The Best American Express Cards for 2018! How Many of Them Do You Have?

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Best American Express Credit Cards

• The Platinum Card® from American Express:   Best Card for Flights
• Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express:   Best Card for Cash Back
• The Business Platinum® Card from American Express OPEN:   Best Small Business Card
• The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card from American Express:   Best No-Annual-Fee Business Card

Most folks who enjoy miles and points have at least 1 American Express card in their wallet.  That’s because American Express offers cards for any miles and points goal.  Whether you are strictly interested in cash back rewards or you want to make your luxurious travel dreams come true, American Express probably has a card for you!

While all of these cards are great options, the best American Express card for you depends on your travel and financial goals.

If you regularly pay cash for flights, earning 5X Membership Rewards points per $1 spent is almost certainly a great option for you.  Or, if you are looking to pad the bank account and earn cash back, earning 6% cash back at US supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%) could be a lucrative decision!

And don’t forget to consider perks beyond just miles and points, like AMEX Offers.  Million Mile Secrets team member Scott has 3 American Express cards and loves browsing through the AMEX Offers he receives for easy discounts at local restaurants, stores, and travel.  He’s saved $100s of dollars this year without having to clip a single coupon.

We’ll show you the best American Express cards and help you decide which card is best for you!

Best American Express Credit Cards

Link:   Best Card Strategy for Beginners

American Express has a wide range of cards that offer huge welcome bonuses, elite status with hotels, valuable AMEX Offers, and more.  But each card comes with its own mix of benefits and perks.

Million Mile Secrets contributor Chris recently opened a Platinum Card from American Express, and the attached terms and conditions listed 49 different types of cards that American Express offers or has offered!  With so many different options, it can be hard to determine which card is best for you.

We ranked our favorite American Express cards by category so you can pick the best card based on your situation.

Million Mile Secrets List of the Best American Express Credit Cards

Here are some of the best American Express cards!

	Card Name		Welcome Bonus & Minimum Spending Requirements	Our Review
Best Card for Flights	The Platinum Card from American Express		60,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening	My Review of the AMEX Platinum
Best Cash Back Card	Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express		Earn a $200 statement credit after spending $1,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening	Better Offers for the AMEX Blue Cash Preferred for Folks Who Spend a Lot on Travel!
Best Card for Small Business Owners	The Business Platinum Card from American Express		Earn up to 75,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points after meeting tiered minimum spending requirements. 50,000 bonus points after spending $10,000 in the first three months. Plus, an extra 25,000 bonus points after spending an additional $10,000 in the same time frame.	15+ Useful Perks & a Valuable Welcome Bonus Make the AMEX Business Platinum Worth Considering!
Best No-Annual-Fee Business Card	The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card from American Express		None	Earn 2X AMEX Membership Rewards points for your first $50,000 in purchases!

1.   Best Card for Flights:  The Platinum Card from American Express

Link:   The Platinum Card from American Express

Link:   Our Review of the Platinum Card from American Express

The Platinum Card from American Express comes with a ton of perks, particularly for folks who fly often.  The card earns 5X American Express Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with the airlines and on prepaid hotels booked through AMEX Travel.  

That’s the highest earning rate for flights of any credit card!

The Platinum Card from American Express earns AMEX Membership Rewards points, which you can transfer to one of 19 airline and hotel partners!  And Membership Rewards points are among the most valuable, especially when you can use of their frequent transfer bonuses.

When you apply for the The Platinum Card from American Express, you’ll earn 60,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of opening your account.

We’ve recently seen targeted offers for a 100,000-point welcome bonus, so be sure to check the CardMatch tool to see if you qualify for a higher offer!

In addition to the intro bonus, the The Platinum Card from American Express also comes with these great perks:

• Up to $200 in Uber credits annually
• Up to $200 annual airline fee credit
• $100 Global Entry credit
• Airport lounge access
• Elite car rental status with Avis, Executive status with National Car Rental, and Gold Plus Rewards with Hertz
• Free Hilton Honors Gold elite status (free breakfast and upgrades when available)
• Free Starwood Gold elite status, which you can use to instantly match to Marriott Gold elite status

The card comes with a $550 annual fee which is NOT waived the first year.  But the $200 annual Uber and airline fee credits, lounge access, and the $100 Global Entry credit really help to offset the annual fee.

