2025's Best American Express Credit Cards for Canadians
Take advantage of great American Express credit card offers today.
American Express
American Express, one of the top credit card companies in Canada, offers great cards for those who love to travel and indulge in experiences such as exploring new cities, attending incredible live events, and enjoying fine dining. Its unique credit card rewards program allows you to take advantage of several great rewards and perks such as annual travel credits, purchase protection, airport lounge access, pre-sale ticket access and more. American Express offers multiple personal credit cards under its own name, along with rewards credit cards through various partners. See the best American Express credit cards in Canada and start taking advantage of their renowned rewards program today.
| American Express® Best Credit Card Winners 2025 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Credit card | Award category | Annual fee | First-year value* |
American Express Cobalt® Credit Card® Credit Card |
| $156 ($13 per month) | $1,257 |
| American Express® Green Card |
| $0 | $595 |
More excellent credit cards from American Express® | |||
| Credit cards | Top features | Annual fee | First-year value* |
| SimplyCash® Card from American Express |
| $0 | $468 |
Marriott Bonvoy®® American Express®* Card |
| $120 | $930 |
| American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card |
| $599 | $130 |
|
| $120 | $1,038 |
*The RATESDOTCA Best of Finance methodology assumes the cardholder spends an average of $2,000 a month on their card to determine the first-year value. The calculation includes all welcome bonuses and promotional offers at the time of publishing.
American Express Cobalt® Card
The American Express Cobalt® Credit Card is one of the best credit cards on the Canadian market. Get five times the points at coffee shops, bars, restaurants, grocery stores, and even food delivery services. Earn three times the points on select streaming subscriptions and two times the points for every dollar spent on public transport, taxis, rideshare, and gas. Also, access exclusive benefits for members of the American Express Cobalt® Credit Card.
Based on our Best of Finance methodology, the average Canadian will earn an astonishing $1,257 in rewards for the first year. That is a staggering return for such a reasonably priced card.
Once you have your points, you can redeem them for almost anything — even purchases through Amazon.ca.
Credit score requirement for approval:
Fair: You’ve had a credit card or loan for one or more years. For the last two years, you’ve paid back debts to creditors (with no defaults). You haven’t missed more than two payments on your credit in the last three months.
Annual fee:
$155.88 ($12.99 per month)
Annual fee for additional cardholders: $0
Limited time offer/bonus:
- In your first year as a new Cobalt Cardmember, you can earn 1,250 Membership Rewards® points for each monthly billing period in which you spend $750 in net purchases on your Card. This could add up to 15,000 points in a year. That’s up to $150 towards a weekend getaway or concert tickets.
Offer expiry date: N/A subject to change without notice
Rewards:
- Earn five points for every $1 spent at grocery stores, restaurants, cafés, bars and food delivery purchases.
- Earn three points for every $1 spent on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada.
- Earn two points for every $1 spent on gas, transit and ride shares.
- Earn one point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Earning potential:
How does this card stack up to other rewards credit cards? We crunched the numbers using our Best of Finance methodology to see how much an average Canadian could earn over a 12-month period.
Rewards earned over a 12-month period = 80,742 Membership Rewards® points
Monetary value= $1,413
Annual fee = $156*
Total earned over the first year (rewards minus annual fee) = $1,257
* The American Express Cobalt® Credit Card has a $12.99 monthly fee ($155.88 per year).
You can redeem your points for:
- Flights through the Fixed Points Travel Program
- Travel
- Streaming services
- Movie tickets
- Retail purchases
- Events
- Amazon.ca purchases
- Statement credits
Insurance:
- Out of province/country emergency medical insurance
- Flight delay insurance
- Baggage delay insurance
- Lost and stolen baggage insurance
- Hotel burglary insurance
- Travel accident insurance
- Car rental theft and damage insurance
- Mobile device insurance
- Purchase security
- Extended warranty
Other perks:
- Cardholders can access exclusive benefits at over 600 hotels and resorts. These benefits include credits for hotel amenities and complimentary room upgrades when available.
