The best American Express credit cards in Canada for 2026

With options for everything from everyday rewards to travel and business spending, there’s an American Express card for a range of needs. Here are our picks for the best American Express credit cards in Canada by category.

The best American Express credit cards in Canada for 2026

When it comes to premium perks and top-notch rewards, American Express is virtually unmatched. Plus, more Canadian businesses are accepting AMEX cards than ever before, making it a great time to consider one. While American Express may be the smallest of the three major credit card companies in Canada (the others being Visa and Mastercard), it’s also the only one to issue its own credit cards rather than rely on a bank or credit union.

Best overall American Express card

Ratehub’s take

What makes the American Express Cobalt the best overall rewards card in Canada is its impressive array of bonus categories. Users can earn a whopping five points per dollar on groceries, restaurants, bars, and food deliveries, three points per dollar on eligible streaming subscriptions, two points per dollar on ride shares, transit and gas, and one point per dollar on everything else.

Outside of its generous welcome offer and point values, the American Express Cobalt also provides flexible point redemption options for travellers. Users can redeem points for hotel stays or flights on virtually any airline at a flat rate of $10 per 1,000 points (1 cent per point), use Amex’s Fixed Points Travel Program to get special redemption rates on round-trip flights out of Canada, transfer points to select hotel partners like Marriott Bonvoy, use the Pay with Points program for regular card purchases like gas and groceries, or transfer points 1:1 to several frequent flyer and other loyalty programs.

The American Express Cobalt also provides a wide variety of insurance benefits, including up to $5 million in travel emergency medical coverage for the first 15 days of a trip, up to $250,000 in travel accident insurance, flight and baggage delay insurance, lost or stolen baggage insurance, and car rental theft and damage insurance for vehicles with an MSRP of up to $85,000. It also won’t cost you extra to add authorized users.

Best cash back American Express card

Ratehub’s take

The SimplyCash Card from American Express is our pick for the best Amex cash back card because it combines no annual fee with competitive cash back rates on everyday spending. Cardholders earn 2% cash back on eligible gas purchases in Canada and 2% on eligible grocery purchases in Canada, up to $300 in grocery cash back annually, plus 1.25% on other eligible purchases.

Unlike a points program, there are no points to convert or transfer, making SimplyCash a straightforward option for earning rewards on everyday purchases. There’s also no limit on the total amount of cash back you can earn (although the accelerated grocery rate is capped), which helps make the card a strong no-fee cash back option. And, if you have a friend or family member who would like their own card, successful referrals can currently earn you up to $375 in cash back.

Best no-fee American Express card

Ratehub’s take

The American Express Green Card is the best no-fee American Express card because it gives cardholders access to the Membership Rewards program without an annual fee. Cardholders earn one Membership Rewards point per dollar on eligible purchases, making its earn structure simple and easy to follow.

Another great feature of this card is how many redemption options you’re given. Users can choose to cash in their points on travel, gift cards and merchandise through Membership Rewards, or groceries and other everyday purchases through Pay with Points. You can also transfer your points to participating travel loyalty programs such as Aeroplan and Marriott Bonvoy. And, of course, American Express Green Card users will also enjoy benefits available to Amex cardholders, including Front Of The Line presales and reserved tickets as well as American Express Experiences ranging from entertainment to dining and retail.

Best American Express travel card

Ratehub’s take

The American Express Gold Rewards Card is our pick for the best Amex travel rewards card because it combines flexible Membership Rewards points with strong earn rates on both travel and everyday purchases. Cardholders earn two points per dollar on eligible travel purchases, as well as eligible gas, grocery and drugstore purchases in Canada, and one point per dollar on other eligible purchases.

One excellent feature of the American Express Gold Rewards card is its generous signup offer - Earn up to 60,000 Membership Rewards® points: New American Express® Gold Rewards Cardmembers, earn 5,000 Membership Rewards® points for each monthly billing period in which you spend $1,000 in net purchases on your Card.

Another thing that makes American Express Membership Rewards points so appealing is that points can be redeemed for travel or transferred to participating loyalty programs, including Aeroplan at a 1:1 ratio. Plus, while travelling, there's no shortage of perks. You'll receive complimentary membership in Priority Pass as well as four complimentary visits per calendar year to Plaza Premium Lounges across Canada. This card also comes with a thorough travel insurance package, covering eligible out-of-province/country emergency medical expenses, trip cancellation and interruption, flight delays, baggage delays and more.

