Best American Express credit cards in Canada
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Updated: November 10, 2023
We adhere to strict standards of editorial integrity to help you make decisions with confidence. Please be aware that some (or all) products and services linked in this article are from our sponsors.
We adhere to strict standards of editorial integrity to help you make decisions with confidence. Please be aware this post may contain links to products from our partners. We may receive a commission for products or services you sign up for through partner links.
American Express has made its products accessible to a wider range of consumers: minimum income requirements have been reduced, and Amex now offers low-fee and low-interest cards in addition to the lux cashback and rewards cards that it has historically been known for.
The higher interchange fees that Amex charges have historically resulted in Amex cards being declined by some merchants, but they are now more widely accepted in Canada than you might expect. Nonetheless we recommend that Canadians supplement one of the below cards with a card from Visa or Mastercard to ensure that all their bases are covered.
Best American Express Credit Card by category
Best cash back Amex
SimplyCash® Preferred Card from American Express
Few credit card benefits are as simple and transparent as cash back, and Amex has a contender for the top cash back card in Canada with its SimplyCash® Preferred Card from American Express. New cardholders will appreciate the Welcome Offer. In your first 10 months as a new SimplyCash® Preferred Card from American Express card member, you can earn a $40 statement credit for each monthly billing period in which you spend $750 in purchases on your Card. This could add up to $400 in statement credits in the first 10 months. Conditions apply. As a secondary bonus, each approved friend that you refer to Amex grants you another $100 in direct cash back, up to a maximum of $1,500 cash back annually.
Earn 4% cash back on eligible gas station purchases in Canada, 4% cash back on eligible grocery store purchases in Canada (up to $1,200 cash back annually) and 2% cash back on all other purchases. The card’s annual fee is worthwhile looking at these earn rates. Moreover, it wouldn’t be an Amex without a suite of great travel protections like emergency medical and travel accident insurance, or the inclusion access to events and special offers curated for card members with American Express® Experiences.
Main features:
- Annual fee: $9.99/month (equals a total fee of $119.88 annually)
- Welcome bonus: In your first 10 months as a new SimplyCash® Preferred Card from American Express card member, you can earn a $40 statement credit for each monthly billing period in which you spend $750 in purchases on your card. This could add up to $400 in statement credits in the first 10 months. Conditions apply.
- Earn rate: Earn 4% cash back on eligible gas station purchases in Canada, 4% cash back on eligible grocery store purchases in Canada (up to $1,200 cash back annually) and 2% cash back on all other purchases.
- Special feature: $100 bonus per referred friend, up to $1500 annually
You can learn more about the card by reading our complete SimplyCash® Preferred Card from American Express Review.
Best travel rewards Amex
Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card
American Express is generally one of the best credit card processors for travellers, and the most globetrotter-friendly card they offer might be the Scotiabank Gold American Express® card. It helps cardholders earn points quickly on their most common expenses, and then enjoy them on future adventures. You’ll receive 6X Scene+ points for every $1 CAD spend at eligible grocers like Sobey, Safeway, and more eligible grocers¹, 5X for every $1 CAD spent on other eligible groceries, dining and entertainment; 3X Scene+ points for every $1 CAD you spend at eligible gas stations, on daily transit, and on streaming services; then 1 point per $1 on everything else. The points can be spent with superior flexibility.
Earn up to $650* in value in the first 12 months, including up to 40,000 bonus Scene+ points¹. Earn 20,000 bonus Scene+ points by making at least $1,000 in everyday eligible purchases in your first 3 months. Plus, for a limited time, you are eligible to earn a 20,000 Scene+ point bonus when you spend at least $7,500 in everyday eligible purchases in your first year.
There are few other Canadian credit cards that offer the same level of travel benefits for this price point—$120 per year—as the card includes access to airport lounges worldwide, and a solid travel insurance package. If you don’t want to bend to the stricter limitations on point redemption and travel choices that define other cards, you should give the Scotiabank Gold American Express® card a close look.
Main features:
- Annual fee: $120
- Sign-up bonus: Earn up to $650* in value in the first 12 months, including up to 40,000 bonus Scene+ points¹.
- Enhanced earn rates: Earn 6X Scene+™ points on every $1 CAD you spend in Canada at Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo, Foodland, and more eligible grocers.¹ Earn 5X the Scene+™ points for every $1 CAD spent on other eligible grocery stores, restaurants, fast food, and drinking establishments (including food delivery and food subscription services), as well as on eligible entertainment purchases (movies, theatre, and ticket agencies). Plus, you’ll get 3X the Scene+™ points for every $1 CAD spent on eligible gas, daily transit, and eligible select streaming purchases, and 1X point per $1 spent on every other purchase.
