American Express Credit Card Bonuses – February 2019

Take advantage of all the welcome offers and promotions with our complete list of American Express credit cards and third party/co-brand American Express credit cards. American Express (sometimes called Amex) offers a variety of different credit cards and charge cards depending on your spending needs.

As a heads up, American Express credit cards are less commonly accepted in overseas than a Visa or Mastercard. So if you plan on traveling outside the U.S., you may want to carry another card with you just in case. However, the list of places that are taking American Express are slowly growing.

Some American Express cards have ExpressPay. This neat feature uses wireless RFID where you can perform contactless transactions just by holding the credit card near a receiver that accepts ExpressPay. This way, you don’t need to swipe or insert your card into a card reader or enter a PIN. Many merchants in the U.S. and globally offer American Express contactless payment.

For those interested in applying for one of American Express’ business cards, if you ever sell something on eBay or Craigslist, your business is called “sole proprietorship.” You can apply for a business card using your legal name as your business ID and social security number as your tax ID. This is the easiest business entity and completely legal recognized by the IRS.

Find the best credit card offers from American Express below.

Things You Should Know About American Express

American Express is a very prominent issuer in the credit card industry. It’s evident that they have a huge portfolio of credit cards to choose from with tons of bonuses to offer as well. If you’re not familiar with what American Express has to offer, here’s some insight for people, current and new, to American Express!

