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What Amex sign-up bonuses are you still eligible for?

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This is our beginners guide to whether you qualify for an American Express sign-up bonus or not.

If you are planning your credit card strategy for 2025, this article will help you decide which cards you can still go for.

I am re-running this article to reflect the new sign-up rules on American Express Business Gold and American Express Business Platinum. All bonus restrictions on these cards have been removed.

It runs through the checklist of which UK American Express bonuses you can get based on the cards you have. This way I have written it below is, I think, the simplest way of looking at it.  It’s still not THAT simple however ….

What Amex sign-up bonuses are you still eligible for?

Your American Express sign-up bonus decision tree

This is the decision tree you need to follow:

QUESTION:

Have you had ANY personal American Express cards in the previous 24 months?

If ‘no’:

You can apply for any personal American Express card and receive the full advertised bonus

At the end of this article we look at the best order to apply for cards if you are a newcomer to Amex.

If ‘yes’:

You CANNOT get a sign-up bonus on the following cards:

You MAY still qualify for a bonus NOW on:

Keep reading to see if you do actually qualify for the cards I just mentioned.

You WILL qualify for a bonus NOW on:

What sign-up bonuses can you get from American Express?

Note the minimum income requirements

American Express reintroduced minimum income requirements in 2023. These are PERSONAL income limits – Amex no longer looks at your income at a household level.

The Platinum Card, American Express Business Platinum and the British Airways American Express Premium Plus card require an income of £35,000 per year.

All other personal and business cards require an income of £20,000 per year.

This HfP article explains your options if you earn under £35,000.

The 2024 Amex sign-up bonus rules by card type

I’m assuming here that you answered ‘Yes’ to the question above, and that you have had a personal American Express card in the previous 24 months.

We now need to drill down more closely into which cards you have or had. Basically,  “if you have THIS card, you MIGHT still qualify for a bonus on THAT card ….”

Remember that supplementary cards do NOT count as having ‘had’ a card.  If you are a supplementary on your partner’s Amex Gold, for example, you can still apply in your own name and get a sign-up bonus as long as you meet the other criteria.

What Amex sign-up bonuses are you still eligible for?

If you currently have the free British Airways or British Airways Premium Plus Amex credit card:

You would need to cancel and wait 24 months before you can get a bonus on Amex Cashback, Amex Cashback Everyday, British Airways, British Airways Premium Plus, Preferred Rewards Gold, Marriott Bonvoy, Nectar, American Express Rewards

You can get a bonus NOW on The Platinum Card IF you have not held a Preferred Rewards Gold, The Platinum Card, Green or American Express Rewards card in the previous 24 months

You can get a bonus NOW on American Express Business Gold or American Express Business Platinum. There are no longer any bonus restrictions on these cards. You need to have some sort of small business or self-employed income, of course.

You can get a bonus NOW on British Airways American Express Accelerating Business IF you have not held a American Express Business Gold, American Express Business Platinum card or British Airways American Express Accelerating Business card in the previous 12 months and meet the qualifying criteria for having a small business.

Can I get a sign-up bonus on Amex Gold?

If you currently have Preferred Rewards Gold, The Platinum Card, Green or American Express Rewards credit card:

You would need to cancel and wait 24 months before you can get a bonus on Amex Cashback, Amex Cashback Everyday, British Airways American Express, Preferred Rewards Gold, The Platinum Card, Marriott Bonvoy, Nectar, American Express Rewards

You can get a bonus NOW on British Airways Premium Plus IF you have not held a British Airways or British Airways Premium Plus card in the previous 24 months

You can get a bonus NOW on American Express Business Gold or American Express Business Platinum. There are no longer any bonus restrictions on these cards. You need to have some sort of small business or self-employed income, of course.

You can get a bonus NOW on British Airways American Express Accelerating Business IF you have not held a American Express Business Gold, American Express Business Platinum card or British Airways American Express Accelerating Business card in the previous 12 months and meet the qualifying criteria for having a small business.

Can I get the bonus on the American Express Nectar Card?

If you currently have a Nectar or Marriott Bonvoy American Express credit card:

You would need to cancel and wait 24 months before you can get a bonus on Amex Cashback, Amex Cashback Everyday, British Airways American Express (free version), Preferred Rewards Gold, Marriott Bonvoy, Nectar, American Express Rewards

You can get a bonus NOW on The Platinum Card IF you have not held a Preferred Rewards Gold, The Platinum Card, Green or American Express Rewards card in the previous 24 months

You can get a bonus NOW on British Airways Premium Plus IF you have not held a British Airways or British Airways Premium Plus card in the previous 24 months

You can get a bonus NOW on American Express Business Gold or American Express Business Platinum. There are no longer any bonus restrictions on these cards. You need to have some sort of small business or self-employed income, of course.

You can get a bonus NOW on British Airways American Express Accelerating Business IF you have not held a American Express Business Gold, American Express Business Platinum card or British Airways American Express Accelerating Business card in the previous 12 months and meet the qualifying criteria for having a small business.

