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American ExpressAmex Explorer
American ExpressAmex Velocity Platinum
100,000 Velocity Rewards pointsVelocity Rewards1.25
Credit cards · Side by side
Amex Explorer vs Amex Velocity Platinum
vs
Compare on
First-year value after costs, on an assumed $2,000 a month
$219
$239 rewards + $375 bonus, less costs
$366
$246 rewards + $560 bonus, less costs
Amex Velocity Platinum's first-year value is $147 higher than Amex Explorer's, on an assumed $2,000 a month.
An assumed $2,000 a month on the card. Drag to try yours
Figure by figure
First-year value
after costs, on an assumed $2,000 a month
$219
$366
$147 more · Higher value after costs
Sign-up bonus
in dollars, points at what a point buys
$375
75,000 Membership Rewards points
$800
100,000 Velocity Rewards points$425 more · Larger sign-up bonus
What the bonus asks
spend on the card
$4,000 in 3 months
$5,000 in 3 months
70,000 points in year one
Offer ends
3 Nov 2026
13 Oct 2026
Annual fee
ongoing, with any rewards program fee
$395
$45 less · Lower annual fee
$440
First-year fee
$395
the same as later years
$45 less · Lower first-year fee
$440
the same as later years
Rewards program
Membership Rewards
0.50¢ a point
Velocity Rewards0.80¢ a point
Earn rate
on everyday spend, at what a point buys
2
Membership Rewards points per $1 · about 1.00% back
1.25Velocity Rewards points per $1 · about 1.00% back
Purchase rate
23.99%
a year
23.99%
a year
Interest-free days
on purchases, at most
55 days
55 days
Overseas transaction fee
3.50%
of each overseas purchase
3.50%
of each overseas purchase
Additional cardholder fee
None
a year for each extra card
None
a year for each extra card
Minimum credit limit
$3,000
$3,000
Complimentary travel insurance
Included
Included
Airport lounge access
Included
international
Included
domestic
Network
Amex
Amex
Platinum
Over time
Each card's figure as it stood each week since we began tracking cards. A move shows as ▲ or ▼ in the week it happened.
As of 14 October 2026, Amex Explorer charges $395 a year and its sign-up offer is 75,000 Membership Rewards points; Amex Velocity Platinum charges $440 a year and its sign-up offer is 100,000 Velocity Rewards points. Points are valued at what a point buys (a bank's own points at its gift card rate, airline points at 0.8¢), and the value after costs is worked out on the spend above. Each row says which figure is higher or lower; it doesn't rank the cards.
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