1. American Express always has bonuses and offers. American Express is very persistent with marketing, especially to individuals without a card with their name. They offer a variety of large sign up bonuses to try to entice new customers to sign up. If you don’t already have an American Express card, chances are you’ve received a targeted promotion of theirs. If you decide to sign up for one, make sure it’s a good one because afterwards, you won’t receive as many offers.
2. You can only get the sign up bonus on American Express personal and business cards once per lifetime. This is American Express’s policy to stop the practice of credit card churning. Therefore, you must do your research before applying for a credit card to make sure you’re getting the best bonus. However, for business credit cards, sometimes you can get a separate bonus for each business with a unique EIN/SSN.
3. American Express has application rules. You’re limited to one approved credit card every 5 days and two approved credit cards every 90 days. Take note that this policy applies to credit cards and not their charge cards.
4. You can have a maximum of five American Express credit cards at one time. This only applies to credit cards issued by American Express. You can still have as many charge cards you want.
5. Business credit cards aren’t reported to personal credit bureaus. This is useful for keeping your credit report cleaner.
6. Check your credit card application status online. Receive instant feedback without having to drearily wait each day for the approval letter to come in.
7. Get expedited shipping on American Express credit cards. If any of your American Express cards are lost or stolen, American Express will ship a new credit card to you with expedited shipping. For new applications of their premium products, they will automatically provide expedited shipping those as well. For lower tier cards, you can call and request expedited shipping, but not all customer service representatives will do it.
8. American Express doesn’t offer match-up on higher welcome bonuses. Unfortunately, if you apply for a card with a welcome offer that gets bumped to a higher bonus later, you won’t receive the higher bonus. However, sometimes you can receive some points as a gesture of goodwill upon request.
9. If you’re an existing cardholder applying for a new American Express card and you get denied, they’ll usually only conduct a soft pull. This is because they’ll usually check the credit report they already have on file for you.
10. Always call for reconsideration if you’re declined an American Express card. American Express will often approve you after they ask some basic questions. Make sure you have a valid reason for wanting the card, for example, a unique feature that the card offers. In addition, know your credit score and report, as different cards require different scores.
11. American Express sometimes gives out new credit card numbers instantly at the time of approval. This is usually so that you can use it for online purchases. But, YMMV — sometimes you’ll get it, sometimes you won’t.
12. American Express refunds the annual fee on your card as long as you cancel within one statement period after it posts. They do refund based on the distributed basis after one statement credit is over.
13. American Express offers retention bonuses every now and then. If you’ve been holding onto an AmEx card with an annual fee for a while, it’s a great option to call a representative every 90 days for 5,000 points or spending bonuses every now and then.
14. If you’re promised an instant credit limit and you’re not given it, sometimes you can get a bonus. However, it varies. It’s definitely worth asking a representative.
15. Increase your credit limit by up to three times it’s starting limit. American Express is typically one of the most generous when it comes to credit limits. Requesting a credit limit will usually be approved. American Express make a lot of money from interchange fees, and this is a great way to get cardholders to spend a little on their services. However, this usually results in a hard credit pull.
16. Distribute your credit limits with American Express online. There might be a chance that American Express will disapprove of your credit limit increase when you want to put more spending on a card. You can distribute the credit limit from another credit card and add it to the card you want a higher limit with. This incurs a soft pull and won’t hurt your credit.
17. View personalized credit card offers online. American Express allows you to view all your targeted personal and business card offers online. You can also use the CardMatch Tool to find the best offers online, but they aren’t always partnered with American Express. Though, when they are, they’ll generally show the same offers.
18. Hard inquiries will be combined for multiple American Express card applications. All of your applications must be approved on the same day. However, you can only apply for one credit card per day. To do this tactic, apply for one credit card a day and add in multiple charge cards. You can mix applications for both business and personal cards.
19. Consider downgrading if you have an American Express card with a high annual fee. Some American Express cards offer a waivable annual fee for the first year, then a hefty annual fee afterwards. Most aren’t worth keeping after you’ve received the welcome bonus after the first year. You can downgrade these cards to one with no annual fee. This will allow you to keep your points, rather than having to redeem/transfer them immediately.
20. Call American Express every 90 days to ask for retention offers on your account. A credit card retention offer is simply something the issuer will do or give to keep you as their happy customer. Though the terms and conditions were given in the original agreement, the issuer may adjust or add to it to please you. Many people only call for a retention offer when their annual fee is due. However, it’s worth calling every 90 days. You’ll be surprised how often they’ll give you some bonus points just for being a cardholder or offer you a spending bonus.
21.  Amex Offers can make you some serious cash. American Express releases spending offers pretty frequently. Just log into your account at amexoffers.com, add your desired offers to your card, then use your card to pay and see the savings or points on your statement. Check often, because new offers will come up.
22. Participate in Small Business Saturday each year. Small Business Saturday is essentially a way for American Express to increase the amount of small companies that accept American Express cards. Each year, American Express offers a bonus to cardholders. One year, you could receive $10 in statement credits when you spent $10+ at any Small Business Saturday participating merchant. Lots of people were able to make small $10 purchases and get some goodies for free or almost free.
23. Change your mind about closing an American Express card? Get your account reinstated without a hard pull. Though, you must make a request within 30 days.
24. Get a bonus for adding an authorized user. These offers are generally targeted. So, if you’re thinking about adding an authorized user to your card, it’s worth waiting for one to pop up.
25. Adjust your auto-pay and only pay what’s due. It’s useful for those who usually pay of your card mid-cycle.

Best American Express Credit Card Bonuses

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With the Hilton Honors Ascend Card from American Express: -Earn 125,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points with the Hilton Honors American Express Card after you use your new Card to make $2,000 in eligible purchase within the first 3 months of Card Membership. -Earn a Weekend Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 on purchases on your Card in a calendar year. -Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton Portfolio. -Earn 6X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations. -Earn 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card. -Spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn Hilton Honors Diamond status through the end of the next calendar year. -$95 annual fee. -Terms Apply. -See Rates & Fees

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With the Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express: -Earn 30,000 Bonus Miles after spending $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months and a $50 statement credit after you make a Delta purchase with your new Card within your first 3 months. -Earn 2 miles on every dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta. Earn 1 mile for every eligible dollar spent on purchases. -Check your first bag free on Delta flights - that's a savings of up to $200 per round trip for a family of four. -Want even more flexibility? Pay with Miles is a Card Member feature that gives you the option to redeem miles for all or part of the price of your tickets on Delta.com. -Settle into your seat sooner with Priority Boarding. -Enjoy a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95. -Terms Apply. -See Rates & Fees

