Best American Express Credit Cards

You know what’s frustrating? Picking the wrong Amex card and realizing six months later you could’ve earned double the rewards. Happens all the time. People get dazzled by welcome bonuses or metal cards and completely ignore how they actually spend money.

Let’s fix that. We’ve ranked the best American Express credit cards available in Canada, and I’m going to tell you exactly who should get each one. No fluff. No corporate speak. Just straight talk about which card makes sense for your wallet.

Why Our Rankings Matter

We didn’t just throw darts at a board here. Every card on this list got tested against real Canadian spending patterns. Annual fees, reward rates, acceptance rates at Canadian merchants, the whole deal. Some cards that kill it in the States? They’re mediocre here. Different market, different game.

Business Platinum Card Tops Our List (8.9/10)

The Business Platinum Card sits at 8.9 out of 10 for one reason. If you run a business with serious expenses, this card pays for itself multiple times over.

Yeah, the annual fee hurts. But here’s what people miss. You’re not paying for a credit card. You’re buying a rewards machine that turns boring business expenses into first-class flights. That vendor payment you make every month? It’s now funding your vacation. Office supplies? Points. Client dinners? More points.

The perks alone can justify the fee if you travel even occasionally for business. Lounge access saves you $50-75 per visit. Priority security lanes save your sanity. The insurance coverage could save you thousands if something goes sideways on a trip. Add it all up before you balk at the price tag.

Who shouldn’t get this card? Anyone spending less than $4,000 monthly on business expenses. Below that threshold, the math stops working. You need volume to make premium cards sing.

Aeroplan Business Reserve Card (8.5/10)

At 8.5 out of 10, the Aeroplan Business Reserve Card is basically saying “I want the Business Platinum’s earning power but focused entirely on flights.”

This card makes sense if Air Canada owns your soul. Fly them exclusively? Book your team on AC metal? This card turns every dollar into Aeroplan points at rates that’ll make your head spin. The accelerated earn rates on specific categories can push you into elite status territory without actually flying that much.

But here’s the catch. Aeroplan points are only valuable if you use them smart. Booking economy flights to Toronto? You’re getting maybe 1.5 cents per point value. Business class to Tokyo? Now we’re talking 5+ cents per point. Same points, wildly different value. Know the game before you play.

SimplyCash Preferred Card Duo (8.3/10 and 8.2/10)

We’ve got two SimplyCash Preferred Cards ranked at 8.3 and 8.2. Why two scores for what looks like the same card? One’s personal, one’s business. Slightly different earning structures, but the same beautiful premise. Cash. Back. Period.

No points charts to study. No transfer partner spreadsheets. No optimal redemption strategies to memorize. You spend $100, you get $2-4 back depending on the category. My grandmother could understand this program, and that’s exactly the point.

Who loves these cards? Business owners who can’t be bothered with points. Seriously. If you’ve ever let points expire because you forgot about them, just get cashback. If researching redemption values sounds like homework, get cashback. There’s zero shame in choosing simplicity when simplicity pays.

The earning rates are competitive enough that you’re not sacrificing much versus complex points programs. Especially in Canada where redemption options are more limited than our southern neighbors get.

SimplyCash Card (7.6/10)

The basic SimplyCash Card at 7.6 out of 10 is the entry drug to the Amex ecosystem. Lower fee, lower rewards, but still that satisfying cashback simplicity.

Think of it this way. Not ready to commit to a big annual fee? Start here. Earn some cashback, see how often Canadian merchants actually take Amex (spoiler: less than you’d hope), then decide if upgrading makes sense. It’s like dating before marriage, except with credit cards.

Students, new grads, or anyone building their credit portfolio should seriously consider starting here. You’ll learn the Amex game without risking much, and the cashback still beats most no-fee cards from other issuers.

Aeroplan Card (7.4/10)

The personal Aeroplan Card scored 7.4, and it’s perfect for one specific person. The occasional Air Canada flyer who doesn’t have business expenses to leverage.

You fly AC maybe 3-4 times a year for personal trips. You’re not a road warrior, but you’re not allergic to airports either. This card slowly accumulates points through everyday spending that eventually become that flight to Vancouver you were going to book anyway.

The welcome bonus often covers a domestic flight right off the bat. After that? It’s a slow burn toward free travel. Not exciting, but effective if you’re patient and actually remember to redeem your points before they do something stupid like expire or devalue.

Marriott Bonvoy Card (7.3/10)

Hotel cards are weird, and the Marriott Bonvoy Card at 7.3 out of 10 proves it. This card makes total sense or no sense at all, depending on who you are.

Stay at Marriotts 50+ nights a year? Get this card immediately. The status boost alone changes your travel experience. Free breakfast, room upgrades, late checkout. These things matter when you’re living in hotels.

