Get 15,000 Amex points for upgrading your Gold to Platinum – worth it?
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American Express has sent an offer to some Preferred Rewards Gold cardholders offering them 15,000 Membership Rewards points if they upgrade to American Express Platinum.
Even if you did not receive this offer, it still seems that you can still take part – you are directed to this generic Amex website which appears open to any Amex Gold customer.
Is this a good deal?
Ordinarily, I would say ‘No’. If you are interested in the Platinum card and already have an Amex Gold, the most effective thing to do would be to cancel your Gold card, wait 6 months and then make a fresh application for Platinum.
Because of the 6 month gap, you will qualify for the full sign-up bonus, which is currently 30,000 Membership Rewards points. This is obviously better than just 15,000 points.
However ….
At the moment, there is a good reason to consider Amex’s 15,000 point offer.
As I wrote here, the Cathay Pacific Gold card will cease to be an Amex Platinum benefit from 15th February. As this card gives you almost all of the benefits of a British Airways Executive Club Silver card, including British Airways lounge access, it is well worth having.
If you currently have an Amex Gold, cancelling and waiting 6 months to apply for Platinum will be too late – the Cathay deal will have disappeared.
If you are an Amex Gold cardholder and are interested getting a Cathay Pacific Gold, this is a pretty good offer.
Remember that, whilst Platinum has a £450 annual fee, it is refunded pro-rata when you cancel. You only need to spend £1,000 to trigger the 15,000 bonus points for upgrading, and you can order your Cathay card as soon as your Amex Platinum arrives.
If you found that the Platinum benefits didn’t work for you after 2-3 months, you could cancel for a fee refund – you would only be £75 – £110 out of pocket. You would still have the extra 15,000 Membership Rewards points and the Cathay Pacific Gold card would remain valid for the full year.
The upgrade link is here if you are interested. The Comments below suggest that your existing Gold card is immediately upgraded, so you will not have a separate Gold and Platinum card going forward.
The general American Express Platinum website, with more details on the card, is here.
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Want to earn more points from credit cards? – April 2025 update
If you are looking to apply for a new credit card, here are our top recommendations based on the current sign-up bonuses.
In 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.
You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:
Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard
Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review
Barclaycard Avios Mastercard
Get 5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review
You can see our full directory of all UK cards which earn airline or hotel points here. Here are the best of the other deals currently available.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold
Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review
British Airways American Express Premium Plus
30,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review
The Platinum Card from American Express
80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review
Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard
18,000 bonus points and 1.5 points for every £1 you spend Read our full review
Earning miles and points from small business cards
If you are a sole trader or run a small company, you may also want to check out these offers:
American Express Business Platinum
50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review
American Express Business Gold
20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review
Capital on Tap Pro Visa
10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review
Capital on Tap Visa
NO annual fee, NO FX fees and points worth 1 Avios per £1 Read our full review
British Airways American Express Accelerating Business
30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review
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