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With the American Express Cash MagnetTM Card: -Earn a $150 statement credit after you spend $1,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. -Unlimited 1.5% Cash Back on your purchases. -Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be easily redeemed for statement credits, gift cards, and merchandise. -Low intro APR: 0% for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable rate, currently 15.24% to 26.24%. -$0 plan fees for plans set up during your first 15 months of Card Membership with Plan It®, a feature that lets you split up big purchases into monthly payments with a fixed fee. -Over 1.5 million more places in the U.S. started accepting American Express® Cards in 2017. -No Annual Fee. -Terms Apply. -See Rates & Fees

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With the SimplyCash® Plus Business Credit Card from American Express: -Special offer: save on interest with a 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months; after that your APR will be a variable rate, currently 14.49% - 21.49% -No annual fee -Reinvest in your business with automatic cash back in the form of a monthly statement credit. Plus take control by choosing the 3% category that best fits your business -Earn 5% cash back on the first $50,000 spent at wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and U.S. office supply stores. -Earn 3% cash back on the first $50,000 spent in the category of your choice from a list of eight and 1% cash back on other purchases -With Expanded Buying Power you can spend beyond your credit limit* to make bigger purchases for your business plus earn cash back on those purchases too -*The amount you can spend above your credit limit is not unlimited. It adjusts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to us, and other factors -Terms apply -See Rates & Fees

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With the Blue Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express: -Earn 10,000 bonus miles after spending $500 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Card Membership. -No Annual Fee. -Earn 2 miles per dollar at US restaurants. -Earn 2 Miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta. Earn 1 mile on every eligible dollar spent on other purchases. -Receive a 20% savings in the form of a statement credit after you use your Card on eligible Delta in-flight purchases of food, beverages, and audio headsets. -Terms Apply.

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With the The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express: -Earn 10,000 Membership Rewards® points after you use your new Card to make $1,000 in purchases in your first 3 months. -Low intro APR: 0% for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable rate, currently 14.99% to 25.99%. -$0 balance transfer fee. Balance transfers must be requested within 60 days from account opening. -2x points at US supermarkets, on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1x); 1x points on other purchases. -Use your Card 20 or more times on purchases in a billing period and earn 20% more points on those purchases less returns and credits. -Over 1.5 million more places in the U.S. started accepting American Express® Cards in 2017. -No annual fee. -Terms Apply. -See Rates & Fees

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With the American Express® Gold Card: -Earn 35,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $2,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 3 months. -Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. restaurants. Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X). -Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com. -Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with The Gold Card at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Shake Shack, and Ruth's Chris Steak House. This is an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required. -$100 Airline Fee Credit: up to $100 in statement credits per calendar year for incidental fees at one selected qualifying airline. -Choose to carry a balance with interest on eligible charges of $100 or more. -No Foreign Transaction Fees. -Annual Fee is $250. -Terms apply. -See Rates & Fees

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With the The Platinum Card® from American Express: -Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases in your first 3 months. -Enjoy Uber VIP status and free rides in the U.S. up to $15 each month, plus a bonus $20 in December. That can be up to $200 in annual Uber savings. -5X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel. -5X Membership Rewards points on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com. -Enjoy access to the Global Lounge Collection, the only credit card airport lounge access program that includes proprietary lounge locations around the world. -Receive complimentary benefits with an average total value of $550 with Fine Hotels & Resorts. Learn More. -$200 Airline Fee Credit, up to $200 per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one qualifying airline. -Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue on your Platinum Card®. Enrollment required. -$550 annual fee. -Terms Apply. -See Rates & Fees

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With the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express: -$200 statement credit after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 3 months. -6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%) - that means spending $60 a week at U.S. supermarkets could earn over $180 back per year. -3% cash back at U.S. gas stations. 1% cash back on other purchases. -Over 1.5 million more places in the U.S. started accepting American Express® Cards in 2017. -Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be easily redeemed for statement credits, gift cards, and merchandise. -95 annual fee. -Terms Apply. -See Rates & Fees

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With the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express: -$150 statement credit after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 3 months. -3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%). -2% cash back at U.S. gas stations and at select U.S. department stores, 1% back on other purchases. -Low intro APR: 0% for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable rate, currently 15.24% to 26.24%. -Over 1.5 million more places in the U.S. started accepting American Express® Cards in 2017. -Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be easily redeemed for statement credits, gift cards, and merchandise. -No annual fee. -Terms Apply. -See Rates & Fees