- Regular earn rate: 1X point per $1 spent on every other purchase.
- Special feature: No foreign transaction fees.
You can learn more about the card by reading our complete Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card Review.
¹Conditions Apply. Visit here for the Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card to learn more.
Best no annual fee Rewards Amex
Scotiabank American Express® Card
Though Amex offers amazing rewards and cash back levels via a variety of cards, the most lucrative typically come with annual fees of around $100 or more. Our best no annual fee card for Amex is the Scotiabank American Express® card. Although it’s a no annual fee card, it nonetheless offers an introductory bonus of up to 7,000 bonus Scene+ points within your first year (that’s up to $70 towards travel).¹ Earn 5,000 bonus Scene+ points by making at least $750 in everyday eligible purchases in your first three months. Plus, for a limited time, you are eligible to earn a 2,000 Scene+ point bonus when you spend at least $5,000 in everyday eligible purchases in your first year.
Cardholders can accrue points via their natural spending inclinations and use them later to save on trips.
- Earn 3X Scene+ points for each dollar charged to your account on all eligible purchases¹ at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland, FreshCo, Voilà by Sobeys, Voilà by IGA, Voilà by Safeway, Chalo! FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, IGA West, Les Marchés Tradition, Rachelle Béry and Co-O.
- Earn 2X Scene+ points for every $1 CAD spent on eligible grocery stores, restaurants, fast food, and drinking establishments. Includes popular food delivery and food subscriptions.
- Earn 2X Scene+ points for every $1 CAD spent on eligible entertainment, including movies, theatres and ticket agencies.
- Earn 2X Scene+ points for every $1 CAD spent on eligible gas and daily transit. Includes rideshare, buses, taxis, subway, and more.
- Earn 2X Scene+ points for every $1 CAD spent on eligible select streaming services.
- Earn 1X Scene+ point for every $1 spent on every other purchase.
Like other Amex travel cards, points are redeemable via retroactive statement credits—just make a purchase with the card and pay for it with points later. You can also spend them on merchandise and other special offers.
Main features:
- Annual fee: $0
- Sign-up bonus: Earn up to 7,000 bonus Scene+ points within your first year (that’s up to $70 towards travel).¹
- Base earn rate: 1X Scene+ point per $1 spent on eligible purchases with accelerated earn rate on select eligible purchases¹
- Special feature: New mobile device insurance
You can learn more about the card by reading our complete Scotiabank American Express® card review.
¹ Conditions apply. Visit here for the Scotiabank American Express® Card to learn more.
Best no annual fee cash back Amex
SimplyCash® Card from American Express
The card earns rates of: Earn 2% cash back on eligible gas purchases in Canada, 2% cash back on eligible grocery purchases in Canada (up to $300 cash back annually), and 1.25% cash back on all other eligible purchases. Referring a friend earns the cardholder $50 per approval, up to a maximum of $750 annually.
In your first 10 months as a new SimplyCash® Card from American Express Cardmember, you can earn a $10 statement credit for each monthly billing period in which you spend $300 in purchases on your Card. This could add up to $100 in statement credits in the first 10 months. Conditions apply.
There is an impressive variety of additional perks that make the SimplyCash® Card from American Express more valuable, like the inclusion of automatic coverage for rental cars, travel accidents, new purchases and more. As a part of the American Express family, the card also includes access events and special offers curated for card members with American Express® Experiences. In other words, it lends a helping hand to those who are struggling financially, but will also grant them access to perks normally enjoyed by higher-tier cards—and all without an annual fee.
Main features:
- Annual fee: $0
- Welcome bonus: In your first 10 months as a new SimplyCash® Card from American Express card member, you can earn a $10 statement credit for each monthly billing period in which you spend $300 in purchases on your Card. This could add up to $100 in statement credits in the first 10 months. Conditions apply.
- Earn rates: Earn 2% cash back on eligible gas purchases in Canada, 2% cash back on eligible grocery purchases in Canada (up to $300 cash back annually), and 1.25% cash back on all other eligible purchases.
You can learn more about the card by reading our complete SimplyCash® Card from American Express review.