- Access Front Of The Line® Amex Presale & Reserved Tickets to some of your favourite concerts and theatre performances and special offers and events curated for Cardmembers with Amex ExperiencesTM
Want to learn more about how the American Express Cobalt® Credit Card stands up against the competition? Read more from our "In the Ring" series:
In the Ring: American Express Cobalt® Credit Card vs. Scotiabank Gold American Express Card
American Express® Green Card
With American Express® Green Card, you can earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all purchases. You can earn an additional point for every dollar spent on Amex Travel Online for eligible hotel or car rentals. Transfer points 1:1 to several frequent flyer and other loyalty programs.
Credit score requirement for approval:
Good: You’ve had a credit card or loan for six or more years. You’ve had good credit for the last seven years (no bankruptcies or no defaults on credit as a result of failing to pay debts back to creditors). You haven’t opened a new credit card account, loan, or line of credit in the last nine months. You’ve made the minimum payments for existing credit cards for the past three months.
Annual fee:
$0
Annual fee for additional cardholders: $0
Limited time offer/bonus:
Earn a Welcome Bonus of 10,000 Membership Rewards® points when you charge $1,000 in purchases to your Card in the first 3 months of Cardmembership. That's $100 towards groceries or concert tickets.
Offer expiry date: N/A subject to change without notice
Rewards:
1x point for every $1 spent
Earning potential:
How does this card stack up to other rewards credit cards? We crunched the numbers using our Best of Finance methodology to see how much an average Canadian could earn over a 12-month period.
Rewards earned over a 12-month period = $420
Welcome bonus = $175
Annual fee = $0
Total earned over the first year (rewards minus annual fee) = $595
Insurance:
Purchase Protection - 90 days
Extended Warranty - 1 year
Other perks:
Access events and special offers curated for Cardmembers with Amex ExperiencesTM
More excellent credit cards from American Express
Not all great American Express® cards took home Best of Finance honours in 2025. Take a look at some more excellent options from American Express®, which may suit your lifestyle and spending habits just as well as the Best of Finance 2025 winners.
SimplyCash® Card from American Express
The SimplyCash® Card from American Express offers 2% cash back on gas and grocery purchases. Earn 1.25% cash back on all other purchases.
Credit score requirement for approval:
Good: You’ve had a credit card or loan for six or more years. You’ve had good credit for the last seven years (no bankruptcies or no defaults on credit as a result of failing to pay debts back to creditors). You haven’t opened a new credit card account, loan, or line of credit in the last nine months. You’ve made the minimum payments for existing credit cards for the past three months.
Annual fee:
$0
Annual fee for additional cardholders: $0
Limited time offer/bonus:
- In your first 3 months as a new SimplyCash® Card from American Express Cardmember, you can earn a bonus 5% cash back on all purchases (up to $2,000 in purchases). That’s on top of your everyday cash back earn rates. That’s up to $100 in bonus cash back.
Offer expiry date: N/A subject to change without notice
Rewards:
- Earn 2% cash back on eligible gas station purchases in Canada. Ear 2% cash back on eligible grocery purchases in Canada ($300 cash back annually. And earn 1.25% cash back on all other purchases, with no limit to how much cash back you can earn.
Earning potential:
How does this card stack up to other rewards credit cards? We crunched the numbers using our Best of Finance methodology to see how much an average Canadian could earn over a 12-month period.
Rewards earned over a 12-month period = $468
Annual fee = $0
Total earned over the first year (rewards minus annual fee) = $468
Insurance:
- $100,000 travel accident
- Purchase protection
- Extended warranty
Other perks:
- Access events and special offers curated for Cardmembers with Amex ExperiencesTM
Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card
Cardholders of the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card earn up to 50,000 Welcome Bonus points.
Earn five points for every $1 spent at participating Marriott Bonvoy properties — there are over seven thousand of them. You will also earn two points for every $1 spent elsewhere. If you already stay at hotels regularly, you can reasonably expect to earn over $1,000 in rewards in the first year.
The perks are excellent, too. Receive a free night’s stay at a hotel after your account anniversary each year, automatic Silver Elite status at Marriott BonvoyTM hotels and plenty more.
This card does not provide emergency medical travel insurance, which is the only reason this card doesn’t take our “best of travel” award.
