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List Of Best American Express Credit Cards in India
American Express doesn’t issue many credit cards like HDFC Bank or SBI Card, but all the cards issued by AmEx offer great privileges over different categories. You can find the best AmEx Credit Cards, their detailed features & benefits, and other information below in this article:
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Joining Fee
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Best Suited For
Shopping
Reward Type
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Welcome Benefits
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Joining Fee
Renewal Fee
Best Suited For
Shopping
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
Fees
Joining Fee
Renewal Fee
Best Suited For
Travel
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
Fees
Joining Fee
Renewal Fee
Best Suited For
Travel
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
Fees
Joining Fee
Renewal Fee
Best Suited For
Travel
Reward Type
Reward Points
Welcome Benefits
Fees
Joining Fee
Renewal Fee
Best Suited For
Travel
Reward Type
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Welcome Benefits
AmEx Credit Cards Features and Benefits
AmEx offers different credit cards with several exclusive features and benefits over different categories, including reward programs, travel, movie & dining benefits, and many more. You can compare AmEx Cards on the basis of all the benefits offered by them and choose the one that suits your requirements. Following are the types of benefits that you can enjoy if you have an AmEx Credit Card:
- Welcome Benefits: You get the welcome benefits when you join the card membership, i.e., when you get a credit card and pay the joining fee. The welcome benefit can be given to you in the form of bonus membership rewards, accelerated cash back, or gift vouchers, and it varies from one Amex card to another.
- Reward Points: With AmEx Cards, you are rewarded with Membership Rewards every time you make a transaction using your credit card. However, the reward rate on every Amex card can be different, and you can also get accelerated rewards on selected categories.
- Milestone Benefits: The milestone benefits are offered when the cardholders achieve a minimum spend threshold within a specific time period, which can be every month, after every few months, or after an anniversary year.
- Travel benefits: You also get exciting travel benefits with some of the top AmEx Credit/Charge Cards. Travel benefits offer complimentary airport lounge access, complimentary memberships to selected airlines/hotels, complimentary hotel/airline vouchers, exclusive discount offers over travel-related spends, and many more.
- Movie & Dining Benefits: The movie and dining benefits offered by American Express Cards generally include discounts on dining/movies, complimentary memberships with dining benefits, free movie tickets, buy one get one (BOGO), and many more.
- Other Benefits: Other benefits offered by the AmEx cards include a 1% fuel surcharge waiver, a spend-based annual fee waiver, insurance benefits over different categories, golf privileges, and more.
Popular American Express Credit Cards
Refer to the following points for detailed features and benefits of the top AmEx Cards in India:
American Express Platinum Credit Card
AmEx Platinum credit card is the most premium card by AmEx. It is a charge card, therefore there is no preset credit limit. The card comes with a hefty annual membership fee of Rs. 60,000 and earns you-
- 1 Membership Rewards Point per Rs. 40 you spend with the card.
- 3X Membership Rewards Points for transactions made internationally.
- 5X Membership RPs on transactions made on the Rewards Multiplier portal.
Being a premium card, it offers a plethora of travel, movie, dining, and insurance benefits, including unlimited access to domestic and international airport lounges, discounts on movie tickets and at partner restaurants, and personal air accident cover worth Rs. 5 crores.
American Express Gold Card
It is another charge card offered by American Express. The membership fee for the Gold Card is Rs. 1,000 for the first year and 4,500 per annum (second year onwards). The reward points benefits that you get with this card are as follows-
- 1 Membership Rewards Point for every Rs. 50 spent with the card.
- No Membership Reward Points are earned on insurance premium payments and cash transactions.
- You also earn 1 Membership Rewards Points for every Rs. 50 spent on utilities and fuel. The Membership Rewards Points earned on utilities and fuel are capped at 10,000 and 5,000 Points, respectively.
- You earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on every purchase through the Rewards Multiplier portal.
Apart from these benefits, you get many other premium privileges, including travel, movie, and dining, with the American Express Gold Charge Card.
American Express Platinum Reserve Credit Card
The Platinum Reserve card is also a premium offering by AmEx. The membership fee of this card is Rs. 10,000 per annum (joining fee of Rs. 5,000) and it comes with a welcome gift of 11,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points. The card earns you a flat 1 Membership Rewards Point on every Rs. 50 spent with the card (excluding fuel purchases and spends on utilities, insurance, and EMI transactions). Apart from the Membership Rewards Points, you get a plethora of other premium benefits including a 24×7 concierge service, golf privileges, complimentary domestic and international lounge access, personal air accident cover worth Rs. 1 crore, etc.
American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card
As the name suggests, it is a premium travel credit card by AmEx. This card earns you 1 Membership Rewards Point for every Rs. 50 you spend using the card and comes with a plethora of benefits including (limited) complimentary domestic airport lounge access, Priority Pass membership, discount on movie tickets, and dining benefits. This card offers many attractive milestone benefits.