As an added bonus for frequent travellers to the U.S., you'll also receive a $50 statement credit when a NEXUS application or renewal fee is charged to your American Express Gold Rewards Card.

Best American Express business credit card

Ratehub’s take

The American Express Business Gold Rewards Card is our pick for the best Amex business credit card, particularly for businesses with significant monthly expenses. Cardholders earn one Membership Rewards point for virtually every dollar in purchases, plus 10,000 bonus points in each calendar quarter when they spend at least $20,000. Businesses that meet the spending requirement every quarter could earn up to 40,000 bonus points per year.

That quarterly bonus gives higher-spending businesses an opportunity to earn more from expenses they may already be putting on the card, while Membership Rewards points provide flexibility in how those rewards are used. The card also offers up to 55 interest-free days and a Flexible Payment Option, giving business owners additional flexibility when managing expenses and cash flow.

Best American Express premium card

Ratehub’s take

The American Express Platinum Card is our pick for the best premium credit card because of its extensive airport lounge access and travel benefits. Cardholders get unlimited access to more than 1,400 airport lounges worldwide through the American Express Global Lounge Collection, including Centurion and Plaza Premium lounges. The card also comes with a $200 annual travel credit, a $200 annual dining credit and benefits through Fine Hotels + Resorts.

Fine Hotels + Resorts offers complimentary benefits valued at an average of US$550 at more than 1,600 properties, and cardholders also have access to hotel and car rental loyalty programs including Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, Hertz and Avis. There are also opportunities to earn $200 or more in additional value through Member Extras. While the $799 annual fee is high, the combination of unlimited lounge access, annual credits and hotel benefits is what makes the Platinum Card stand out as Amex’s premium option.

There are several types of American Express cards in Canada, with options geared toward travel rewards, Aeroplan points, cash back, no annual fees and lower interest rates. Amex also offers a separate lineup of cards for small business owners.

While American Express doesn't formally organize its cards into tiers, there are some clear differences between its entry-level, mid-range and premium cards when it comes to annual fees, rewards and benefits. For example, the Green Card provides a simple, no-fee way to earn Membership Rewards points, while cards such as the Cobalt and Gold Rewards offer higher earn rates and additional benefits for an annual fee. At the premium end, the Platinum Card comes with a much higher annual fee but also a more extensive selection of travel and lifestyle benefits.

Travel rewards Amex credit cards

American Express categorizes the Cobalt Card, Gold Rewards Card and Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card as travel rewards cards. Cobalt is particularly strong for earning Membership Rewards points on everyday spending, while Gold offers additional travel benefits. The Marriott Bonvoy card is a co-branded option that earns Marriott Bonvoy points instead of Membership Rewards points. The Platinum Card also sits at the premium end of Amex's travel-focused lineup, with benefits geared more heavily toward frequent travellers, including airport lounge access, travel credits and hotel benefits.

Aeroplan Amex credit cards

For travellers who prefer to earn Aeroplan points directly, American Express offers the Aeroplan Card and the more premium Aeroplan Reserve Card. Both are co-branded with Aeroplan and provide Air Canada-related benefits, while the Reserve comes with additional premium travel perks in exchange for a considerably higher annual fee. This gives frequent Air Canada travellers an alternative to earning flexible Membership Rewards points and then transferring them to Aeroplan.

Cash back Amex credit cards

American Express has two main cash back options: the SimplyCash Card and SimplyCash Preferred Card. The SimplyCash Card has no annual fee, while SimplyCash Preferred charges an annual fee in exchange for higher cash back earn rates. These cards are geared toward people who prefer earning straightforward cash back rather than collecting Membership Rewards, Aeroplan or Marriott Bonvoy points.

No annual fee and low-rate cards Amex credit cards

The SimplyCash Card and American Express Green Card are Amex's no-annual-fee options. Green earns Membership Rewards points, while SimplyCash earns cash back, giving cardholders a choice between flexible points and straightforward cash rewards without paying an annual fee.

Amex also offers the Essential Credit Card as its low-rate option. Rather than focusing on maximizing rewards or premium benefits, it offers a lower purchase interest rate than many rewards cards.

American Express business credit cards

American Express also offers cards specifically for small business owners, including Membership Rewards, Aeroplan and Marriott Bonvoy options. Its lineup ranges from cards such as the Business Gold Rewards Card to premium travel cards such as the Business Platinum Card.

