Best American Express credit cards with no annual fee

Best for unlimited cash back
American Express Cash Magnet® Card

Finder Rating: 4.3 / 5

★★★★★

Credit recommended (680-850) Apply now on American Express's secure site Rates & fees

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680
Min. credit score

$0
Annual fee

Up to 1.5%
Cash back

$150
Welcome offer

• Info
• Pros & cons
• Details

The American Express Cash Magnet® Card is a simple credit card with unlimited cash back on everything you buy. The long intro APR period on purchases can sweeten the deal if you're looking to save money on interest. Included with the card are standard Amex perks, including global assistance, car rental insurance and more.

• Flat 1.5% cash back. Earn 1.5% cash back in reward dollars on all of your purchases. Reward dollars can be redeemed for statement credit, gift cards and merchandise.
• Welcome offer. Spend $1,000 on purchases during the first 3 months from your account opening and earn $150 in statement credit.
• Intro APR period. Enjoy a 0% intro APR period on purchases for 15 months following your account opening. After the intro period passes, your rate reverts to a variable APR of 13.99% to 23.99%.

Annual Fee	$0
Purchase APR	0% intro for the first 15 months (then 13.99% to 23.99% variable)
Balance transfer APR	N/A
Welcome offer	$150 after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months
Rewards	1.5% cash back on all purchases

Best for rewards on groceries and gas
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

Finder Rating: 4.6 / 5

★★★★★

Credit recommended (670-850) Apply now on American Express's secure site Rates & fees

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670
Min. credit score

$0
Annual fee

Up to 20%
Cash back

$100
Welcome offer

• Info
• Pros & cons
• Details

Families that spend heavily on groceries and gas could find the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express a worthwhile addition to their wallets. It lets you earn accelerated cash back on these categories, and it has a decent welcome offer. Also, if you're looking to consolidate your debt, the long intro APR period could help.

• Up to 3% cash back. Earn 3% cash back at US supermarkets on up to $6,000 in purchases annually, after which the rate drops to 1%. Earn 2% back at eligible US gas stations and select US department stores. On all other purchases, earn 1% back.
• Welcome offer. Earn $100 cash back when you spend $1,000 in your first 6 months of account opening. Also earn 20% back on Amazon.com purchases, up to $200 total within your first 6 months.
• Intro APR period. Get a 15 months period following your account opening of interest-free purchases. After that, a variable APR from 13.99% to 23.99% applies.

Annual Fee	$0
Purchase APR	0% intro for the first 15 months (then 13.99% to 23.99% variable)
Balance transfer APR	N/A
Welcome offer	20% at Amazon.com up to $200 back in the first 6 months, plus $100 after spending $1,000 in the same timeframe
Rewards	20% at Amazon.com up to $200 back in the first 6 months, 2% at US gas stations and select US department stores, 3% at US supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year, then 1% after that and on all other purchases

Best for hotels
Hilton Honors American Express Card

Finder Rating: 4.4 / 5

★★★★★

Credit recommended (670-850) Apply now on American Express's secure site Rates & fees

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670
Min. credit score

$0
Annual fee

Up to 7x
Points

80,000
Points welcome offer

• Info
• Pros & cons
• Details

For Hilton regulars and occasional guests, the Hilton Honors American Express Card could be worth considering. It's the only American Express hotel card with no annual fee, but that doesn't mean it's lacking. On the contrary, you earn a high number of Hilton Bonus Points on Hilton purchases — plus you'll earn accelerated Hilton Bonus Points at restaurants, gas stations and supermarkets in the US. In addition, you get a generous welcome offer and a complimentary Silver status, which lets you earn more points on your Hilton stays.

• Hilton Honors Bonus Points. Earn 7x points on purchases at hotels and resorts from the Hilton portfolio, 5x points at US restaurants, US gas stations and US supermarkets, and 3x points on all other purchases.
• 80,000-point welcome offer. Earn 80,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points once you spend $1,000 on purchases within 3 months of your account opening. With a single point worth about 0.5 cents, that's around $375 in value.
• Complimentary Silver status. With the Silver status, you earn 20% more points on Hilton stays, plus you get the fifth reward night free. If you spend $20,000 annually with this card, you'll upgrade to Gold status through the end of the next year.
• No foreign transaction fees. You can take this card along on your travels without worrying about paying extra when buying abroad. This is a standard feature among travel cards.
• Up to 5x miles. Earn 5x miles on purchases at restaurants and purchases made with Delta. For everything else you buy, earn 3x miles. Redeem miles for flights, gift cards, excursions, shopping and more.
• 80,000-mile welcome offer. Spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening and get 80,000 bonus miles. Depending on what you redeem your miles for, your welcome offers could be worth between $35 and $200.
• In-flight savings. Save 20% in the form of statement credit on all of your on-board Delta purchases of food, beverages and headsets.

Annual Fee	$0
Purchase APR	15.74% to 24.74% variable
Balance transfer APR	N/A
Welcome offer	80,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months
Rewards	7x points on Hilton Honors purchases, 5x at US restaurants, US supermarkets and US gas stations, 3x on all other purchases

Best for airline rewards
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card

Finder Rating: 3.6 / 5

★★★★★

Credit recommended (670-850) Apply now on American Express's secure site Rates & fees

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670
Min. credit score

$0
Annual fee

Up to 2x
Miles

10,000
Miles welcome offer

• Info
• Pros & cons
• Details

The Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card is an entry-level Delta credit card with few Delta perks, but solid rewards for the lack of annual fee, including a welcome offer worth 10,000 miles.