American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card
It is a mid-level card by AmEx and offers you a decent reward rate. As a welcome gift of 4,000 Membership Rewards points; you earn 1 Membership Rewards Point per Rs. 50 spent using the card. Also get many milestone benefits and other benefits like zero liability protection, fuel surcharge waiver, etc.
American Express SmartEarn Credit Card
The SmartEarn card is an entry-level shopping credit card by AmEx. It comes with a nominal annual fee of Rs. 495 per annum, and you get Rs. 500 cashback as a Welcome Benefit on eligible spends of Rs. 10,000 in the first 90 days of the card membership. Apart from this, you get the following Reward Points benefits with this card-
- 1 Membership Reward Point on every Rs. 50 spent using the card with the exception of spends on Fuel, Insurance, Utilities, Cash Transactions, and EMI conversion at POS.
- 10X Membership Rewards Points on Ajio, Flipkart, Nykaa, BookMyShow, and Uber (max cap of 500 Points each month).
- 10X Membership Rewards Points on Zomato (max cap of 500 Points each month).
- 5X Membership RPs on Amazon (max 250 Points/month at this rate).
- You can earn a maximum of 1,250 Membership Rewards Points in a month at an accelerated rate if you spend Rs. 7,500 on partner brands.
AmEx Credit Cards Reward Points
You earn Reward Points on AmEx cards as Membership Reward Points. The following table summarizes the reward point/cashback benefit that you get with the aforementioned cards –
| Credit Card | Reward Points / Cashback |
| American Express Platinum Credit Card | 1 Membership Rewards Point on every Rs. 40 spent using the card.
3X Points on all expenditures abroad. |
| American Express Gold Credit Card | 1 Membership Rewards Point for every Rs. 50 spent with the card. |
| American Express Platinum Reserve Credit Card | 1 Membership Reward Point for every Rs. 50 spent with the card. |
| American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card | 1 Membership Rewards Point for every Rs. 50 spent using the card. |
| American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card | 1 membership reward point for every Rs 50 spent excluding fuel transactions, Utility bill payments, insurance, and cash transactions |
| American Express SmartEarn Credit Card | 1 Membership Reward Point/Rs. 50 spent (with a few exceptions), accelerated Reward Points on Ajio, Nykaa, BookMyShow, Uber (10X), Zomato (10X), and Amazon (5%). |
American Express Credit Cards Reward Redemption
The Membership Reward Points earned on AmEx cards can be redeemed against Instant Vouchers, hotel vouchers/gift cards, partner airlines’ AirMiles, or cash back (adjustment against the card’s statement). The monetary value of the Membership Rewards Points is between Rs. 0.25 and Rs. 0.50 depending upon the redemption category. The maximum redemption value of AmEx Membership Rewards Points is for redemption against Taj Stay Vouchers (1 MRP = Rs. 0.50).
American Express Reward Multiplier
Reward Multiplier is American Express’s proprietary portal on which you earn Membership Reward Points at an accelerated (2X to 5X) rate. You can purchase shopping vouchers from popular brands like Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, etc; you can also buy products from third-party merchants including Apple, Lenovo, OnePlus, etc (you are redirected to the merchant’s page from the Reward Multiplier page when you click on the link). When you shop via Amex Reward Multiplier, you earn-
- 5X Membership RPs on AmEx Platinum and Gold credit cards.
- 3X Membership Rewards Points of AmEx Platinum Reserve and Platinum Travel credit card.
- 2X Membership Rewards Points on AmEx Membership Rewards and SmartEarn credit cards.
Annual Fee
Different AmEx Credit Cards charge different annual fees, which can be lower or higher on the basis of the features & benefits of that particular card. Low annual fee credit cards are generally targeted at low-income individuals or people who are new to the world of credit cards, and high annual fee cards target high net-worth individuals having a good prior experience of using credit cards:
These are the actual joining and annual charges of various American Express Credit Cards but when you apply with Card Insider you shall receive a joining fee waiver on some of these cards and shall also earn bonus Membership Reward Points (part of the referral offer).
| Credit Card | Joining Fee | Renewal Fee | Spend Based Waiver |
| American Express Platinum Credit Card | Rs. 60,000 | Rs. 60,000 | None |
| American Express Gold Credit Card | Rs. 1,000 | Rs. 4,500 | None |
| American Express Platinum Reserve Credit Card | Rs. 5,000 | Rs. 10,000 | None |
| American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card | Rs. 3,500 | Rs. 5,000 | None |
| American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card | Rs. 1,000 | Rs. 4,500 | 50% renewal fee waiver on annual spends between Rs. 90,000 and Rs. 1,49,999.
