Barclays, a global financial giant, provides a comprehensive range of services to US customers, while American Express Bank, known for its credit card prowess, extends its expertise to banking.
Let's compare them side by side: checking account options, savings accounts, CDs, and loan options.
Checking Accounts
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Account Types
Bank Account | Monthly Fee | APY On Balance |
|---|---|---|
Amex Rewards Checking | $0 | 1.00% |
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Features
Bank Account | Main Features |
|---|---|
Amex Rewards Checking | Interest on balance, mobile check deposits, digital transfers, debit card with purchase protection, rewards your everyday spending
|
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Savings Accounts
Both Barclays and Amex offers competitive rates on their savings account.
With American Express, customers can earn a competitive APY on their balance. Managing savings is easy with features like simple transfers and auto-deposits, and you'll have access to 24/7 customer service.
Barclays provides seamless online transfers to and from other banks and the convenience of direct deposit. Barclays also provides tools such as the Savings Assistant to aid customers in reaching their savings goals.
Both banks don't have money market accounts for individuals.
Barclays Online Savings | Amex Savings Account | |
|---|---|---|
Savings Rate | 3.90% | 3.80% |
Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 |
Fees | $0 | $0 |
Certificate Of Deposits (CDs)
If you're looking for a Certificate of Deposit (CD), you may want to go for Barclays instead of American Express.
Barclays gives better interest rates on CDs compared to American Express. Although Barclays doesn't have short-term CDs like three or six months, it offers high rates for other CD terms.
With Barclays, you can use clever plans like CD laddering for both short and long-term CDs. Overall, Barclays provides more options and strategies for making the most of your CD investments compared to American Express
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Barclays Bank CD Rates
CD Term | APY |
|---|---|
12 Months | 4.00% |
18 Months | 3.25%
|
24 Months | 3.00% |
36 Months | 3.00% |
48 Months | 3.00% |
60 Months | 3.25% |
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American Express CD Rates
CD Term | APY | Early Withdrawal Penalty |
|---|---|---|
12 Months | 3.85% | 270 days interest |
18 Months | 3.35%
| 270 days interest |
24 Months | 3.50% | 270 days interest |
36 Months | 3.00% | 270 days interest |
48 Months | 3.00% | 365 days interest |
60 Months | 3.50% | 540 days interest |
Top Offers From Our Partners
Top Savings Accounts From Our Partners
Quontic High Yield Savings
- 3.85% APY on savings
- Interest is compounded daily
- No Monthly Service Fees
CIT Savings Connect
- Up to 4.35% APY on savings
- No monthly service fees.
- Zelle, Samsung & Apple Pay
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The product offers that appear on this site are from companies from which this website receives compensation.
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Credit Cards
Card | Rewards | Bonus | Annual Fee |
| Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express | 1-6%
6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%) and selected U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% cash back on transit
and U.S. gas stations, 1% cash back on other purchases
| $250
$250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months
| $95 ($0 intro for the first year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Express® Gold Card | 1X – 4X
4X points at restaurants (including Uber Eats purchases in the U.S.) and U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X points), 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com, 2X points on rental cars through amextravel.com and 1X points on all other purchases
| 60,000 points
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
| $325 |
| The Platinum Card® from American Express | 1X – 5X
5X points on up to $500,000 spent on directly-booked airfare and flights and prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel (per calendar year), 2X points on prepaid car rentals through American Express Travel and 1X points on all other purchases
| 80,000 points
80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership
| $695 |
| Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card | 1X – 2X
2X miles on delta purchases, at restaurants worldwide (including take-out and delivery in the U.S) and at U.S. supermarkets, and 1x miles on all other eligible purchases
| 50,000 Miles
Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card in your first 6 months of card membership.
| $150, $0 intro first year |
| Hilton Honors American Express Card | 3X – 7X
7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio, 5x points at U.S. restaurants (including takeout and delivery) U.S.supermarkets, U.S. gas stations and 3x points for each dollar on other eligible purchases
| 100,000 points
100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership
| $0 |
Card | Rewards | Bonus | Annual Fee |
| AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard | 1X – 2X
2X miles for every one dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and 1X miles on all other purchases | 60,000 miles
60,000 AAdvantage miles after making one purchase and paying the annual card fee in full within the first 90 days
| $99 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The JetBlue Card | 1X – 3X
3 points per $1 spent on JetBlue purchases, 2 points per $1 at restaurants and grocery stores and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
| 10,000 points
10,000 points when you spend $1,000 in the first 90 days after opening your account
| $0 |
| Banana Republic Credit Card | 1X – 5X
5 points for every dollar spent at Banana Republic, Gap, Athleta and Old Navy. 1 point per dollar on all other purchases | 20% off your first order
20% off your first order at Banana Republic
| $0 |
| Wyndham Rewards Earner Card | 1x – 5x
5X points on eligible purchases made at Hotels by Wyndham as well as on qualifying gas purchases. Earn 2X points on eligible dining and grocery store purchases (excluding Target® and Walmart®) and 1X points on all other purchases (excluding Wyndham Vacation Club down payments).
| 45,000 points
Earn 45,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 180 days
| $0 |
Mortgage And Loans
Both banks don't offer various options for borrowers and provide only personal loans.
They lack important lending options you can find on other banks such as mortgages (including refinancing), auto loans, or student loans.
Which Bank Is Our Winner?
American Express comes out on top because it's a better choice for most people. It offers a solid checking option (which Barclays doesn't have), an excellent savings account, and a fantastic variety of credit cards.
Compare American Express Bank
Discover Bank is a full-service online bank as well as a provider of payment services. Discover can be used for banking and retirement planning by individuals. Discover is best known for its credit cards with rewards, but it also provides personal, student, and home equity loans.