Best lifestyle rewards Amex
American Express Cobalt® Card
Love great food? Don’t dine out without the Amex Cobalt® Card. The American Express Cobalt® Card accrues a massive 5 points per $1 spent on eligible food and drinks in Canada, including grocery stores and food delivery services (spend cap applies); 3 points per $1 spent on eligible streaming services; 2 points per $1 spent on ride shares, transit and gas in Canada; and 1 point per $1 on everything else. Each point is worth about $0.01, and they’re redeemable for travel, gift cards, Amazon, and for general statement credits.
Cardholders can also take advantage of a very lucrative introductory deal, which runs for the first year of card membership and pays out consecutive bonuses for reaching spending goals. In your first year as a new Cobalt® Card member, you can earn 1,250 Membership Rewards® points for each monthly billing period in which you spend $750 in 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. Conditions apply.
The card costs a relatively low $155.88 ($12.99 monthly fee) annual fee, which can be more than covered in rewards points by those high-octane urbanites that dine out regularly.
Main features:
- Annual fee: $155.88 ($12.99 monthly fee)
- Welcome bonus: Earn up to 15,000 membership Rewards® points in the first year (terms and conditions apply).
- Enhanced earn rates: 5 points per $1 spent at eligible restaurants, coffee shops and bars, stand-alone grocery stores, and food delivery services in Canada (spend cap applies); 3 points per $1 spent on eligible streaming services; 2 points per $1 spent on eligible ride shares, transit and gas in Canada.
- Regular earn rate: 1 point per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Special feature: 5,000 bonus points for referring friends to the card, up to a maximum annual referral bonus of 75,000 points
You can learn more about the card by reading our complete American Express Cobalt® Card review.
Best premium American Express Card
The Platinum Card®
The Platinum Card® is primarily intended for those who travel and spend enough to justify its $799 annual fee, which is obviously quite pricey, but worthwhile considering what the card gives back in return.
Earn up to 100,000 Membership Rewards® points – that’s $1,000 towards a weekend away. New Platinum® Card members, earn 70,000 Welcome Bonus points after you charge $10,000 in net purchases to your Card in your first 3 months of card membership. Conditions apply.
Sign-up bonus aside, many other elite travel features and upper echelon benefits are included with The Platinum Card®. Cardholders will have access to a $200 CAD Annual Travel Credit to use on one-time travel or hotel bookings through American Express Travel, plus complimentary entry into hundreds of airport lounges around the world. Take full advantage of The American Express Global Lounge CollectionTM which unlocks access to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide. This includes The Centurion® Lounge network, Plaza Premium Lounges and hundreds of other domestic and international lounges designed to enhance your travel experience.
Amex’s standard earn rate for earning Membership Rewards® points applies to all spending at 1 point per $1 spent, accelerated to 2 points per $1 spent on eligible travel, and 3 points per $1 spent on eligible dining and food delivery in Canada. Points are redeemable on travel, hotels, merchandise and statement credits.
Main features:
- Annual fee: $799
- Welcome bonus: Earn up to 100,000 Membership Rewards® points – that’s $1,000 towards a weekend away. Conditions apply.
- New Platinum® Cardmembers, earn: 70,000 Welcome Bonus points after you charge $10,000 in net purchases to your Card in your first 3 months of Cardmembership
- Plus, earn: 30,000 points when you make a purchase between 14 and 17 months of Cardmembership
- Earn rates: Earn 2 points for every $1 in Card purchases on eligible dining and food delivery in Canada, 2 points for every $1 in Card purchases on eligible travel, and 1 point for every $1 in all other Card purchases
- Special feature: Access a $200 Annual Travel Credit through American Express Travel Online or Platinum® Card Travel Service; Enjoy a $200 Annual Dining Credit at some of Canada’s best restaurants; Unlock $200 or more in additional value with Member extras. You can earn statement credits for qualifying purchases with participating brands
You can learn more about the card by reading our complete The Platinum Card® review.
Best business Amex
American Express® Business EdgeTM Card
Business owners commonly rack up expenses in gas and transit, office supplies, and of course food and drink (for themselves and employees). The American Express® Business EdgeTM Card is a great way to earn back on these purchases, earning Membership Rewards® points at a steady 3X the points per $1 rate in the categories above after the Welcome Offer ends, and 1X point per $1 elsewhere. Caps and other conditions may apply. These accumulated points can then be converted into statement credits and to book flights, hotels and car rentals. You can redeem points for flight purchases on AirCanada.com and even transfer to frequent flier and hotel programs, including one-to-one to Aeroplan®* and Avios.
