American Express credit cards, compared
26 American Express cards, from what each earns on a typical year's spending down to what its fee costs. Every card links to its own page, with every rate and where it ranks.
Ranked by what each card earns in a year once its annual fee is paid — every rate converted to dollars with a dated point valuation, spending caps honoured, and rotating categories not credited. Priced on an illustrative household spending $2,205 a month on a card — the assumption, in full. Credits and perks are not priced: they are worth their face value only if you would have spent that money anyway.
| # | Card | Annual fee | A year, after the feeA year of rewards on the illustrative household spending described on the method page, minus the annual fee. Your own spending will give a different number. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
American Express, Points, most from Groceries |
none | $1,058 |
| 2 |
American Express, Points, most from Groceries |
$325 a year | $828 |
| 3 |
American Express, Points, most from Groceries |
$95 a year | $710 |
| 4 |
American Express, Points, most from Groceries |
none | $649 |
| 5 |
American Express, Points, most from Restaurants & Bars |
$150 a year | $622 |
| 6 |
American Express, Cash back, most from Groceries |
$95 a year | $537 |
| 7 |
American Express, Cash back, most from Groceries |
none | $529 |
| 8 |
American Express, Points, most from Restaurants & Bars |
$375 a year | $478 |
| 9 |
American Express, Cash back, most from Groceries |
none | $457 |
| 10 |
American Express, Points, most from Groceries |
$95 a year | $434 |
| 11 |
American Express, Hotel, most from Groceries |
none | $409 |
| 12 |
American Express, Hotel, most from Restaurants & Bars |
$125 a year | $361 |
| 13 |
American Express, Airline, most from Restaurants & Bars |
none | $361 |
| 14 |
American Express, Hotel, most from Groceries |
$195 a year | $334 |
| 15 |
American Express, Hotel, most from Groceries |
$150 a year | $312 |
| 16 |
American Express, Airline, most from Groceries |
$150 a year | $283 |
| 17 |
American Express, Hotel, most from Groceries |
$250 a year | $276 |
| 18 |
American Express, Airline, most from Restaurants & Bars |
$150 a year | $211 |
| 19 |
American Express, Airline, most from Groceries |
$350 a year | $104 |
| 20 |
American Express, Airline, most from Groceries |
$350 a year | −$9 |
| 21 |
American Express, Hotel, most from Restaurants & Bars |
$550 a year | −$156 |
| 22 |
American Express, Hotel, most from Groceries |
$650 a year | −$229 |
| 23 |
American Express, Points, most from Groceries |
$895 a year | −$270 |
| 24 |
American Express, Airline, most from Groceries |
$650 a year | −$330 |
| 25 |
American Express, Airline, most from Groceries |
$650 a year | −$332 |
| 26 |
American Express, Points, most from Groceries |
$895 a year | −$366 |