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With the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card: -Welcome Offer: Earn 125,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points with the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases in the first 3 months of Card Membership. -Earn Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your Card: 12X at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio, 6X on Select Business & Travel Purchases, 3X Everywhere Else. Terms & Limitations Apply. -Enjoy complimentary Gold status with your Hilton Honors Business Card. -Earn a Weekend Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. -Earn another Weekend Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend an additional $45,000 in purchases on your Card in the same calendar year. -Relax with 10 free airport lounge visits each year once enrolled in complimentary Priority PassTM Select membership, which offers access to over 1,000 lounges in over 120 countries. -Terms apply. -See Rates & Fees

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Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card from American Express: -Earn 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and 35,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. -Plus, earn a $100 statement credit after you make a Delta purchase with your new Card within your first 3 months. -Check your first bag for free and save up to $50 on a round trip Delta flight. -Find room for your carry-on and settle into your seat sooner with Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding. -Enjoy 20% savings on eligible in-flight purchases in the form of a statement credit with the American Express Delta Card. -Earn 2 Miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta. Earn 1 mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases. Miles don’t expire. -Terms and limitations apply -See Rates & Fees

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Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express: -Earn 75,000 bonus points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. -Earn 6 points for each dollar of eligible purchases at over 6,700 participating SPG® and Marriott Rewards® hotels across 29 brands. -Earn 4 points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers, and on U.S. purchases for shipping. Earn 2 points for all other eligible purchases. -Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card account anniversary (redemption level at or under 35,000 points) at a participating hotel. Select hotels have resort fees. -Enjoy complimentary Silver Elite status with your Card. -Plus, earn Gold Elite status after spending $30,000 or more in eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Note: effective January 1, 2019, the spend threshold will increase to $35,000. -No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases and $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95. -Terms Apply -See Rates & Fees

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With the SimplyCash® Plus Business Credit Card from American Express: -Special offer: save on interest with a 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months; after that your APR will be a variable rate, currently 14.49% - 21.49% -No annual fee -Reinvest in your business with automatic cash back in the form of a monthly statement credit. Plus take control by choosing the 3% category that best fits your business -Earn 5% cash back on the first $50,000 spent at wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and U.S. office supply stores. -Earn 3% cash back on the first $50,000 spent in the category of your choice from a list of eight and 1% cash back on other purchases -With Expanded Buying Power you can spend beyond your credit limit* to make bigger purchases for your business plus earn cash back on those purchases too -*The amount you can spend above your credit limit is not unlimited. It adjusts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to us, and other factors -Terms apply -See Rates & Fees

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With the American Express® Business Gold Card: -More Rewards: Get 4X Membership Rewards® points on the 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month † -†4X points apply to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year.* -Airline Bonus: Get 25% points back after you use points for all or part of an eligible flight booked with Amex Travel, up to 250,000 points back per calendar year.* -Exclusive Offers: Get up to 1 year free on subscriptions to both G Suite Basic for up to 3 users and ZipRecruiter Standard, a combined value up to $3,188.* -Pay Over Time Option: A flexible payment option to help manage cash flow on purchases of $100 or more.* -Expense Management Tools: Connect to Quickbooks, access SpendManagerSM, receive a Year-End Summary, and more.* -Add Employee Cards with a no annual fee option. Earn rewards on employee purchases and track employee expenses with spending limits, alerts, and summary reports.* *Terms Apply -See Rates & Fees

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With the The Business Platinum® Card from American Express OPEN: -Welcome Offer: Earn up to 75,000 Membership Rewards® points. -Earn 50,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 and an extra 25,000 points after you spend an additional $10,000 all on qualifying purchases within your first 3 months of Card Membership. -Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com. -Get 50% more Membership Rewards® points. That's 1.5 points per dollar, on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more. You can get up to 1 million additional points per year. -35% Airline Bonus: Use Membership Rewards® Pay with Points for all or part of a flight with your selected qualifying airline, and you can get 35% of the points back, up to 500,000 bonus points per calendar year. -Enroll to get up to $200 in statement credits annually by getting up to $100 semi-annually for U.S. purchases with Dell. Terms apply. -Get one year of Platinum Global Access from WeWork. With this membership, you can access 300+ premium, inspiring workspaces in 75+ cities. To get this exclusive offer, enroll between 2/15/2019 and 12/31/2019. -Terms Apply -See Rates & Fees

