American Express vs Synchrony Bank
High-Yield Savings Accounts Comparison
Last Updated: August 29, 2025
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Summary of American Express vs. Synchrony Bank
As of August 29, 2025 American Express offers an APY of 3.50% for its High Yield Savings Account account, compared to Synchrony Bank's 3.80% APY for its High Yield Savings account.
Synchrony Bank yields $30 more than American Express on a $10,000 balance after one year. American Express pays $350, while Synchrony Bank pays $380 - an APY advantage for Synchrony Bank.
American Express
Strengths
- American Express offers a competitive APY of 3.50%.
- No maintenance fees or minimum balance requirements.
- High App Store rating of 4.9.
Potential Drawbacks
- American Express has an F rating from the BBB and is not accredited.
- Google Play rating is lower at 3.8.
- No branches available for in-person banking.
Synchrony Bank
Strengths
- Synchrony Bank provides a higher APY of 3.80%.
- Google Play rating is higher at 4.5.
- No maintenance fees or minimum balance requirements.
Potential Drawbacks
- Synchrony Bank is not rated by the BBB.
- App Store rating is slightly lower at 4.8.
- No branches available for in-person banking.
Summary: American Express offers a competitive APY of 3.50% but has an F BBB rating. In contrast, Synchrony Bank provides a higher APY of 3.80% and has a better Google Play rating. Both banks have no maintenance fees and no branches, but Synchrony lacks a BBB rating, while American Express is not accredited. Overall, Synchrony Bank stands out with a higher APY.
Compare American Express' vs Synchrony Bank's Savings Accounts
| American Express | Synchrony Bank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Product | High Yield Savings Account | vs | High Yield Savings |
| APY | 3.50% (as of 8/29/2025) | 3.80% (as of 8/29/2025) | |
| Bundled Account | No | No | |
| FDIC-insured | Yes | Yes | |
| Online Only | Yes | Yes | |
| Compound Frequency | Daily | Daily | |
| Minimum Deposit | $0 | $0 | |
| Minimum Balance for APY | $0 | $0 | |
| Maintenance Fee | $0 | $0 | |
| Direct Deposit Required | No | No | |
| App Store Rating | 4.9/5 | 4.8/5 | |
| Google Play Rating | 3.8/5 | 4.5/5 | |
| BBB Rating | F | Not Rated |
Comparative Historical APY Insights (Last 7 Months)
| American Express | Synchrony Bank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Product | High Yield Savings Account | vs | High Yield Savings |
| Latest APY | 3.50 % | 3.80 % | |
| Trend | Sideways | Sideways | |
| Slope (bps/mo) | -4.2 | -4.4 | |
| Rate Changes / Mo | 0.41 | 0.27 | |
| Days Since Last Change | 38 | 88 | |
| High (-7 m) | 3.80 % | 4.10 % | |
| Low (-7 m) | 3.50 % | 3.80 % | |
| Draw-down from High | -7.9 % | -7.3 % | |
| Volatility (CV) | 0.026 | 0.027 |
APY Insights Glossary
- Latest APY
- Most recent advertised annual-percentage yield.
- Trend
- Direction over the last 7 months (regression slope).
- Slope (bps/mo)
- Average monthly change; 10 bps = 0.10 pp.
- Rate Changes / Mo
- Typical number of APY moves per month.
- Days Since Last Change
- Recency of the latest APY adjustment.
- High (-7 m)
- Highest APY in the last 220 days.
- Low (-7 m)
- Lowest APY in the last 220 days.
- Draw-down from High
- How far today sits below the 7-month peak.
- Volatility (CV)
- Coefficient of variation = stdev ÷ mean.
Why Track Savings-Account APYs?
- See how quickly a bank reacts to Fed moves or competition.
- Gauge “twitchiness” - frequent moves can annoy savers.
- Spot if you're buying near a peak (draw-down) or riding a rise.
- Slope (bps/mo) shows speed of change.
- Volatility (CV) scales jumps by average level.
Calculate Savings Growth for American Express vs Synchrony Bank
All calculations are based on APY.
American Express
APY: 3.50%
Total savings breakdown:
- Interest earned: $2,114.1 (10.51%)
- Total contributions: $13,000 (64.63%)
- Initial deposit: $5,000 (24.86%)
Your total balance
$20,114.10
Effective APY: 3.50% (based on your deposit and contributions)
Total balance: $20,114.1
Earnings: $2,114.1
Bank OverviewSynchrony Bank
APY: 3.80%
Total savings breakdown:
- Interest earned: $2,305.9 (11.36%)
- Total contributions: $13,000 (64.02%)
- Initial deposit: $5,000 (24.62%)
Your total balance
$20,305.90
Effective APY: 3.80% (based on your deposit and contributions)
Total balance: $20,305.9
Earnings: $2,305.9
Bank OverviewWith a $5,000 initial deposit and $13,000 in total contributions over 5 years, American Express's total earnings would be $191.8 lower than Synchrony Bank's total earnings.
The Banksparency Savings Calculator provides estimated savings growth based on user input and our latest data.
More Comparisons
Compare American Express' APY of 3.50% with other banks
| Bank Pair | Best APY | Min Deposit |
|---|---|---|
| American Express vs Ally Bank | 3.50% | $0 |
| American Express vs Axos Bank | 4.46% | $0 |
| American Express vs Bank of America | 0.01% | $100 |
| American Express vs Barclays | 4.10% | $0 |
| American Express vs Capital One | 3.50% | $0 |
| American Express vs Chase Bank | 0.01% | $0 |
| American Express vs Chime | 3.75% | $0 |
| American Express vs CIT Bank | 4.00% | $100 |
| American Express vs Discover Bank | 3.50% | $0 |
| American Express vs Fitness Bank | 4.85% | $100 |
| American Express vs Marcus by Goldman Sachs | 3.65% | $0 |
| American Express vs Presidential Bank | 4.50% | $5,000 |
| American Express vs SoFi Bank | 3.80% | $0 |
| American Express vs UFB Direct | 4.21% | $5000 |
| American Express vs Varo Bank | 5.00% | $0 |
| American Express vs Wells Fargo | 2.51% | $25 |
Compare Synchrony Bank's APY of 3.80% with other banks
| Bank Pair | Best APY | Min Deposit |
|---|---|---|
| Synchrony Bank vs Ally Bank | 3.50% | $0 |
| Synchrony Bank vs Axos Bank | 4.46% | $0 |
| Synchrony Bank vs Bank of America | 0.01% | $100 |
| Synchrony Bank vs Barclays | 4.10% | $0 |
| Synchrony Bank vs Capital One | 3.50% | $0 |
| Synchrony Bank vs Chase Bank | 0.01% | $0 |
| Synchrony Bank vs Chime | 3.75% | $0 |
| Synchrony Bank vs CIT Bank | 4.00% | $100 |
| Synchrony Bank vs Discover Bank | 3.50% | $0 |
| Synchrony Bank vs Fitness Bank | 4.85% | $100 |
| Synchrony Bank vs Marcus by Goldman Sachs | 3.65% | $0 |
| Synchrony Bank vs Presidential Bank | 4.50% | $5,000 |
| Synchrony Bank vs SoFi Bank | 3.80% | $0 |
| Synchrony Bank vs UFB Direct | 4.21% | $5000 |
| Synchrony Bank vs Varo Bank | 5.00% | $0 |
| Synchrony Bank vs Wells Fargo | 2.51% | $25 |