American Express is one of the world's most well-known credit card brand names. Customers can get a personal banking solution from American Express National Bank, which offers online savings and CD options. Personal savings accounts have a high potential yield. They do not, however, provide as many products as Discover Bank does.
Read Full Comparison: Discover vs American Express: Which Bank Account Is Better?
Capital One is a premium online banking service that offers convenient, dependable service and physical locations to anyone looking for them. Capitol One 360, in addition to providing a trustworthy and dependable service, has no hidden fees or minimums, allowing you to continue earning interest on your daily money. There are over 38,000 fee-free ATMs and over 2,000 Capital One ATMs to meet your money access needs.
American Express is one of the world's most well-known credit card brand names. Customers can get a personal banking solution from American Express National Bank, which offers online savings and CD options. Personal savings accounts have a high potential yield. American Express National Bank is a respectable, secure banking option that does not offer any extra features but does offer the most important one.
Read Full Comparison: American Express vs Capital One: Which Bank Is Better For You?
Although Chase Bank has a modern, trendy image, it is one of the oldest banks in the United States. JP Morgan Chase's consumer division, Chase Bank, is one of the largest banks in the United States. Even though its interest rates aren't particularly competitive when compared to online banks and credit unions, loyal Chase customers who keep a significant amount of money with the bank can earn slightly better rates.
American Express is best known for its credit card business. The financial services firm, on the other hand, has a banking subsidiary that offers high-yield savings and CD accounts. For those looking to save money with a well-known financial institution, the American Express High Yield Savings Account is a popular option.
Read Full Comparison: American Express vs Chase Bank
The Citi checking account is a fairly standard product. The account does have a $12 monthly fee, but it is waived if you make a qualifying deposit or make a qualifying bill payment. Overdraft protection is also available, which automatically transfers funds from your savings account to avoid overdraft fees.
Because the American Express savings account has a high yield, the number of withdrawals or transfers you can make each month is limited to nine. It's also a nice touch that American Express allows you to choose paper statements if you prefer the old-fashioned way.
Read Full Comparison: American Express vs Citi: Where to Save Your Money?
While CIT Bank lacks a credit card option, it does have a decent eChecking account, mortgages, and home loans. However, American Express has personal loans and an impressive choice of credit card options.
CIT Bank vs American Express: Which Bank Account Is Better For You?
While Amex has a decent checking account and better credit card options, Ally's CD and lending options are superior. Here's our comparison: American Express Bank vs. Ally Bank
For most consumers, Bank of America may be a better option. American Express is a solid option for customers with higher wealth. Here's why.
American Express Bank vs. Bank of America: Which Bank Account Is Better?
Chase Bank is our winner, while Amex and Chase offer great banking services and credit card portfolios. Here's our side-by-side comparison: American Express Bank vs. Chase Bank
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American Express is our winner with a decent checking account, an impressive savings account, and a great selection of credit cards.
Synchrony Bank vs. American Express Bank: Which Bank Account Is Better?
Compare Barclays Versus Other Banks
Citi offers an excellent range of banking products that cover the majority of your financial needs.
Personal loans, mortgages, credit cards, investment options, IRAs, and wealth management plans are available in addition to savings and checking accounts. Barclays' product line is more streamlined. This bank offers credit cards, savings accounts, credit cards, and personal loans.
The most obvious product gap is the absence of a checking account. As a result, Barclays becomes more of a supplementary bank rather than your primary day-to-day financial institution.
Read Full Comparison: Citi vs Barclays: Which Bank Account Is Better?
Barclays and HSBC are non-US banks that offering various banking services to US customers. Let's compare their banking options side by side: Barclays Bank vs. HSBC Bank
Capital One is our winner for most consumers than Barclays bank. But, there are important things to consider when comparing them: Barclays Bank vs. Capital One
Both Chase and Barclays offer a significant portfolio of banking services for US-based customers, but Chase is our winner. Here's why.
Chase Bank vs. Barclays Bank: Which Bank Account Is Better?
Barclays provides a comprehensive range of services to US customers, while Ally bank is among the best online banks. How do they compare? Barclays Bank vs. Ally Bank
Both Barclays and Marcus bank offer great savings rates for depositors who are interested in CDs or savings accounts. How they compare? Barclays Bank vs. Marcus
Both Barclays Bank and Synchrony Bank offer great savings products for their customers, but lack a checking account. Which bank is best? Barclays Bank vs. Synchrony Bank
How We Compared Barclays and Amex Bank: Methodology
In our comprehensive banking comparison, The Smart Investor team meticulously reviewed and compared banks across five vital categories:
Checking Accounts (30%): We thoroughly examined features such as direct deposit, debit card availability, monthly fees, ATM and branch access, check deposit, bill pay options, and account alerts. Special offers available to customers were also taken into account.
Savings Accounts and CDs (20%): Our focus centered on critical factors including the Annual Percentage Yield (APY), minimum deposit requirements, account flexibility, FDIC insurance coverage, special savings offers, variety of CDs, automatic renewal options, and early withdrawal penalties.
Credit Cards (15%): We carefully analyzed rewards programs, annual fees, introductory bonuses, travel benefits, APR, and balance transfer options provided by each bank's credit cards to offer a comprehensive comparison of available features.
Lending Options (15%): We evaluated the variety of loan options offered, encompassing personal loans, student loans, mortgages, secured loans, HELOCs, and Home Equity Loans, providing valuable insights into the banks' lending capabilities.
Customer Experience and Bank Reputation (20%): Our assessment included an analysis of online banking and mobile app usability and ratings, accessibility of customer support, online reviews, JD Power research, Trustpilot ratings, and overall financial stability, delivering a holistic perspective on customer experience and reputation.
