Best Cards From American Express
American Express offers a total of 17 credit and charge cards and each comes with different benefits – from cashback and Membership Rewards® points, to perks including airport lounge access, free hotel nights and a 24/7 concierge service. Irrespective of which Amex card you carry, the provider comes with a long-standing reputation for exclusivity.
What are the best cards from Amex?
Over the past few decades, the range of cards offered by Amex has diversified and expanded. There are now several cards that do not charge annual fees for example, while some offer initial welcome bonuses.
We’ve compiled a round-up of the best Amex cards to suit various purposes, and listed our findings below. Bear in mind however, that – while Amex cards may have become more accessible — you’ll still need to meet some pretty stringent criteria to be eligible and have an excellent credit score.
BEST FOR CASHBACK
Amex® Cashback Everyday Credit Card
Representative APR (variable)
31%
Annual fees
£0
Perks
Up to 1% unlimited cashback
5% cashback welcome bonus (max £100)
Representative Example
At an assumed credit limit of £1,200, at a purchase rate of 31.0% p.a. (variable), the representative APR is 31.0% (variable). Credit available subject to status.
Representative APR (variable)
31%
Annual fees
£0
Perks
Up to 1% unlimited cashback
5% cashback welcome bonus (max £100)
Representative Example
At an assumed credit limit of £1,200, at a purchase rate of 31.0% p.a. (variable), the representative APR is 31.0% (variable). Credit available subject to status.
With unlimited 1% cashback and no annual fees, this card is a good option for everyday spending.
New Cardmembers also get 5% cashback on purchases (up to £100) for their first three months of Cardmembership. (T&Cs apply, 18+, subject to status).
Bear in mind that to get the headline 1% cashback rate you’ll need to spend over £10,000 every year. Spending below the £10,000 threshold will earn you a reduced rate of 0.5% cashback.
If you’re a frequent international traveller this card might not be the best bet, since there’s no points system and a 2.99% fee for non-sterling transactions.
- Up to an unlimited 1% cashback
- 5% cashback welcome bonus for new cardholders
- No annual fee
- Up to 56 days interest-free spending
- 0.5% cashback for annual spending under £10,000
- Personal APR goes up in line with Bank rate
- Foreign exchange fees
BEST FOR TRAVEL
British Airways American Express® Credit Card
Purchase Rate
31%
Balance Transfer Rate
31%
Money Transfer Rate
31%
Representative Example
At an assumed credit limit of £1,200, at a purchase rate of 31.0% p.a. (variable), the representative APR is 31.0% (variable). Credit available subject to status.
Purchase Rate
31%
Balance Transfer Rate
31%
Money Transfer Rate
31%
Representative Example
At an assumed credit limit of £1,200, at a purchase rate of 31.0% p.a. (variable), the representative APR is 31.0% (variable). Credit available subject to status.
If you’re a frequent flyer with British Airways (BA), this card could help you maximise your Avios points. For every £1 spent, you’ll collect one Avios point, which can be put towards flights, upgrades, hotel stays, car rentals, and more.
You’ll also get a welcome bonus of 5,000 Avios when you spend at least £1,000 in your first three months — so long as you’re a new American Express customer (meaning you haven’t held a personal American Express card within the last 24 months).
Along with this generous points system, cardholders get a few extra perks such as free travel accident insurance, and access to the Global Assist travel helpline.
You’ll also get an annual Companion Voucher, which allows you take someone along on your flight, or receive a 50% discount on the Avios price of your flight when flying solo, when you spend at least £12,000 each year on the card.
From 1 November 2024, you’ll need to spend at least £15,000 in each membership year to earn this voucher. For instance, if your anniversary date was 1 February 2024, you would need to spend £12,000 by October 31 2024, or £15,000 by 31 January 2025 to earn a voucher for the membership year.
To make the most of this card, avoid using it for non-sterling transactions, which come with a fee of 2.99%.
American Express also offers a Premium Plus version of the British Airways card, which offers 25,000 Avios for spending £3,000 in your first three months and 1.5 Avios for every £1 spent. However, the card comes with a £250 annual fee.
- Collect 1 Avios point for every £1 spent
- No annual fee
- Complimentary travel accident insurance
- Access to the Global Assist emergency helpline
- Foreign exchange fee
- Personal APR goes up in line with Bank rate
- Welcome bonus for new customers only
BEST FOR POINTS
Nectar Credit Card American Express
Representative APR (variable)
37.8%
Annual fees
£30
Free in the first year
Perks
Up to 3 Nectar points for every £1 spent
Welcome bonus of 20,000 Nectar points (new cardholders)
Representative Example
At an assumed credit limit of £1,200, at a purchase rate of 31.0% p.a. (variable), the representative APR is 37.8% (variable). Credit available subject to status.
