Credit Cards » Compare Credit Cards » Amex vs. Discover Credit Cards: How They Compare?

Amex vs. Discover Credit Cards: How They Compare?

Amex is definitely the leader in cash back and travel cards. Discover is best for beginners, such as students who want to build credit.

Article update: November 29, 2024

Article update:November 29, 2024

We earn a commission from our partner links on this page. It doesn't affect the integrity of our unbiased, independent editorial staff. Transparency is a core value for us, read our advertiser disclosure and how we make money.

Both American Express and Discvoer bank are among the top credit card providers. While Amex cards are considered more luxury, Discover also offers some good options, especially for beginners.

Here's a comparison of each issuer's options, broken down by category: cashback, 0% intro, or travel card.

Amex vs. Discover: Which Offers Better Cashback Card?

While both Amex and Discover offer various cashback cards, none offer a flat rate cashback, so customers should be fully aware of the categories and how they spend their money before making a decision.

The Blue Cash Everyday® and Blue Cash Preferred® cards from American Express cater to those who spend heavily on groceries. The cap is quite high compared to Discover, which makes them an ultimate choice for families and other grocery spenders. While the Blue Cash Preferred card offers higher rewards, it charges an annual fee of $95 ($0 intro for the first year).

The main difference between Discover cards is the reward structure. The Discover cash back card offers higher rates, but its rotating categories may impact how you can leverage it for your specific preferences. The Chrine Gas & Restaurant has fixed categories, but the cap is lower than that of Amex cards.


	Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express	Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express	Discover It Cash Back	Discover it® Chrome Gas & Restaurants
Annual Fee	$95 ($0 intro for the first year)	$0	$0	$0
Rewards	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	1-3% 3% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets / U.S. online retail purchases/ U.S. gas stations on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%	1-5% 5% cashback on up to $1,500 in rotating category purchases each quarter when you activate the bonus category (then 1%), as well 1% percent cash back on all other purchases	1-2% 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter and 1% cash back on all your other purchases
Welcome bonus	$250 $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months	$200 $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months	Cashback Match All cash back earned at the end of the first 12 months is matched.	Cashback Match Discover matches all cash back you earn at the end of your first year
0% Intro APR	12 months on purchases and balance transfers	15 months on purchases and balance transfers from the date of account opening	15 months on purchases and balance transfers	15 months on purchases and balance transfers
Foreign Transaction Fee	2.70%	2.7%	$0	0%
Purchase APR	18.49% – 29.49% Variable	18.49% – 29.49% Variable	18.74% – 27.74% Variable APR	18.74% – 27.74% Variable APR
	Read Review	Read Review	Read Review	Read Review

Which Bank Has the Edge in Travel Cards?

There is no real competition out there, as both cards offer totally different features and target other audiences.

The The Discover It Miles card is a basic travel card, offers a straightforward travel rewards program. It also offer 0% intro APR which is not available through Amex travel cards.

The Amex Gold Card is perfect for travelers who also spend a lot on dining and groceries. You can redeem your points for travel, gift cards, or merchandise, or transfer them to airline and hotel partners through the Amex Membership Rewards program. It also comes with extra perks, like up to $120 in dining credits or Uber Cash annually ($10 per month).

The Amex Platinum Card is geared towards luxury travelers seeking premium benefits. Cardholders get complimentary access to the Global Lounge Collection, including Centurion Lounges and Priority Pass Select, as well as Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite and Hilton Honors Gold status. It also have various protections and statement credits.


	Discover it Miles	American Express® Gold Card	The Platinum Card® from American Express
Annual Fee	$0	$325	$695
Rewards	1.5X unlimited 1.5x miles for every dollar spent on all purchases	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	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
Welcome bonus	Discover Match® Discover matches your first year miles automatically.	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	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
0% Intro APR	15 months on purchases and balance transfers	N/A	N/A
Foreign Transaction Fee	$0	None	$0
Purchase APR	18.74% – 27.74% Variable APR	See Pay Over Time APR	See Pay Over Time APR
	Read Review	Read Review	Read Review

0% Intro APR: Amex Everyday or NHL Discover it?

If you need a balance transfer card with a long 0% introductory APR, all cards offer some of the longest in the industry. Amex offers the Everyday card, while Discover NHL (and many other Discover cards) is the main competitor.

Both cards also offer rewards. We prefer the Amex card since its balance transfer fee is lower.


