American Express National Bank CD Rates American Express National Bank CDs. Earn a competitive rate with American Express's certificates of deposit (CDs). There's no minimum required to participate; nor are there fees. There are a number of fixed terms offered.

American Express National Bank is the 26th largest bank in the U.S. by asset size with just shy of $122 billion in total assets.

Known by most as a credit card company—American Express—this financial corporation was approved to become a commercial bank with the name American Express National Bank in 2008 and has been a part of the digital banking sector ever since.

Within this relatively short period of time, American Express National Bank has racked up over $78 billion in consumer deposits.

Their current deposit suite consists of a personal high yield savings account and seven standard term CDs (certificates of deposit). The personal savings account comes with an APY that consistently places within the top yields from FDIC-insured, online banks with nationwide acceptance.

American Express National Bank is an online-only bank, so there are no physical branches. If you’re considering opening the personal online savings account from American Express, be sure you are comfortable with online banking. They also have no native apps available on IOS or Android so you will have to use a web browser on your PC, tablet or smartphone to manage your account(s).

Available nationwide, American Express is offering you a 0.50% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) as of 12/17/20 on your funds for opening a new American Express High-Yield Savings Account. Below is all the information you need to open an American Express High-Yield Savings Account. Overview of American Express CDs. Unlike several competing banks, American Express doesn’t require you to make a minimum initial deposit to open a CD account. Some banks require a minimum deposit of anywhere from $1,000 to $25,000 to earn their best rates. American Express Bank 6 month CD yield is at 1.00 percent, just below the national average six-month CD rate of 1.018 percent. The bank's longer term certificate of deposit rates are above the national average rate. Currently their 12 month certificate of deposit APY is 1.75 percent, the national average this week is 1.308 percent.

To learn more, read our complete review of their personal savings account and certificate of deposit products below.

The personal high yield savings account by American Express National Bank comes with zero monthly maintenance fees, and no minimum balance or deposit requirements. American Express Bank is member FDIC and all consumer deposits are federally insured up to the applicable limits.

American Express Personal Savings Account APY

To put this offer in perspective, the current national average for savings accounts sits at just 0.07% APY. However, a number of online institutions still offer slightly higher APYs such as the Citi Accelerate savings account, but remember, rates on these accounts are variable and change often.

Fees, Minimum Balance Requirements, and Compounding Interest

The American Express Personal Savings account does not charge monthly maintenance fees nor does it require an average daily minimum balance. To earn the advertised interest rate and APY, you just need to maintain a balance of $1 or more.

There is no minimum opening deposit required either, but accounts that remain with a $0 balance for 180 days will be closed. These flexible terms put this savings product within reach of just about anyone, regardless of net worth or income.

Dividends on this high-yield account are compounded daily and credited monthly to your account.

You can make no more than 6 withdrawals or deposits into this account per month, per federal regulation D.

How to Open a Savings Account with American Express Bank

The account opening process is simple and straightforward. To get started, navigate to the high yield savings account page on the American Express Bank website (link above).

From here you will click on the blue “Apply” button, then it is a four step process that can be completed in minutes. If you have already begun the process you will also be able to access your saved application here. The steps are:

Account set up.
Going through the terms and conditions.
Funding the account.
Online access set up.

For step 1, you will need the following information:

Full name and date of birth (drivers license)
Address
Phone number
Email
Social security number

Once you arrive at step 3 you will need a few pieces of information from the bank in which you will be funding the savings account.

This information includes:

Routing number of bank
Your account number

Once your account is activated and funded you’ll be ready to start earning interest on your balance. As time goes on you will likely need access to these funds. You can learn more about your account access and monitoring your funds below.

Accessing and Monitoring your Funds

You can access your account online either on a desktop, tablet or phone 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. If you’re using your mobile phone you may use the web browser to access your account. American Express does not currently have an IOS or Android app for their savings account. They do, however, for credit cards, but those accounts are not in any way linked to the banking side. More on that below.

For moving funds about, you’ll want to link an external bank account. American Express allows you to link up to 3 external bank accounts. If you initiate this through American Express, this will take 3 or more business days. If you initiate this through the bank from which funds are being pulled, this will take just 1 or 2 business days.

