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Amex Credit Cards Australia

American Express credit cards offer the points, perks and prestige you'd expect from Amex, with options for every budget.

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American Express

American Express is a big global brand that's known for offering generous rewards and perks. In Australia, you can get an Amex credit card linked to the Qantas Frequent Flyer, Velocity Frequent Flyer and Amex Membership Rewards programs. It also offers a low rate card – and lots of options for business owners. In 2024, Amex won 3 Finder Credit Card Awards: Best No Annual Fee Credit Card, Best No Annual Fee Rewards Credit Card and Best Business Charge Card. It was also highly commended in the Best Frequent Flyer Credit Card – Velocity and Best Business Rewards Credit Card categories.

American Express Credit Card Offer

Qantas American Express Ultimate Card

Receive 50,000 bonus Qantas Points

Offer ends 14 January 2025

Eligibility criteria, terms and conditions, fees and charges apply

American Express Credit Card Offer

Get 50,000 bonus Qantas Points when you meet the spend requirement. Plus, a yearly Qantas Travel Credit and lounge passes.

  • 50,000 bonus Qantas Points when you spend $3,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months
  • $450 Qantas Travel Credit each year and 4 yearly complimentary airport lounge passes
  • Up to 2.25 Qantas Points per $1 spent on eligible purchases (uncapped)
  • Complimentary Qantas Wine Premium membership
  • $450 annual fee | 23.99% p.a. purchase interest rate
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Compare American Express Credit Cards

