The Preferred Rewards Green Card is an ideal card for those who can afford to pay in full each month to avoid accumulating credit card debt, as often can be the case with revolving balances and high interest rates. Cardholders have access to the Membership Rewards program for no additional fee. Through the rewards program, cardholders earn one point per dollar spent on all purchases. Plus, cardholders will receive 5,000 bonus points after their first purchase, which is redeemable for a $50 gift card. Points can be transferred to eleven frequent flyer programs at a rate of one point per mile, and points can also be redeemed for many other rewards. There is no limit to the amount of points that can be earned, and points never expire. Although there is a high annual fee of $95 for the basic card and a fee of $30 for additional cards, this fee will be waived the first year for the basic card and for up to five additional cards. This card does provide many additional services and benefits including up to $100,000 in travel accident insurance, auto rental insurance, purchase protection, various merchant discounts, and more. Cardholders will also have access to the Global Assist® Plus Hotline, which provides them with various services when they are traveling more than 100 miles away from where they live. Therefore, those who can afford to pay in full each month, would like to participate in the rewards program, and plan to take advantage of the many benefits and services provided by American Express® will benefit most from what the Preferred Rewards Green Card has to offer.

The Preferred Rewards Gold Card is an ideal card for those who can afford to pay in full each month to avoid accumulating credit card debt, as often can be the case with revolving balances and high interest rates. Cardholders have access to the Membership Rewards program for no additional fee. Through the rewards program, cardholders earn one point per dollar spent on all purchases. Plus, cardholders will receive 10,000 bonus points after their first purchase, which is redeemable for a $100 gift card at participating merchants and retailers (please refer to the American Express website for a complete list of participating Membership Rewards partners). Points can be redeemed for travel rewards on over 21 airlines and for many other rewards. There is no limit to the amount of points that can be earned, and points never expire. Although there is a high annual fee of $125 for the basic card and a fee of $35 for additional cards, this fee will be waived the first year for the basic card and for up to five additional cards. This card does provide many additional services and benefits including travel accident insurance, auto rental insurance, purchase protection services, various merchant discounts, and more. Cardholders will also have access to Gold Card Events, which gives them exclusive access to tickets for select concerts, shows, sporting events, and more. Therefore, those who can afford to pay in full each month, would like to participate in the rewards program, and plan to take advantage of the many benefits and services provided by American Express® will benefit most from what the Preferred Rewards Gold Card has to offer.

The American Express® Platinum Card is a charge card designed for those who have an excellent credit history, can pay in full each month, and want to avoid accumulating credit card debt. This platinum card is by far one of the most glamorous of all platinum cards - offering numerous benefits and services to cardholders. In addition to the services provided by the gold card, the platinum card offers a concierge service, exclusive shopping discounts, up to $500,000 in travel accident insurance, and various travel related discounts, benefits, and services for cardholders (too many to list here). Read the 'Additional Perks' section (see below) as some of the benefits are quite impressive and unique. Access to the Membership Rewards® program is free and offers cardholders the opportunity to redeem accumulated points for various services and benefits. For those who are not familiar with the Membership Rewards program, it is by far one of the best and most flexible reward programs available, with no expiration or yearly limit applied towards points earned. Plus, cardholders get 25,000 bonus points when they spend $1000 in their first three months of membership - that's the equivalent of one domestic airline ticket. Of course, all these services and benefits come with a hefty price - a $450 annual fee, which is one of the highest annual fees in the credit card industry. Due to its high annual fee, this card should be exclusively used by those who spend at least $3,500 - $4,500 or more on their credit cards each month, frequently travel, and plan to take advantage of the many exclusive benefits offered. Therefore, those who will take advantage of the many services and discounts and plan to spend several thousand dollars a month will benefit most from the American Express® Platinum Card.