American Express Credit Cards

Frequently Asked Questions

What annual fees do American Express credit cards charge?

The American Express documents we've ingested don't state a single annual-fee figure for every card, and we only publish figures we can trace to a source — so some fee cells in the comparison table above are empty rather than estimated. For the current fee schedule, check American Express's own credit-card pages (linked at the bottom of this page) or each card's review page for the verbatim fee clauses we do hold.

What are the purchase interest rates on American Express credit cards?

American Express publishes its current credit-card interest rates on its own rates page rather than inside the Conditions of Use documents we ingest, so we don't display a rate figure we can't source. The comparison table above shows a purchase APR only where it appears in an ingested document; for today's rates, use American Express's rates page (linked at the bottom of this page). Under the CCCFA, the issuer must disclose all interest rates and fees before you enter the contract.

How do I apply for an American Express credit card?

Applications are made directly with American Express — typically online through American Express's website, or via a branch or phone where offered. Under the CCCFA, American Express must assess affordability and suitability for every application, so whether you're approved — and the credit limit offered — depends on that individual assessment. The eligibility criteria American Express publishes (minimum age, and minimum income where stated) are quoted verbatim in the "Application requirements" section of this page, sourced from each card's Conditions of Use.

How do I dispute an unauthorised transaction on my American Express card?

Each American Express card has an unauthorised-transaction clause in its Conditions of Use that we publish verbatim in the "Your dispute and chargeback rights" section below. If you can't resolve the dispute with American Express directly, every American Express card directs you to an external dispute resolution scheme (typically the Banking Ombudsman Scheme). Citations link to American Express's own T&C document.

How current is the information on this page?

Every card fact on this page is sourced from American Express's official Conditions of Use PDFs. The most recent ingestion was on 21 May 2026. Each fact carries a source-tier badge: Tier A (verbatim from issuer's T&C PDF), Tier B (issuer's live website), Tier C (editorial registry, awaiting T&C ingest). We enforce a 36-month freshness cap on source documents — any fact older than that is automatically excluded from the page.

Where does this information come from?

Every figure on this page is traceable to American Express's publicly published Conditions of Use document. We download the PDF, hash it with SHA-256, extract the markdown content, and run a structured-data extractor (49-field schema) to capture annual fees, interest rates, fee schedules, dispute rights, and eligibility criteria. The source URL for each fact is reachable via the small green chip next to each value. 4 of 4 American Express cards currently have their T&C ingested.

What rewards programs does American Express offer on credit cards?

3 of American Express's credit cards run a rewards mechanic. We publish each card's earn-rate summary verbatim in the "Rewards mechanics" section below — direct quotes from American Express's T&C so you can read the actual rules rather than a paraphrased summary.

Is "best American Express credit card" advice on this page?

No — we publish facts, not rankings. Under FMA and CCCFA fair-dealing rules, we don't claim any card is "best" without disclosed methodology, and we don't publish "guaranteed approval" or similar prohibited marketing language. The comparison table is sorted by card name; you compare the facts that matter to your situation and make your own decision. If you want one-on-one advice, see a licensed Financial Advice Provider — we do not provide advice.

What rights does the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act (CCCFA) give me?

The CCCFA 2003 requires every credit-card issuer to lend responsibly, disclose all costs upfront, give you a cooling-off period for new credit contracts, and offer external dispute resolution. Every American Express T&C we've ingested confirms the dispute scheme they belong to — usually the Banking Ombudsman Scheme. If a lender doesn't follow CCCFA rules, you can complain to the Commerce Commission. Free budgeting help is available via FinCap (0800 345 123).

How does American Express compare with other NZ credit-card issuers?

See our cross-issuer pillar guide at /credit-cards/ for the 14-issuer comparison, or use the comparison table above to drill into specific American Express cards. Every other big-bank issuer on the platform (ANZ, ASB, BNZ, Westpac, Kiwibank) carries the same T&C-ingested fact set, so cross-comparison is apples-to-apples.