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American Express brings back a minimum income requirement for its cards

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Back in 2016, American Express removed the minimum income requirements from its UK personal and small business cards.

The plan was to take a more holistic view of your finances. A single person living at home on a £25,000 salary has a totally different disposable income profile to someone who is married with two kids and a mortgage taking home £35,000.  Setting a strict cut-off level was seen as a blunt instrument.

For whatever reason, potentially linked to new FCA customer duty regulations, American Express has decided that this structure was no longer workable.

American Express uk minimum income to get a card

Minimum income requirements have now returned.

That said, they are not exactly tough. Someone on minimum wage doing 40 hours per week will still qualify for most cards. The real losers are the retired and non-working partners, as the requirement is based on your personal income. High savings or a high household income are no longer enough.

These are the new PERSONAL income requirements.

It’s worth comparing these numbers to the 2016 levels, remembering that we’ve probably seen 25%+ wage inflation since then.

The Platinum Card was £40,000 in 2016 but is now £35,000. The Marriott Bonvoy American Express was £30,000 in 2016 but is now £20,000.

The only big jump is the British Airways Premium Plus card, which was available on a £20,000 income in 2016 but now requires £35,000.

The other personal cards were £20,000 in 2016 and remain at £20,000 now, so the income requirement is far lower in real terms.

For HfP readers, these limits are unlikely to make much difference to those in work but are likely to hit the retired or those applying on behalf on non-full time working partners or their student children.

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Comments (234)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Paul says:
    20 Jul20 July 10:15

    Could this be a form of indirect discrimination? Woman will be disproportionately impacted due to potential few working years and therefore lower pensions.

    • Maples says:
      20 Jul20 July 10:45

      Every other CC provider is also doing this, then, though with lower requirements. Premier bank accounts are probably the one you should go after.

    • BBbetter says:
      20 Jul20 July 10:49

      Tail wagging the dog. Should push for higher income for women rather than asking banks to relax income criteria.

      • AL says:
        20 Jul20 July 10:58

        +1 to @BBbetter. Wage transparency and equality is important on the grander, societal scale.

        • Mike says:
          20 Jul20 July 11:04

          We already have equality, you are asking for something else (which is undesirable).

          • _aDifferentSimon_ says:
            20 Jul20 July 11:25

            Not universally! The only lady in our weekly management meeting is the pa.
            2023 or 1973!? My team is >50% women but childcare years still seem to impact women disproportionally in pretty much every aspect of life including senior positions. I do work in an old school insurance company so perhaps my view is worse than the norm!

          • novelty-socks says:
            20 Jul20 July 15:29

            Could you please elaborate on what would be undesirable?

          • Roy says:
            20 Jul20 July 22:11

            There is a lot of evidence that we don’t.

      • Ryan says:
        20 Jul20 July 11:54

        Please don’t tell me you actually think people are paid more / less based only off gender. If it were true, no company would hire another male again

        • Mike says:
          20 Jul20 July 16:35

          Of course I can elaborate. It would be a demand for equity, that would be undesirable, we already have equality which is a superior concept. Equity is a disgusting and awful concept (and that’s without the people it kills).

  • Ian says:
    20 Jul20 July 10:20

    Seems it wi probably only catch out those who are retired, but I assume Amex Would be fine if you can demonstrate you have are retired and have pension and other investment income to the level required

    • AJA says:
      20 Jul20 July 10:51

      Rob commented above that investment income is unlikely to count.

      • Yorkie Aid says:
        20 Jul20 July 12:21

        Just because Rob says something doesn’t necessarily mean it’s true. I have only had private investment income for 20 years. Haven’t been turned down yet.

        • Rob says:
          20 Jul20 July 12:56

          If you just put your invesment income down as total income then clearly they don’t know. You are asked to confirm that you ‘earn’ £20,000 per year which seems to imply ‘from employment’.

          • Yorkie Aid says:
            20 Jul20 July 14:21

            I get your point Rob. I like to think I’ve “earned” my income from sensible capital allocation but I suppose others may disagree. Time will tell I guess 🙂

          • Richard T says:
            20 Jul20 July 19:03

            I always read “earn” as what have I declared as income on my tax return. This includes a mix of investment income, dividends, pension, self employment etc, and I assume is what Amex are actually asking for.

