American Express has built two distinct product lines that don't always get talked about clearly. The Membership Rewards cards — Gold, Platinum, Green — earn transferable points that can become flights and hotel stays worth multiples of their face value. The Blue Cash cards earn straightforward cash back with no points ecosystem to learn. Which line makes sense for you depends on whether you're willing to manage a points currency in exchange for potentially higher value.
Here's every major Amex card ranked honestly, with the math behind each one.
Amex Gold Card — Best for Dining and Groceries
Annual fee: $325 | Welcome offer: Up to 100,000 Membership Rewards points after $8,000 spend in 6 months
The Amex Gold is the card for people who spend heavily on food. It earns 4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year in grocery purchases, then 1x). No other mainstream card earns 4x on both categories without a higher annual fee.
The $325 annual fee is partially offset by built-in credits that are easy to use: a $120 dining credit ($10/month) valid at Grubhub, Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and selected restaurants; a $120 Uber Cash credit ($10/month) usable on Uber Eats and Uber rides in the U.S.; and a $100 hotel credit on eligible bookings through Amex Travel.
If you use all three credits fully, the net effective fee drops to around $5 — effectively a free card that earns 4x on dining and groceries. In practice, most cardholders extract $240–$280 of the available credits, bringing the effective fee to roughly $45–$85. At that cost, the 4x categories are among the best rates available anywhere at this price point.
Amex Platinum Card — Best for Lounge Access and Premium Travel
Annual fee: $695 | Welcome offer: 80,000 Membership Rewards points after $8,000 spend in 6 months
The Platinum card is Amex's flagship, and it earns its keep almost entirely through lounge access and statement credits. The earning rates on everyday spending are ordinary — 5x on flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel (up to $500,000 per year), 5x on prepaid hotels through Amex Travel, and 1x on everything else. You are not carrying this card for its rewards rate on groceries.
What you're paying for is the lounge network. Platinum cardholders access Centurion Lounges (Amex's own premium airport lounges), Priority Pass Select lounges worldwide, Delta Sky Clubs when flying Delta, and Lufthansa lounges on international Lufthansa flights. For frequent travelers who value airport lounge access, the network is genuinely one of the best available on any consumer card.
The statement credits are extensive but require attention: $200 airline fee credit (incidental fees on one selected U.S. airline), $200 hotel credit (Fine Hotels and Resorts or Hotel Collection bookings through Amex), $240 digital entertainment credit ($20/month for eligible services), $155 Walmart+ credit, $100 global entry/TSA PreCheck credit, $300 Equinox credit, $189 CLEAR Plus credit, and $100 Saks Fifth Avenue credit ($50 biannually). The full credit stack totals over $1,500 in potential value annually — but extracting it requires using all the programs.
Blue Cash Preferred — Best Grocery Cash Back Card
Annual fee: $95 (waived first year) | Welcome offer: $250 statement credit after $3,000 spend in 6 months
The Blue Cash Preferred is the highest grocery cash back rate of any major card on the market: 6% back at U.S. supermarkets up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%), and 6% on select U.S. streaming subscriptions. It also earns 3% on U.S. gas stations and transit (including taxis, rideshare, buses, subway, parking), and 1% on everything else.
A household spending $500/month at the grocery store earns $360/year in cash back from that category alone — after subtracting the $95 annual fee, that's $265 net, before any gas, streaming, or transit earnings. The Membership Rewards ecosystem does not apply here: this card earns American Express statement credits, redeemable for purchases. There are no points to transfer, no airline partners, no award chart. The value is immediate and simple.
The important caveat: the 6% grocery rate explicitly excludes superstores like Walmart and Target, wholesale clubs like Costco and Sam's Club, and convenience stores. If you shop primarily at those retailers, this card's headline rate does not apply to you.
Blue Cash Everyday — Best No-Fee Amex
Annual fee: $0 | Welcome offer: $200 statement credit after $2,000 spend in 6 months
The Blue Cash Everyday earns 3% at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000/year), 3% at U.S. online retailers, and 3% on U.S. gas stations. For a no-annual-fee card, those rates are genuinely competitive, and the online retail category — covering Amazon, Walmart.com, and thousands of other online stores — adds meaningful everyday value beyond the grocery rate.
The downside compared to the Preferred is straightforward: 3% vs 6% on groceries is a $180/year difference on $500/month of grocery spending. If you spend meaningfully on food, the $95 Preferred fee pays for itself roughly twice over. The Everyday makes sense if your grocery spending is under $200/month or if you want a no-fee Amex card to round out a wallet that includes a different primary grocery earner.
How Membership Rewards Transfer Partners Work
The Gold and Platinum cards earn Membership Rewards points, which are transferable to a substantial list of airline and hotel partners at a 1:1 ratio (with a few exceptions). Key airline partners include Air France/KLM Flying Blue, Delta SkyMiles, British Airways Avios, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, ANA Mileage Club, and Avianca LifeMiles. Hotel partners include Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors.
The value of this transfer ability varies widely. Flying Blue frequently runs transfer bonuses and has strong award rates on Air France and KLM flights to Europe. Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer is widely cited for premium cabin redemptions on Singapore's own metal. ANA is a favorite for booking Star Alliance partners at lower rates than booking directly. In contrast, Delta SkyMiles is often considered a poor transfer destination due to dynamic pricing.
The honest framing: Membership Rewards points are worth approximately 1 cent each as statement credits, and potentially 1.5–2.5 cents each if you learn one or two transfer partners well. The premium for learning the system is real but not guaranteed — it requires flexibility on travel dates and destinations.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Card | Annual Fee | Best Rate | Welcome Offer | Rewards Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amex Gold | $325 | 4x dining + U.S. supermarkets | Up to 100,000 MR points | Transferable points |
| Amex Platinum | $695 | 5x flights + prepaid hotels | 80,000 MR points | Transferable points |
| Blue Cash Preferred | $95 (waived yr 1) | 6% U.S. supermarkets + streaming | $250 statement credit | Cash back |
| Blue Cash Everyday | $0 | 3% supermarkets + online retail + gas | $200 statement credit | Cash back |
Which Amex Card Is Right for You?
Start with what you want from a credit card. If your goal is maximum value on food spending — groceries and restaurants — the Amex Gold is the highest-value card in this category for people who will use the Grubhub and Uber Cash credits. The points it earns are transferable to airlines, giving you upside on top of the strong everyday earnings.
If your goal is purely grocery cash back without any points management, the Blue Cash Preferred earns more at supermarkets than any competitor at its price point. The math is direct and requires no expertise to extract.
The Platinum is justified only if you travel enough to value its lounge network and will actually use its portfolio of statement credits. Run the credits against your actual habits before applying — if you don't fly Delta, don't use Equinox, and won't use the Saks credit, the effective fee climbs quickly.
The Blue Cash Everyday belongs in a wallet that needs a no-fee Amex for online retail coverage, or as a first card for someone not ready to commit to an annual fee.
See how Amex cards compare to Chase and Capital One side by side with your actual spending.
Annual fees, welcome offers, and rewards rates are accurate as of June 2026. Always verify current offers at the issuer's official website before applying. CardCompass may earn a commission if you apply for a card through our site. See our Advertiser Disclosure for details.