American Express Credit Cards
Compare American Express credit cards
If you’re considering an American Express card, then check out what’s available for Rewards cards in our comparison table below, based on a monthly spend of $5,000 and sorted by our Star Ratings (Highest-lowest).
Types of American Express Australia credit cards
American Express has 13 credit cards available in Australia at the time of writing:
- American Express Platinum Edge Credit Card
- American Express Explorer Credit Card
- American Express Essential Credit Card
- American Express Platinum Card
- American Express Cashback Credit Card
- American Express Velocity Escape Card
- American Express Velocity Platinum Card
- Qantas American Express Discovery Card
- Qantas American Express Ultimate Card
- Qantas American Express Premium Card
- David Jones American Express Card
- David Jones American Express Platinum Card
- American Express Low Rate Credit Card
American Express credit cards may offer the following benefits:
- Online and mobile: Credit cards and bank accounts can be managed online or through the Amex app available on the App Store and Google Play.
- Contactless: You can use Amex cards to make contactless payments up to $200 without a PIN. You can also use your smartphone to make contactless payments using the digital wallets Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay.
- Security: American Express’ Fraud Protection Guarantee means you will not have to pay for unauthorised spending on your account (terms and conditions apply).
- Rewards: Some American Express cards come with rewards programs that let you accumulate points with every eligible purchase you make.
- Emergency card replacement: American Express Australia says you can order a replacement card whether you are at home, interstate or overseas.
The inclusions mentioned represent a selection of what is covered at the time of writing. Additional terms and conditions may apply to different features. Additional fees may apply to the product. Canstar is not making any suggestion or recommendation to you about this product. Please ensure that you read the product disclosure statement to determine all the current options and inclusions for the product you are considering.
American Express Platinum Edge Credit Card
Features
- Card type: American Express credit card
- Minimum credit limit: $3,000
- Minimum income requirement: $50,000/year
- Interest free period: Up to 55 days
- Annual fee: $195
- Insurance: Complimentary domestic and international travel insurance. Complimentary smartphone screen insurance cover for smartphone screen repairs up to $500.
- Rewards program: Earn 3 Membership Rewards points per $1 spent at eligible supermarkets and petrol stations, 2 Membership Rewards points per $1 spent in a foreign currency, overseas and online and 1 Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases
If you’re considering an American Express credit card, then check out what’s available for premium cards in our comparison table below, based on a monthly spend of $2,000 sorted by Annual fee (lowest-highest).
American Express Explorer Credit Card
Features
- Card type: American Express credit card
- Minimum credit limit: $3,000
- Minimum income requirement: $65,000/year
- Interest free period: Up to 55 days
- Annual fee: $395
- Insurance: Complimentary domestic and international travel insurance and smartphone screen insurance
- Rewards program: Earn 2 Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on eligible purchases, except for payments to government bodies in Australia (earn 1 point per $1 spent)
American Express Essential Credit Card
Features
- Card type: American Express credit card
- Minimum credit limit: $2,000
- Minimum income requirement: $40,000/year
- Interest free period: Up to 55 days
- Insurance: Smartphone screen insurance available
- Rewards program: Earn 1.25 Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on eligible purchases, except for payments to government bodies where you will earn 1 point per $1 spent
American Express Platinum Credit Card
Features
- Card type: American Express credit card
- Minimum income requirement: $100,000/year
- Cash flow period: Up to 44 days
- Annual fee: $1,450
- Insurance: Complimentary domestic and international travel insurance and smartphone screen insurance
- Rewards program: Earn 2.25 Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on eligible purchases, except for payments to government bodies where you will earn 1 point per $1 spent
American Express Cashback Credit Card
Features
- Card type: American Express credit card
- Minimum credit limit: $2,000
- Minimum income requirement: $40,000/year
- Interest free period: Up to 55 days
- Monthly fee: $10
- Insurance: Complimentary smartphone screen insurance cover for smartphone screen repairs up to $500. Refund protection and purchase insurance.
- Cashback: Earn 1% cashback per $1 spent on eligible purchases (excluding government bodies which earn 0.5% cashback per $1 spent), earn an additional 5% cashback per $1 spent on eligible purchases in the first three months (up to $200) and an additional 1.5% cashback per $1 spent with participating shop small businesses (up to $200 until 22/03/22).
- Other benefits: Get a free monthly BINGE basic subscription and a free 12-month subscription to the Centr fitness app (offer ends 14/02/22).
American Express Velocity Escape Card
Features
- Card type: American Express credit card
- Minimum credit limit: $2,000
- Minimum income requirement: $40,000/year
- Interest free period: Up to 55 days
- Rewards program: Earn 0.75 Velocity Points per $1 spent on eligible purchases, 1.75 Velocity Points per $1 spent on purchases on Virgin Australia products and services and 0.5 Velocity Points per $1 spend on government bodies in Australia.
American Express Velocity Platinum Card
Features
- Card type: American Express credit card
- Minimum credit limit: $3,000
- Minimum income requirement: $65,000/year
- Interest free period: Up to 55 days
- Annual fee: $375
- Insurance: Complimentary domestic and international travel insurance
- Rewards program: Earn 1.25 Velocity Points per $1 spent on eligible purchases, 2.25 Velocity Points per $1 spent on purchases on Virgin Australia products and services and 0.5 Velocity Points per $1 spent on government bodies in Australia.
