American Express is known for its premium reputation and for issuing many of the most powerful credit cards in Canada.Here are our recommendations for the best American Express credit cards in Canada.
Best Overall American Express Card
For premium travel benefits, the American Express Platinum Card can’t be beat.The card comes with unparalleled lounge access. You’ll get a complimentary Priority Pass membership, with unlimited airport lounge visits for you and a guest. If you’re a frequent traveler, you’d likely burn through vouchers very quickly, so having free access to a space to relax before your flight is certainly a plus.Although the card has a very high $799 annual fee, you can easily bring this down. You’ll get a $200 travel credit every year, as well as a $200 annual dining credit, no questions asked.Amex is always looking for ways to give back to its most valued cardholders, and the Platinum Card routinely receives the most generous offers throughout the year. If you’re lucky, those offers might even be enough to cover your entire annual fee!Among other travel perks, you’ll get automatic mid-tier Gold Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, and Radisson Radisson, priority airport services at Toronto Pearson International Airport, preferential car rentals with Hertz and Avis, and a solid suite of travel insurance.As for rewards, the card earns Membership Rewards points. They are extremely valuable because they can be transferred to frequent flyer programs such as Aeroplan and British Airways Avios at a 1:1 ratio – a rare feature among Canadian credit cards.You’ll earn 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on dining and travel, and 1 Membership Rewards point per dollar spent elsewhere.As a first-time applicant, you can also earn a juicy signup bonus, usually among the highest in Canada. And as Amex's flagship credit card, you'll get the best offers and rebates for existing cardholders throughout the year.And of course, the card’s iconic metal build and platinum look have become widely regarded as a premium status symbol, thereby conveying your own elevated status as an American Express user.
Best American Express Card for Business Owners
The
Business Platinum Card is the best American Express card in Canada for business owners, offering extensive premium perks and the biggest welcome bonus on the market.
Instead of category bonuses, you'll earn
1.25 points per dollar spent on all purchases, the highest rate available in Canada for airline miles on everyday spending.
To keep the rewards rolling, you can earn even more points by referring family and friends to open the card. For every successful referral, you’ll earn
20,000 MR points, the biggest referral bonus available on any Amex card. If you have this card, you can refer others who want to open a Business Platinum Card,
Business Gold Card, or
Business Edge Card, so you’ve got lots of options depending on which card your referee would prefer.
The card offers almost all of the same premium benefits as the personal
Platinum Card, so it really comes down to the points you’ll earn. Thanks to the bigger welcome bonus and more lucrative referral opportunities, it’s always good to have a Business Platinum Card in your rotation.
Best of all, you don’t need to be a business owner in the traditional sense to get this card. Amex will gladly approve you as a sole proprietor doing business in your own name.
Best American Express Card for Daily Spending
The best card for daily spending always depends on which categories you tend to spend the most on. For many people, the American Express Cobalt Card is a great way to maximize your points on everyday purchases.
The card earns
5 MR points per dollar spent at grocery stores, restaurants, bars, and food delivery. If those make up a large chunk of your expenses, the sheer number of points you’ll earn is unbeatable.
In addition to hotel transfers and the Amex
Fixed Points Travel Program, you can also
transfer your rewards to airline partners. This is great news, as frequent flyer programs tend to have the strongest
"cents per point" redemption value out of all rewards programs.
While the welcome bonus isn't as gigantic as the top-tier cards, 5x flexible points on everyday expenses is simply unbeatable, especially for a card with a low annual fee.
Best No Fee American Express Card
The
American Express Green Card is a great choice if you’re looking to keep costs down.
As a
Membership Rewards card, you'll earn points which can be redeemed for statement credit or transferred to a hotel or airline partner. This is a great benefit for those who might want to build loyalty rewards programs without spending any money on annual fees.
The Green Card is currently offering a welcome bonus of
10,000 points after spending $1,000 in three months. As an earning rate on spending, you are awarded 1 point per dollar spent. The only category bonus on the Green card is on Amex Travel bookings, where you'll earn 2 points per dollar spent.
Using our
points valuation, this earning rate on regular spending is equivalent to a 2.2% return. For a base earning rate on a no-fee card, this is a great offer, assuming you shop at places that take Amex.
This card is the best way to get the premium treatment that Amex is known for, without being subjected to the perceived high costs of such status. You’ll still be able to participate in Amex Offers, Front of the Line ticket presale opportunities, and exclusive events for Amex members.
Best Cash Back American Express Card
If you don’t mind paying a modest annual fee, the
SimplyCash Preferred Card from American Express is a fantastic all-around option for cash back rewards.
You’ll earn
2% cash back on all spending, against a $99 fee. That’s an awesome rate for uncategorized spending, which often tops out at 1% even on more premium cash back credit cards issued by other banks.
As a point of comparison against the no-fee SimplyCash Card, you’d come out ahead with the $99 SimplyCash Preferred as long as you spend more than $13,200 on the card per year.
As an added bonus, the card has a referral program. You’ll earn $100 for every successful referral. As long as you can get one friend to open the card each year, you’ll have your annual fee covered.
Best American Express Card for Air Canada Benefits
While the personal and business Platinum cards give ample travel perks, they’re well-suited for general use. If you’re particularly loyal to one airline, the
American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card offers specific benefits that really shine when you travel frequently with Air Canada.
As a premium Aeroplan cardholder, you’ll get the lowest prices for Air Canada flight rewards via the preferred pricing benefit, free checked bags on Air Canada flights, priority airport services, insurance on award bookings, and opportunities to spend your way to Aeroplan Elite Status, among other premium benefits.
Best American Express Card for Hotel Stays
The
Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card is the foremost co-branded hotel credit card in Canada, and it has the biggest welcome bonus to back it up.
With a welcome bonus of
55,000+ Bonvoy points after spending $3,000 in three months, you can easily earn points for luxury hotel stays. That's already 5 nights at limited service hotels or 2 nights at a mid-tier brand.
Hotels at the top of Marriott Bonvoy's roster tend to be high-end luxury properties in central locations at desirable destinations. Since these rooms can retail for several hundred or even thousands of dollars a night, they represent excellent value in exchange for the credit card’s $120 annual fee.
If you prefer quantity over quality, and your travel style is more off-the-beaten-path, you could instead redeem your points towards dozens of nights at the cheapest reward properties.
For the equivalent of less than $10 a night, you’d be hard pressed to find a hostel at that price, even in the most underdeveloped tourist destinations.
Also, starting in your second year with the card, you’ll get an
annual Free Night Award worth up to 35,000 Bonvoy points. That’s normally good for a night at most mid-tier hotels, and you should have no trouble finding one worth more than $120. All things considered, the Amex Bonvoy Card is a great one to keep, as it really pays for itself year after year.
When you do make cash bookings at Marriott properties, be sure to use this card to earn 5 points per dollar spent. Otherwise, the card earns 2 points per dollar spent, or 3 points per dollar spent on gas, dining, and travel. Those are strong rates for a card that effectively pays you to have it once you make use of the annual free night.
Meanwhile, the
Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card has identical benefits. It has a higher annual fee at $150, and the same welcome bonus.
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