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Best American Express Cards in Canada 2025

Updated: March 2026 | Reviewed by the Bremo editorial team

American Express issues its own cards in Canada — no bank intermediary. This gives Amex full control over its rewards programs, which are consistently among the most generous in Canada. From the entry-level SimplyCash to the ultra-premium Platinum, here's every major Amex card in Canada ranked for 2025.

Amex acceptance note: American Express is accepted at most major retailers in Canada but not universally. Always carry a Visa or Mastercard as backup for smaller merchants, gas stations, and Costco.

All Amex Cards in Canada — Comparison

Card	Annual Fee	Earn Type	Top Earn Rate
Amex Cobalt	$155.88/yr ($12.99/mo)	MR Points	5x food & drinks
Amex Platinum	$799	MR Points	3x travel & dining
Amex Gold Rewards	$250	MR Points	2x travel & grocery
Amex Green	$0	MR Points	1x everywhere
Amex SimplyCash Preferred	$99	Cash Back	4% grocery & gas
Amex SimplyCash	$0	Cash Back	2% grocery & gas
Amex Aeroplan Reserve	$599	Aeroplan	3 pts/$ Air Canada
Amex Aeroplan	$120	Aeroplan	2 pts/$ Air Canada

Best Amex Cards in Detail

Best Overall

American Express Cobalt Card

Canada's most talked-about credit card for good reason. The 5x rate on food and drinks is unmatched, and Membership Rewards points are the most flexible currency in Canada — transfer to Aeroplan, Marriott, Avios, and more.

5x MR points on eats and drinks (restaurants, bars, cafes, food delivery, grocery stores)
3x points on eligible streaming subscriptions
2x points on transit, gas, and travel purchases
1x point on everything else
Monthly fee: $12.99 ($155.88/year)
Transfer 1:1 to Aeroplan, Marriott Bonvoy, British Airways Avios
Front of the Line presale access to concerts and events

Best Premium Card

American Express Platinum Card

Canada's most prestigious travel card. The $799 annual fee is offset by $200 in annual travel credits, airport lounge access to Centurion, Priority Pass, and Plaza Premium, hotel upgrades, and unmatched travel insurance.

3x MR points on eligible dining and travel
2x points on other eligible travel purchases
1x point on everything else
$200 annual travel credit
Airport lounge access: Centurion, Priority Pass, Plaza Premium, Lufthansa (unlimited)
Fine Hotels & Resorts: upgrades, early check-in, late checkout
Comprehensive travel and purchase insurance
Annual fee: $799

Best Cash Back Amex

American Express SimplyCash Preferred

If you want straightforward cash back — not points — the SimplyCash Preferred is the best choice. 4% on groceries and gas with no categories to manage, just money back automatically.

4% cash back on groceries and gas (up to $30,000/year combined)
2% cash back on eligible recurring bill payments
1.25% cash back on everything else — unlimited
Annual fee: $99
Cash back applied automatically as statement credit

Best No-Fee Amex

American Express SimplyCash Card

Same concept as the Preferred but no annual fee. Slightly lower rates but zero cost — a solid backup card or entry point for Amex benefits like purchase protection and extended warranty.

2% cash back on groceries and gas
1.25% cash back on everything else
No annual fee
Includes purchase protection (90 days) and extended warranty (1 year)

Amex Membership Rewards — Canada's Best Points Currency?

Membership Rewards (MR) points are widely considered the most flexible points currency in Canada:

Transfer to Aeroplan 1:1 — and when Amex runs 30–40% transfer bonuses, you get 1.3–1.4 Aeroplan per MR point
Transfer to Marriott Bonvoy 1:1.2 (1,000 MR = 1,200 Marriott points)
Transfer to British Airways Avios 1:1
Redeem directly for travel through Amex Travel (1 MR = 1 cent)
Statement credit: 1 MR = 0.7 cents (lower value — avoid this)

Amex vs. Bank Cards in Canada

Amex cards generally offer higher earn rates than bank-issued Visa/Mastercard equivalents. The tradeoff is acceptance — you'll occasionally encounter merchants who don't take Amex. A dual-card strategy (Amex primary + Visa/MC backup) captures the best of both worlds.

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Bottom Line

The Amex Cobalt is Canada's best everyday rewards card for most people. For luxury travel, the Platinum is in a class of its own despite the steep fee. For pure cash back, the SimplyCash Preferred leads. No matter which Amex you choose, pair it with a Visa or Mastercard for universal acceptance.