American Express vs Visa – Which Is Better ?

Amex or Visa? Know the features and fee structure of each to find out which suits you more.

There are both good and bad things to be said when you look at American Express vs Visa cards, but in the end you will have to make a decision based on what you want and need from a card.

They both have a great reputation and a have different services offered and fee structures. American Express has a wonderful history behind it, while Visa is the card that is used most worldwide.

American Express vs Visa

Here is a comparison of American Express vs Visa features and what you can expect to find in each card.

APR Rates

The first saying you need to look at is the APR rate for each card. American Express usually offers about eight different cards and generally charges an interest rate between 14% to 20%. Visa cards can come with either a variable or a fixed APR and can range anywhere from 6% to 25%. American Express cards usually charge a higher APR rate than Visa cards.

Annual fee

Amex cards have an annual fee that run between $50 and $500 per year. They do run promotions that will waive the annual fee during the first year. Many Visa cards come with no annual fee, but their Black credit card charges a $500 annual fee.

Black cards

When you are considering American Express vs Visa, don’t forget to take a look at their Black cards. It is a sign of distinction to be able to use a Black card in public, and a dream come true for many when they receive the invite in the mail. These cards are not open to the general public and are issued by invite only. If you get an American Express Black card you will need to spend $250,000 on it yearly. They both come equipped with a concierge service that you can use to make arrangements for just about anything you need. If you get a Visa Black card, you will be given a credit limit based on your credit history and income level.

The differences are quite vast when you compare American Express vs Visa, and you will have to consider what kind of extra features are on each card in order to make your final choice. They are both solid cards and if you really can’t decide between the two you may want to consider getting one of each.

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American Express Credit Card Comparison

			Interest Rate (p.a.)	Balance Transfer Rate (p.a.)	Annual fee	Cash Advance Rate (p.a.)
	American Express Velocity Platinum Card	The flagship card from the new American Express Velocity range. 2 for 1 Business Class Flexi Fares with V Australia, Complimentary Virgin Australia Domestic Flight Every Year, 3 Velocity Points per $1 spent with the Virgin Australia group of Airlines.	20.74%		$349
	American Express Platinum Edge Credit Card	Receive 15,000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points – enough for $200 worth of Travel Agency Gift Vouchers. Also receive a complimentary Virgin Australia domestic economy return flight every year.	0% for 6 months (reverts to 20.74% )		$149
	American Express Platinum Card	Receive 75,000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points when you spend $500 on your card – that is enough points for a return flight from Sydney to Hong Kong!	%		$900
	American Express Gold Business Card	Keep track of your business expenses with a dedicated business credit card. Your account details can be uploaded in to MYOB, Excel or Quicken to help with BAS reporting.	%		$169
	American Express Gold Ascent Card	Enjoy the benefits of earning Membership Rewards Points without having to pay an annual fee. No points capping or expiry as long as your account is active.	0% for 6 months (reverts to 20.74% )		$0

Visa Credit Card Comparison

			Interest Rate (p.a.)	Balance Transfer Rate (p.a.)	Annual fee	Cash Advance Rate (p.a.)
	Westpac 55 Day Credit Card – Special Offer	Benefit from a special introductory rate on purchases of 0% for 5 months and a $0 annual fee for the first year.	0% for 5 months (reverts to 19.59% )	3.99% for 6 months	$30	21.49%
	Citibank Clear Platinum Card	A low rate and fee for a Platinum card. 25% off a range of Citibank World Privileges, inc. shopping, dining and travel. Visa Platinum Privileges.	11.99%	2.9% for 12 months	$99	21.74%
	HSBC Credit Card	A guaranteed $0 annual fee each year plus a 0% balance transfer offer for the first 6 months.	17.99%	0% for 6 months with 2% handling fee	$0	21.99%
	Virgin Flyer Credit Card	Introductory bonus points offer with 1 Velocity Point per $1 spent up to $1,500 per month, then 1 Velocity Point for every $2. Comes with 4 free flights a year, every year!	20.99%	1.9% for 9 months	$99	20.99%

Check out today's featured offers:

Westpac Low Rate	Citibank Clear Platinum	Qantas AMEX Discovery	ANZ Platinum
0% p.a. for 6 months on purchases & balance transfers	2.9% p.a. for 12 months on balance transfers	$0 annual fee Up to 10,000 Bonus QFF Points	0% p.a. for 6 months on purchases & balance transfers

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Popular Credit Card Offers

			Interest Rate (p.a.)	Balance Transfer Rate (p.a.)	Annual fee	Cash Advance Rate (p.a.)
	Westpac Low Rate Card - 0% Offer	A credit card with a low rate offer on both balance transfers and purchases, plus a low annual fee.	0% for 6 months (reverts to 13.49% )	0% for 6 months	$45	21.49%
	Citibank Clear Platinum Card	Competitive interest rate on purchases and balance transfers offer.	11.99%	2.9% for 12 months	$99	21.74%
	St George Vertigo	Take advantage of this great offer from St.George with a low rate on purchases and a low balance transfer offer.	13.24%	0.99% for 12 months	$55	21.49%
	ANZ Platinum Credit Card	An introductory interest rate offer on balance transfers and purchases, plus a $0 first year annual fee.	0% for 6 months (reverts to 19.24% )	0% for 6 months	$0 annual fee for the first year( $87 thereafter)	20.99%