Like Amex's personal cards, the differences generally come down to rewards, annual fees and benefits. Business owners can choose between flexible Membership Rewards points or cards tied to a specific travel loyalty program, depending on how their business spends and uses its rewards.

Upcoming changes to American Express Aeroplan cards for 2027

Starting January 12, 2027, American Express will launch a refreshed Aeroplan card portfolio in Canada, with new and enhanced benefits across its consumer, small business and corporate cards. So far, Amex has shared highlights for two of the five cards: the Aeroplan Reserve Card and Aeroplan Business Reserve Card.

Both Reserve cards will offer up to $100 annually toward Air Canada travel through the AC wallet and 15% savings on Air Canada flight rewards when redeeming Aeroplan points. They’ll also get expanded Maple Leaf Lounge access, up to six complimentary Priority Pass lounge passes per year and eight complimentary passes per year at select Aspire Amex lounges in Canada. Other additions include priority security lanes at select airports and a fourth hotel night or car rental day free when booking with Aeroplan points.

The consumer Aeroplan Reserve Card will also add a $200 annual dining credit at eligible participating Air Canada’s Best New Restaurants and bonus Aeroplan points after reaching specified annual spending thresholds. The annual fees for both Reserve cards will increase from $599 to $799, effective on each cardholder’s first annual fee billing date after January 12, 2027.

With more details about the rest of the refreshed Aeroplan card lineup still to come, these changes point to American Express adding more premium travel benefits while raising the cost of its top-tier Aeroplan cards.

American Express Membership Rewards points

The American Express Membership Rewards points program is often touted as the best in Canada due to its great value and flexible redemption options.

Depending on if you go for the American Express Cobalt, Gold or Platinum cards, the rewards points you earn can be redeemed for any number of things:

• Flexible Points Travel Program: lets you redeem points for virtually any travel expense (including flights, hotel stays, vacation packages, and car rentals) in flat increments of 1,000 points for $10. You can charge the travel expense to your credit card and apply points against the purchase retroactively at a later date to offset the cost.
  • American Express Cobalt, Gold or Platinum cards are all eligible

• Fixed Points Travel Program: lets you redeem points for only round-trip flights out of Canada according to a chart. This chart breaks up potential travel destinations into six regions - each requiring a set number of points (i.e. 60,000 points for a flight to Europe or 100,000 points for a flight to the Middle East). While slightly less intuitive than the aforementioned Flexible Points Travel Program, you can get far greater value (anywhere from 1.75 cents to 2 cents per point) provided you book the right flight and utilize the chart to your advantage.

• Airline Transfers: With this option, you can transfer your points (often at a 1:1 ratio) to a number of frequent flyer programs including Aeroplan and British Airways Avios. Done right, these transfers can help open up the door to even more opportunities to maximize your points values by leveraging the power of other loyalty programs - not just Amex's own program.
  • Gold or Platinum cards are eligible (the American Express Cobalt is not)
    
    
• Hotel Transfers: Similar to airline loyalty program transfers, you can transfer the points you earn on your American Express card to either the Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honours programs. 
  • American Express Cobalt, Gold or Platinum are all eligible
    
    
• Other rewards (American Express Cobalt, Gold or Platinum are eligible)
  • Ticketmaster: 2,000 points for $20 (1 cent per point)
  • Gift cards: (varies but averages around 0.7-0.8 cents per point)
  • Statement credits: 1,000 points for $7 (0.7 cents per point)

American Express credit card partnerships

American Express partners with several major travel and financial brands in Canada. These partnerships give cardholders additional ways to earn travel rewards or use the American Express payment network.

American Express and Aeroplan

Aeroplan is Air Canada's loyalty program, allowing members to earn Aeroplan points that can be redeemed for flights with Air Canada and its airline partners, as well as other travel and merchandise rewards.

American Express partners with Aeroplan through co-branded cards such as the American Express Aeroplan Card and the premium American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card. These cards earn Aeroplan points directly and offer Air Canada benefits, which vary by card and can include perks such as free checked bags, preferred pricing on flight rewards and airport benefits.

Aeroplan is also a transfer partner of the American Express Membership Rewards program. Eligible Membership Rewards points earned with cards such as the Cobalt, Gold Rewards and Platinum can be transferred to Aeroplan at a 1:1 ratio. This gives Amex cardholders the option of earning Aeroplan points directly with a co-branded card or earning flexible Membership Rewards points and transferring them to Aeroplan when needed.

