom line is that as long as the money saved by using the American Express card cancels out or exceeds any annual fees, the Amex card is worth having. Of course, whether a particular Amex card is the most worthwhile option overall also depends on what other credit card companies are offering. Amex is more competitive in some areas than others, too.

For example, Amex cards obviously aren’t the best for building credit, and most aren’t well-suited for balance transfers or new-purchase financing. That said, multiple American Express cards have great benefits for food-related expenses, and the Membership Rewards program makes almost all Amex cards good for travel.

American Express can help your credit score if you are the primary accountholder or an authorized user aged 18 or older on an American Express credit card or charge card account. For an Amex card to be good for your credit score, the account must be kept in good standing with on-time monthly bill payments. Every month an open Amex account is used responsibly, positive information will be reported to the credit bureaus.

On the other hand, using an Amex card irresponsibly will often be bad––or at the very least, unhelpful––for the primary cardholder’s credit score. Mistakes such as missed payments should have no effect on an authorized user’s credit score, though, because Amex will stop reporting on the additional cardholder once an account becomes delinquent.

While account status and eligibility determine whether an Amex card will help your credit, other factors influence how much your credit score will improve. For example, credit card primary accountholders will build credit slightly faster than charge card primary accountholders, and charge card primary accountholders will build credit slightly faster than authorized users. That said, any primary or additional cardholder who has only positive credit information reported monthly to credit bureaus can build excellent credit with enough time.