A standard verification process will take place where American Express will send you small micro payments (typically two) in which you will then confirm to complete the syncing of your accounts. After this is completed, you’ll be able to transfer or deposit funds from or into your American Express savings account. Just keep in mind it generally takes one to three business days for new funds to be reflected in your account.

American Express certificates of deposit aren’t nearly as competitive as the American Express Personal savings account with their rates, but they do offer APYs that sit well above the national average for their respective terms.

American Express CD Rates

The national average for a 12 month CDs sits at just 0.22% APY currently, however, many credit unions are still offering near 1.00% APY on 12 month terms.

American Express’s certificates of deposit still feature ascending rates with ascending terms – meaning the longer you lock up your funds, the higher the rate you will receive. While this is standard and to be expected in normal market conditions, it is not what we presently see with a number of online banks and credit unions.

There is no minimum deposit or balance requirement to open and maintain an American Express CD. Any positive balance will earn the fixed APY on the account and you’ll never be charged a fee. You just need to deposit funds within 30 days of being approved for an account.

Dividends are compounded daily and credited monthly. Your interest will default to being deposited back into the certificate account, but you can choose instead to have it transferred automatically to your:

1) American Express Personal Savings account,

2) transferred automatically to a linked external account, or

3) mailed to you by check monthly, quarterly, or annually.

Partial withdrawals are not permitted. Early withdrawal policies for this bank are strict and the fees high, so do your best to wait until your certificate matures to withdraw funds or do so within the permitted window. There is a 10 day grace period within which you may deposit more money after issuance and make changes to your account after renewal. Here are all possible early withdrawal charges:

90 days’ interest for terms of less than 12 months
270 days’ interest for terms greater than 12 and less than 48 months
365 days’ interest for terms greater than 48 and less than 60 months
540 days’ interest for terms greater than 60 months

Keep in mind also that American Express reserves the right to deduct the difference from your principal if your CD does not have enough interest to pay the early withdrawal fee.

You won’t be able to withdraw or deposit savings account funds at in-network ATMs because an American Express Personal Savings account does not come with an ATM card and there is no Amex checking account. So really, these ATMs are for credit card users only.

American Express Cd Rates Review

The digital bank’s customer satisfaction is rather high. Out of 266 reviews on DepositAccounts, American Express Bank scored a rating of 4. Many reviewers go out of their way to mention the superior customer service—helpful representatives, reasonably short wait times, easy process, etc.—they have received with this bank and express their appreciation for the user-friendly online banking platform. Most have only good feedback for the company.

Unfortunately for those hoping to conduct their banking through a mobile app, the Amex mobile app is also only for credit card customers. Hopefully, though, you will agree with the majority of other users that say that the American Express online portal is convenient and easy to use.

To contact customer service—available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—call 1-(800)446-6307, fax 1-(800)-542-0779, or send checks/correspondence to the below address: American Express National Bank P.O. Box 30384 Salt Lake City, Utah 84130

Are American Express Credit Cards associated with American Express National Bank?

A common question among current American Express credit card holders is whether or not their account and information are tied (or will be tied) to American Express National Bank if they choose to open a personal savings account or CD.

The answer to that is NO.

American Express Credit Cards and American Express National Bank accounts like the Personal Savings Account or any of their CDs are offered by two separate entities.

On top of that, the login credentials for your Amex card(s) and the login credentials for your personal savings account or CD will be separate and used for two different websites. These systems do not share any personal information, balance or transaction data with one another.

American Express Bank isn’t trying to replace your other banks by becoming your number one.

It doesn’t offer a checking account and it doesn’t have in-person branches. In fact, this institution will likely be more supplementary than anything else.

With that said, their longer term deposit accounts and personal savings accounts are fee-free and competitive, so if you’re after higher than average yields American Express National Bank may be worth considering.

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These days, it can be tough to find a simple, affordable bank that allows you to store your hard-earned cash without extra fees or trying to upsell you with other banking products.

AMEX is different – it’s an online-only savings institution that allows you to save your money in either a basic high yield savings account or in a CD savings account.

Let’s break down everything you need to know about this accessible and affordable bank now.

American Express Bank Overview

What is American Express Bank?

American Express Bank or AMEX is an online-only bank that offers various specialized or personalized banking products to help you save and reach your financial goals.

