And btw for the record American Express is also their own financial institution just like Discover, but I don’t recommend them for most people for a few reasons: they tend to have higher credit standards, more of their cards have complicated or confusing terms, and many people don’t realize that a number of their cards are still true legitimate charge cards rather than credit cards, meaning they require repayment in full every month rather than allowing a running line of credit. And yes that last one should be avoidable by simply reading terms, but I’ve seen more than one person get bit by not understanding what they’re getting into with Amex.

That said, Amex also has some unique advantages, and if you’re a frequent international traveler those advantages may be enough to make them the superior choice.