American Express and Marriott Bonvoy

Marriott Bonvoy is the loyalty program for Marriott's portfolio of hotels. Members earn Marriott Bonvoy points that can be redeemed for hotel stays and other rewards, while stays and Elite Night Credits can help members qualify for higher levels of Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status and additional hotel benefits.

Amex cardholders can participate in the program in two ways. The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card earns Marriott Bonvoy points directly and comes with additional program benefits, while eligible Membership Rewards points can also be transferred to Marriott Bonvoy. This gives Amex cardholders the flexibility to earn Marriott rewards directly or convert Membership Rewards points when they want to use them within the Bonvoy program.

American Express and Scotiabank

Scotiabank's relationship with American Express works differently. Rather than earning American Express Membership Rewards points, the Scotiabank American Express Card, Scotiabank Gold American Express Card and Scotiabank Platinum American Express Card are issued by Scotiabank and earn Scene+ points.

Scene+ is Scotiabank's rewards program, with points that can be redeemed for travel, groceries, dining, entertainment and other rewards. Scotiabank Amex cardholders can also earn additional Scene+ points in certain spending categories and with participating Scene+ partners.

Because these cards run on the American Express payment network, cardholders can also receive eligible American Express benefits while participating in Scotiabank's Scene+ program. This makes Scotiabank's Amex cards different from cards issued directly by American Express, even though both carry the American Express name.

Also read: American Express Cobalt vs Scotiabank Gold American Express: Which card is right for you in 2026?

What is the difference between a charge card and a credit card?

American Express has the distinction of being the last major provider to offer charge cards and credit cards, and while they may seem similar there are a few things that set each apart. 

The main feature that separates the two is the ability to carry over a balance. While credit cards allow you to do this while accumulating interest, charge cards typically require you to pay off what you owe in full each month. Because of this, you won’t incur compounding interest and debt the way you would with a credit card. Another benefit of a charge card is that they don’t carry a pre-set spending limit the way credit cards do. This can allow you to make large-scale purchases as needed without worrying about maxing out your card and hurting your credit. It also won’t affect your credit utilization ratio, as credit bureaus don’t take charge card balances into consideration during this calculation. Both can still help you build your credit, however.

That being said, don’t interpret this as a license to spend as much as you want on the card. You’ll still have a ceiling dictated by your card usage and credit history, among other things. Often you’ll be able to check ahead to see if a purchase you intend to make will be approved by calling your provider or logging onto your online account.

What happens if you don’t pay your charge card’s full balance on time?

You’ll be hit with a late fee, which can be just as damaging to your credit as non-payment of a credit card bill. With credit cards, you’re allowed to make a minimum payment to satisfy your bill each month. With charge cards, it’s all or nothing. If you don’t pay in full, you’ll be penalized.

Because of this, eligibility requirements for charge cards are often much stricter than for credit cards. While certain credit cards are designed for those with less-than-stellar credit, charge cards require a good-to-excellent score for approval.

If you’re interested in getting a charge card, American Express currently offers the Aeroplan Card.

What is the American Express Front of the Line program?

American Express Front Of The Line® is a perks and rewards program found on every American Express credit card, no matter the tier or annual fee. It allows members to get special access to presale tickets and reserved seating for major concerts and theatre events.

Reserved seating

When it comes to high-demand concerts, it’s never fun having to click the refresh button over and over to secure good seats for you and your friends. With Amex Front Of The Line®, however, entire blocks of seating are reserved specifically for members to purchase ahead of time. This way, you’re not competing with nearly as many other fans for coveted tickets, and you can get a better shot at the best seat in the house.

Ticket presales

With tickets to big-name concerts getting harder and harder to secure, access to presales is essential if you want to ensure you don’t miss out. Front Of The Line® Amex presale tickets allow you to get in before the general onsale starts, giving you a much-needed head start. 

Redeeming points for tickets

One great feature of this program is the ability to redeem your Membership Rewards points for event tickets through Ticketmaster.

Simply select the option “Membership Rewards Points from American Express” as a payment method during checkout and enter your card information. You can use your points to pay for part of your tickets or the whole thing, depending on how much you’ve collected, but there is a minimum usage of 2000 points. 

Your card will get charged for the total cost, but a statement credit for the applied points will be applied to your account within 48 hours.