Qantas American Express Discovery Card
Features
- Card type: American Express credit card
- Minimum credit limit: $2,000
- Minimum income requirement: $35,000/year
- Interest free period: Up to 44 days
- Rewards program: Earn 0.75 Qantas Points per $1 spent on eligible purchases, except at government bodies in Australia, where you will earn 0.5 Qantas Points per $1 spent. Earn 1 additional Qantas Point per $1 spent with Qantas.
If you’re considering an American Express credit card, then check out what’s available for Frequent Flyer cards in our comparison table below, based on a monthly spend of $5,000 sorted by Annual fee (lowest-highest).
Qantas American Express Ultimate Card
Features
- Card type: American Express credit card
- Minimum credit limit: $3,000
- Minimum income requirement: $65,000/year
- Interest free period: Up to 44 days
- Annual fee: $450
- Insurance: Complimentary domestic and international travel insurance.
- Rewards program: Earn 1.25 Qantas Points per $1 spent on eligible everyday purchases, except spent at government bodies in Australia where you will earn 0.5 Qantas Points per $1 spent. Earn 2.25 Qantas Points per $1 spent on eligible Qantas products and services.
Compare Frequent Flyer Credit Cards
Qantas American Express Premium Card
Features
- Card type: American Express credit card
- Minimum credit limit: $2,000
- Minimum income requirement: $40,000/year
- Interest free period: Up to 44 days
- Annual fee: $249
- Insurance: Complimentary domestic and international travel insurance
- Rewards program: Earn 1 Qantas Points per $1 spent on eligible everyday purchases, except at government bodies in Australia, where you will earn 0.5 Qantas Points per $1 spent. Earn 2 Qantas Points per $1 spent on eligible Qantas products and services.
Compare Frequent Flyer Credit Cards
Compare Frequent Flyer Credit Cards
David Jones American Express Card
We’ve already written about David Jones American Express credit cards.
American Express Low Rate Credit Card
Features
Card type: American Express credit card- Minimum credit limit: $1,000
- Minimum income requirement: $50,000/year
- Interest free period: Up to 55 days
What are the eligibility criteria to apply for American Express credit cards?
To apply for an American Express credit card, American Express says you must be able to satisfy the following criteria:
- You must be 18 years or over
- You must have no history of bad debt or payment default
- You must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident or hold a long term visa
- You must meet the minimum income criteria for the card of your choice (see above for details).
How can I apply for an American Express credit card?
Before applying, consider the eligibility criteria, plus whether a credit card is generally suitable for your needs. You can also compare your other options using Canstar’s comparison tables.
If you choose to apply for an American Express credit card, you can do so online or you can call American Express. American Express says you will need the following information at hand:
- Existing American Express Card number (if applicable)
- Your driver’s licence details
- Your current employer’s details, including full address and telephone number
- Your personal, annual, gross (pre-tax) income
- If your are self-employed, details of your accountant
American Express says the application will take about 10 minutes to complete if you have all of the above information at hand. When reviewing your application, American Express says it will verify your income and do a credit assessment.
If you’re considering an American Express Low Rate credit card, then check out what’s available for Low Rate cards in our comparison table below, based on a monthly spend of $2,000 sorted by our Star Ratings (highest – lowest).
American Express credit card FAQs
You will need to activate your new American Express credit card before you can use it. To activate your American Express card, visit americanexpress.com/activate and follow the prompts. You can also activate your card through the Amex app.
You can manage your American Express credit card through online banking or via the Amex app. American Express online banking and the mobile app both allow you to check your transaction history, make payments, track and use your Membership Rewards points, receive notifications, and more.
When interest is charged:
You will be charged interest on any purchase you make with an American Express card unless you repay the full balance within the specified period. The amount of interest that you’re charged depends on:
- The interest rate on your credit card
- The amount you spent and when you spent it
- When you pay your credit card bill
When interest is not charged:
Interest is not charged on interest-free days. Interest-free days refer to the time from when you buy something with your card to when interest is applied. To make the most of these interest-free days, cardholders can make a purchase the day a new statement period begins and pay the closing balance by the due date shown on your statement.
Your credit limit will be determined based on the information you provide in your application, keeping in mind the minimum and maximum credit limits available for each American Express credit card.
American Express says you can apply for an increase or decrease through its Online Services or by calling the number on the back of your card.
If you want to cancel an American Express credit card, you can call the customer service helpline number on the back of your card. Your card balance will need to be repaid in full, even after the card is closed, and you will continue to receive monthly statements until your card balance is fully repaid.
If you’re cancelling your American Express credit card because you are not satisfied with it, you may want to consider your other options when it comes to credit cards:
American Express is a global financial services company founded in 1850 in America. Today, American Express says it is the largest global payments network.
This article was reviewed by our Sub Editor Jacqueline Belesky before it was updated, as part of our fact-checking process.
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