Name Bonus points Points per $ spent Purchase rate p.a. Annual fee
Qantas American Express Ultimate Card
Qantas American Express Ultimate Card image
Qantas Frequent Flyer
Bonus points
50,000
Points per $ spent
1.25
Purchase rate p.a.
23.99%
Annual fee
$450
Go to siteMore Info
Get a yearly $450 Travel Credit and 50,000 bonus Qantas Points when you spend $3,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months.
American Express Explorer Credit Card
American Express Explorer Credit Card image
Membership Rewards
Bonus points
50,000
Points per $ spent
2
Purchase rate p.a.
23.99%
Annual fee
$395
Go to siteMore Info
Get 50,000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points and spend $4,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months.
American Express Essential Rewards Credit Card
American Express Essential Rewards Credit Card image
Membership Rewards
Bonus points
80,000
Points per $ spent
1
Purchase rate p.a.
23.99%
Annual fee
$108
Go to siteMore Info
Offers up to 80,000 bonus Membership Rewards Points (20,000 points each month when you spend at least $1,000 on eligible purchases within the first 120 days). Ends 15 October 2024.
American Express Qantas Business Rewards Card
American Express Qantas Business Rewards Card image
Qantas Business Rewards
Bonus points
130,000
Points per $ spent
1.25
Purchase rate p.a.
0%
Annual fee
$450
Go to siteMore Info
(ABN holders w/ $75k revenue). Earn 130,000 bonus Qantas Points when you spend $3,000 in the first 2 months.
American Express Velocity Business Card
American Express Velocity Business Card image
Velocity Frequent Flyer
Bonus points
150,000
Points per $ spent
1
Purchase rate p.a.
0%
Annual fee
$249
Go to siteMore Info
ABN holders w/ $75,000 revenue. Get 150,000 bonus Velocity Points when you spend $5,000 in the first 2 months. Plus, a $250 Virgin Australia Business Flyer Travel Bank credit.
American Express Platinum Business Card
American Express Platinum Business Card image
Finder Award
Membership Rewards Ascent Premium
Bonus points
350,000
Points per $ spent
2.25
Purchase rate p.a.
0%
Annual fee
$1,750
Go to siteMore Info
ABN holders w/ $75,000 revenue. Get 350,000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points when you spend $12,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months.
American Express Platinum Card
American Express Platinum Card image
Membership Rewards Ascent Premium
Bonus points
150,000
Points per $ spent
2.25
Purchase rate p.a.
0%
Annual fee
$1,450
Go to siteMore Info
Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points when you spend $5,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months. Plus, a $450 Travel Credit each year.
American Express Business Gold Plus Card
American Express Business Gold Plus Card image
Membership Rewards Ascent
Bonus points
150,000
Points per $ spent
1.5
Purchase rate p.a.
0%
Annual fee
$395
Go to siteMore Info
ABN holders w/ $75,000 revenue. Get 150,000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points when you spend $5,000 within the first 3 months. Plus, earn up to 3 points per $1 spent at Xero, Google Ads, Meta, Amazon Web Services and Dell.
American Express Qantas Corporate Card
American Express Qantas Corporate Card image
Membership Rewards Spirit
Bonus points
50,000
Points per $ spent
1.5
Purchase rate p.a.
0%
Annual fee
$70
More Info
Earn 50,000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points when you spend $10,000 in the first 2 months. Plus, triple Qantas Points on eligible business flights.
American Express Platinum Edge Credit Card
American Express Platinum Edge Credit Card image
Membership Rewards
Bonus points
N/A
Points per $ spent
1
Purchase rate p.a.
23.99%
Annual fee
$0 first year ($195 after)
More Info
Save with a $0 annual fee in the first year. Plus, $200 Travel Credit every year.
Qantas American Express Premium Card
Qantas American Express Premium Card image
Qantas Frequent Flyer
Bonus points
20,000
Points per $ spent
1
Purchase rate p.a.
23.99%
Annual fee
$249
More Info
Get 20,000 bonus Qantas Points and 2 complimentary Qantas Club lounge invitations per year, plus complimentary travel insurance.
American Express Low Rate Credit Card
American Express Low Rate Credit Card image
Finder Award
Bonus points
N/A
Points per $ spent
N/A
Purchase rate p.a.
10.99%
Annual fee
$0
More Info
Offers a low ongoing interest rate of 10.99% p.a. and a $0 annual fee. Plus, complimentary purchase cover.
Qantas American Express Discovery Card
Qantas American Express Discovery Card image
Qantas Frequent Flyer
Bonus points
N/A
Points per $ spent
0.75
Purchase rate p.a.
23.99%
Annual fee
$0
More Info
Earn uncapped Qantas Points per $1 spent, plus a $0 annual fee.
American Express Business Explorer Credit Card
American Express Business Explorer Credit Card image
Membership Rewards Gateway
Bonus points
50,000
Points per $ spent
2
Purchase rate p.a.
23.99%
Annual fee
$149
More Info
ABN holders w/ $75,000 revenue. Get 50,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months and earn up to 2 points on eligible business spending.
American Express Qantas Corporate Platinum Card
American Express Qantas Corporate Platinum Card image
Membership Rewards Spirit
Bonus points
350,000
Points per $ spent
2
Purchase rate p.a.
0%
Annual fee
$1,200
More Info
Get 350,000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points when you spend $25,000 in the first 2 months. Plus, 3x Qantas Points for eligible business flights and complimentary lounge passes.
American Express Corporate Gold Card
American Express Corporate Gold Card image
Membership Rewards Ascent
Bonus points
75,000
Points per $ spent
1.5
Purchase rate p.a.
0%
Annual fee
$105
More Info
Earn 75,000 bonus Membership Rewards Points when you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases on your new card in the first 2 months from card approval.
American Express Qantas Corporate Gold Card
American Express Qantas Corporate Gold Card image
Membership Rewards
Bonus points
75,000
Points per $ spent
1.5
Purchase rate p.a.
0%
Annual fee
$105
More Info
Get 75,000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points when you spend $10,000 in the first 2 months. Plus, earn 1.5 Membership Rewards points per $1 on most corporate spend and triple Qantas Points on eligible business flights.
American Express Corporate Platinum Card
American Express Corporate Platinum Card image
Membership Rewards Ascent
Bonus points
350,000
Points per $ spent
2
Purchase rate p.a.
0%
Annual fee
$800
More Info
Receive 350,000 bonus Membership Rewards Points when you spend $25,000 in the first 2 months.
American Express Corporate Card
American Express Corporate Card image
Membership Rewards Ascent
Bonus points
50,000
Points per $ spent
1.5
Purchase rate p.a.
0%
Annual fee
$70
More Info
Earn 50,000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points when you spend $10,000 in the first 2 months.
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Amex Credit Cards in Australia