          • Roy says:
            20 Jul20 July 22:24

            There’s a big difference between having £35,000 of investment income and being able to comfortably draw £35,000 p.a. capital from your investment portfolio.

            One problem many people might face is that much of their portfolio is invested for capital growth rather than income. But if you are genuinely receiving £35,000 of investment income (i.e. from interest/dividends/distributions) then I suspect that Amex would be happy to have you as a customer.

  • Keely says:
    20 Jul20 July 10:27

    Well this leaves me as a part time public sector worker just under the limits (no clapping please, apparently I’m not one of the heroic ones…). And I’m on my two year break . Which means unless we get a very decent pay rise (unlikely ) I’m out. Time to rethink strategies…..

  • Jill Kinkell says:
    20 Jul20 July 10:41

    I’m a retired NHS member, just under the threshold. Had the Amex BAPP card for just shy of 20 years …I’ll be hanging on to it! OH also retired NHS can take his pick… after I tell him what to do! Seems BA and Amex don’t want the little people

    • AJA says:
      20 Jul20 July 10:54

      As long as Amex doesn’t retroactively apply the income limits to existing card holders. If they do then you will lose that BAPP card. So will many others.

      The article isn’t clear on whether that is what Amex will do. But be prepared…

  • Alex G says:
    20 Jul20 July 11:26

    It’s not just the income thresholds, Amex have tightened up on new cards. I have held Amex cards continually for 10 years. I frequently took out new cards for sign up bonuses or referral bonuses. Currently hold BAPP and ARCC. Applied for the Nectar card last week and was turned down. No reason given, but rightly so TBH. People like me – and most on here – have been taking the mickey long enough.

    I’m retired with pensions of £33k and some interest on savings and occasional paid work. (Household income is just over £80k.) I’ll be hanging on to the two cards I’ve got. Would hate to lose the BAPP. However, I will probably be putting more spend through Barclaycard now instead of Amex. If Amex had given me a third card, I would have used it.

  • BBbetter says:
    20 Jul20 July 11:39

    Lots of irate pensioners on here today.
    “We paid our NI contributions. How can you take away our entitlement to churning the platinum card?”

  • Alfie says:
    20 Jul20 July 11:51

    Does anyone know when these limits will come into effect?

    Apologies if I’ve missed it in the article. I was made redundant in November last year and have only recently got back on the job hunt after taking some time out to do a professional qualification course.

    If the new limits are imposed at the start of the new billing/annual fee cycle (or next tax year) I suspect I’ll be fine, but if they come in abruptly I doubt I’ll be able to keep hold of my Platinum.

    Thanks

    • Rob says:
      20 Jul20 July 12:15

      Yesterday. Does not impact existing cards.

    • LilysDad says:
      21 Jul21 July 01:58

      Sorry if I missed it, but is this with immediate effect?
      My student son is off travelling through Switzerland next month and I had planned on adding him as an additional cardholder so he can have fun on me.
      Am I too late?

  • Rui N. says:
    20 Jul20 July 11:56

    This discussion is a good opportunity for HfP to expel the riff raff that cannot comply with such low numbers of income. It detracts from the ambience of the website. When I started reading the figures I thought they were weekly income. At least Farage might be able to get a credit card.

    • AirMax says:
      20 Jul20 July 13:29

      I know right, some of these people even stay in Travelodges

      • Mike Hunt says:
        20 Jul20 July 14:23

        My company travel policy is no travel at all unless justified the meeting can not be conducted remotely. If travel authorised Travelodge only (must be located up to a 30 min car drive (hire car not taxi) of the required destination. Premier Inn only if proof that no Travelodge is available within a 30 min car drive. I don’t travel much any more !!

      • Rui N. says:
        20 Jul20 July 15:35

        Yuck. I’ll need to take a shower now.

    • sloth says:
      20 Jul20 July 14:34

      Farage probably only has the Amex Nectar card

      • Mike Hunt says:
        20 Jul20 July 16:22

        I would definitely sign up for any bank / financial institution offering the “Farage Card”

        • Rui N. says:
          20 Jul20 July 20:33

          I imagine the Farage Card takes stuff away from you every time you use instead of giving rewards?

          • Lady London says:
            20 Jul20 July 22:02

            Yes. BA is moving to the new method whetr you pay them both ways. You fly, paying money for that, snd then you pay for your own miles (that they used to pay you)..

            Isn’t this what Avios Subscription and Avios Booster is about?

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

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