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Gold Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card from American Express: -Make business travel more rewarding. Earn 30,000 bonus miles after you make $1,000 in purchases on your new Card within your first 3 months. -Additionally, earn a $50 statement credit after you make a Delta purchase with your new Card within your first 3 months. -Earn 2 Miles per dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta. Earn 1 mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases. -Find room for your carry-on and settle into your seat sooner with Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding. -Pay no foreign transaction fees when you spend overseas. -$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95. -Terms and limitations apply -See Rates & Fees

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With the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express: -Earn 75,000 Bonus Points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. -Earn 6 points for each dollar of eligible purchases at participating SPG® and Marriott Rewards® hotels and 2 points on all other eligible purchases. -No Foreign Transaction Fees on International purchases. -Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card account anniversary. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 points) at a participating hotel. Select hotels have resort fees. -Enjoy complimentary, unlimited Boingo Wi-Fi on up to four devices at more than 1,000,000 Boingo hotspots worldwide. Enrollment required. -$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95. -Terms Apply. -See Rates & Fees

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With the The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card from American Express: -Get rewarded for business as usual. Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. -2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter. -Enjoy the flexibility to put more purchases on the Card and earn rewards when you buy above your credit limit*. -You’ve got the power to use your Card beyond its credit limit* with Expanded Buying Power. -More buying power for your business means more opportunities to earn points. That’s everyday business with the Blue Business Plus Card. -*The amount you can spend above your credit limit is not unlimited. It adjusts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to us, and other factors. -0.0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then a variable rate, 13.49%, 17.49% or 21.49%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors as determined at the time of account opening. -Terms Apply -See Rates & Fees

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With the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express OPEN: -Earn 5,000 Membership Rewards® points after your first purchase on the Card -Earn double Membership Rewards® points for each dollar of eligible purchases made when you book on the American Express Travel website -Earn one Membership Rewards® point for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases -Choose rewards from over 500 leading brands in travel, gift cards, merchandise or entertainment -$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95 -Terms & Limitations Apply -See Rates & Fees

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With the The Plum Card® from American Express OPEN: -Paying early pays off: Get a 1.5% discount when you pay early, with no cap on what you can earn back. -Take up to 60 days to pay with no interest, if you pay your minimum due. -Use the power of the Plum Card to buy big for your business. -Unlock new opportunities with a spending limit that can grow with your business. -Additional Employee Cards at no annual fee — and an early pay discount on employee spending. -No Foreign Transaction Fees. -Introductory annual fee of $0 for the first year, then $250 -Terms & Restrictions Apply.

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With the American Express Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card: -Earn 40,000 bonus miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $3,000 in purchases with your new Card in your first 3 months. -Earn 15,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and 15,000 bonus miles after you reach $30,000 in eligible purchases on your Card in the calendar year. -Earn 2 miles per dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta. Earn 1 mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases. -Find room for your carry-on and settle into your seat sooner with Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding. -Pay no foreign transaction fees when you spend overseas. -Enter Delta Sky Club® at no cost and bring up to two guests for an exclusive rate of $29 per person per visit. -Terms and limitations apply -See Rates & Fees

Other American Express Credit Card Bonuses

Consider applying for a third party/co-brand Amex card that runs on the American Express payment network. You can enroll in all American Express promotions with these cards.

Other American Express Business Credit Card Bonuses

More Credit Card Bonuses

Didn’t find any American Express credit card bonuses you liked from this list? See our list of the best credit card promotions and their respective reviews to find the best one that suits your needs, here on BankCheckingSavings. In addition, if you’re interested in opening a new checking and/or savings account, you can find a collection of our best bank bonuses with some of our helpful guides listed on there if you need any additional information!