- Annual fee
- Free year 1, then £195
- Welcome bonus
- 20,000 points after £3,000 in 3 months
- Earn rate
- 1 point per £1, double on airlines and abroad
- Key perk
- 4 airport lounge passes a year
The short answer
In your first year, yes, easily. There's no fee, the welcome bonus alone is worth a flight, and you get lounge passes and Deliveroo credit on top. It's still the easiest way into points in the UK.
From year two, it depends on you. The fee becomes £195. If you use the lounge passes and the Deliveroo credit, those perks can cover the fee before you count any points. If you don't, it's usually better to move on to a different card.
- No annual fee in the first year
- Points move to Avios and Virgin Points at 1:1, and to other airlines and hotels
- Double points on flights booked directly with airlines and on spending abroad
- Four Priority Pass lounge passes every year
- £195 a year from year two
- Base earn rate of 1 point per £1 is lower than some Avios cards
- No Companion Voucher like the BA cards
- Amex isn't accepted everywhere
What you get
The welcome bonus
Spend £3,000 in your first three months and you get 20,000 Membership Rewards points. Add the points from that spending and you'll have around 23,000 points before you've paid a penny in fees.
The bonus is only for people who haven't held a personal American Express card in the last 24 months. Supplementary cards on someone else's account and Amex business cards don't count against you.
Earning points
- 1 point per £1 on everyday spending.
- 2 points per £1 on flights booked directly with airlines, and on spending outside the UK.
- An annual spend bonus of up to 10,000 points, with the full amount when you spend £20,000 in a year.
The perks
- Four Priority Pass lounge passes when you join, and four more every year. Use them yourself or bring guests. Extra visits cost £24 each.
- £120 of Deliveroo credit a year: £5 back on each of your first two Deliveroo orders every month.
- Car hire extras: a Hertz discount and Avis Preferred Plus status.
Turning points into flights
The big advantage of the Gold card is flexibility. Membership Rewards points don't belong to one airline. When you're ready to book, you move them to the programme that has the seat you want.
- British Airways Avios at 1:1. Also usable with Qatar Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus.
- Virgin Points at 1:1, for Virgin Atlantic and its partners.
- Other airlines and hotel programmes, including Emirates Skywards, plus options such as Eurostar.
As a guide, the welcome bonus is usually enough for a return flight to Europe in economy using British Airways Reward Flight Saver, where you pay a fixed, low amount in taxes and fees on top of the Avios.
Is it worth £195 from year two?
Here's a simple way to work it out. Add up what you'll actually use:
| Perk | Value to you |
|---|---|
| Deliveroo credit, if you order twice a month | Up to £120 |
| 4 lounge passes, at £24 each | Up to £96 |
| Points from your spending | Depends on spend |
| Perks alone | Up to £216 |
If you'd use both perks, they cover the £195 fee on their own, and your points are a bonus. If you don't use Deliveroo and rarely fly, the fee is hard to justify.
Before your renewal date: look at what you used in the past year. If the numbers don't add up, transfer your points out first, then cancel or switch to a free card. Points can be lost if you close the account while they're still in it.
Gold vs the other popular cards
| Card | Annual fee | Earn rate | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amex Preferred Rewards Gold | Free year 1, then £195 | 1 point per £1 | Beginners and flexibility |
| BA Amex Premium Plus | £300 | 1.25 Avios per £1 | Companion Voucher for two |
| Amex Platinum | £650 | 1 point per £1 | Lounges and hotel status |
| Barclaycard Avios Plus | £240 | 1.5 Avios per £1 | Most Avios per pound |
A common path is to start with the Gold card for its free first year, then move on to the BA Premium Plus once you know you'll spend enough to earn the Companion Voucher.
Who it suits
- Get it if you're new to points, want a strong bonus with no fee in year one, and haven't decided which airline to collect with.
- Keep it after year one if you use the Deliveroo credit and lounge passes, or spend enough to earn the annual bonus.
- Skip it if you've had a personal Amex card in the last 24 months, since you won't get the bonus.
- Choose something else if you want a Companion Voucher. Look at the BA Amex cards in our airline card guide.
Not sure Gold is the one?
See every UK card that earns Avios or Virgin Points side by side.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Amex Gold card free?
It's free for the first year. From year two the annual fee is £195.
What are Amex points worth in Avios?
Membership Rewards points transfer to Avios at 1:1, so 20,000 points become 20,000 Avios.
Can I get the bonus if I've had an Amex card before?
Not if you've held a personal American Express card in the last 24 months. Amex business cards and supplementary cards on someone else's account don't count.
Do my points expire?
Not while your account stays open. If you plan to cancel, move your points to an airline or hotel programme first.