	American Express EveryDay® Card	NHL Discover it
Annual Fee	$0	$0
Rewards	1X – 2X 2X points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year, then 1X), 2X points on prepaid rental cars booked through American Express Travel and 1X points on all other purchases	1% – 5% 5% cash back on spending in the quarterly bonus categories and 1% on all other purchases
0% Intro APR	15 months on purchases and balance transfers	15 months on purchases and balance transfers
Balance Transfer Fee	$5 or 3%, whichever is greater	5%
Foreign Transaction Fee	2.7%	$0
Purchase APR	17.74% – 28.74% Variable	18.74% – 27.74%
	Read Review	Read Review

Discover Offers Better Cards For Students

Discover is much better than Amex when it comes to student credit cards, and actually it one of the best issuers for students overall.

The main two cards is the Student Chrome and Student cash back card. The main difference between them is the reward structure – the Student Cash Back card offers higher cash back but on rotating categories which may not 100% fit customer preferences.

On the other hand, Chrome has fixed categories that can help customers plan their purchases, but the cashback rate is lower. Both cards have a cap on the higher cashback rate.


	Discover it® Student Chrome	Discover it® Student Cash Back
Annual Fee	$0	$0
Rewards	1-2% 2% cashback at gas and restaurants (up to $1,000 every quarter) and 1% on groceries and other student related products	1-5% 5% cash back on activated rotating category purchases (up to $1,500 in purchases each quarter, then 1%) and 1% on all other purchases
Welcome bonus	Match Bonus Discover will match all cash back earned at the end of your first year	Match Bonus Match Bonus for the first 12 months
0% Intro APR	6 months on purchases	6 months on purchases
Foreign Transaction Fee	$0	$0
Purchase APR	18.24% – 27.24% Variable	20.24% – 29.24% Variable
	Read Review	Read Review

Amex Offers Various Travel, Co-Branded Cards

When it comes to co-branded cards, Amex has partnerships with many players, such as Delta, Marriot, and Hilton. Each of them has a couple of tier that can be relevant for any type of user.

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, and Hilton Honors American Express Aspire® Card are premium cards that offer a range of luxury benefits, such as lounge access, statement credits, airline and hotel perks, and various protections. However, they come with a high annual fee, typically ranging from $600 to $700, depending on the card.

The mid-tier includes cards such as the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, and Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card, which offer a generous rewards rate, welcome bonuses, and some airline and hotel benefits such as priority boarding, complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status, and no foreign transaction fees. The annual fee is average, around $100-$150, depending on the card.

The low-tier cards include the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card and the Hilton Honors American Express Card. These cards offer basic rewards and benefits but don't charge an annual fee like the rest.


	Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card	Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card	Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express
Annual Fee	$150	$250	$350
Rewards	3X – 12X Earn 12x Points on hotels & resorts at eligible purchases at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio. Earn 6x Points on dining at U.S. restaurants , and for takeout and delivery in the U.S, on groceries at U.S. supermarkets and at U.S. gas stations. Earn 4X Points for each dollar on U.S. Online Retail Purchases and 3X Points on all other purchases	2x – 6x 6X points on purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy, 4X points at restaurants worldwide (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.) and U.S. supermarkets (up to $15,000 in combined purchases per year, then 2X points), 2X points on all other purchases	1X – 3X 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels, 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets and 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases
Welcome bonus	165,000 points 165,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership	85,000 points Earn 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first six months of card membership.	60,000 miles 60,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months
Foreign Transaction Fee	$0	0%	$0]
	Read Review	Read Review	Read Review

Bottom Line

Both Discover and Amex offer a variety of cards for almost any purpose.

Amex is definitely the leader, and its cash back and travel cards are among the best in the market and better than Discover cards.

On the other hand, Discover is best for beginners such as students and those who want to build credit.

Baruch Mann (Silvermann)

Baruch Silvermann is a financial expert, experienced analyst, and founder of The Smart Investor. Silvermann has contributed to Yahoo Finance and cited as an authoritative source in financial outlets like Forbes, Business Insider, CNBC Select, CNET, Bankrate, Fox Business, The Street, and more.

Best Cards Per Category

#1 In credit Cards

Our Newsletter

Start saving smarter with

Our Credit Card Newsletter

Our Newsletter

Join our community for the latest credit card comparison tips, expert insights,
and special member-only perks.

Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.

Credit Card Reviews Methodology

In order to determine the best possible credit cards, we look at things like fees, interest rates and rewards. We do this with companies that are associated with us as partners as well as other offerings. From there, we make a decision about what the best card is related to different categories and needs. We focus on interest rate cost & fees, especially the cost of carrying a balance, rewards – cards accumulate rewards in different currencies—points, miles, cash back—and their values vary widely usability – cards that accept a wide range of credit profiles and offer simple solutions for things like checking your credit score or contacting. We also consider customer reviews.

We look at cards related to good or excellent credit ratings that will then provide a range of different benefits and improvements for someone who has these scores. We also look at low fees when it comes to those who have lower credit scores.