American Express Credit Card Promotions: December 2024
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American Express offers promotions for new credit card applicants. But how do you know which deal is right for you? Read this in-depth guide.
American Express has many promotional bonus offers for those with good to excellent credit.
Amex Promotions
Amex Promotions w/ No Annual Fee
Read on for the list of current card promotions for new applicants. Apply for a new credit card from this list and make the qualifying purchases within the specified timeframe to get the bonus promotion.
Cash Rewards Credit Cards
Blue Cash Preferred earns a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. This card earns 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000/year in purchases, then 1%) and on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, and buses), and 1% on other purchases. You will receive cash back in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout. There is a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, currently 18.24% to 29.24%. There is a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.. Terms apply.
Airline Reward Credit Cards
Delta SkyMiles Gold earns 50,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $2,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. This card earns 2x miles on Delta purchases, at U.S. Supermarkets and at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.. Earn 1x miles on all other eligible purchases. After you spend $10,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can receive a $200 Delta Flight Credit to use toward future travel. There is a $150 annual fee ($0 introductory annual fee for the first year).
If you fly Delta, here's what you should know: you can check your first bag free on Delta flights with this card. Terms apply.
Delta SkyMiles Blue offers 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases within the first 6 months. This card earns airline miles: 2 miles per dollar spent at restaurants and on Delta purchases. Earn 1x mile on other eligible purchases. There is no annual fee. Terms apply.
Membership Rewards Cards
American Express Platinum offers 80,000 Membership Rewards Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. You earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. There is a $695 annual fee.
This card includes several benefits for travelers: This card offers up to a $200 airline fee credit per calendar year to cover incidental fees at one select qualifying airline. Enrollment required. This card gives you complimentary access to 5 airport lounge networks including The Centurion® lounge network, The International American Express lounges, Delta Sky Club® lounges, Priority Pass™ Select, and Airspace Lounge. Enrollment required for Priority Pass Select. There is no foreign transaction fees. This card also gives you access to Platinum Card® Concierge. You can enroll to get complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status and complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status. Terms Apply.
American Express Gold earns 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. There is a $325 annual fee. Terms apply.
In-Depth Guide to American Express Credit Cards
Which American Express Deal Is Right for You?
To pick the right card for you, consider the following factors:
- Annual fee: How often will you use your new American Express card? Cards with annual fees usually offer more rewards or benefits. But before you apply for the credit card, think: will you realistically earn enough in rewards to make up for the expense?
- Cash back vs Membership Rewards points: Cash back is the straightforward way to earn rewards, but depending on what you want, a reward points card could provide more value to you.
For cash back, check out Blue Cash Preferred. You can earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%) and 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations. Note: Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
Why would one want to earn points over cash back? Earning AMEX Membership Rewards points gives you the flexibility to transfer points to partner frequent travel programs (like airline partners such as Delta and JetBlue, or hotel partners such as Hilton). Then you would use the transfer partner to redeem for award flights or hotel stays.
Sounds complicated? It doesn't have to be if you know how to play the airline miles game. Read our beginner's guide to get you started.
- Lifestyle and spending habits: Check your credit card statement. What do you spend the most on? Is it groceries and gas, or are you a frequent traveler? Pick a card with rewards that match your lifestyle.
If you spend the most at supermarkets and gas stations, then consider the Blue Cash Everyday or Blue Cash Preferred. If you spend a lot of time in the air, then you may find that the AMEX Platinum card with its platinum benefits is worth the annual fee.
AMEX Credit Card Offers for New Applicants
We'll make your decision simpler with side-by-side American Express comparisons. Let's begin with the no-annual-fee Amex cards versus their premium cousins.
American Express Credit Card Application
New Application: Before you apply for a credit card, keep in mind, you usually need good to excellent credit. Ready to apply? Click the apply now button on this page and you'll be redirected to American Express' secure online website.
Earn Cash Back: Blue Cash Cards
Is cash king? Do you want to earn cashback rewards WITHOUT having to deal with spending categories that change every few months?
Consider one of the AMEX Blue Cash cards.
