If you're looking for a new credit card, you may find yourself picking between American Express vs. Visa. Consumers often wonder which is the better choice, considering that these are two of the world's four major payment networks.
Comparing Visa vs. American Express is a bit like comparing fruits to vegetables. There are some similarities, even some overlaps, but in the end, you're talking about a huge array of products and no one winner.
I have some Visa cards that I love. I have some Amex cards that I love. Most people can probably find a card on either network that works well for them. If I absolutely have to pick a winner, Visa gets the edge for access and sheer volume (there are more Visa cards overall than Amex cards). Let's dive into the details.
As of Aug. 06, 2024
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| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card |
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. | Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. |
Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card OnChase'sSecure Website. | Apply Now for Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card OnBank of America'sSecure Website. |
Read Full Review | Read Full Review |
Credit Rating Requirement:Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions. Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850) Poor Fair Good Excellent 300-579 580-669 670-739 740-850 Good/Excellent (670-850) | Credit Rating Requirement:Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions. Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850) Poor Fair Good Excellent 300-579 580-669 670-739 740-850 Good/Excellent (670-850) |
Welcome Offer:Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠. 60,000 bonus points | Welcome Offer:$200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening $200 cash back |
Rewards Program:Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more. 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases | Rewards Program:3% cash back in the category of your choice, 2% at at grocery stores and wholesale clubs for the first $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases, 1% on all other purchases. 1% - 3% cash back |
Intro APR:N/A Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A | Intro APR:0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 19.24% - 29.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers will apply. A 3% fee for 60 days from account opening, then 4% fee applies to all balance transfers. Purchases: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days |
Regular APR: 21.49%-28.49% Variable | Regular APR: 19.24% - 29.24% (Variable) |
Annual Fee:N/A $95 | Annual Fee: $0 |
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Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card OnChase'sSecure Website. | Apply Now for Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card OnBank of America'sSecure Website. |
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Why Visa might be the ideal choice
Amex and Visa are both credit card networks. They process credit card transactions from cards on their networks. However, Amex is also an issuer of its own cards. Visa, on the other hand, doesn't issue cards; it works with a variety of issuers who have cards on its network.
All this is to say that there are more different types of Visa cards than Amex cards, because there are dozens, if not hundreds, of issuers with cards on the Visa network. As such, it's probably easier for most people to find a Visa card that suits their needs than an Amex card.
Additionally, Visa has a broader network. More merchants, globally, accept Visa credit cards than American Express credit cards. Domestically (here in the U.S.), Amex is accepted in most places -- minus Costco -- so you may not notice the difference as much.
When American Express could be the better option
If you're trying to maximize your rewards, chances are good you're going to get an Amex credit card of some type. The Amex card lineup includes some of my absolute favorite rewards credit cards.
Two of the four cards that live in my wallet full time are American Express cards. And those aren't even the only Amex cards in my collection. My favorite travel rewards card? Amex. My favorite everyday rewards card? Amex. My go-to business credit card? Yep, Amex!
Sure, there have been a handful of times over the years that I've had to use another card because the merchant doesn't accept Amex. But those are quite rare, even when I travel.
American Express vs. Visa comparison
Even when broken down by category, you can see it's a close race.
American Express vs. Visa acceptance
More merchants accept Visa than American Express. In fact, Visa is one of the most accepted payment networks in the world. There's not a major difference in American Express vs. Visa acceptance in the United States, but there is internationally.
American Express has traditionally charged higher payment processing fees than other payment networks. To avoid those fees, some merchants opted not to accept American Express cards. However, after efforts to improve in this area, American Express is now accepted by 99% of U.S. merchants that accept credit cards.
In terms of international acceptance, Visa has a sizable lead. It's accepted in over 200 countries, compared to over 170 countries for American Express. When you travel abroad, using an American Express card can be hit or miss, whereas Visa can normally be used anywhere credit cards are accepted.
Winner: Visa
Visa vs. American Express annual fees
This category is a quick tie since both networks have cards all along the cost spectrum. You can find some great no annual fee cards from Visa and Amex -- and I have both.
At the other end, some of the most expensive cards you can find have Visa logos, but several also have Amex logos. Personally, two of the costlier cards in my collection are from American Express. (The annual fees are worth it, though!)
Winner: Tie
American Express vs. Visa welcome offers
Some of the most valuable welcome bonuses I've earned over the years came from my Amex cards. This applies to both points cards and cash back rewards cards.
That being said, there are two reasons I give Visa the edge in this category. The first being volume. The sheer number of Visa credit cards available means you can collect a lot more welcome bonuses before you run out of options.
The second reason is Amex's very strict welcome bonus policy. Essentially, you're limited to one bonus per card per lifetime. While this seems to be more like "per decade" in practice (anecdotally), it's still a fairly harsh rule. The most strict Visa cards I know about let you qualify for a new welcome bonus every 48 months.
Winner: Visa
American Express vs. Visa intro APRs
This is another area where Visa gets the win based on pure numbers. Some of the very best intro APR offers I've seen over the years came from Visa-network credit cards. (Remember, Visa isn't the issuer, just the network.)
That's not to say that you can't get good intro APR offers from Amex cards. Several of Amex's personal and business cards have great intro APR offers. However, even I can admit they're just not as good as some of the best offers on other cards.
