Navigating the American Express US Five Credit Card Limit

If you’re thinking about levelling up your credit card game beyond what’s available in Canada, the first place to look is to our neighbours down south.

With lucrative signup offers, an extensive range of transfer partners, and an easy cross-border application process, American Express US is typically the issuer of choice if you’re getting into US credit cards.

However, just like in Canada, it’s important to be aware of the limitations on the number of different Amex US products you can hold concurrently.

Since there are a significant number of Amex US credit cards that might be worth applying for, you’ll have to think about which you should choose to keep, and which you don’t mind waiting for at a later date.

American Express US Charge Cards vs. Credit Cards

American Express US, as with their Canadian counterpart, offers charge cards in addition to the standard credit cards:

• Charge cards have no preset credit limit, although you’re obligated to pay off the balance in full every month.
• Credit cards come with a credit limit and allow you to make minimum monthly payments and carry a balance on the card (not that you should ever do this)

You’re allowed to hold up to 10 charge cards at once with American Express US. These include some of the issuer’s most popular products:

(Indeed, the only way you’d potentially hit the limit of 10 charge cards is if you loaded up on multiple small business charge cards at once.)

Beyond these, all of Amex US’s other products are credit cards with a traditional revolving credit limit.

And since American Express US limits you to holding only five credit cards (including small business credit cards), this makes things more interesting in terms of which five cards you should pick. 

Which Five American Express US Credit Cards?

To decide on the best strategy, we’ll need to think about which five of American Express US’s best travel credit cards are worth getting upfront for the welcome bonuses, as well as which five are worth keeping in the long run. 

It’s important to note that all of the cards we’ll discuss below have no foreign transaction fees, making them perfect for use while travelling abroad or in Canada.

Slot #1

If you’re first starting out in the US credit card market, it’s typically a good idea to start with a no-fee credit card. This allows you to nurture your credit history without an ongoing cost if you…