I love the classic look and feel of American Express credit cards.
There’s something about seeing the Roman Centurion, it makes me think about getting some traveler’s checks and traveling around the world. And people don’t even use traveler’s checks anymore!
But before I do that, the smart spender in me knows that there are ways you can sign up for credit cards, earn huge welcome offers, and help make those trips a bit cheaper.
And American Express has some of the best credit cards on the market for travel (their cobranded partners seem to fit the places I like to go too) and their welcome bonuses are among the highest in the industry.
Table of Contents
- Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express – $200
- Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express – $250 statement credit
- American Express® Gold Card – 60,000 Membership Rewards Points
- The Platinum Card from American Express – 80,000 Membership Rewards points
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card – 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points
- Hilton Honors American Express Card – 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points
- Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card – 10,000 Bonus Miles
| Card Name | Welcome Offer | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express | $200 | $0 |
| Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express | $250 statement credit | $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 |
| American Express® Gold Card | 60,000 Membership Rewards Points | $250 |
| The Platinum Card from American Express | 80,000 Membership Rewards points | $695 |
| Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card | 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points | $650 |
| Hilton Honors American Express Card | 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points | $0 |
| Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card | 10,000 Bonus Miles | $0 |
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express – $200
The Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express starts at the top of the list because it has an annual fee of $0. Yep. $0. Nice right?
This card also lets you earn $200 after you spend $2,000 in purchases within the first 6 months.
Finally, you earn a cashback of 3% at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000/year, then 1%), 3% on U.S. online retail purchases (up to $6,000/year, then 1%), 3% at U.S. gas stations (up to $6,000/year, then 1%) then 1% on other purchases.. You earn the cash back as “Reward Dollars” that can be redeemed for statement credits. Terms Apply.
👉 Learn more about the Blue Cash Everyday from American Express
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express – $250 statement credit
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express lets you earn $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases in the first 6 months. Terms Apply.
What helps this card stand out is that it’s welcome offer is only the beginning. The cashback rewards are great too – 6% on U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%), 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more). Finally, 1% Cash Back on other purchases.
It makes it a great card to keep in your rotation as your every day card.
There is a annual fee of $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
👉 Learn more about the Blue Cash Preferred from American Express
American Express® Gold Card – 60,000 Membership Rewards Points
The American Express Gold Card has a welcome bonus of 60,000 Membership Rewards Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months – and you can pick whether you want Gold or Rose Gold. Terms Apply.
The card itself has a whole slew of great benefits such as:
- Earn 4x Membership Rewards on dining worldwide
- Earn 4x at U.S. supermarkets (on the first $25,000 per year and then 1x)
- 3x on flights you book directly from the airline or on amextravel.com
- Up to $120 in Uber Cash per year
- Up to $120 in dining credits each year (at participating restaurants, enrollment required)
There is an annual fee of $250.
👉 Learn more about the American Express® Gold Card
The Platinum Card from American Express – 80,000 Membership Rewards points
The Platinum Card from American Express is one of the most well known travel credit cards on the market because of its generous benefits, which offset its heftier annual fee of $695. Terms Apply.
The welcome bonus is especially appealing – earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $8,000 in purchases within your first six months of Card Membership.
As for card perks, there are a whole slew of benefits like a $200 airline fee credit, $200 hotel credit (The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two night stay.), $200 Uber Cash, $240 digital entertainment credit, $155 Walmart+ credit, Global Lounge access, etc. It’s too numerous to name here but read our Platinum Card from American Express review for the full run down.
👉 Learn more about the Platinum Card from American Express
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card – 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points
We love Marriott hotels and if we were comfortable with a $650 annual fee, we’d have the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card in our wallet. It gives you the opportunity to earn 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.
This card is a premium credit card with benefits that include $300 in statement credits each year ($25 per month)for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide – which greatly offsets the annual fee.
The card also confers Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status, which gets you room upgrades, including enhanced views or suites, when available at select properties and booked with a Qualifying Rate.
You also receive 1 free Night Award every year after the anniversary too. And each year, after you spend $60,000 on eligible purchases made on the card, you can select an Earned Choice Award benefit such as 5 Suite Night Awards, a free night award valued at up to 85,000 points, or $1,000 off a Bed from Marriott Bonvoy Boutiques.
This is on top of a cashback schedule that as you earning 6X points for each dollar spent at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy(TM) program, 3X points for each dollar spent at Worldwide Restaurants and on flights booked directly from an airline, and 2X points on all other eligible purchases. THis card also has no foreign transaction fees.
👉 Learn more about the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card
Hilton Honors American Express Card – 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points
The Hilton Honors American Express Card lets you earn 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership, offer ends 4/17/24. If your preferred hotel of choice is Hilton, this card is a great choice. Terms Apply.
On your spend, the points schedule is great too – Earn 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio. Earn 5X Points per dollar on purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations. Earn 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card..
The card gets you Complimentary Hilton Honors Silver Status. If you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year, you can earn an upgrade to Hilton Honors Gold status through the end of the next calendar year.
Best of all, $0 annual fee.
👉 Learn more about the Hilton Honors American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card – 10,000 Bonus Miles
If you love to fly and it shows, the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card sports a welcome offer of 10,000 Bonus Miles after spending $1,000 in purchases in your first 3 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.
The welcome offer isn’t numerically very high but if you’re a frequent Delta customer, you may find it appealing as the annual fee is $0.
The cashback structure is nice too – 2X miles on dining at restaurants (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.), 2X miles on Delta purchases made directly with Delta, and 1X miles on all other eligible purchases.
👉 Learn more about the Delta Skymiles Blue American Express Card