Other great features of the card are its bonuses: a one-time, 45,000-point signup bonus for spending $5,000 in your first three months; plus, earn 10x the points for every $1 spent on eligible business essentials including office supplies and electronics, rides and gas, eats and drinks within 6 months of card membership, up to a maximum of 10,000 points; and another ongoing bonus of 1,000 points for each month in which your spending reaches at least $3,000. These add up to a potential 67,000 bonus points in your first year and then 12,000 bonus points each year after that. That’s $670 in statement credits in your first year that you can reinvest into your business. Terms and conditions apply. The card’s annual fee is a reasonable $99, made more worthwhile by the inclusion of other features, like Car Rental Theft & Damage Insurance, Employee Card Misuse Protection, the Purchase Protection® Plan, and Buyer’s Assurance® Protection Plan. The Buyer’s Assurance® Protection Plan can automatically extend the manufacturer’s original warranty up to one additional year when you fully charge eligible items to your American Express® Business EdgeTM Card.
Main features:
- Annual fee: $99
- Welcome bonus: Up to 67,000 Membership Rewards® points in the first year – that’s $670 in statement credits you can reinvest into your business. Terms and conditions apply.
- Enhanced earn rate: Earn 3x the points for card purchases on eligible business essentials including office supplies and electronics, rides and gas, eats and drinks when your welcome offer ends. Caps and other conditions may apply.
- Regular earn rate: Earn 1x the points on all other purchases charged to the card.
- Special feature: Supplementary cards have no annual fee.
You can learn more about the card by reading our complete American Express® Business EdgeTM Card review.
American Express card levels: Comparison chart
| Highlights | SimplyCash® Card from American Express (Entry Level) | American Express Cobalt® Card (Mid-Tier) | The Platinum Card® (Premium) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 | $155.88 ($12.99 monthly fee) | $799 |
| Highest standard earn rate | Earn accelerated earn rates on eligible gas and grocery purchases | 5 pts / $1 | 3 pts / $1 |
| Travel insurance | Minimal | Good | Excellent |
| Additional benefits | Minimal | Amex Invites; transfer points to other programs | $200 travel credit; hotel status upgrades; unlimited lounge access; Amex Invites; transfer points to other programs |
What is the highest level American Express card?
American Express card levels explained
Unlike Visa and Mastercard, American Express doesn’t have a formal tiered system (with exceptions). However, if you are looking for ways to better categorize American Express cards, you can take our approach.
We’ve divided the cards into four different levels based on annual fees and requirements. As a general rule, normally the higher the level of card, the better the benefits and perks (as you will see in our comparison later).
Entry-Level American Express Cards
- Annual fee: $0
- Credit score requirement: Fair/Good 670-739
Mid-Tier American Express Cards
- Annual fee: $0 to $250
- Credit score requirement: Fair/Good 670-739
Premium American Express Cards
- Annual fee: $250 to $699
- Credit score requirement: Excellent 740-900
The American Express Centurion Card
The Amex Centurion (or Amex Black) is the highest level American Express card, but it has a very elite, invite-only membership and Amex does not officially publish its information.
The highest level American Express card is the Centurion card, which is also known as the ‘black card.’ However, it’s available only by invitation from American Express, meaning you can’t just apply for it as you would the other cards mentioned in this article.
So, how do you get invited? It seems many invitees are chosen from existing American Express cardholders, particularly Platinum cardholders. Cardholders generally need to charge a very high amount to their cards (perhaps above $100K) to be invited.
Those invited to become Centurion cardholders will need to pay a very significant annual fee (estimated at $2,500) in addition to a one-time initiation fee of around $7,500.
But reports of the card’s benefits indicate that those sky-high fees might be worth it. Centurion cardholders have access to a personal travel concierge; flight upgrades; companion tickets; free hotel nights; highest-level airport lounge access; and are exempt from foreign transaction fees, among numerous other rumoured benefits.
Bottom line on American Express Card levels
When choosing an American Express card, it is important to consider your individual needs and financial standing. Some important factors to consider include your annual income, any annual fees or other costs associated with the card, and your credit score health. There are a variety of cards available with varying levels of benefits and features, so it is important to carefully evaluate each option before deciding which card is right for you.
With some careful consideration and research, you can find the best Amex card that will help you achieve your financial goals while providing you with all the benefits and perks that come along with being an Amex customer.
Didn’t find your Amex here?
If you’re looking for an excellent American Express card for your wallet, but didn’t find it in the list above, post a comment below or email us with your criteria and we’d be happy to make some personalized suggestions. Thanks!
Recommended read: American Express Cobalt® vs Scotiabank Gold American Express
American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information, click the Apply Now link. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, (I/we) may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment.
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