It’s a good choice for saving money but does not include options for other account types or loans.

What Does American Express National Bank Offer?

There are tons of online banks to choose from, but AMEX is distinguished in large part due to its high-quality savings accounts and good CDs or certificates of deposit (which is a type of savings account).

These specialized savings accounts are perfect if you want to save money until the maturity date to prevent anyone from dipping into it, such as a college savings account.

While it has a variety of online offerings, AMEX does not have any in-person branches. Therefore, your banking experience will be entirely digital; whether or not this is a downside depends on your preferences.

Its overall banking options are also quite limited, making this a good pick for folks who specifically need to save money.

AMEX Bank Featured Products

Amex Personal Savings (High Yield Savings Account)

Account Minimum: $0
APY: 0.50%

AMEX’s online savings account has one of the best annual percentage yields in the industry and is incredibly accessible since it requires no account minimum and has no monthly service fees.

Of course, it doesn’t come with an ATM card, given AMEX’s online-only status. All in all, it’s an ideal savings account for students, singles, and individuals needing a no-nonsense and affordable banking option to stash their cash.

American Express CD Rates

If you’d rather store your money until a particular date, such as saving for college or saving up to make a big purchase, you can transition your savings account into a certificate of deposit.

These have maturity rates ranging from 6 to 60 months, and each account comes with competitive interest rates.

You can’t contribute extra money to a CD as you can with a savings account, but these are undoubtedly great options if you have lump sums you want to grow over a period of several years.

You’ll end up with more than if you’d used a regular savings account because of the included high-interest rates.

Related: Best CD Rates

Additional Financial Products Offered by AMEX

Credit Cards: AMEX offers a variety of credit cards. These have a range of credit limits and varying credit score requirements, so you don’t need perfect credit to get a card from here. You’ve probably heard of several of these credit cards already, including the American Express Gold Card and American Express Green Card
Personal Loans: Unfortunately, AMEX doesn’t offer personal or business loans in any capacity. Therefore, you’ll need to visit a different financial institution to access these banking products.
Business Loans: See above.

American Express Bank Review: Fees, Customer Support, & Experience

Banking Experience

AMEX’s bank website is pretty navigable and intuitive (which is important since it doesn’t have any brick-and-mortar branches).

It also has a high-quality FAQ section you can peruse if you have any basic questions you need answered quickly.

Customer Support

AMEX’s customer service is hit or miss overall. While you can call them 24/7, the mobile app is only available for AMEX’s credit cardholders.

American Express 5 Year Cd Rates

Furthermore, you may not be able to reach someone online at all hours of the day.

Overdraft Fees

AMEX’s overdraft fees are about middle-of-the-road compared to other banking institutions. You’ll pay on average $34 for every overdraft charge on your credit card.

AMEX Bank Pros and Cons

American Express Cd Rates Highest

Pros:

AMEX’s online website is easy to use and understand.
AMEX offers an excellent personal savings account option with a good APY.
AMEX’s CDs have good interest rates and a decent range of term lengths to suit any savings goal.
There are no hidden or strange fees to worry about.
It’s easy to open an account since there’s no charge and no minimum account balance.

Cons:

No in-person branches, so everything must be handled online (i.e. you need a computer to bank with this company).
No loans, either, so it’s really only a good choice for saving your money.

American Express National Bank FAQs

Is American Express a Good Bank?

That depends on what you need out of it. AMEX is a perfect pick if you need a simple bank in which to store your paychecks or save up for a big purchase, like a car loan or a down payment on a house.

But it’s very limited in other ways. You’ll need to take care of most of your other banking goals elsewhere, including getting loans or opening a checking account.

Is American Express National Bank FDIC Insured?

Yes. All of your deposits are insured as long as they don’t exceed $250,000.

Is American Express National Bank a Real Bank?

Yes. It saves your money and can provide you with credit cards. But it doesn’t have any brick-and-mortar bank locations you can visit.

Is American Express Online Banking Safe?

American Express Cd Rates 2020

Yes. AMEX’s online website is protected with SSL certification and other digital security measures.

Bottom Line: American Express Bank Review

All in all, AMEX does a great job at what it sets out to do: provide affordable and accessible savings options for regular folks. So long as you come to this bank needing an easy savings account option, you’ll likely be satisfied.

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