Our evaluations and opinions are not influenced by our advertising relationships, but we may earn a commission from our partnersโ links. This content is created by TIME Stamped, under TIMEโs direction and produced in accordance with TIMEโs editorial guidelines and overseen by TIMEโs editorial staff. Learn more about it.
The card_name and card_name offer the best of both worlds because you can earn rewards on everyday spending and travel purchases. Although the annual fee for the card_name is $100 more, the welcome bonus, statement credits, and other perks make this card our top pick.
The card_name and card_name offer the same APR rates and neither charges a foreign transaction fee. However, they offer different welcome bonuses, rewards and perks.
Hereโs an overview of what to expect from each card:
Feature | card_name | card_name |
---|---|---|
Welcome Offer | bonus_miles_full | bonus_miles_full |
Rewards* | Earn 3x Membership Rewards Points on:
Terms Apply. | Earn 4x Membership Rewards Points on:
Earn 1X Membership Rewards on all other eligible purchases. Terms Apply. |
Annual fee | annual_fees | annual_fees (Rates & Fees) |
APR (or regular APR) | reg_apr,reg_apr_type | reg_apr,reg_apr_type (Rates & Fees) |
Foreign transaction fee | foreign_transaction_fee | foreign_transaction_fee (Rates & Fees) |
Other benefits (or additional perks) | Annual $199 CLEARยฎ Credit $100 LoungeBuddy Credit Free two-day shipping with ShopRunner* Purchase protections and extended warranties Trip delay insurance Baggage insurance coverage Car rental loss and damage insurance Emergency global travel assistance Exclusive access to American Express Experiences Terms Apply. | Monthly statement credit of up to $10 for dining purchases through Grubhub at eligible Shake Shack locations, The Cheesecake Factory, Wine.com, Milk Bar, and Goldbelly $10 of Uber Cash each month for Uber rides or Uber Eats* $100 experience credit to use when you stay at a hotel for two or more nights and book through The Hotel Collection with American Express Travel Baggage insurance coverage Car rental and loss damage insurance Emergency global travel assistance Exclusive access to American Express Experiences Preferred access to select events Terms Apply. |
*Enrollment is required for select benefits.
card_name offers 9075,000 bonus points if you spend $4,000 in the first six months. You wonโt be able to earn as many points if you get the card_name. Youโll bonus_miles_full.
However, if you donโt think you can afford to spend more than $2,000 on your card in the first six months, youโll be better off with the card_name.
Welcome bonus winner: card_name
card_name lets you earn more points on restaurant and grocery purchases. Youโll also earn three points for every dollar spent on airfare booked through AmexTravel.com. But with the card_name, youโll earn more on transit and general travel purchases.
card_name is our pick because you earn on travel purchases and everyday purchases, and you can earn more points on an individual purchase.
Rewards winner: card_name
Youโll need to pay a yearly fee to access the cash-back rewards and perks that come with these cards. The annual fee for card_name is annual_fees, increasing to annual_fees for card_name (Rates & Fees).
Although the card_name is cheaper, you should look at your typical expenditures and see if the extra $100 for the card_name could save you money in the long term.
Annual fee winner: card_name
The APR range is the same on both cards. Neither card offers an introductory interest-free period on purchases or balance transfers, which means that carrying a balance on one of these cards can become expensive very quickly (Rates & Fees).
APR winner: Tie
You wonโt need to pay a foreign transaction fee with card_name or card_name (Rates & Fees). If youโre a frequent international traveler, one of these cards could save you money in fees.
Foreign transaction fee winner: Tie
Both cards offer travel and purchase protections, rental car coverage, and exclusive access to American Express Experiences. But thereโs a fork in the road in terms of statement credits.
With card_name, youโll get:
The statement credits offered with card_name hold more value. They include:
If you travel often, card_name could be the better deal, especially if you purchase single-use airport lounge access passes. This card might also be better for you if you donโt order takeout or rarely take Ubers.
Additional perks: card_name
To get a better understanding of your earning potential with both cards, hereโs how much youโd earn if you spent $500 in each rewards category:
Restaurant purchases | Transit purchases | Grocery purchases | Total points earned | |
---|---|---|---|---|
$1,500 | $1,500 | $500 | $3,500 | |
$2,000 | $500 | $2,000 | $4,500 |
This chart does not consider the rewards earned on flights booked through AmexTravel.com. However, the earnings would be the same with either card since youโd also earn three points per dollar with card_name, even if you booked independently.
You can determine if itโs worth it to spend the extra $100 per year on card_name by estimating how much youโd spend in each category.
card_name features a higher welcome bonus and greater earning potential if you can meet the minimum spending thresholds. Youโll also earn more when you eat out or buy groceries, and the value of the dining, rideshare, and lodging statement credits can cover the difference between the two higher annual fees (Rates & Fees).
If youโre a frequent flier who dines out oftenโor you wonโt be able to spend $4,000 in the first six monthsโyou could get more value from card_name. Your travel purchases will almost always earn you more points if you use this card. Plus, you could use the CLEAR credit, lounge access credit, and other benefits to improve your air travel experience.
card_name comes at a higher cost but offers more value to cardholders. If you want to earn more for travel purchases, or if you wonโt be able to maximize the card_name rewards, card_name might be a better choice.
For rates and fees of the card_name, please visit this URL.
You can earn a statement credit of up to $10 per month if youn use your card_name card to pay for purchases made through Grubhub or Goldbelly, at some Shake Shack locations, or at The Cheesecake Factory, Wine.com, or Milk Bar.
card_name does not come with a preset spending limit. Instead, your limit could adjust based on how much you spent in prior months.
As long as you meet the eligibility criteria and can pay the additional $100 per month, you can get an card_name. You can even have both cards if you want to.
The information presented here is created by TIME Stamped and overseen by TIME editorial staff. To learn more, see our About Us page.