The Best American Express Credit Cards 2023

The American Express Gold Card is ideal for foodies. Its generous offer of 4x points on restaurants and supermarkets could earn you some serious reward points.
Rewards:

• 4x points at restaurants, including takeout and delivery (in the U.S.)
• 4x at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases)
• 3x points on flights booked through the Amex portal
• 1x points on everything else

Pros:

• High rewards value
• You can choose between a gold or rose gold card
• Fair annual fee given the potential points value

Cons:

• No lounge benefits
• High APR

This card comes with a variety of extra perks, such as:

• $120 Uber Cash: Up to $10 per month, for a total of $120 per year, when you connect your Amex Gold Card to Uber
• $120 Dining Credit: $10 in statement credits per month, for a total of $120 per year, when you use your Amex Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar, or select Shake Shack locations
• $100 experience credit when you book a two-night stay through the Hotel Collection in the Amex travel portal

The Amex EveryDay Credit Card is a solid choice for a card with no annual fee. Plus, if you use the card 20 or more times on purchases within a single billing period, you’ll earn 20% extra points on those purchases.

Rewards:

• 2x points at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $6,000 in purchases (purchases earn 1x points after reaching the limit)
• 2x points on American Express Travel
• 1x points on every $1 spent elsewhere

Pros:

• No annual fee
• Solid rewards rate for a no-annual fee card
• 20% point bonus

Cons:

• Foreign transaction fee
• Spending maximum for 2x points

To earn the 10,000 point welcome bonus, you’ll need to spend $2,000 in qualifying purchases within the first six months of membership. This is a lower spend and a longer timeline than most competing cards, making it easier to achieve the welcome bonus.

The Blue Cash Preferred Card is ideal for most customers, simply because the largest cash back categories are some of the most common expenses — groceries, streaming services, and gas. With a fair annual fee and a 0% APR offer for 12 months, it’d also be ideal for people seeking a balance transfer.

Rewards:

• 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $6,000 in purchases per year (then 1% cash back)
• 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming services
• 3% cash back on transit and U.S. gas stations
• 1% cash back on everything else

Pros:

• High cash back rewards
• Fair annual fee given the potential rewards value

Cons:

• 6% cash back category has a spending maximum
• Foreign transaction fee

To earn the $250 welcome bonus, you’ll need to spend $3,000 in purchases within the first six months of opening the card.

For each month you use your Blue Cash Preferred Card on an eligible streaming service of $12.99 or more, Amex will give you an additional $7 back.

For just a $250 annual fee, the Delta Skymiles Platinum card offers strong rewards and a variety of travel-related perks. Even for the companion certificate alone, which can save you quite a bit depending on where you fly, the value is worth the annual fee.

Rewards:

• 3x miles on hotel purchases made directly through the hotel
• 3x miles on Delta Flights and Delta Vacations
• 2x miles at restaurants (worldwide), including takeout and delivery in the U.S.
• 2x miles at U.S. supermarkets
• 1x miles on everything else

Pros:

• No foreign transaction fee
• Companion certificate
• Variety of travel-related perks

Cons:

• High APR
• SkyClub access isn’t free

This card comes with a variety of travel-related perks, such as:

• First checked bag free on Delta flights
• Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding on Delta flights
• 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through Delta.com and the Fly Delta app
• Access to Delta Sky Club for $50 per person per visit (for you and up to two guests traveling on a Delta flight)
• One Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate for each year you renew the card (other fees may apply)
• Free credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCHeck (after you apply)
• Earn up to 20,000 Medallion Qualification Miles with Status Boost per year. You must spend $25,000 in purchases on the card within the calendar year to earn 10,000 MQMs.

The Delta SkyMiles Reserve card is ideal for people who fly Delta often and want a companion certificate for luxury seating. In comparison to the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card, though, the rewards aren’t as great.

Rewards:

• 3x miles on Delta flight and Delta vacations
• 1x miles per dollar on everything else

Pros:

• Free companion certificate, even for first class seats
• Simple rewards structure
• Cons:
  High annual fee
• SkyClub access is for one traveler only
• Rewards value isn’t as strong as some other SkyMiles cards

This card comes with a multitude of perks:

• Free access to the Delta Sky Club lounge when traveling on a Delta flight
• 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through Delta.com or on the Fly Delta app
• One domestic First Class, Delta Comfort+, or domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year you renew the card
• Upgrade priority over other Medallion Members
• Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck (after you apply)
• First checked bag free on all Delta flights

While the annual fee is high, the rewards on the Hilton Honors Aspire Card are worth it. The one downside is that the points you earn may have fewer redemption options in comparison to competitors.