American Express Platinum Cashback card sign-up bonus rules

If you currently have an Amex Cashback or Amex Cashback Everyday card:

You would need to cancel and wait 24 months before you can get a bonus on Amex Cashback, Amex Cashback Everyday, British Airways American Express, Preferred Rewards Gold, Marriott Bonvoy, Nectar, American Express Rewards

You can get a bonus NOW on The Platinum Card IF you have not held a Preferred Rewards Gold, The Platinum Card, Green or American Express Rewards card in the previous 24 months

You can get a bonus NOW on British Airways Premium Plus IF you have not held a British Airways or British Airways Premium Plus card in the previous 24 months

You can get a bonus NOW on American Express Business Gold or American Express Business Platinum. There are no longer any bonus restrictions on these cards. You need to have some sort of small business or self-employed income, of course.

You can get a bonus NOW on British Airways American Express Accelerating Business IF you have not held a American Express Business Gold, American Express Business Platinum card or British Airways American Express Accelerating Business card in the previous 12 months and meet the qualifying criteria for having a small business.

Do I qualify for bonus on American Express Business Platinum?

If you currently have a Business Platinum or Business Gold American Express card:

You would need to cancel and wait 12 months before you can get a bonus on British Airways Accelerating Business

You can get a bonus NOW on American Express Business Gold or American Express Business Platinum (the sister card to whichever one you currently have). There are no longer any bonus restrictions on these cards.

You can get a bonus NOW on ANY personal American Express card IF you have not held a personal American Express card in the previous 24 months.

For clarity … the bonus rules on the personal Amex cards only look at what other personal Amex products you have had in the past 24 months.  Any small business Amex cards you have are not taken into account.

What Amex sign-up bonuses are you still eligible for?

And if you’re starting from scratch ….

If you have not had ANY personal American Express cards in the last 24 months, the best route to optimise the number of sign-up bonuses you can get is:

  • start with either a Marriott Bonvoy, Nectar or one of the Amex cashback cards
  • follow up with either The Platinum Card or British Airways Premium Plus
  • follow up with either The Platinum Card or British Airways Premium Plus (depending on which one you didn’t get in stage two)

If you look at the rules above, you’ll see that you can still get three bonuses in a short space of time as long as you do it this way.

If you have any sort of small business, you can also run the Business Gold, Business Platinum or British Airways Accelerating Business alongside your personal cards.

And remember ….

The discussion in this article is only about sign-up bonuses.  Subject to credit etc, American Express is still happy to accept you for any of these cards at any time – you just won’t necessarily get a bonus.

This is particularly important in relation to Preferred Rewards Gold where repeat cardholders DO still get another ‘first year free’ and DO still get another set of four airport lounge passes and £120 of Deliveroo credit.  You still get these, even if you don’t qualify for a sign-up bous.

NOTE:  If you hold, or have held in the past 24 months, a personal American Express card which is not discussed in this article, such as The Centurion Card or a card which is not currently available to new applicants, please do additional checks as to your eligibility for a new bonus.

The current policy on fee refunds

American Express is due to change its policy on pro-rata fee refunds on its credit cards in ‘late 2024’.

Until that time, you can cancel any Amex card you hold for a pro-rata refund of the annual fee.

We will let you know via HfP when the firm date for ending pro-rata refunds is announced.

There will be no change to the policy on charge cards. Holders of American Express Business Gold or Business Platinum, both of which are charge cards, will continue to be able to cancel at any time for a pro-rata fee refund.

Confused?

If you are still not sure about your eligibility for a bonus after reading the article above, please ask in our forum.

Reference information

Here are links to our reviews on each of the cards, a link to the application website and the legally required interest rate information.  

Let me stress again – the bonus rules do NOT stop you applying for any of the cards.  They simply influence whether or not you will qualify for a sign-up bonus.

The Platinum Card from American Express

Bonus: 80,000 points
SPECIAL OFFER

Read our full review

Other information:

  • Two Priority Pass cards, each allowing two people into 1,400 airport lounges
  • Elite status in four major hotel loyalty programmes
  • Comprehensive travel insurance
  • £400 per year of restaurant credit (T&C apply)
  • £50 per half year of Harvey Nichols credit (ends June 2025)
  • Annual fee: £650

Representative 701.4% APR variable based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit and £650 annual fee. Interest rate on purchases 30.7% APR variable.

See if you qualify for the 80,000 points sign-up bonus +

You will receive 80,000 American Express Membership Rewards points as a sign-up bonus on The Platinum Card if you spend £10,000 within six months of signing up.

This is a special offer which runs to 14th January 2025.

Membership Rewards points are hugely flexible.  You can transfer them into Avios, Virgin Flying Club or other airlines (usually at 1:1) or into various hotels schemes, into Club Eurostar or use them for shopping vouchers.

This is the ONLY personal American Express card where you still qualify for the bonus if you already hold a British Airways American Express card.

To qualify for the bonus, you must NOT, currently or in the previous 24 months, have held any other personal American Express card which earns Membership Rewards points.  This includes The Platinum Card and Preferred Rewards Gold.

You are OK if you had a supplementary card on someone else’s American Express account.

You are OK if, currently or in the previous 24 months, you have held any other American Express card, including the British Airways, Marriott and Nectar cards.