Representative APR (variable)
37.8%
Annual fees
£30
Free in the first year
Perks
Up to 3 Nectar points for every £1 spent
Welcome bonus of 20,000 Nectar points (new cardholders)
Representative Example
At an assumed credit limit of £1,200, at a purchase rate of 31.0% p.a. (variable), the representative APR is 37.8% (variable). Credit available subject to status.
The American Express Nectar Credit Card could be right for you if you want to maximise the number of Nectar points you’re collecting.
For every £1 spent on this card, you’ll get two Nectar Points. When you spend with Nectar partners — such as Sainsbury’s, Argos, Esso, and ebay — this rises to at least three points for every £1.
Since each point is worth 0.5p, you’re effectively getting between 1% and 1.5% cashback to spend with Nectar partners, depending on where you spend. You can also choose to convert Nectar points into Avios if you plan to fly with British Airways.
New American Express customers get a welcome bonus of 20,000 Nectar points (worth £100) when they spend at least £2,000 in their first three months.
There’s an annual fee with this card of £30, although it’s waived in the first year. But from year two onwards, you’d need to spend at least £2,000 with Nectar partners to break even.
- Collect 2 Nectar points for every £1 spent
- Bonus points for spending with Nectar partners
- Welcome bonus of 20,000 Nectar points
- £30 annual fee
- Personal APR goes up in line with Bank rate
- Foreign exchange fees
BEST FOR SHOPPING
American Express® Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card
Purchase rate
31%
Balance Transfer rate
31%
Money Transfer rate
31%
Representative Example
At an assumed credit limit of £1,200, at a purchase rate of 31% p.a. (variable), the representative APR is 88.8% (variable). Credit available subject to status.
Purchase rate
31%
Balance Transfer rate
31%
Money Transfer rate
31%
Representative Example
At an assumed credit limit of £1,200, at a purchase rate of 31% p.a. (variable), the representative APR is 88.8% (variable). Credit available subject to status.
The American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card lets you collect Membership Rewards® points whenever you shop. You’ll get one point for every eligible £1 spent, two points for every £1 when you make airline or foreign currency payments, and three points for every £1 you spend with American Express Travel.
There’s also a welcome bonus of 20,000 Membership Rewards ® points when you spend at least £3,000 within your first three months of Cardmembership. The bonus is exclusive to new customers, meaning you haven’t held a personal American Express card within the past 24 months (18+ subject to status).
Points can be used to offset any purchases you’ve made, or redeemed with American Express partners. Partners include everyday shops like Amazon, Currys, and Costco, as well as luxury retailers such as Harrods. They can also be put towards the cost of flights and hotels.
Since your Membership Rewards® points never expire, there’s no pressure to spend them and you can save up for larger purchases.
Finally, Gold Cardmembers can activate a cashback deal with Delivervoo, which offers £5 cashback twice per month on eligible orders.
To ensure this card is worthwhile for you, watch out for the £195 annual fee. This is waived in the first year, but check whether you’ll earn enough points to offset it thereafter.
- Collect 1 Membership Rewards® point for every £1 spent
- Collect 2 points for every £1 on airline and foreign currency purchases
- Monthly cashback on Deliveroo
- Airport lounge access
- £195 annual fee (first year free)
- Personal APR goes up in line with Bank rate
- Foreign exchange fee
BEST FOR BUSINESS
The American Express® Business Gold Card
Representative APR (variable)
N/A (charge card)
Annual fees
Free for 12 months, then £195
Free in the first year
Perks
Earn 1 Membership Rewards® Point per eligible £1 spent
Representative APR (variable)
N/A (charge card)
Annual fees
Free for 12 months, then £195
Free in the first year
Perks
Earn 1 Membership Rewards® Point per eligible £1 spent
If you want to claim rewards for your business spending, The American Express® Business Gold Card is more than worthy of consideration.
For every eligible £1 spent on the card, you’ll earn one Membership Rewards® point. In each quarter you cumulatively spend £20,000, you’ll also get an extra 10,000 points.
When you use the card to book flights, hotels, and car hire through American Express Travel, you’ll also get an additional one point per £1 spent.
Once earned, points can be traded for rewards such as shopping gift cards, flights and upgrades, or dining out.
You can request additional complimentary Cards for your employees at no extra cost.
As a charge card, there’s no set spending limit or interest rate, but you’ll need to pay off your balance in full every month to avoid being hit with fees.
The card comes with an annual fee of £195, but it’s waived for the first 12 months.
Currently, new Cardmembers also receive a welcome bonus of 20,000 Membership Rewards® points when they spend £3,000 in their first three months. To quality, you must not have held an American Express card for the past 13 months.
- Collect 1 Membership Reward® point for every eligible £1 spent
- Possible Membership Rewards® points bonus every quarter
- Request additional Cards for employees
- Up to 54 days interest-free on spending
- £195 annual fee
- Balance must be paid off in full every month
- Late payment fees
BEST FOR LIFESTYLE
Vitality American Express® Credit Card
Representative APR (variable)
42.4%
Annual fees
£0
(monthly fee for Vitality programme)
Perks
Up to 2% extra cashback for staying active
Welcome bonus of £100 cashback
Representative Example
At an assumed credit limit of £1,200, at a purchase rate of 31% p.a. (variable), the representative APR is 42.4% (variable). Credit available subject to status.
