Best American Express Cards of 2026
The Amex lineup ranked, from premium travel to no-fee cash back.
American Express runs the deepest premium lineup in the business, and the credits on its top cards can erase the annual fees if you actually use them. The catch is the once-per-lifetime rule: you generally get each card's welcome bonus only once, so the order you apply in matters more than it does anywhere else. Start with the card that fits your spending today, not the one with the loudest fee. The Centurion exists, but you do not apply for it, so it does not make this list.
By Alex Compton · Updated
· ratings independent of compensation| Card | Annual fee | Bonus | Headline earn rate | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.American Express Gold Card | $325 | 100,000 pts (≈$2,000) | 4x Restaurants worldwide (up to $50k/yr) | ★ 8.8 |
| 2.The Platinum Card from American Express | $895 | 175,000 pts (≈$3,500) | 5x Flights booked direct or via Amex Travel (up to $500k/yr) | ★ 8.9 |
| 3.Amex Blue Business Plus | $0 | 15,000 pts (≈$300) | 2x All purchases (up to $50k/yr) | ★ 8.6 |
| 4.Blue Cash Preferred | $95 | $250 (≈$250) | 6x US supermarkets (up to $6k/yr) | ★ 8.3 |
| 5.Blue Cash Everyday Card | $0 | $200 (≈$200) | 3x US supermarkets (up to $6k/yr) | ★ 7.8 |
| 6.Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card | $550 | 150,000 pts (≈$750) | 14x Hilton portfolio hotels | ★ 8.7 |
| 7.Delta SkyMiles Platinum Amex | $350 | 100,000 pts (≈$1,150) | 3x Delta purchases | ★ 8.0 |
Best overall
4x Restaurants worldwide (up to $50k/yr)
4x US supermarkets (up to $25k/yr)
3x Flights booked direct or via Amex Travel
Why we chose it
Four points per dollar at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets covers the two categories most people spend in every week. The dining and Uber credits chip away at the fee without changing how you live. This is the Amex card that earns its keep on a normal month.
Skip it if: $325 fee stings if credits go unused · Weak outside its bonus categories
Best premium
5x Flights booked direct or via Amex Travel (up to $500k/yr)
5x Prepaid hotels via Amex Travel
1x All other purchases
Why we chose it
Centurion Lounges, hotel status, and a stack of credits that can outrun the $895 fee for a frequent traveler. You walk past the line at the airport instead of standing in it. If you fly often enough to use the lounges, the math works.
Skip it if: $895 fee is brutal if you ignore the coupon book · 1x on everyday spend, this is not a daily driver
Best for business
2x All purchases (up to $50k/yr)
1x Above $50k/yr
Why we chose it
Two Membership Rewards points per dollar on everything, no annual fee, no category tracking. It quietly turns ordinary business spend into transferable points. There is no cheaper way into the Membership Rewards ecosystem.
Skip it if: $50k cap · Small welcome bonus
Best for groceries
6x US supermarkets (up to $6k/yr)
6x Select US streaming
3x Transit and US gas stations
Why we chose it
Six percent back at U.S. supermarkets is the highest standing grocery rate on the market. A family grocery bill pays the $95 fee back in a few months. Streaming earns 6 percent too, which almost nobody else offers.
Skip it if: $6k grocery cap · Cash back, not transferable points
Best no annual fee
3x US supermarkets (up to $6k/yr)
3x US gas stations (up to $6k/yr)
3x US online retail purchases (up to $6k/yr)
Why we chose it
Three percent on groceries, gas, and online retail with no fee to justify. It is the right first Amex for someone who wants cash back without a spreadsheet. The once-per-lifetime rule makes a free entry point like this worth taking early.
Skip it if: $6k caps per category · 2.7% foreign transaction fee
Best hotel card
14x Hilton portfolio hotels
7x Flights booked direct or via Amex Travel, car rentals, US restaurants
3x All other purchases
Why we chose it
Automatic Hilton Diamond status and an annual free night that routinely covers the fee on its own. You check in as a top-tier elite without ever staying 60 nights. For anyone who books Hilton even a few times a year, this is the strongest hotel card Amex issues.
Skip it if: Resort credit only works at eligible resort properties · Quarterly flight credit takes discipline
Best airline card
3x Delta purchases
2x Restaurants and US supermarkets
1x All other purchases
Why we chose it
The annual companion certificate turns one paid ticket into two seats. Add free checked bags and the fee stops being a debate for a Delta household. It is the Delta card with the best balance of cost and payoff.
Skip it if: Monthly drip credits require attention · SkyMiles devalue often and award pricing is dynamic
The Bottom Line
Amex rewards people who use the credits and punishes people who ignore them. Pick the card that matches where your money already goes, and remember the bonus is once per lifetime. The Gold is the right answer for most people, and the rest of the lineup builds around it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which card on the Best American Express Cards list has no annual fee?
Amex Blue Business Plus, Blue Cash Everyday Card all have a $0 annual fee.
Which card on the Best American Express Cards list has the most valuable welcome bonus?
The The Platinum Card from American Express currently has the most valuable bonus on this list: 175,000 pts, worth roughly $3,500 by our valuations.
What is the highest-rated card on the Best American Express Cards list?
The The Platinum Card from American Express carries our highest rating on this list at 8.9/10, with a $895 annual fee.
How we rank: picks are ordered by our independent 0-10 ratings, current bonus value at our points valuations, annual fee, and earning structure. Compensation never changes an order or a rating. Read our full rating methodology.
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