--- title: "American Express Essential® Rewards Credit Card — American Express" description: "Credit & Charge Cards from American Express. Rates, fees, features and eligibility as published under Australia's Consumer Data Right." canonical: https://www.cdrcompare.au/brands/american-express/products/1900b334-218c-4285-b5a2-b59d1ecb3bb1 source: "CDR Compare" language: en-AU last_updated: 2026-07-08T02:30:00.000Z --- # American Express Essential® Rewards Credit Card — American Express > Credit & Charge Cards from American Express. Rates, fees, features and eligibility as published by the provider under Australia's Consumer Data Right, compared on CDR Compare. **Credit & Charge Cards** Expect extra with the American Express Essential Rewards Credit Card. ## At a glance - **Purchase rate:** 23.99% - **Annual fee:** $9.00 ## Apply Applications are handled by the provider: [Apply at American Express](https://www.americanexpress.com/en-au/credit-cards/essential-rewards-credit-card/) ## Interest rates | Type | Rate | Comparison | Applies to | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Purchase (Interest rate applied to outstanding balances not paid in full by the due date.) | 23.99% | — | — | ## Fees | Fee | Type | Amount | | --- | --- | --- | | Annual Fee — Charged monthly | Ongoing | $9.00 | | Additional Card Fee — Charged yearly · Applies to the first 4 Additional Cards | Ongoing | $0.00 | | Late Payment Fee — When you do not pay the minimum payment required by the due date as shown on your statement. | Event | $30.00 | | Currency Conversion Fee — 3.5% of the converted amount. Payable when any charge is processed in a currency other than Australian dollars. | Purchase | 3.5% of transaction | | Dishonour Fee — $6 for each dishonour or debit rejection. Payable if there aren’t enough funds in your nominated account to pay the Card Account or if the whole or part of a payment by direct debit is rejected. | Event | $6.00 | | Over The Counter Fee — $3 Payable if you pay your Card Account in person at Australia Post by EFTPOS. | Payment | $3.00 | | Record of Charge Fee — $7 for charges in Australia, $10 for other charges | Event | $7.00 | | Additional Statement Fee — Payable if you or an Additional Card Member requests an additional posted monthly paper statement. You may access statements free of charge through your online Account. | Event | $10.00 | ## Features - **Additional cards** — up to 4 (Add up to 4 Cards at no additional fee.) - **Bill payment (BPAY)** — Ways to pay your bill - **Bonus rewards** — New Card Member Offer - **Digital banking** — Amex App (The Amex App lets you quickly and easily manage your Card Account anytime, anywhere.) - **Digital wallet** — Apple Pay - **Digital wallet** — Google Pay - **Digital wallet** — Samsung Pay - **Fraud protection** (Fraud Protection Guarantee, protecting you from unauthorised charges made on your Account.) - **Instalment plan** — Plan It Instalments (A flexible way to pay off a selected amount or portion of your Credit Card balance in equal monthly instalments. Subject to fees.) - **Insurance included** — Card Purchase Cover - **Insurance included** — Card Refund Cover - **Insurance included** — Smartphone Front Screen Cover Insurance - **Insurance included** — Buyer's Advantage Cover - **Interest-free period** — 55 days (Up to 55 interest free days on purchases) - **Loyalty program** — Membership Rewards (5 points per $1 spent on Eligible Eats and Drinks locations in Australia. 3 points per $1 spent on Selected Streaming Services in Australia. 2 points per $1 on Selected Major Retailers in Australia. 1 point per $1 spent everywhere else in Australia. Accelerated earn up to 10k points per month, $1 thereafter.) - **Notifications** — Payment due reminder - **Notifications** — Spend tracking notification - **Notifications** — Payment received alert - **Whether it's shopping, dining, travel or entertainment, eligible Card Members can access Amex Offers providing statement credits or bonus points. Amex Offers must be saved to the Card and used for qualifying spend, subject to offer-specific criteria, to receive a benefit.** — Amex Offers - **Get pre-sale tickets and access to some of your favourite events, and enjoy the Amex Entertainment Lounge before the show at select venues. With Amex, you can dive into unforgettable experiences.** — American Express Experiences ## Eligibility - **Minimum age** — 18 years - **Residency status** — You are an Australian citizen or permanent resident or hold a long term visa. (Long term visa means 12 months or more and does not include a student visa.) - **Additional Cards are available for any friend or family member 16 years and over.** - **Individuals only** - **Applications are assessed based on the information provided and are subject to credit approval.** ## Constraints - **Minimum limit** — $2,000.00 ## More information from American Express - [Overview](https://www.americanexpress.com/en-au/credit-cards/essential-rewards-credit-card/) - [Terms & conditions](https://www.americanexpress.com/en-au/credit-cards/essential-rewards-credit-card/) - [Eligibility](https://www.americanexpress.com/en-au/credit-cards/essential-rewards-credit-card/) - [Fees & pricing](https://www.americanexpress.com/en-au/credit-cards/essential-rewards-credit-card/) ## Data provenance - Published by American Express under the Consumer Data Right - Product ID: `1900b334-218c-4285-b5a2-b59d1ecb3bb1` - Last updated by the provider: 8 July 2026 - Source payload (JSON): https://www.cdrcompare.au/api/raw/american-express/1900b334-218c-4285-b5a2-b59d1ecb3bb1 - Provider page: https://www.cdrcompare.au/brands/american-express --- Source: [CDR Compare](https://www.cdrcompare.au/brands/american-express/products/1900b334-218c-4285-b5a2-b59d1ecb3bb1) — product data published by Australian data holders under the Consumer Data Right. 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