American Express®, Member FDIC, High Yield Savings Account Review 2024

Learn about the American Express® High Yield Savings Account including pros, cons, fees, and features. Compare savings interest rates, benefits, and more.
Editor's Rating
Editor's Rating
4.4
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Written by Rebecca Lake
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Managing Editor
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american express savings review

American Express®, member FDIC, is perhaps best known as an issuer of personal and business credit and charge cards.

But the company also offers online savings accounts to help you grow your savings cushion.

Learn how the American Express® High Yield Savings Account works to help you decide if it’s right for you.

American Express High Yield Savings Account Essentials

The American Express High Yield Savings Account is one of the better online savings accounts. In terms of what you can expect when you save money with American Express National Bank, here’s a quick rundown of this account’s features:

  • Earn a competitive APY on deposits
  • No monthly fees
  • No minimum balances are required to open an account
  • FDIC-insured savings
  • Link your account to your current bank for easy deposits and transfers
  • Easy online account-opening process
  • Customer service is available 24/7 if you need help

Which Banks Have the Best Savings Account Rates?

Finding the bank with the best savings account to meet your needs is as simple as using our search tool. Compare American Express savings with other savings accounts and find the best rates today.

MoneyRates Editor’s Analysis: Pros & Cons

When comparing the best places to save money, weighing the benefits against potential downsides is essential. Here’s how the pros and cons of opening an online savings account with American Express National Bank compare.

American Express High Yield Savings Account Rates

You’ll likely focus on the interest rate when choosing a savings account. After all, you want your money to grow as quickly as possible.

As online savings accounts go, the American Express High Yield Savings Account does an excellent job of holding its own against the competition. The rate is considerably higher than the national average savings rate.

Savers earn the same APY regardless of how much they keep in their savings account. That’s different from other banks, which may tier rates by balance instead, rewarding super savers with the best rates.

Compared to traditional brick-and-mortar banks or credit unions, the high-yield savings account that American Express National Bank typically offers a much better return. These banks generally provide a much lower savings rate and are more likely to charge monthly maintenance or minimum balance fees, which can take away from your efforts to save money.

Keeping that in mind, the American Express High Yield Savings Account is one of the best online savings accounts for avoiding minimum balance requirements while earning a solid rate.

American Express High Yield Savings Account Fees

When you open a savings account at an online bank, it typically comes with minimal fees. The same is true for American Express National Bank.

There is no monthly fee to worry about with this online savings account. No minimum deposit is required to open your account, although you are capped at keeping $5 million.

You are keeping fees to a minimum to grow your savings. The more you pay in fees, the more interest your earning gets nibbled away.

Other Savings Account Fees

Savings accounts are designed to help you save money, not spend it. But there may be times when you need to make withdrawals from savings.

You need to know that you are limited as to how often you can take money from savings. Federal Regulation D limits you to six withdrawal transactions per month.

Go over that six-withdrawal limit, and you could be hit with an excess withdrawal fee, or your bank could change your savings account into a checking account.

American Express National Bank adheres to the six-withdrawal rule as an FDIC-insured bank. Still, it doesn’t specify whether account holders will pay a penalty fee for exceeding that limit in any given month.

Additional American Express National Bank Savings Account Features & Benefits

There aren’t a lot of bells and whistles with this savings account option. For example, using American Express credit cards won’t get special bonus rates.

One good thing about this online savings account is that American Express makes it easy to manage your savings. You can access your account online through the American Express mobile app 24/7. As mobile apps go, they’re easy to navigate and use.

You can also link up to three external bank accounts to your high-yield savings account. That makes it convenient for transferring funds in and out of your account.

One thing to note: This account doesn’t offer an ATM or debit card. If you need to withdraw cash, you must first transfer money to an external bank account.

You also get the benefit of American Express customer service. You can log in to your online account to initiate a live chat or call customer service 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Are There Other Ways to Save with American Express National Bank?

You may be wondering whether you can open a money market account or certificate of deposit with American Express in addition to a high-yield savings account.

While a money market account has advantages, American Express National Bank doesn’t offer them currently. You can, however, open a CD account online. CD terms are available from 18 to 60 months. The APY for CD accounts is tiered, so the longer your CD term, the higher your rate.

American Express offers flexibility when it comes to the minimum balances for CDs. You can open a CD with as little or as much money as you like, up to the $5-million-per-depositor cap.

Remember that you can’t add to your CD account once opened. You can, however, create a CD ladder using different certificates of deposit with varying maturity dates.

In terms of fees, there are no monthly fees for CDs. However, you may pay a penalty if you withdraw money from your CD before it matures. This penalty means surrendering a percentage of the interest earned on CD savings.

How to Open a Savings Account With American Express®

You can do so online if you’d like to open an American Express High Yield Savings Account.

To open your account, you need:

  • Your social security number
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • Home address
  • Date of birth
  • Routing and account numbers for the external bank account you plan to link.

From there, you choose which type of account you want to open, i.e., a high-yield savings account or CD account. You can also apply by phone if you’d prefer.

Once your account is approved, you’ll receive a welcome kit, and you can fund your account with your initial deposit. Linking external bank accounts and transferring funds can take a few business days, depending on where the money comes from.

After your account is open and funded, you can sign up for online banking and mobile banking access to manage your savings in the future.

Final Verdict: Should You Open an American Express High Yield Savings Account?

The American Express High Yield Savings Account could be a good option if you’re looking for a convenient way to save money while earning a competitive APY. It may be a no-brainer for people using American Express® personal or business credit cards to spend and earn rewards.

The rates are near the top of what you can find with other online banks and far outstrip what traditional banks offer. No monthly fees to pay is another plus if you’re hoping to avoid banking fees.

On the other hand, it does pay to shop around when comparing rates. You may find that another bank offers a better APY or more perks, for example, that could make that online savings account more attractive.

Bottom line, consider what you want from a high-yield savings account. If you’re looking for a higher APY that you can earn regardless of whether you have a higher balance or a lower one and you don’t want to pay a monthly fee, the American Express High Yield Savings Account could fit the bill.

About Author
Rebecca Lake
Rebecca Lake, a valued contributor at MoneyRates, unravels the intricacies of personal finance with her expertise in areas spanning from banking to homebuying and investing to small business strategies. Rebecca seamlessly bridges the gap between complex financial concepts and readers, demystifying them with her clear and insightful narratives. She has contributed to U.S. News and World Report, among numerous other publications. With Rebecca’s guidance, financial clarity is just an article away.