American Express credit cards

Hear from our editors: The 6 best American Express cards of May 2026

Updated April 30, 2026

This date may not reflect recent changes in individual terms.

Editorial Note: Intuit Credit Karma receives compensation from third-party advertisers, but that doesn’t affect our editors’ opinions. Our third-party advertisers don’t review, approve or endorse our editorial content. Information about financial products not offered on Credit Karma is collected independently. Our content is accurate to the best of our knowledge when posted.

Written by: Tim Devaney

American Express offers a variety of credit cards with competitive bonus offers and other rewards. Save yourself some time on comparison shopping by checking out our favorite American Express credit cards for travel, restaurants, business cash back rewards and more.

• Best for travel: American Express Platinum Card®
• Best for restaurants: American Express® Gold Card
• Best for groceries: Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
• Best for no annual fee: Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
• Best for small businesses: The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
• Best for business travel: The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

Best for travel: American Express Platinum Card®

Here’s why: The American Express Platinum Card® offers so many travel, dining and lifestyle perks that you might just be able to justify paying the high annual fee.

Read more about the American Express Platinum Card® for more details.

Best for restaurants: American Express® Gold Card

Here’s why: If you enjoy eating out, the American Express® Gold Card offers enough dining credits and restaurant rewards to help offset the annual fee.

Read about the American Express® Gold Card to learn more.

Best for groceries: Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Here’s why: If you enjoy cooking at home, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express features a terrific cash back rate on groceries and other household expenses. But it only makes sense for people who spend enough at U.S. supermarkets to justify the annual fee.

Learn more about the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express.

Best for no annual fee: Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

Here’s why: For anyone on a budget, the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express’ competitive rewards and perks — combined with no annual fee — make it a good option.

Find out more about the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express.

Best for small businesses: The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

Here’s why: The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card frees you up to focus on running your business, instead of worrying about which card to use to get the most cash back. And with no annual fee, it’s the obvious choice for small-business owners who want to cut expenses.

Learn more about The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card.

Best for business travel: The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

Here’s why: If you travel often for work, investing in The Business Platinum Card® from American Express could pay off in the long run. Though it charges an expensive annual fee, the luxury benefits will make your business trips more comfortable, while the rewards could help you pay for that much-needed vacation.

Take a look at The Business Platinum Card® from American Express to learn more.

How we picked these cards

To choose the best card for each category, we took a comprehensive look at all the credit cards offered by American Express, identified common rewards categories and determined which one presented the largest or most valuable reward. Where there wasn’t a clear winner, we considered the following:

• The value of additional perks
• Fee structures
• Complexity of rewards categories and restrictions

We excluded co-branded cards, or cards that primarily offer points and rewards for purchases made through specific vendors.

How to make the most of these cards

If you’re preparing to apply for a new American Express card, be sure to review all fees and restrictions to see if the card matches your spending habits and needs.

For instance, luxury cards often come with hefty annual fees, and you can only make up for them if you’re proactive about using perks like airline fee credits or lounge access. As with any credit card application, be sure to do some homework first. If you understand the fees and restrictions upfront, you’ll be better equipped to get the most out of whichever credit card you choose.