Everyone else needs to think harder. Marriott points can be incredibly valuable (5-star resort redemptions) or completely worthless (airport Courtyard redemptions). There’s no middle ground. You either know how to extract maximum value from Bonvoy points, or you’re better off with cashback.

Also, Marriott’s footprint in Canada isn’t what it is in the States. Make sure you actually have Marriott properties where you travel before committing to their ecosystem.

Business Gold Rewards Card (6.8/10)

The Business Gold at 6.8 out of 10 suffers from middle child syndrome. It’s not premium enough to compete with the Platinum, not simple enough to compete with cashback cards.

So who gets this card? Business owners who want flexible points but can’t stomach the Platinum’s fee. You’re giving up serious perks and earning rates, but you’re still in the Membership Rewards ecosystem. Points transfer to airlines and hotels, giving you options when redemption time comes.

It’s the sensible shoe of Amex cards. Not exciting, won’t impress anyone, but gets the job done without breaking the bank. Sometimes that’s exactly what you need.

Green Card (6.4/10)

The Green Card limps in at 6.4 out of 10, and honestly? It’s having an identity crisis.

Amex keeps trying to make this card happen. They’ve refreshed it, added travel benefits, pushed the environmental angle. But it’s stuck in no-man’s land. Not premium enough for serious travelers, not simple enough for cashback lovers, not cheap enough to be a starter card.

Unless you desperately need a lower-fee way into Membership Rewards points, skip it. Every other card on this list has a clearer value proposition. The Green Card is what you settle for, not what you choose.

The Canadian Amex Reality Check

Let me save you some pain. American Express acceptance in Canada sucks compared to the States. Your favorite local spots probably don’t take it. Costco definitely doesn’t. Government services? Forget it.

This means you need a two-card strategy. Amex for everything that accepts it (because rewards are generally better), Visa or Mastercard for everything else. Yes, it’s annoying. Yes, it means tracking two bills. But the reward difference makes it worthwhile.

Pro tip: Call ahead for big purchases. Nothing worse than planning to hit a minimum spend requirement only to find out that furniture store doesn’t take Amex. Learn from my mistakes.

How to Actually Pick Your Card

Stop reading review sites that recommend the same cards to everyone. Here’s how you actually choose.

Pull up your last three months of credit card statements. Categorize every single purchase. Business or personal? Travel or everyday? Dining or groceries? Get granular. This is your real spending pattern, not what you think you spend.

Now do math. Take each card’s earning structure and apply it to your actual spending. Include the annual fee. Include the welcome bonus (but amortize it over 2-3 years since you can’t keep getting it). Which card puts the most money back in your pocket?

That’s your card. Not the shiniest one. Not the one your business partner has. The one that mathematically makes you the most money based on how you actually live your life.

Annual Fees Are Investments, Not Costs

People lose their minds over annual fees. “$699 for a credit card? That’s insane!”

Is it though? If that $699 gets you $2,500 in travel value, you’re up $1,801. Meanwhile, someone with a no-fee card earning 0.5% on the same spending might clear $300. Who’s the sucker in this scenario?

Big annual fees only work if you spend big. But if you do spend big, avoiding annual fees is literally costing you money. It’s like refusing to buy good work boots because they’re expensive, then replacing cheap ones every six months. Sometimes paying more upfront saves money long-term.

The Welcome Bonus Trap

Every Amex card dangles a juicy welcome bonus. “Earn 100,000 points!” Sounds amazing, right?

Here’s the thing. Welcome bonuses are one-time sugar highs. What matters is the earning rate after that bonus. A card with a massive bonus but terrible ongoing earnings is like a relationship that starts with an amazing first date then goes downhill fast.

Factor in the welcome bonus, sure. But divide it by three years (since you can’t keep churning the same Amex cards in Canada) and see if the card still makes sense. If it only works because of the bonus, keep looking.

Playing the Long Game

The best American Express credit card strategy isn’t about one card. It’s about building a system that maximizes rewards across all your spending.

Start with one card that matches your biggest spending category. Master it. Learn the Amex ecosystem. Figure out which Canadian merchants actually accept it. Then consider adding a complementary card to cover other categories.

Business Platinum for big business expenses. SimplyCash for personal everyday spending. Or Aeroplan Reserve for business travel and Marriott Bonvoy for hotel stays. The combinations depend entirely on your spending patterns.

Just remember: more cards mean more annual fees and more complexity. Only add cards when the math clearly works in your favor. Two well-chosen cards beat five random ones every single time.

Choose from our ranked list based on your actual life, not your aspirational one. That Business Platinum might look sexy, but if you don’t have business expenses, it’s just expensive jewelry. That SimplyCash Preferred might seem boring, but if it puts an extra $1,000 in your pocket each year, boring works.

Pick the right card. Use it strategically. Pay it off monthly. And watch your spending actually work for you instead of against you.

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