Types of American Express credit cards

  • Amex rewards credit cards

American Express Membership Rewards credit cards earn points per $1 on your eligible spending, which you can redeem for travel bookings, gift cards, frequent flyer point transfers or to shop at David Jones, Myer, Webjet or Helloworld. If you're new to Amex, some cards have introductory bonus points offers for up to 350,000 points.

If you're a member of different frequent flyer programs, Membership Rewards gives you the flexibility to transfer points to partnered loyalty schemes including Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Air New Zealand Airpoints and Asia Miles. Its also one of the few Australian credit card reward programs to offer point transfers to Emirates Skywards Miles and Qatar Airways Privilege Club. Check out Finder's guide to Amex Membership Rewards for more tips on earning and spending your points.

  • Frequent flyer Amex credit cards

If you're a member of Qantas Frequent Flyer or Velocity Frequent Flyer, you can get an Amex card that earns Qantas Points or Velocity Points per $1 spent.

This includes frequent flyer cards with no annual fee, as well as cards that offer extra features such as complimentary travel insurance, complimentary flight or travel credit and airline lounge passes that can help justify the cost of an annual fee.

Get more value: If you're new to American Express, check for introductory bonus offers that give you extra value when you first sign up. In some cases, you could get thousands of bonus rewards or frequent flyer points – making it easier (and faster) to get the rewards you want.
  • No annual fee Amex credit cards

There is a small selection of Amex cards that offer no annual fee ever, including the Qantas American Express Discovery Card. Similar to other credit cards on the market, American Express cards with no annual fees typically earn fewer points per $1 spent or offer fewer perks than cards that charge an annual fee. But these cards do still give you access to perks including Amex Offers, instalment plans and, depending on the card, rewards.

  • Low rate Amex credit cards

The American Express Low Rate Credit Card offers competitive, low interest rates for purchases. It also offers no annual fee and exclusive shopping offers, discounts, ticket deals and more through Amex Experiences and Amex Offers.

  • Amex business cards

American Express business cards give you access to useful features for business spending, tracking and reporting – including additional cards for employees and integration with popular accounting software like MYOB. You can also earn Membership Rewards or frequent flyer points per $1 spent, depending on the card you choose.

What do Australians think of American Express credit card provider?

  • 4.19/5 overall for Customer Satisfaction — higher than the average of 4.06
  • 4.69/5 for Trust — higher than the average of 4.4
  • 4.27/5 for Customer Service — higher than the average of 4.06

Based on American Express credit card provider scores in Finder's 2024 Customer Satisfaction Awards.

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Our expert says

"One thing I discovered when I first got an Amex is how expensive the fees are, running up to 2% or sometimes even 2.5%. That's higher than Visa or Mastercard, which is usually 0.5% to 1.75%. It might not seem like much, but when using my card to pay all my bills and spending over 12 months, I spent about $800 on fees – which is money I'd prefer in my own account rather than theirs. "

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Benefits of getting an American Express credit card

From rewards programs to exclusive perks, here are some of the extra features and benefits you can get with an American Express card.

  • Membership Rewards

American Express Membership Rewards cards regularly offer competitive bonus points and earn rates for your spending. Membership Rewards lets you choose how you redeem points, with options including travel, gift cards, statement credit and frequent flyer point transfers. Points don't expire as long as you make the required payments for your account by the due date on your statements.

  • Amex Offers and Amex Experiences

An Amex card gives you access to exclusive discounts and cashback promotions with partnered brands like THE ICONIC, Woolworths and David Jones through Amex Offers. Current offers are on the Amex website and in the app, where you can save or activate them for your card.