Credit score requirement for approval:
Good: You’ve had a credit card or loan for six or more years. You’ve had good credit for the last seven years (no bankruptcies or no defaults on credit as a result of failing to pay debts back to creditors). You haven’t opened a new credit card account, loan, or line of credit in the last nine months. You’ve made the minimum payments for existing credit cards for the past three months.
Annual fee:
$120
Annual fee for additional cardholders: $0
Limited time offer/bonus:
- New Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Cardmembers earn 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points after you charge $1,500 in purchases to your Card in your first three months of Cardmembership. Subject to change at any time.
Offer expiry date: N/A - Ongoing Offer.
Rewards:
- Earn five points for every $1 spent at participating Marriott BonvoyTM properties.
- Earn two points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Earning potential:
How does this card stack up to other rewards credit cards? We crunched the numbers using our Best of Finance methodology to see how much an average Canadian could earn over a 12-month period.
Rewards earned over a 12-month period = 108,247 Marriott BonvoyTM points
Monetary value= $1,050
Annual fee = $120
Total earned over the first year (rewards minus annual fee) = $930
You can redeem your points for:
- Stays at over 7,000 hotels, with no blackout dates
- Once-in-a-lifetime events, like meeting A-list artists and athletes through Marriott Bonvoy MomentsTM
- Transfer points to frequent flyer miles (if you transfer 60,000 points to a frequent flyer program, you receive 15,000 bonus points)
Insurance:
- Flight delay
- Baggage delay
- Hotel burglary
- Lost or stolen baggage
- Car rental theft and damage
- $500,000 travel accident
- Purchase protection
- Extended warranty
Other perks:
- Receive a free night’s stay at a hotel after your account anniversary each year.
- Get complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status.
- Get an automatic upgrade to Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status if you reach $30,000 in annual purchases.
- Take advantage of the travel emergency assistance to get medical and legal referrals by phone, 24/7.
- Access the American Express Invites® program, featuring advanced and reserved ticket sales, special offers, and exclusive experiences.
American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card
The American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Card has a $599 annual fee, which may turn a few people off. However, there is a welcome bonus of up to 85,000 Aeroplan points.
Earn 60,000 Aeroplan points after spending $7,500 in purchases on your Card within the first 3 months. Plus, you earn an additional 25,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $2,500 in purchases in your thirteenth month of card membership. That could add up to $2,600 or more in value when you combine your welcome bonus points and card benefits.
Regularly earn three points for every $1 in eligible purchases made directly through Air Canada®* and Air Canada Vacations®. Get two points for every $1 spent on eligible dining and food delivery in Canada and 1.25 points for every $1 on all other purchases.
Also, receive airport lounge access and other perks like priority security lanes at Toronto’s Pearson Airport and up to $100 CAD in statement credits every four years when a NEXUS application or renewal fee is charged to your American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card
Credit score requirement for approval:
Good: You’ve had a credit card or loan for six or more years. You’ve had good credit for the last seven years (no bankruptcies or no defaults on credit as a result of failing to pay debts back to creditors). You haven’t opened a new credit card account, loan, or line of credit in the last nine months. You’ve made the minimum payments for existing credit cards for the past three months.
Annual fee:
$599
Annual fee for additional cardholders:
- $199 for each card to share some of the benefits
- $0 for each card without sharing benefits
Limited time offer/bonus:
- New American Express® Aeroplan®* Reserve Cardmembers can earn up to 85,000 Aeroplan points.
Offer expiry date: N/A subject to change without notice
Rewards:
- Earn three points for every $1 spent on eligible purchases made directly through Air Canada®* and Air Canada Vacations®.
- Earn two points for every $1 spent on eligible dining and food delivery in Canada.
- Earn 1.25 points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
You can redeem your Miles for:
- Travel
- Hotel stays
- Car rentals
- Vacation packages
- Exclusive experiences
- Merchandise and gift cards
Insurance:
- Out of province/country emergency medical
- Trip cancellation
- Trip interruption
- Flight delay
- Baggage delay
- Hotel burglary
- Lost or stolen baggage
- Car rental theft and damage
- $500,000 travel accident
- Purchase protection
- Extended warranty
Other perks:
- New Offer: Cardmembers can now get an extra night free for every 3 consecutive hotel nights redeemed with Aeroplan points. Offer ends December 31, 2024.