Which cashback credit card is right for you? We'll break down the numbers below. But first, let's do a side-by-side comparison to see how the two cards stack up:
Blue Cash Everyday | Blue Cash Preferred | |
---|---|---|
Interest Rates and Fees | ||
Introductory APR for Purchases | 0% introductory APR on Purchases for 15 months | 0% introductory APR on purchases for 12 months |
Introductory APR for Balance Transfers | 0% introductory APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months | 0% introductory APR on balance transfers for 12 months |
Purchase APR | 18.24% to 29.24% Variable based on your creditworthiness and other factors | 18.24% to 29.24% Variable based on your creditworthiness and other factors |
Balance Transfers APR | 18.24% to 29.24% Variable based on your creditworthiness and other factors | 18.24% to 29.24% Variable based on your creditworthiness and other factors |
Annual Fee | $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 | |
Benefits and Features | ||
Cash Back Deal | Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. | Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. |
Cash Back | 3% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%. 3% Cash Back on U.S. online retail purchases, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%. 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout. | 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%). 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions. 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations. 3% Cash Back on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more). 1% Cash Back on other purchases. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit. |
Gas | 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit. | 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more). Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit. |
Grocery | 3% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit. | 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%). Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit. |
Blue Cash Everyday: Pricing information including interest rates, benefits and fees was obtained on December 19, 2024 from published websites and is believed to be accurate, but not guaranteed. Blue Cash Preferred: Pricing information including interest rates, benefits and fees was obtained on December 19, 2024 from published websites and is believed to be accurate, but not guaranteed. Disclaimer: The information for the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express and Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express has been collected independently by CreditDonkey. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. |
Travel Deals and Bonuses
Travel Promotion: Like to Fly Delta?
Delta SkyMiles Gold
Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $2,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
What perks are available with this card?
- You earn 2 miles per eligible dollar spent directly with Delta
- You get to check your first bag free on Delta flights
- You get Zone 5 Priority Boarding
The card has a $150 annual fee ($0 introductory annual fee for the first year). There are no foreign transaction fees .
Want Platinum Benefits?
Scoring a deal on bonus points is nice, but do you also want to enjoy platinum benefits such as Platinum Concierge Service and Airport Club Access?
The Platinum Card has a $695 annual fee that might discourage many. But some frequent travelers believe this membership rewards card is well worth it.
To help get you started, this card earns 80,000 Membership Rewards bonus points after you spend $8,000 in purchases in your first 6 months with your new AMEX Platinum card.
Plus, every year you get up to a $200 Airline Fee Credit, which helps covers incidentals such as baggage fees and change fees at one airline (you need to enroll and pick a qualifying airline beforehand).
Want Benefits But Don't Want a $695 Annual Fee?
Does $695 sound like too much? The American Express Gold Card has a $325 annual fee.
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Here is how the Platinum and Gold compare side-by-side:
American Express Platinum | American Express Gold | |
---|---|---|
Annual Fee | ||
Bonus Deal | Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. | Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. |
Travel | ||
Airline | Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year. | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
Hotel | Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. | |
Points | 1 point for virtually every dollar spent. | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Airline Status | $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card®. Enrollment required Complimentary access to 5 airport lounge networks including The Centurion® lounge network, The International American Express lounges, Delta Sky Club® lounges, Priority Pass™ Select, and Airspace Lounge. Enrollment required for Priority Pass Select. | |
Hotel Status | $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay. Enroll for complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status. Enroll for complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status. | |
Grocery | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. | |
Restaurant | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. | |
American Express Platinum: Pricing information including interest rates, benefits and fees was obtained on December 19, 2024 from published websites and is believed to be accurate, but not guaranteed. American Express Gold: Pricing information including interest rates, benefits and fees was obtained on December 19, 2024 from published websites and is believed to be accurate, but not guaranteed. Disclaimer: The information for the The Platinum Card® from American Express and American Express® Gold Card has been collected independently by CreditDonkey. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. |
Is American Express Good for You?
American Express has a "spend-centric" business model, which means they want to generate revenue by loyal card members using their card to spend, rather than charging excessive finance charges and unreasonable fees.
That means average spending on American Express cards tends to be higher than their bank competitors. This allows American Express to charge a premium rate to merchants (which is why some businesses - mostly small mom-and-pops - don't take American Express). This higher rate to merchants lets American Express offer, in our opinion, particularly attractive rewards and bonuses. It also means Amex can offer better services to their credit card users.
How does that affect you? You may sometimes find a retailer that won't accept your payment card, but that's becoming rarer as more merchants realize the value of loyal American Express cardholders.
Tip: If you frequently shop at small mom-and-pop retailers, you may want to consider a Visa or MasterCard. Here are the latest Chase credit card promotions and Citi credit cards.
American Express for Small Business
You don't have to be a large corporation to get a business credit card from American Express.
As a small business owner, you know you spend a lot of money running your business. Why not apply and take advantage of that spend? Don't use personal cards, business credit cards are better designed for your needs. Use the right tools for your company. American Express also has funding solutions.
Do you want to find a bonus offer? Here are some of the latest American Express business credit card promotions. Click on the card name to learn more.