2.   Best Card for Cash Back:   Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express

Link:   Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express

Link:   Our Review of the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express

With the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express, you’ll earn:

• 6% cash back at US supermarkets (up to $6,000 in purchases per year, then 1%)
• 3% cash back at US gas stations and select US department stores
• 1% cash back on everything else

For folks who regularly spend at US supermarkets, gas stations, and department stores, this could mean some serious cash back rewards!

The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express comes with a $200 statement credit after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of opening your account.

In addition to the $200 welcome bonus, you’ll get these perks:

• Free 2-day shipping from over 140 online stores with a complimentary ShopRunner membership
• Extended warranty protection (1 additional year) on purchases with a manufacturer’s warranty of 5 years or less
• 90-day return protection on purchases made in the US or US territories (up $300 per item and $1,000 per calendar year)
• Roadside assistance hotline for arranging services like tow trucks (the card does not pay for the services, but will help you arrange them)
• Car rental loss and collision coverage (secondary coverage only, liability coverage is not included)

The $95 annual fee is NOT waived the first year and the card adds foreign transaction fees.  If you plan to have lower spending on the card, you may also want to consider the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, which has no annual fee.

3.   Best Small Business Card:   The Business Platinum® Card from American Express

     Link:   The Business Platinum® Card from American Express

     Link:   Our Review of the Business Platinum® Card from American Express

Similar to the personal version, The Business Platinum® Card from American Express comes with lots of great perks!  Making it one of the best business credit cards!  You’ll find many of the same benefits, like:

• 5X AMEX Membership Rewards points when you book airfare or prepaid hotels through the AMEX travel portal
• Up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year for airline incidentals with your selected airline (luggage fees, in-flight food & drink, etc.)
• Ability to book hotel stays through AMEX Fine Hotels & Resorts
• AMEX Premium Roadside Assistance
• Access to airport lounges (Delta, Priority Pass, Airspace, Escape, and American Express Centurion Lounges)
• Bonus points or statement credits when taking advantage of an AMEX Offer
• Elite car rental status with Avis, Executive status with National Car Rental, and Gold Plus Rewards with Hertz
• Free Hilton Honors Gold elite status (free breakfast and upgrades when available)
• Free Starwood Gold elite status, which you can use to instantly match to Marriott Gold elite status
• 10 free Gogo in-flight Wi-Fi passes each calendar year
• Statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck

But you’ll also get there perks which are unique to the business version:

• 1.5X AMEX Membership Rewards points on single purchases of $5,000+ (up to 1,000,000 additional points per calendar year)
• 35% of your points back for ALL First Class or Business Class flights booked through the AMEX travel portal using Pay With Points
• 35% of your points back for all flights, including coach tickets, booked with your selected airline through the AMEX travel portal using Pay With Points (up to 500,000 points back per calendar year)

With the AMEX Business Platinum card, you’ll earn:

• 50,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points after you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening
• 25,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points after you spend an additional $10,000 on qualifying purchases within the same time frame.

This card has a $450 annual fee, which is NOT waived.  But the fee is $100 less than the personal version.  And it’s not hard to offset the fee by taking advantage of a few perks (like annual statement credits) on the above list!

4.   Best No-Annual-Fee Business Card:  The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card From American Express

     Link:   The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card from American Express

     Link:   Our Review of the Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card From American Express

Small business owners who want Big Travel will love the The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card from American Express.  That’s because you’ll earn transferable AMEX Membership Rewards points with a credit card with no annual fee!

You’ll also get:

• 2 AMEX Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on the first $50,000 in business purchases per year; then 1x
• 1 AMEX Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Terms Apply

And you’ll have the ability to “buy above your limit.”  So if you need to invest in your business, you might be able to make a purchase that exceeds your credit limit.  Just be sure you can pay it off because fees will apply if you don’t. 🙁

And you’ll have other benefits with the card like baggage insurance, purchase protection, and car rental loss & damage insurance.

Bottom Line

We ranked 5 of the best American Express cards by category.  Here’s our list:

• Best Card for Flights:   The Platinum Card from American Express
• Best Card for Cash Back:   Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
• Best Small Business Card:   The Business Platinum Card from American Express OPEN
• Best No-Annual-Fee Business Card:  The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card from American Express

The best American Express card for your wallet depends on your travel and financial goals.  Lots of Million Mile Secrets readers have more than one of these cards because American Express cards offer lucrative welcome bonuses and terrific everyday spending categories, which can you get Big Travel with Small Money!