American Express Credit Cards, Rewards & Banking
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Buy if you spend heavily, travel, and pay in full . the rewards and service justify card fees.
Comparison
American Express Credit Cards, Rewards & Banking vs Citi
American Express Credit Cards, Rewards & Banking and Citi both land on Depends.
Citi
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Citi suits travelers, high-balance customers, and anyone wanting one global bank with premium card rewards.
| Compare | American Express Credit Cards, Rewards & Banking | Citi |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Depends | Depends |
| Best for | Frequent travelers who use perks | Travel-rewards card users (Strata Elite) |
| Who it's not for | Anyone carrying a month-to-month balance | Fee-averse users wanting simple, cheap checking |
| Privacy | Mature security program with a public HackerOne response policy; one disclosed breach in March 2024.10 | Recurring breach history: 2011 exposure of ~350K records, 2024 breach with New York lawsuit; no new findings in this review. |
| Support quality | US News praises service; Trustpilot reviewers disagree. | 3.6/5 and complaint threads everywhere |
| Public sentiment | Editorial reviewers rate Amex cards among the best for rewards and service, but Trustpilot users were mostly disappointed.⁴ | Tens of thousands of ratings average 3.6/5, with customer service, fraud handling, and fee surprises the loudest complaints.13 |
| Biggest gotcha | 466 Trustpilot reviewers report disappointment despite strong editorial ratings . a service gap⁴ | $4.50/month service fee on basic savings; verify waiver conditions before opening |
Pick American Express Credit Cards, Rewards & Banking when
- Frequent travelers who use perks
- Households with heavy supermarket spend
- Small business owners
- People who pay balances in full monthly
When American Express Credit Cards, Rewards & Banking is not a fit
- Anyone carrying a month-to-month balance
- People wanting a simple no-fee card
- Applicants below good credit . approval bars vary by card
- Travelers needing near-universal acceptance abroad
Pick Citi when
- Travel-rewards card users (Strata Elite)
- High-balance customers wanting Citigold/Priority perks
- Global, multi-country banking needs
When Citi is not a fit
- Fee-averse users wanting simple, cheap checking
- Anyone expecting fast, friendly customer service
- Fraud-wary users needing responsive account protection
- Small businesses wanting no-frills banking without fee mazes
Sources
- Best American Express Cards . NerdWalletnerdwallet.comreview
- 12 Best American Express Credit Cards . The Points Guythepointsguy.comreview
- American Express Credit Card Reviews . WalletHubwallethub.comreview
- American Express Global Reviews . Trustpilottrustpilot.comreview
- Best American Express Credit Cards . U.S. Newsmoney.usnews.comreview
- Best American Express Credit Cards . Bankratebankrate.comreview
- American Express Security Rating . UpGuardupguard.comsecurity
- American Express Response Policy . HackerOnehackerone.comsecurity
security
- American Express Data Breach March 2024 . Security Blueprintssecurityblueprints.iosecurity
- Does Amex work in China? . Wisewise.comnews
- American Express official siteamericanexpress.comofficial
- Citibank Reviews: 35,547 User Ratings - WalletHubwallethub.comreview
- Citi Reviews - Trustpilottrustpilot.comreview
- Citi Reviews - Glassdoorglassdoor.comreview
- Is Citi a terrible bank? - Redditreddit.comreview