Rewards:

• 14x points on eligible purchases at participating hotels and resorts within the Hilton Portfolio
• 7x points on eligible flight, rentals, and restaurant purchases
• 3x points on everything else

Pros:

• Automatic Hilton Diamond Status
• High points value for Hilton stays

Cons:

• High APR
• High annual fee

If you frequent stay at Hilton hotels, you’ll enjoy the variety of perks the card comes with, such as:

• $250 Hilton Resort credit
• Automatic Hilton Honors Diamond status
• A free night in the first year, and for every year after renewal
• The ability to earn an additional free night after spending $60,000 in purchases on your card within one calendar year
• $250 airline fee credit to cover incidental charges

To earn the 150,000-point welcome bonus, you’ll need to spend $4,000 in purchases within the first three months of opening the account.

For such a small annual fee, the Hilton Honors Surpass Card delivers an incredibly valuable rewards program and a variety of perks. The one downside is that to earn some of those perks, you’ll need to spend quite a bit.

Rewards:

• 12x points on eligible purchases at participating Hilton hotels and resorts
• 6x points on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations
• 3x points on everything else

Pros:

• Low annual fee
• No foreign transaction fee
• Solid rewards rate

Cons:

• High APR
• You’ll need to spend $15,000 to earn the free night reward

This card comes with several perks, such as:

• A free night reward after spending $15,000 on purchases within a calendar year
• Hilton Honors Diamond Status after spending $40,000 on eligible purchases within a calendar year

To earn the 130,000-point welcome bonus, you’ll need to spend $2,000 within the first three months of opening the card. However, this deal is only valid until 7/19/2023, and it isn’t clear what the offer will look like after that date.

While the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card has a hefty annual fee, its rewards match the price. With a variety of travel-related perks and bonuses, the card is ideal for people that frequent Marriott hotels and resorts.

Rewards:

• 6x points per dollar at Marriott Bonvoy participating hotels
• 3x points on restaurants (worldwide) and flights booked directly with the airline
• 2x points on everything else

Pros:

• High value rewards
• Variety of perks for Marriott purchases and stays
• Annual free night award

Cons:

• High annual fee
• High APR

This card comes with several bonuses, such as:

• $300 Brilliant Dining Credit: $300 in statement credits per year, after renewal (up to $25 per month) for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide
• Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status
• Free night award for each year after card renewal
• Earn Choice Award Benefit: After spending $60,000 on purchases within a calendar year, you can select an award, such as $1,000 off a bed from Marriott Bonvoy Boutiques or a free night award
• $100 Luxury Property Credit: $100 property credit for stays at luxury properties such as the Ritz Carlton or St. Regis
• Free credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
• 25 Elite Night Credits per year, which help you reach the next level of Marriott Bonvoy Elite status
• Priority Pass Select, which grants you access to over 1,200 lounges in over 130 countries, regardless of with airline you fly

To earn the 150,000-point welcome bonus, you’ll need to spend $6,000 in purchases within the first six months of opening the account. This is a longer timeline than most competing cards, making it easier to achieve the welcome bonus.

You’ll also receive an additional 50,000 points after staying six nights in an eligible hotel, although the offer ends in August 2023.

The Platinum Card has a high annual fee, but if you plan to use all the extra perks and benefits, it could be worth it.

Rewards:

• 5x points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked through the American Express Travel portal
• 5x points on flights booked directly with airlines or AMEX travel (for the first $500,000 in purchases per calendar year)
• 1x points per $1 spent on everything else

Pros:

• Long list of perks and benefits
• Solid rewards rate

Cons:

• High annual fee
• High APR

The list of perks that come with this card is pretty intense:

• $200 Hotel Credit on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel
• $240 Digital Entertainment Credit ($20 per month) when you pay for an eligible subscription with your Platinum Card
• $155 Walmart+ Credit ($12.95 per month + applicable taxes)
• $200 Airline Fee Credit for incidentals
• $200 Uber Cash per year
• $300 Equinox Credit when you use your Platinum Card on an Equinox subscription
• Up to $189 CLEAR Plus Credit
• $100 Global Entry Credit every four years or $85 statement credit every four years for TSA PreCheck
• Up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue
• $300 SoulCycle At-Home Bike Credit
• Global Dining Access on Resy when you link your Platinum Card