Representative APR (variable)
42.4%
Annual fees
£0
(monthly fee for Vitality programme)
Perks
Up to 2% extra cashback for staying active
Welcome bonus of £100 cashback
Representative Example
At an assumed credit limit of £1,200, at a purchase rate of 31% p.a. (variable), the representative APR is 42.4% (variable). Credit available subject to status.
If you’re considering a Vitality life insurance policy — or already have one — you can use this card to convert healthy lifestyle choices into cashback.
It comes with 0.5% cashback on spending up to £10,000 and 1% on spend above £10,000 — but you can boost cashback by earning activity points. Vitality tots up points based on activities logged throughout the month. Everything from checking into a partner gym to reaching daily step goals on a fitness tracker earns you points.
Your monthly points total is used to calculate the cashback boost you’ll receive in the following month, up to a maximum of 2%. Bear in mind that the maximum extra cashback you can earn through this scheme is £20 a month.
Although the card itself doesn’t come with an annual fee, you do need to be enrolled in a Vitality health insurance plan, which comes with a monthly or annual premium.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that you can only earn the headline 2% cashback boost if you’re enrolled in Vitality Pink with two qualifying plans, and collect over 160 activity points in a month.
American Express is currently offering a welcome bonus of £100 cashback when you spend at least £2,000 on the card within your first three months of Cardmembership.
- Up to 1% unlimited cashback
- Collect Vitality activity points to earn extra cashback
- No annual fee
- Cashback earnings depend on your Vitality plan
- Fitness tracker required to maximise points
- Personal APR goes up in line with Bank rate
- Foreign exchange fee
BEST FOR BASIC
American Express Basic Card
Representative APR (variable)
N/A (charge card)
Annual fees
£0
Perks
Access to American Express Experiences
Representative APR (variable)
N/A (charge card)
Annual fees
£0
Perks
Access to American Express Experiences
This basic charge card comes with no annual fee, and no spending limit, making it a good option if you plan to use it regularly and pay off the full balance each month.
Although you won’t get any cashback or points-based rewards as a Basic Card customer, you’ll still get early access to event tickets, plus perks, through American Express Experiences.
Since it’s a charge card, watch out for late payment fees.
- No pre-set spending limit
- No annual fee
- Access to American Express Experiences
- No points or reward system
- Late payment fees
- Foreign exchange fee
BEST FOR REWARDS
The American Express® Rewards Credit Card
Purchase Rate
31%
Balance Transfer Rate
31%
Money Transfer Rate
31.0%
Representative Example
At an assumed credit limit of £1,200, at a purchase rate of 31% p.a. (variable), the representative APR is 31% (variable). Credit available subject to status.
Purchase Rate
31%
Balance Transfer Rate
31%
Money Transfer Rate
31.0%
Representative Example
At an assumed credit limit of £1,200, at a purchase rate of 31% p.a. (variable), the representative APR is 31% (variable). Credit available subject to status.
This card lets you collect Membership Rewards® points without having to pay an annual fee. This means that, so long as you clear your balance in full every month, there’s nothing to lose and everything to gain.
For every £1 spent on the card you’ll earn one point. Once collected, points can be redeemed at a range of American Express partners which include Amazon, Boots, and Currys PC World.
Cardholders who spend £2,000 or more in their first three months of membership receive a bonus of 10,000 additional points. Only new cardholders (who have not held an Amex card in the last 24 months) are eligible for this bonus.
Referring a friend can help customers earn extra points, too. When you refer a friend and they are approved for the card, you’ll earn at least 4,000 points (up to 90,000 per year).
As an American Express cardholder, you’ll also receive complimentary travel accident insurance, as well as access to the Global Assist travel helpline.
- Collect 1 Membership Rewards® point for every £1 spent
- 10,000 point welcome bonus (new cardholders)
- No annual fee
- Complimentary travel accident insurance
- Welcome bonus for new customers only
- Foreign exchange fee
What’s our methodology?
With 17 different American Express credit and charge cards for personal and business use, we whittled down the cards we considered best for key purposes, including travel, cashback, lifestyle and for basic use.
We selected what we considered to be the best in each category based on the card’s perks, fees and interest rates (APRs), where applicable.
Bear in mind that, while the card information was correct on the date of publication, deals and interest rates can change, while some welcome bonuses are time limited offers.
The APRs listed are also representative, which means you may be offered higher depending on your personal credit score and circumstances. However, you can check your eligibility for an American Express card before making a full application.
Forbes Advisor adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. The opinions expressed are the author’s alone and have not been provided, approved, or otherwise endorsed by our partners.