You can also access pre-sale tickets to concerts and other events with American Express Experiences. This includes access to American Express Entertainment Lounges at select entertainment venues in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

  • Airport lounge passes

A selection of American Express credit cards come with complimentary lounge entry invitations each year. Depending on the card, you could take advantage of the perks at a Qantas Lounge or one of The Centurion Lounges at Sydney and Melbourne airport.

  • Mobile payments

You can add your Amex card to Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay to make payments straight from your mobile phone or device.

  • American Express Plan It instalment plans

American Express Plan It gives you a way to repay new purchases over a set period of time, with an interest-free instalment plan. Each plan has a fixed monthly fee and terms ranging from 3 to 12 months. American Express Plan It is available for purchase balances of $150 or more listed on your most recent statement.

Payment details for Plan It vary based on factors including the repayment term, the card you have and the balance you want to pay off. As an example, a $1,000 purchase could be paid off in monthly instalments of $93.74 over 12 months (including a $10.40 monthly fee). This is based on details from the American Express Plan It calculator. When you have an Amex card, you can log in to your account to get accurate details about the Plan It instalment plan options available to you at any time.

  • Complimentary insurance

American Express offers complimentary insurance on a range of its personal and business cards. The type of cover you'll get depends on the card you use, but options include:

    • Domestic and international travel insurance
    • Card purchase cover
    • Card refund cover
    • Buyer's advantage cover (for extended warranty options)

In most cases, you just need to pay for a trip or eligible item with your card to activate the cover. But all insurance policies have specific requirements, so make sure you read the fine print for any insurance that comes with your Amex card.

  • Complimentary smartphone screen cover

American Express is currently the only credit card issuer in Australia offering smartphone screen cover on eligible cards, including the American Express Explorer and American Express Platinum.

When you use one of these cards to pay for your monthly phone contract or buy a new smartphone outright, this cover lets you claim up to $500 if the screen breaks after being accidentally dropped or hit. You can make up to 2 claims in a 12-month period, although it's worth noting you'll pay a 10% excess each time. To give you an idea of the value, repairing an iPhone screen can cost between $45 and $520, depending on the model.

Eligibility criteria for America Express credit Cards

You can apply for an American Express credit card online in around 10 minutes. But before you apply, you'll need to meet the card's eligibility criteria. These are different for each card, but below we've included details of what to look for.

  • Australian residency status. You must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or holder of a current long-term visa (12 months or more, not including student visas).
  • Credit history. You must have a good credit rating.
  • Age. You must be at least 18 years or older.
  • Bonus points eligibility. If you're getting an Amex card with a bonus points offer or another introductory offer, you'll need to be a new card member. This usually means you will only be eligible for an Amex introductory offer if you do not currently hold an Amex card, or if you have held one within the previous 18 months.

Information and documents you need to apply

  • Personal information. You need to share personal details including your name, email address, phone number, residential address and a valid form of ID, such as your driver's licence number.
  • Employment. This includes your current job, your employer’s contact information or your accountant's details if you’re self-employed. You'll also need to provide details of any savings.
  • Debts and liabilities. You need to provide information about your ongoing expenses, such as rent or mortgage payments, your weekly food budget, loan repayments and any existing credit card debts.
  • Business details. If you're applying for an American Express business or corporate card, you'll need to provide the Australian Business Number (ABN), Australian Company Number (ACN) and relevant financial details.

What happens after you apply?

American Express will give you an initial response in around 60 seconds. You'll also be sent details about your application by email.

Frequently asked questions about Amex credit cards

Want a wider range of credit cards to compare? Check out the latest offers for rewards, low rate, balance transfers credit cards and more.

Compare other products from American Express

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Editor

Amy Bradney-George was the senior writer for credit cards at Finder, and editorial lead for Finder Green. She has over 16 years of editorial experience and has been featured in publications including ABC News, Money Magazine and The Sydney Morning Herald. See full bio

Amy's expertise
Amy has written 579 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Credit cards
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  • Credit score
  • BNPL
  • Money management
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