Top American Express credit cards with no annual fee
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Choose between flat cash back on every purchase, accelerated rewards on groceries and travel perks.
There’s a variety of American Express credit cards with no annual fee, and they all let you earn rewards. With some cards, you can even earn a generous welcome offer or benefit from a long intro APR period. But each card gets you an assortment of Amex perks that can include global assist hotline, car rental insurance, extended warranties and more.
Our pick for a no annual fee Amex card: American Express Cash Magnet® Card
Earn a $150 statement credit after you spend $1,000 or more in purchases with your new card within the first 3 months of card membership.
Unlimited 1.5% cash back on your purchases.
Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be easily redeemed for statement credits, gift cards, and merchandise.
Low intro APR: 0% for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable rate, currently 15.24% to 26.24%.
$0 plan fees for plans set up during your first 15 months of card membership with Plan It®, a feature that lets you split up big purchases into monthly payments with a fixed fee.
You spoke, we listened. Over 1.6 million more places in the U.S. started accepting American Express® Cards in 2018.
Best American Express credit cards with no annual fee
We looked at a few different factors when rating the American Express cards featuring no annual fee. Comparisons were based on available intro APRs, reward points or cashback earned per dollar spent, redemption categories and point values, travel perks and any other benefits that would be valuable given the lack of annual fee. The cards we chose performed exceptionally in a particular area, warranting a spot in our highlights.
Best for unlimited cash back: American Express Cash Magnet® Card
American Express Cash Magnet® Card
Earn a $150 statement credit after you spend $1,000 or more in purchases with your new card within the first 3 months of card membership.
Unlimited 1.5% cash back on your purchases.
Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be easily redeemed for statement credits, gift cards, and merchandise.
Low intro APR: 0% for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable rate, currently 15.24% to 26.24%.
$0 plan fees for plans set up during your first 15 months of card membership with Plan It®, a feature that lets you split up big purchases into monthly payments with a fixed fee.
You spoke, we listened. Over 1.6 million more places in the U.S. started accepting American Express® Cards in 2018.
The long intro APR period on balance transfers and purchases can sweeten the deal if you’re looking to save money on interest. Included with the card are standard Amex perks, including roadside and global assistance, travel accident insurance, 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 (see
Rates & Fees
) period on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months following your account opening. After the intro period passes, your rate reverts to a variable APR of 15.24% to 26.24%.
Foreign transaction fee. Avoid using your card abroad, or you’ll pay a fee equal to 2.7% of each transaction.
Penalty APR. It only takes one late or returned payment to end up with a penalty APR of 29.99% variable. The penalty APR will apply for at least six months, but if you don’t make on-time payments of at least the minimum amount due, it may apply indefinitely.
Balance transfer limits. Request your balance transfers within the first 60 days of card membership. Otherwise, you won’t get the 0% intro APR period.
Best for rewards on groceries and gas: Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
Earn a $150 statement credit after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new card within the first 3 months.
3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%).
2% cash back at U.S. gas stations and at select U.S. department stores, 1% back on other purchases.
Low intro APR: 0% for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable rate, currently 15.24% to 26.24%.
You spoke, we listened. Over 1.6 million more places in the U.S. started accepting American Express® Cards in 2018.
Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be easily redeemed for statement credits, gift cards, and merchandise.
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.
$150 welcome offer. Spend $1,000 on purchases during your first 3 months of account opening and get a $150 bonus as statement credit.
Intro APR period. Get a 15 months (see
Rates & Fees
) period following your account opening of interest-free purchases and balance transfers. After that, a variable APR from 15.24% to 26.24% applies.
Foreign transaction fee. Each purchase you make outside of the US will cost you an extra 2.7% of the transaction.
Penalty APR. Late or returned payments hurt twice — there’s a fee to pay and a penalty APR of 29.99%. The penalty APR can last six months or more.
Balance transfer limits. The 0% intro APR period is only available for transfers requested within your first 60 days of card membership.
Best for hotels: Hilton Honors American Express Card
Hilton Honors American Express Card
Earn 75,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points with the Hilton Honors American Express Card after you use your new card to make $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 3 months of card membership.
Earn 7x Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton Honors portfolio of brands.
Earn 5x Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations.
Earn 3x Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your card.
No foreign transaction fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status with your card. Plus, spend $20,000 on eligible purchases on your card in a calendar year and you can earn an upgrade to Hilton Honors Gold status through the end of the next calendar year.
For Hilton regulars and occasional guests, the Hilton Honors American Express Card Hilton Honors 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.
75,000-point welcome offer. Earn75,000 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 (see
Rates & 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.
Penalty APR. A single late or returned payment will incur a fee and a penalty APR of 29.99%. This rate lasts for at least six months. But if you continue to not pay on time or make returned payments, it can last indefinitely.
No intro APR. This may not be a good card to make balance transfers to or carry a balance on.
Best for airline rewards: Blue Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express
Blue Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express
Earn 10,000 bonus miles after spending $500 in purchases on your new card in your first 3 months of card membership.
No Annual Fee.
Earn 2 miles per dollar at US restaurants.
Earn 2 Miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta.
Earn 1 mile on every eligible dollar spent on other purchases.
Receive a 20% savings in the form of a statement credit after you use your card on eligible Delta in-flight purchases of food, beverages, and audio headsets. Terms apply.
The Blue Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express Blue Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card is unique in two ways — it’s the only Delta card without an annual fee, and the only Delta card that earns double miles on restaurant purchases. This makes the card ideal for both the occasional Delta flyer and the hardcore Delta flyer who wants to earn more miles. If you’re the latter, use this card at restaurants and your other Delta card for everything else.
Up to 2x miles. Earn 2x miles on purchases at US restaurants and purchases made with Delta. For everything else you buy, earn 1x miles. Redeem miles for flights, gift cards, excursions, shopping and more.
10,000-mile welcome offer. Spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening and get 10,000 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.
Foreign transaction fee. Despite earning miles for travel, this may not be a good card to use outside of the US. For each purchase made abroad, you’ll pay a fee of 2.7% (see
Rates & Fees
) of the transaction.
Penalty APR. Try to make your payments on time. Otherwise, be ready to pay a fee and a penalty APR of 29.99% variable. This penalty APR will last for at least six months.
How to compare American Express credit cards with no annual fee
American Express has one of the largest selections of credit cards without an annual fee. To choose the right one, consider:
If 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.
If you spend a lot 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 balance transfers and purchases.
If you often stay at Hilton hotels. 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.
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.
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.
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.
Yes. The minimum for cashback redemption is $25 in reward dollars.
Kliment Dukovski is a writer for finder.com, working on credit cards, money transfers, home loans and more. He aims to deliver honest and accurate information to help you make the right financial decisions. Before joining Finder, he ghostwrote guides and articles on foreign exchange, stock market trading and cryptocurrencies. When he's not writing about finance-related subjects, he writes sci-fi.
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