Get 1,000 bonus Avios with Amex Currency Exchange this Christmas
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UPDATE – JULY 2025: This is an old article, and the credit card information given is likely to be out of date.
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With the Christmas travel period approaching, American Express Foreign Exchange Services is running a special bonus.
When you order foreign currency via the Amex Currency Exchange website you will receive 1,000 bonus Avios when you exchange over £600. This is in addition to the standard 1 Avios per £1.
Remember that Amex no longer has any foreign exchange booths at Heathrow so this will only work for home delivery. The only airport offering collection is Birmingham International.
There is an extra perk with using Amex for your foreign currency.
If you charge your purchase to an Amex-issued American Express card (BA, SPG, Nectar, Gold, Green, Platinum etc) it will be treated as a purchase. This means that you will receive points for the credit card spend and it will count towards any Amex sign-up bonus.
Every time I write about this, someone rings Amex because this is the opposite of what Amex states in their rules and they do not believe me. Amex tells the caller that I am wrong. I am not.
You can only pay with your Amex card if it is set up to undertake cash transactions, eg cash withdrawals. If your card is new then, for security reasons, American Express may not yet have activated this function on your card. You are also limited to the amount shown on your statement as “Available cash limit” which is usually 20% of your credit limit.
Remember that Amex offers a poorer exchange rate via the Avios website above than it does at its main website so make sure that the Avios are worth the extra cost. These are NOT free Avios.
The ‘1000 bonus Avios’ promotion runs until 18th December.
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How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (July 2025)
As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards. Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!
In February 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
There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:
British Airways American Express Premium Plus Card
30,000 Avios and the famous annual Companion Voucher voucher Read our full review
British Airways American Express Credit Card
5,000 Avios for signing up and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending £15,000 Read our full review
You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points. These points convert at 1:1 into Avios.
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card
Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review
The Platinum Card from American Express
50,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review
Run your own business?
We recommend Capital on Tap for limited companies. You earn points worth 0.8 Avios per £1 on the FREE standard card and 1 Avios per £1 on the Pro card. Capital on Tap cards also have no FX fees.
Capital on Tap Visa
NO annual fee, NO FX fees and points worth 0.8 Avios per £1 Read our full review
Capital on Tap Pro Visa
10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review
There is also a British Airways American Express card for small businesses:
British Airways American Express Accelerating Business Card
30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review
There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.
The American Express Business Platinum Card
50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review
The American Express Business Gold Card
20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review
Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.
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