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The link to apply for the American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Card can be found here:
The American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Card is worth considering if you’re looking for a credit card that offers excellent rewards for earning Amex Membership Rewards points. This card is particularly beneficial for individuals who travel a lot. In this post, we will take a detailed look at the features and benefits of this card to help you make an informed decision.
In This Post
Signup bonus.
As of August 2024, this card does not offer a registration bonus. However, if you have not had any personal American Express cards in the last two years, you still have the opportunity to earn the standard sign-up amount of 20,000 membership rewards points. 20,000 membership rewards points can be converted into 20,000 Avios or 20,000 Virgin Atlantic points, along with many other options we will cover later.
Card Eligibility.
- The welcome bonus on the Amex Gold Card isn’t available to those who currently have or have held a personal American Express card in the last 24 months.
- You must also be a UK resident over 18 years old to be eligible for the signup bonus.
- However, even if you have held an Amex card recently, it’s still worth taking out this card solely for its benefits.
Annual Fee.
This card is free for the first year, and after that its £195.00 per year. A £195 annual fee will automatically be charged to your Account on or after the anniversary of your account opening date.
What’s the earning rate on the gold card?
Despite paying £195 from year 2, this card has impressive benefits, offsetting the annual fee.
- 3X points spend on American Express Travel
- 2X points spend directly with the airlines
- 1x points on your everyday shopping
Let’s take a closer look at these earning rates.
- 1x point is earned for every £1 spent and charged per transaction on your card at the following rates: one point for every full £1 spent and charged per transaction.
- 2x points for every full £1 spent and charged per transaction directly with airlines over the phone or online via their official website or affiliated mobile apps (only transactions made directly with the airline will be included for bonus Membership Rewards points. You will also get double points when you spend on a foreign transaction.
- 3x points for every full £1 spent and charged per transaction on pre-paid hotels, flights, car hire and experiences at American Express Travel (excludes cruises and The Hotel Collection).
Get a Points Boost.
Every time you spend £5,000, you will get 2,500 bonus Membership Rewards points, up to 12,500 bonus points per year. With 1x point you get for every £1 spent plus the bonus Membership Rewards points – you could get up to 1.5 points for every £1 you spend.
Transferring your Amex points to airlines & hotels:
The most effective way to make use of your points is to transfer them to one of the 16 airline or hotel partners in the Membership Rewards program.
The airline partners are as follows:
Asia Miles
- 1 Membership Rewards Point = 1 Asia Miles
- Estimated transfer time:3 working days
- Minimum transfer amount:1000 points
British Airways Executive Club
- 1 Membership Rewards point = 1 Avios
- Estimated transfer time:3 working days
- Minimum transfer amount:1000 points
Delta SkyMiles
- 1000 Membership Rewards points = 1000 SkyMiles
- Estimated transfer time:up to 30 minutes
- Minimum transfer amount:1000 points
Emirates Skywards
- 1 Membership Rewards point = 1 Skywards mile
- Estimated transfer time:2 working days
- Minimum transfer amount:1000 points
Etihad Guest
- 1 Membership Rewards Point = 1 Etihad Guest mile
- Estimated transfer time:5 working days
- Minimum transfer amount:1000 points
Flying Blue
- 1 Membership Rewards point = 1 Flying Blue mile
- Estimated transfer time:4 working days
- Minimum transfer amount:500 points
Iberia Plus
- 1 Membership Rewards point = 1 Avios
- Estimated transfer time:4 working days
- Minimum transfer amount:1000 points
Qantas Frequent Flyer
- 1 Membership Rewards point = 1 Qantas Point
- Estimated transfer time:3 business days
- Minimum transfer amount:500 points
SAS EuroBonus
- 1 Membership Rewards point = 1 EuroBonus Points
- Estimated transfer time:5 working days
- Minimum transfer amount:1000 points
Singapore KrisFlyer
- 3 Membership Rewards point = 2 KrisFlyer mile
- Estimated transfer time:15 working days
- Minimum transfer amount:900 points
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- 1 Membership Rewards points = 1 Virgin Point
- Estimated transfer time:Points should be transferred to your Virgin Atlantic Flying Club instantly, but please allow 48 hours for completion.
- Minimum transfer amount:1000 points
The following are the hotel partners you can transfer your points into.
Hilton Honors
- 1 Membership Rewards point = 2 Hilton Honors points
Marriott Bonvoy™
- 2 Membership Rewards points = 3 Marriott Points
- Estimated transfer time:Up to 1 Business Day*
- Minimum transfer amount:400 points
Radisson Rewards™
- 1 Membership Rewards point = 3 points
- Estimated transfer time:10 working days
- Minimum transfer amount:3 points
There are 2 more American Express partners and they are.
Club Eurostar
- 1500 Membership Rewards points = 100 Club Eurostar points
- Estimated transfer time:5 working days
- Minimum transfer amount:1500 points
Nectar
- 1 Membership Rewards point = 1 Nectar point
- Estimated transfer time:4 working days
- Minimum transfer amount:1 points
This is a great opportunity for excellent value for first- and business-class travel. These tickets can be costly if you pay with cash, but they can be a great deal with points. Additionally, Amex often offers transfer bonuses, so you can get even more value out of your points.
Amex gold card benefits:
Lounge access.
You will receive free membership of priority pass lounges and 4 free yearly entries when you travel. Additional entries will be charged at £20.00 per entry.
Deliveroo offer.
This card comes with a 2x £5.00 credit per month to Deliveroo; that’s a £120.00 rebate per year on your card every time you order yourself some food.
Hertz.
10% discount and free additional driver on Hertz bookings.
Avis.
Free Avis Preferred Plus car rental status.
Hotel credit.
$75 in-hotel credit and an upgrade (based on availability at check-in) when booking 350 4-5 star hotels worldwide.
Conclusion:
The Amex Gold Card is a great way to get started in the points game. With offers such as 3x points on travel purchases, valuable credits of up to £120 in Deliveroo annually, four free airport lounge passes, and a 20,000 Membership Rewards point signup bonus, it’s definitely well worth considering having this card.
To sign up for this card, click the following link.
If you want read our reviews on all the credit cards in the UK so you can decide which one is best for you make sure to check out our beginners guide or the credit cards section of our website.