• Earn miles. Earn 2x miles on Delta and dining purchases. Earn 1x miles on all other purchases.
• Welcome offer. Earn 10,000 miles after spending $500 during your first 3 months of account opening.
• In-flight savings. Get 20% back on in-flight purchases, including food, beverages and audio headsets.

• No intro APR. You won't find an intro APR on purchases or balance transfers with this card.
• Few perks. As an entry-level card, you won't find as many Delta benefits as you would with higher-tier Delta offering.

Annual Fee	$0
Purchase APR	15.74% to 24.74% variable
Balance transfer APR	N/A
Welcome offer	10,000 miles after spending $500 in the first 3 months
Rewards	2x miles at restaurants and on direct Delta purchases and 1x miles on all other purchases

Best for simple rewards
Blue from American Express® Card

Finder Rating: 2.6 / 5

★★★★★

Credit recommended (670-850) Read review Rates & fees

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670
Min. credit score

$0
Annual fee

Up to 2x
Points

n/a
Welcome offer

• Info
• Pros & cons
• Details

The Blue from American Express® Card is a straight-forward rewards card that keeps things nice and simple. It earns 2x points on travel and 1x points on everything else.

• Earn points. Earn x points on travel purchases booked through American Express Travel. Earn 1x points on all other purchases.
• Travel insurance. This card comes with travel accident insurance, and roadside and global assistance.

• No welcome offer. This card simply earns rewards and has no welcome offer to kickstart your point collection.
• Foreign transaction fees. You'll pay 2.7% on foreign transactions, which is uncommon for a travel card.

Annual Fee	$0
Purchase APR	23.99% variable
Balance transfer APR	N/A
Welcome offer	N/A
Rewards	2x points on Amex Travel and 1x points on all other purchases.

Disclaimer

Please note: All information about Blue from American Express® Card has been collected independently by Finder and this card is no longer available through this site.

Best for simple rewards
Amex EveryDay® Credit Card

Finder Rating: 4.3 / 5

★★★★★

Credit recommended (670-850) Read review Rates & fees

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670
Min. credit score

$0
Annual fee

Up to 2x
Points

15,000
Points welcome offer

• Info
• Pros & cons
• Details

Similar to The Blue from American Express, the Amex EveryDay® Credit Card is a simple rewards card, focusing on groceries rather than travel. It also features an intro APR on purchases, which is rare for a no-annual-fee card.

• Earn points. Earn 2x points on grocery store purchases on up to $6,000 annually, reverting to 1x points. Earn 1x points on all other purchases.
• Welcome offer. Earn 15,000 points after spending $1,500 within your first 3 months of account opening. Intro APR. Enjoy a 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months following account opening, reverting to 12.99% to 23.99% variable.

• Foreign transaction fees. You'll pay 2.7% on foreign transactions, which is uncommon for a travel card.

Annual Fee	$0
Purchase APR	0% intro for the first 15 months (then 12.99% to 23.99% variable)
Balance transfer APR	N/A
Welcome offer	15,000 points after spending $1,500 in your first 3 months
Rewards	2x points at US supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year then 1x points after that and on all other purchases

Disclaimer

Please note: All information about Amex EveryDay® Credit Card has been collected independently by Finder and this card is not available through this site.

How to choose American Express credit cards with no annual fee

American Express has a solid variety of credit cards without an annual fee, though they’re all quite specialized from one another. To choose the right one, ask yourself the following questions:

• Do you want unlimited cash back on everything you buy? The American Express Cash Magnet® Card could be a great choice if you don’t spend a lot on any particular category of purchases. That way, you earn a flat, unlimited amount of cash back on everything you buy.
• Do you primarily spend on groceries? Get accelerated cash back at US supermarkets, US gas stations and select US department stores with the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express. Also, get a decent welcome offer and one of the longest intro APR periods on purchases.
• Do you want a hotel card? With the Hilton Honors American Express Card, you get to earn high points on Hilton purchases and at US restaurants, US gas stations and US supermarkets. Plus, you get a generous welcome offer and a complimentary Silver status.
• Do you want an airline card?. If you’re a frequent or an occasional Delta flyer, you could benefit from the double miles earned at restaurants with the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card.
• Do you want an intro APR?. An intro APR on purchases is handy if you have some big upcoming purchases on the way and you want to avoid interest. The Amex EveryDay Credit Card is your go-to in this case..

What is the average annual fee for American Express cards?

Of the Amex cards that feature annual fees, a majority of them lay in the $200 range. Though like most credit cards, the price you pay on a credit card’s annual fee typically correlates to the number of perks and benefits you can expect to come with the card. Here’s an example of the types of perks offered with a low-cost and high-cost card.

Bottom line

Due to the variety of American Express credit cards with no annual fee, finding the right card is relatively easy. You can choose between flat cash back on all purchases, accelerated cash back on groceries and gas, rewards and benefits at Hilton hotels or rewards and benefits on Delta flights.

But if you think that none of these cards are quite what you’re looking for, consider comparing other no-annual-fee credit card options.

Frequently asked questions

• Which of these cards is best for international travel?

  The Hilton Honors Card has no foreign transaction fees, which makes it the best choice out of these four no-annual-fee American Express cards.

• If I get the penalty APR, how do I remove it?

  American Express reviews your account every six months. You have to make timely payments of at least the minimum amounts due and have no returned payments during the six months to potentially get the penalty APR reverted.

• Is there a minimum to redeem cash back?

  Yes. The minimum for cashback redemption is $25 in reward dollars.