American Express has a well deserved reputation for prestige, which is great. But it also means that some AmEx cards can be difficult to qualify for. Generally speaking, American Express only makes its cards available to applicants with a good or excellent credit score. There are, however, some American Express credit cards that are easier to get than others, including the Blue Cash Card and the AmEx Cash Magnet Card. These and other American Express credit cards with lower spending limits may be more widely accessible to a diverse number of applicants.
Before we dive into the easiest American Express cards to get, you may be wondering what you’ll need to do in order to qualify for an American Express credit card in general. Check out our article, which asks the question–how hard is it to get an American Express card?
Otherwise, read on to find which are the easiest American Express credit cards to get.
The Easiest American Express Credit Cards to Get
In spite of its reputation for catering to an elite clientele, American Express does offer a variety of cards that cater to customers with different credit profiles, spending needs, and expectations from their credit card rewards programs.
Essentially, the easiest card for you to get will depend on a number of personal factors including your credit history, your income, and your current credit score. The good news is that there are a number of American Express cards that come with no annual fees, lower spending limits and more modest rewards programs. These offers are typically more accessible to applicants who might have a shorter credit history or a medium income.
On this last point, it bears noting that American Express does not carry specific income requirements for eligibility. However, if you do have a more modest income, American Express will likely require that you have an exceptionally strong debt to income ratio. If this describes your situation, you may want to consider a few of the more accessible options available through American Express.
While offers and terms may change, the cards listed below are generally considered to be among the easier American Express cards for which to qualify:
- American Express Everyday® Credit Card: As the name implies, the American Express Everyday card is designed to deliver rewards on everyday purchases, and is generally reserved for applicants with good to excellent credit.
- Blue Cash Everyday Card: For applicants who have a short credit history but otherwise have a strong financial profile, Blue Cash offers cash back on everyday purchases and does not carry an annual fee.
- AmEx Cash Magnet® Card: For applicants with a Very Good, but not necessarily Excellent credit score, this cash back rewards card comes with no introductory annual fee (and a $95 annual fee thereafter) and is meant to be among the more accessible AmEx cards.
- AmEx Green Card: The “Classic” AmEx Green Card is not quite as easy to get as the three cards listed just above. You would still need to demonstrate good to excellent credit. However, among the American Express cards offering more exclusive perks like travel rewards, the Green Card is considered more accessible, especially relative to the premium Platinum Card and Gold Card from American Express. As with other premium rewards cards, you will pay an annual fee for the AmEx.
Looking for something with a higher spending limit? Check out our list of the American Express cards with the highest credit limits and get a closer look at some of those premium cards..
The Fees and Features
Before you select the best of these accessible American Express cards for you, take a closer look at some of the key fees, features, and rewards that come with each. The best card is different for each applicant and will depend on your spending needs and financial outlook.
American Express Everyday® Credit Card
As per its name, this accessible AmEx card is meant to offer reward dollars for card transactions on everyday purchases like grocery stores and eligible purchases in other retail settings. It also comes with some travel benefits, including the ability to “pay with points” when booking flights.
- Fees: No annual fee
- Features:
- 2x points at U.S. supermarkets for up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1x points on purchases beyond that amount.
- 1x points on all other purchases.
- 20% extra points if you use your card 20 or more times on purchases in a billing period.
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months from the time of account opening.
- Rewards: With the AmEx “Pay With Points” program, you can redeem your rewards dollars for flights, gift cards, merchandise, and to pay off charges on your account.
Blue Cash Everyday® Card
The Blue Cash Everyday Card is arguably the best among the more accessible American Express cards for its awesome combination of generous rewards and the absence of an annual fee. Add the 0% introductory APR and statement credits for all kinds of cool things like the Disney bundle streaming service, and the Blue Cash card is a pretty great deal.
- Fees: No annual fee
- Features:
- 3% cash back for buying groceries at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $6,000 per year in purchases.
- 3% Cash Back for making online retail purchases through U.S. based merchants on up to $6,000 per year in purchases.
- 3% cash back for spending on gas at U.S. gas stations, on up to $6,000 per year in purchases.
- 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months from the time of account opening.
- Rewards: In addition to the cash back offers that make this card unique, there are a number of unique promotions available to Blue Cash cardholders. For instance, with the Accelerated Cash Back program, you can actually add additional cards and cardholders to your account. When your family members or loved ones use these additional cards, you’ll earn the same rewards as you do when using your card to make purchases.
AmEx Cash Magnet® Card
The AmEx Cash Magnet Card may be the best option for busy commuters. It comes with a low annual fee and offers benefits geared directly toward both everyday purchases and everyday travel expenses.
- Fees: No annual fee in the first year; $95 per year after the first year.
- Features:
- Earn $250 back as a statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
- 6% cash back for spending on groceries for up to $6,000 per year in purchases at U.S. supermarkets.
- 6% cash back for access to select streaming subscriptions
- 3% cash back for spending on transit including taxis, rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses, and more.
- 3% cash back for spending at gas stations located in the U.S.
- 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases.
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the time of account opening.
- Rewards: The cash back program with your Magnet Card allows you to redeem reward dollars as a statement credit. And like the Blue Cash card, you can add additional users and cards to your account to maximize your cashback opportunities.
AmEx Green Card
As noted in a section above, the AmEx Green Card is not necessarily as easy to get, nor as affordable, as the three cards identified above. However, among the premium rewards cards offered by American Express, it is slightly more accessible. And for that access, it offers an excellent selection of membership benefits and rewards, especially for travelers.
- Fees: Annual fee of $150.
- Features:
- Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your American Express® Green Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
- 3X Membership Rewards® points for spending on travel expenses including airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, campgrounds, travel purchases on third party travel websites, and travel purchases on amextravel.com.
- 3X Membership Rewards® points for spending on a full spectrum of transit options including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways.
- 3X Membership Rewards® points for restaurant and dining purchases anywhere in the world.
- 1X Membership Rewards® points on all other eligible purchases.
- Rewards: The premium American Express cards are noted for their extremely generous welcome bonus offers. The Green Card is particularly competitive in this area. Both your welcome bonus and the membership rewards points that you’ll earn by spending in the categories noted above can be redeemed for travel, merchandise, gift cards, and more.
Does American Express Offer Secured Credit Cards?
American Express does not offer a secured credit card. Secured credit cards are typically designed for the needs of those with limited or poor credit. While the applicant must back their “credit limit” with a cash deposit, it is considered a good way to improve your credit rating while learning how to spend responsibly with a credit card.
That said, the secured credit card is not available through American Express. Alternatively, it is possible to purchase gift cards and prepaid credit cards through American Express.
However, if you are interested in learning more about secured credit cards, we suggest checking out our article on the best credit cards for beginners.
Keep in Mind…
While the credit card offers outlined above will likely continue to be among the most accessible credit cards in the American Express portfolio, it’s also important to remember that many of the specific terms, benefits, and offers can change over time.
Not only that, but the availability of certain rewards, the size of your welcome bonus and other benefits can depend on a number of features in your personal financial outlook. In other words, be aware that terms, conditions, and limitations may apply, and that the most up to date information on the rewards available to you should be found on the American Express website.
Make sure you understand the offer details for each card and that you read the fine print before choosing the card that is both most accessible and most advantageous to you.
You should also remember that even the easiest American Express cards to get will come with the same high eligibility threshold for which American Express is well known. Regardless of the card you select, American Express will require a minimum credit score of 700. If you have a lower credit score than this, you may want to consider a different credit card issuer.
Jump to our look at the very best credit cards for applicants with less than perfect credit history.