Business Credit Cards with No Annual Fees
Blue Business Cash | Blue Business Plus | |
---|---|---|
Interest Rates and Fees | ||
Introductory APR for Purchases | 0% introductory APR for 12 months from date of account opening | 0% introductory APR on purchases for 12 months from date of account opening |
Purchase APR | 17.49% to 25.49% Variable based on your creditworthiness and other factors | 17.49% to 25.49% Variable based on your creditworthiness and other factors |
Annual Fee | No annual fee | No annual fee |
Benefits and Features | ||
Cash Back Deal | Earn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases on your Card in your first 3 months. | |
Bonus Deal | Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership. | |
Cash Back | Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%. Cash back earned is automatically credited to your statement. | |
Points | Earn 2X points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter. Terms and limitations apply. | |
Airline Transfer Partners | Airline transfer partners include Delta, Hawaiian Airlines, Aeromexico, Air Canada, Air France, Emirates, Cathay Pacific (Asia Miles), Virgin Atlantic, Singapore Airlines, Etihad, Alitalia, All Nippon Airways and more. | |
Blue Business Cash: Pricing information including interest rates, benefits and fees was obtained on December 19, 2024 from published websites and is believed to be accurate, but not guaranteed. Blue Business Plus: Pricing information including interest rates, benefits and fees was obtained on December 19, 2024 from published websites and is believed to be accurate, but not guaranteed. Disclaimer: The information for the The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card and The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by CreditDonkey. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. |
Business Gold vs Business Platinum
Business Gold Card | American Express Business Platinum | |
---|---|---|
Welcome Offer: Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.* | Welcome Offer: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. | |
Interest Rates and Fees | ||
Introductory APR for Purchases | 0% introductory APR on purchases for 6 months from the date of account opening | N/A |
Purchase APR | 18.49% to 27.49% Variable based on your creditworthiness and other factors | 18.49% to 27.49% Variable based on your creditworthiness and other factors |
Annual Fee | ||
Benefits and Features | ||
Bonus Deal | Welcome Offer: Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.* | Welcome Offer: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. |
Travel | ||
Airline | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com using your Business Gold Card.* | Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights on AmexTravel.com. |
Bonus Airline Rewards | 35% Airline Bonus: Use Membership Rewards® Pay with Points for all or part of a flight with your selected qualifying airline, and you can get 35% of the points back, up to 500,000 bonus points per calendar year when you book on amextravel.com. | |
Hotel | Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com. | |
Points | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points on the top two eligible categories where your business spends the most each month from 6 eligible categories. While your top 2 categories may change, you will earn 4X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year (then 1X thereafter). Only the top 2 categories each billing cycle will count towards the $150,000 cap. | Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases. Earn 1.5X points (that's an extra half point per dollar) on each eligible purchase at US construction material, hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more, on up to $2 million per Card Account per calendar year. Purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus. |
Airline Status | $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to the Card. Access to 5 airport lounge networks including The Centurion® lounge network, The International American Express lounges, Delta Sky Club® lounges, Priority Pass(TM) Select, and Airspace Lounge. Enrollment required for Priority Pass Select. | |
Hotel Status | Enroll for complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Status. Enroll for complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status. Fine Hotels & Resorts - book your stay through American Express FHR at one of 600 luxury hotels and you may get a room upgrade upon arrival, daily continental breakfast for 2, guaranteed 4pm late checkout and a special amenity unique to each property. | |
Business Gold Card: Pricing information including interest rates, benefits and fees was obtained on December 19, 2024 from published websites and is believed to be accurate, but not guaranteed. American Express Business Platinum: Pricing information including interest rates, benefits and fees was obtained on December 19, 2024 from published websites and is believed to be accurate, but not guaranteed. Disclaimer: The information for the American Express® Business Gold Card and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express has been collected independently by CreditDonkey. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. |
Welcome Bonus: Making Your Choice
Hopefully, certain bonuses stuck out for you as you looked down this list. Read the above links to our reviews to find out what we like and dislike about each Amex card.
Is the idea of getting 6% at the supermarket (even with a $6,000/year cap) hard to beat? Or are you all about travel perks, no matter how much it will cost you per year?
There's a lot to think about when reviewing the latest Amex offers. Having credit card and bank choices is a good thing though. Take advantage of these promotions.
Remember as with all credit card and bank offers, terms and limitations apply.
Sarah Johnson is a senior editor at CreditDonkey, a credit card comparison and reviews website. Write to Sarah Johnson at sarah@creditdonkey.com. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for our latest posts.
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. This site may be compensated through the Advertiser's affiliate programs.
Editorial Note: This content is not provided by Chase. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by Chase. This site may be compensated through the Advertiser's affiliate programs.
Editorial Note: This content is not provided by American Express. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express.
Disclaimer: The information for the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, The Platinum Card® from American Express, Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, American Express® Business Gold Card, Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, American Express® Gold Card, The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, Hilton Honors American Express Card, and Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card has been collected independently by CreditDonkey. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.