Winner: Visa
American Express vs. Visa rewards
If you care at all about maximizing rewards or free travel, you will absolutely want to explore Amex cards that earn Membership Rewards. In my opinion, a good chunk of the top 10 rewards cards overall sport Amex logos.
Indeed, I'd love to give the win to Amex here because of how many awesome rewards cards Amex offers. But, again, the Visa volume means this has to be at least a tie. You can't discount the dozens of solid rewards cards -- including, yes, some of the best -- that operate on the Visa network.
Winner: Tie
American Express vs. Visa customer service
American Express consistently gets high marks for its customer service. In the 2023 U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study by J.D. Power, American Express came in first. It has taken the top spot in 13 out of 17 years that J.D. Power has done this study. If you get a card that's issued by American Express, you can expect high-quality service.
With Visa cards, you won't interact with Visa for customer service issues. You'd contact the credit card company that issued the card. Since Visa partners with so many card issuers, that means customer service is more variable. It will depend on the card issuer, and Visa itself doesn't have control over the service quality.
Winner: American Express
As of Aug. 06, 2024
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| The Platinum Card® from American Express | Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express | American Express® Gold Card |
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. | Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. | Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. |
Apply Now for The Platinum Card® from American Express OnAmerican Express'Secure Website. Terms apply | Apply Now for Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express OnAmerican Express'Secure Website. Terms apply | |
Read Full Review | Read Full Review | Read Full Review |
Credit Rating Requirement:Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions. Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850) Poor Fair Good Excellent 300-579 580-669 670-739 740-850 Good/Excellent (670-850) | Credit Rating Requirement:Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions. Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850) Poor Fair Good Excellent 300-579 580-669 670-739 740-850 Good/Excellent (670-850) | Credit Rating Requirement:Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions. Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850) Poor Fair Good Excellent 300-579 580-669 670-739 740-850 Good/Excellent (670-850) |
Welcome Offer:Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points | Welcome Offer:Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. $250 | Welcome Offer:Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, receive 20% back in statement credits on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $100 back. Limited time offer. Offer ends 11/6/24. 60,000 points + earn up to $100 back |
Rewards Program:Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Earn 1X Membership Rewards® Points on other purchases. Terms and limitations apply. 1X-5X Membership Rewards® Points | Rewards Program:6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%). 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions. 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations. 3% Cash Back on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more). 1% Cash Back on other purchases. Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout. 1%-6% Cash Back | Rewards Program:Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. (on up to $50,000 per calendar year in purchases), and earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X). Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com. 1X-4X Membership Rewards® Points |
Intro APR: Purchases: n/a Balance Transfers: n/a | Intro APR: Purchases: 0%, 12 months Balance Transfers: 0%, 12 months | Intro APR: Purchases: n/a Balance Transfers: n/a |
APR: See Pay Over Time APR | APR: 19.24%-29.99% Variable | APR: See Pay Over Time APR |
Annual Fee: $695 | Annual Fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. | Annual Fee: $325 |
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Apply Now for The Platinum Card® from American Express OnAmerican Express'Secure Website. Terms apply | Apply Now for Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express OnAmerican Express'Secure Website. Terms apply | |
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Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply.Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.Trip delay and cancellation insurance and cell phone protection underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.Extended warranty, purchase protection, car rental insurance, and baggage insurance underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.• Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply.• Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.• Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.• Extended warranty, purchase protection warranty, and car rental loss & damage insurance underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
American Express vs. Visa card selection
You'll have far more card options with Visa vs. American Express. Most of the major card issuers partner with Visa for at least some of their credit cards. It's also the payment network with the greatest market share.
There's not as wide a selection of American Express credit cards. It offers its own cards and a limited selection of cards with other card issuers on the American Express payment network. You'll have plenty of options, just not as many as you would with Visa.
Winner: Visa
Should you get an American Express or Visa card?
You can't go wrong with either an American Express card or a Visa card. Both offer high-quality credit cards. And even though American Express has a reputation for luxury, it's not so simple anymore. You can find every type of card, from cards without an annual fee to luxury cards, with American Express or Visa.
Visa has one important advantage when it comes to international acceptance. In the United States, you don't need to worry much about American Express vs. Visa. If a U.S. merchant accepts credit cards, then it most likely accepts either payment network. In other countries, you could encounter merchants that will take Visa, but not American Express.
If you travel internationally often, a Visa card is good to have. Other than that, both American Express and Visa cards can do the trick.
Choosing a credit card
Don't you wish you could take a peek inside a credit card expert's wallet sometimes? Just to see the cards they carry? Well, you can't look in anybody's wallet, but you can check out our experts' favorite credit cards. Get started here:
Best credit cards
Still have questions?
Here are some other questions we've answered:
- Visa vs. Mastercard
- A Complete Guide to American Express Membership Rewards Points
- How Many Credit Cards Should I Have?
FAQs
Visa is a payment network that processes transactions, whereas American Express is both a payment network and a card issuer. That means Visa doesn't actually issue cards, but American Express does. In addition, more merchants accept Visa cards, especially internationally. Visa is accepted in over 200 countries, compared to American Express which is accepted in over 170.
American Express offers excellent credit cards and highly rated customer service. It's also different from most card issuers because it both issues credit cards and has its own payment network.
American Express is just as good as Visa and Mastercard, but it's not as widely accepted. It's accepted in over 170 countries. Visa is accepted in over 200 and Mastercard in over 210.
