Which Amex US Credit Card Should You Get First?

Canadian American Express cardmembers have the opportunity to initiate an American Express Global Transfer to a US-issued Amex card, as long as their Canadian card has been open and in good standing for at least three months.

It’s one of the easiest pathways to get started with US credit cards, since you don’t need an SSN or ITIN to get approved via Global Transfer.

In this guide, we’ll go over some considerations to make when choosing which Amex US credit card to apply for first, as well as our list of recommendations and the reasons why they’re a good fit.

Factors to Consider for Your First Amex US Card

Prior to applying for your first Amex US card, there are a few factors to consider before you decide which one will be best for you.

In the US, business credit cards don’t contribute to your personal credit history, so your first Amex US credit card should definitely be a personal card, rather than a business card. This way, you’ll begin building your credit history right away, which will be important for future opportunities with Amex US and other issuers.

Next, you’ll want to hold onto your first Amex US card for the long term in order to build and maintain your US credit history. You definitely don’t want to get your first card purely for the signup bonus and then drop it after one year, as it’s best to keep your oldest account open.

More recently, Amex US implemented “family” language to many of its credit cards, which means that you may not be eligible for a welcome bonus on a lower-tier card if you’ve already held a higher-tier card from the same family.

Therefore, you’ll want to pay particular attention to the order of applications within a family of cards, and plan to work your way up through a family of cards over the long-term instead of starting at the top with a premium card and missing out on opportunities with lower-tier cards.

Lastly, you should familiarize yourself with Chase’s 5/24 rule and the Amex US five credit card limit as you plan for a rewarding future with US credit cards.

With all of the above in mind, here are some great options to consider for your first Amex US credit card, as well as a justification for each one.

1. American Express Hilton Honors Card

Hilton Honors doesn’t issue any co-branded credit cards in Canada, so the only meaningful way for Canadians to…