- Receive one Annual Worldwide Companion Pass when you spend $25,000 in net purchases prior to your Card anniversary date; your Pass entitles you to buy an accompanying Air Canada economy class ticket for a companion at a fixed base fare from $99 to a maximum of $599 CAD (plus taxes, fees, charges, and surcharges).
- Get through the airport quicker with Air Canada Priority Check-In, Air Canada Priority Boarding and Air Canada Priority Baggage Handling
- Enjoy access to select Air Canada Maple Leaf LoungesTM* and Air Canada CaféTM in North America for you and a guest, with a same day ticket on a departing Air Canada or Star Alliance flight
- Enjoy your eligible first checked bag free for up to 9 people travelling on the same reservation on Air Canada flights
- Amex ExperiencesTM opens doors for you to access a number of special events, including special dining experiences, VIP parties, advance film screenings and more
American Express® Aeroplan®* Card
The American Express® Aeroplan®* Card offers cardmembers up to $900 in value, including up to 40,000 bonus points.
The American Express® Aeroplan®* Card is a charge card, so there is no pre-set spending limit, although you have to pay off the bill in full each month or a 30% annual interest rate applies.
Credit score requirement for approval:
Good: You’ve had a credit card or loan for six or more years. You’ve had good credit for the last seven years (no bankruptcies or no defaults on credit as a result of failing to pay debts back to creditors). You haven’t opened a new credit card account, loan, or line of credit in the last nine months. You’ve made the minimum payments for existing credit cards for the past three months.
Annual fee:
$120
Annual fee for additional cardholders:
- $50 for additional cardholders with some shared benefits
- $0 to add additional cardholders without sharing benefits
Limited time offer/bonus:
New American Express® Aeroplan®* Cardmembers can earn up to 40,000 Aeroplan points. Earn 30,000 Aeroplan points after spending $3,000 in purchases on your Card within the first 3 months. Plus, earn an additional 10,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in month 13. That’s up to $900 or more in value when you combine your welcome bonus points and card benefits.
Offer expiry date: N/A (Subject to change without notice)
Rewards:
- Earn two Aeroplan points for every $1 spent on eligible purchases directly through Air Canada®* and Air Canada Vacations®.
- Earn 1.5 Aeroplan points for every $1 spent on eligible dining and food delivery in Canada.
- Earn one Aeroplan point for all other purchases.
Earning potential:
How does this card stack up to other rewards credit cards? We crunched the numbers using our Best of Finance methodology to see how much an average Canadian could earn over a 12-month period.
Rewards earned over a 12-month period = 57,900 Aeroplan points
Monetary value= $1,158
Annual fee = $120
Total earned in the first year (rewards minus annual fee) = $1,038
You can redeem your points for:
- Travel
- Hotel stays
- Car rentals
- Vacation packages
- Exclusive experiences
- Merchandise and gift cards
Insurance:
- Flight delay
- Baggage delay
- Lost or stolen baggage
- Hotel burglary
- $500,000 travel accident
- Car rental theft and damage
- Purchase protection
- Extended warranty
Other perks:
- Get your first checked bag for free (up to 23kg/50lb) with Air Canada.
- Get peace of mind with travel emergency assistance for medical and legal referrals by phone, 24/7.
- Amex ExperiencesTM: From music and movies, to specially curated dining and online shopping opportunities, stay connected with all that we have to offer from the comfort of your own home
Rates, product information and reward estimates are subject to change at any time and do not constitute financial advice. This post was not sponsored. RATESDOTCA may receive a referral fee from our partners or affiliate links featured on the site; however, our editorial choices are objective and free from bias. The opinions expressed in this article are purely those of RATESDOTCA; thus, the credit card issuers and partners are not responsible for any editorials or reviews that may appear. Please visit the associated brand’s website for complete and current terms and conditions on any product or service mentioned. The information in this article is accurate as of the date of this posting, January 31, 2025. Read our full disclaimer.