100% renewal fee waiver on annual spends Rs. 1,50,000 and above. |
| American Express SmartEarn Credit Card | Rs. 495 | Rs. 495 | Annual fee waived on spends of Rs. 50,000 in the previous year. |
Other Fees & Charges
Apart from the annual fee, credit cards have some additional fees and charges as well, including interest rates, cash advance fees (fee charges on withdrawing cash using a credit card, foreign currency markup fees (fees charged on making transactions in a different currency), late payment fee, over-limit fee, and a few more. Refer to the following table to understand some most important charges:
| Interest Rate | 3.5% per month on all cards. |
| Cash Advance Charges | 3.5% of the withdrawn amount subject to a minimum of Rs. 250. |
| Foreign Currency Markup Fee | 3.5% of the transaction amount. |
For detailed fees and charges of AmEx Credit Cards, click here.
AmEx Credit Cards Eligibility Criteria
The essential eligibility criteria that the applicants need to fulfill in order to get an American Express Credit Card are mentioned below:
- The age of the applicants should be a minimum of 18 years.
- The applicant should have a stable source of income, i.e., the applicant should either be salaried or self-employed.
- The applicant should have a decent credit score.
- Currently, Amex Cards are only available in the following cities in India- Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh/Tricity, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi NCR, Ernakulam, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Surat, Vadodara, Vijayawada, Vizag, Ludhiana, Lucknow, Nagpur, Nashik, Trivandrum, Mysore, Agra, Ajmer, Aurangabad, Amritsar, Prayagraj, Ambala, Chittoor, Dehradun, Goa, Guwahati, Guntur, Jodhpur, Kozhikode, Kanpur, Kolhapur, Madurai, Kurnool, Meerut, Patiala, Rajkot, Raipur, Ranchi, Trichy, Thrissur, and Udaipur.
Documents Required:
You need to submit KYC documents, including ID proof (Aadhaar Card, Voter Card, PAN Card, etc.), address proof (Aadhar Card, Voter Card, electricity/telephone bill, etc.), and proof of income like salary slips or audited ITR acknowledgment to the card issuer for your card application to be processed. A video KYC is also required to get approval for a credit card.
Apply for American Express Cards Online With Card Insider
You can apply for an American Express Credit Card online with Card Insider. Through our links, you shall get additional benefits such as a joining fee waiver, bonus Membership Reward Points etc. Simply click on the Apply Now button right alongside the card of your choice. You can then once again review any features of the card and begin your application process.
AmEx Credit Cards Application Status
In case you have already applied for an American Express Card, you have the facility to track the status of your application either by visiting your nearest branch or by contacting AmEx Cards customer care via call/email. Just make sure to note down your application reference number at the time of applying for the card so that you can track your credit card application status easily.
How to Activate AmEx Credit Cards?
After receiving a new American Express Credit Card, the very first thing you need to do is to activate it. You can do the same online as well as offline at your convenience using any of the methods that are mentioned below:
- You can activate your AmEx Credit Card by logging in to your AmEx internet banking account and generating a new PIN under the Account Management tab.
- You can also do the same using the AmEx mobile banking app. Just log in to the app and click on the option ‘Manage Card PIN’ under the Account tab.
- Another way to activate your AmEx Credit Card is by contacting your credit card customer care and following the instructions given to you via IVRS (Interactive Voice Response System).
AmEx Credit Cards Login/Netbanking
American Express Credit Cardholders can make several card-related tasks easier for them by registering for internet banking services. Following are the steps you need to follow to register your AmEx Credit Card for net banking:
- Visit American Express Login.
- Click on ‘Register for Online Services’ and enter the required details of your credit card.
- Click on Confirm.
- Set your username and password and proceed further accordingly.
American Express Credit Cards Customer Care
Along with all the great credit card offerings, American Express bank also offers its cardholders dedicated customer support. For any doubts/complaints regarding your AmEx Credit Cards, you can always contact the AmEx Credit Card customer care as follows:
- To contact via call, you can dial this number – 1800-419-2122 (Toll-Free).
- To contact via email, you can use this email id – [email protected].
Lifetime Free American Express Credit Cards
AmEx doesn’t issue any lifetime free credit card as of now, you can have a low annual fee card from AmEx, which is the SmartEarn Card that comes with an annual fee of Rs. 495. This nominal annual fee can also be waived on spending Rs. 40,000 or more in the previous anniversary year.
Bottom Line
American Express is a leading name in the credit card industry, with a global presence. They specialize in premium category credit cards that offer great rewards and helpful customer support. Whether looking for a charge card with no preset limit or a budget-friendly one with low joining fees American Express with its diverse yet limited collection has something for all. If you’re looking for a credit card that won’t disappoint, American Express is definitely worth considering.
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