American Express membership rewards points
Every American Express credit card gives you access to the company’s robust Membership Rewards® program. Whether you hold a top tier or low tier American Express credit card, you’ll have access to the a range of credit card rewards and perks. Here’s how your American Express credit card rewards and perks will work:
- Cobalt® rewards: As an American Express Cobalt® credit card holder you will earn 5 points for every $1 spent on all food purchases, including your grocery purchases to restaurant visits. Travel related purchases will reward you 2 points for every $1 spent. This includes transit and gas purchases all over Canada. When you purchase anything else, from sneakers to new speakers, you’ll earn 1 point for every $1 spent through your Cobalt® credit card.
- Gold rewards: As an American Express Gold credit card holder you’ll be able to earn 2 points for every $1 on every eligible gas, grocery and drugstore purchase in Canada. For eligible travel purchases, you’ll get 2x points for every dollar spent and 1 point for every dollar spent on everything else.
- Platinum rewards: All Platinum American Express credit card holders can enjoy 2x points on eligible travel purchases and 2x points on eligible dining purchases, respectively. You will also receive an annual travel credit of $200 every year.
- SimplyCash rewards: SimplyCash Amex credit card holders enjoy the benefit of cashback on every purchase made through their SimplyCash American Express credit card. Depending which SimplyCash card you have, you will earn 1.25% - 2.00% cash back on all purchases you make on your card. Please keep in mind that your cashback rewards will be credited to your account on an annual basis.
American Express membership perks
- Cobalt® perks: Cobalt® perks include American Express Invites, which is a program that allows you to book tickets for unique live events around the world. You can also enjoy a wide array of insurance perks such as flight delay insurance and car rental theft insurance. As a Cobalt® member, you can enjoy the advantage of booking travel tickets through the American Express Fixed Points Travel Program.
- Gold perks: Gold membership credit card holders can enjoy great perks such as hotel room upgrades, pre-sale ticket access and car rental discounts. Travel with less stress, as Gold members can enjoy travel insurance coverage which includes hotel burglary, trip interruption insurance and much more.
- Platinum perks: Platinum members can use the American Express Concierge service 24/7 to secure reservations and make purchases, wherever you are. If you’re under the age of 65, you can take advantage of the American Express Out of Province Medical Coverage. Platinum members are also covered for a wide array of trip insurance perks such as trip cancellation insurance and trip delay insurance.
- SimplyCash perks: SimplyCash Amex members can enjoy $100,000 in travel accident coverage and presale ticket access to amazing live events around the world.
American Express credit card partnerships
American Express has a wide variety of product and services that are offered through their international partners. Here are the services and products offered through American Express and their partners:
Air Miles: American Express offers Air Miles credit cards that allow you to collect Air Miles with every eligible purchase. Collecting Air Miles is a smart option for the frequent traveler. Use your Miles to purchase travel tickets once you’ve collected the required amount. You can also shop at participating Air Miles partners across Canada and show your Air Miles membership card while paying with your Air Miles American Express credit card to earn Air Miles not once, but twice.
Marriott Bonvoy: American Express has partnered with Marriott Bonvoy to give you access to amazing international hotel stays through their rewards program. The Marriot Bonvoy American Express credit card allows you to earn 5 Bonvoy points per $1 spent at Marriott International hotels and 2 points per $1 spent on any other purchases charged to the card. You can also use your credit card rewards points to book a stay at more than 7,000 of the world’s most attractive hotels. For example, Amex points can be converted into Hilton Honors Program account at a 1:1 ratio.
Aeroplan: The American Express and Aeroplan program promises to elevate your travel experience by allowing you to collect travel points and redeem them for flight tickets, discounts, travel upgrades and much more. You can also access airport benefits including access to Pearson Priority Security Lane and complimentary Valet Service on select cards. So get ready to book the best weekend getaways and vacations with your American Express Aeroplan card.
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American Express limitations
Unlike, Visa or Mastercard, American Express credit cards may not be accepted everywhere you shop. Some merchants avoid accepting Amex cards due to the high merchant fees. Be prepared to offer another form of payment at places where your American Express credit card isn’t accepted. Many Amex cardholders keep another credit card for such places.