For clarity, you can still apply for The Platinum Card even if you do not qualify for the bonus.  You would still benefit from the long list of other benefits.

Learn more about the card benefits +

The Platinum Card from American Express comes with an unrivalled list of benefits for the keen traveller.

Your personal travel patterns will determine which of these is the most valuable.  The key benefits are:

Full comprehensive travel insurance for you, your family and the family of your supplementary cardholder, subject to enrolment

Two Priority Pass cards, each of which allows the holder and a guest unlimited free access to 1,400 airport lounges

Elite status in four major hotel loyalty schemes: Marriott Bonvoy (Gold), Hilton Honors (Gold), Radisson Rewards (Premium), MeliaRewards (Gold)

Access to Eurostar lounges, irrespective of travel class

£200 per year to spend in over 170 UK restaurants (£100 per half year)

£200 per year to spend in over 1,500 international restaurants (£100 per half year)

£50 to spend at Harvey Nichols, instore or online (£50 per half year, this benefit ends on 30th June 2025)

The restaurant benefit is different for 2024.  If you apply today, you will receive £300 of dining credit to spend by 31st December 2024.  £150 can be used in selected UK restaurants and £150 can be used outside the UK.  The terms listed above will apply from 1st January 2025.

You need a minimum personal income of £35,000 to apply for the card.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Bonus: 30,000 points
SPECIAL OFFER

Read our full review

Other information:

  • Amex Gold is our recommended ‘first card’ for a miles and points beginner
  • Get four free airport lounge passes when you sign up, and a further four each year
  • After your four free passes, you can visit further lounges for a small fee
  • You receive £120 of Deliveroo credit each year (24 x £5 credits)
  • Annual fee: Free for the first year, £195 from Year 2

Representative 88.3% APR variable.  Annual fee applies after the first year.

See if you qualify for the 30,000 points sign-up bonus +

You will receive 30,000 American Express Membership Rewards points as a sign-up bonus on the American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card if you spend £3,000 within 90 days of signing up.

This is a special offer which runs to 14th January 2025.

Membership Rewards points are hugely flexible, which is why we recommend this as the best choice for your first miles and points card.  You can transfer them into Avios, Virgin Flying Club or other airlines (at 1:1) or into various hotels schemes, into Club Eurostar or use them for shopping vouchers.

To qualify for the bonus, you must NOT, currently or in the previous 24 months, have held any other personal American Express card.

You are OK if you had a supplementary card on someone else’s American Express account.

You are OK if, currently or in the previous 24 months, you have held a Business American Express card.

For clarity, you can still apply for the American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card even if you do not qualify for the bonus.  You would still benefit from the four free airport lounge passes and the ‘no fee in Year 1’ offer.

Learn more about the card benefits +

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold comes with four free airport lounge passes.  These allow either you and up to three friends, or yourself four times, to visit any of the 1,400 lounges in the Priority Pass network.  You make additional lounge visits for £24 per person.  You receive an additional four free passes each year.

You earn double Membership Rewards points on all airline spend (made directly on an airline website) and all spend made outside the UK.

You will receive up to 12,500 bonus Membership Rewards points each year, based on how much you spend.

You receive £120 of Deliveroo credit each year.  Amex will repay you £5 for the first two Deliveroo orders charged to your Gold card each month.

Other benefits include a 10% discount on Hertz car rentals, Avis Preferred Plus car rental status and special deals at 700 selected hotels worldwide, where Preferred Rewards Gold cardholders receive a $100 in-hotel credit when booking a 2+ night stay.

You need a minimum personal income of £20,000 to apply for the card.

American Express Rewards

Bonus: 10,000 points

Read our full review

Other information:

  • Your best choice if you want a ‘free for life’ card which earns Membership Rewards points
  • A good choice if you want to close a Gold or Platinum card but keep your points intact
  • Annual fee: Free

Representative 30.7% APR variable

See if you qualify for the 10,000 points sign-up bonus +

You will receive 10,000 American Express Membership Rewards points as a sign-up bonus on the American Express Rewards card if you spend £2,000 within 90 days of signing up.

Membership Rewards points are hugely flexible. You can transfer them into Avios, Virgin Flying Club or other airlines (at 1:1) or into various hotels schemes, into Club Eurostar or use them for shopping vouchers.

To qualify for the bonus, you must NOT, currently or in the previous 24 months, have held any other personal American Express card.

You are OK if you had a supplementary card on someone else’s American Express account.

You are OK if, currently or in the previous 24 months, you have held a Business American Express card.

For clarity, you can still apply for the American Express Rewards card even if you do not qualify for the bonus.  You may want to do this if you are thinking of swapping your Preferred Rewards Gold or Platinum card for a free alternative, and would prefer to keep your existing Membership Rewards points balance alive.

Learn more about the card benefits +

American Express Rewards is the only ‘free for life’ American Express card which lets you collect Membership Rewards points.

We do NOT recommend this card if you would also qualify for the sign-up bonus on American Express Preferred Rewards Gold.  The Gold card is free for the first year, comes with four free airport lounge passes and £120 of Deliveroo credit and has a higher sign-up bonus of 20,000 points.

The best reason to get American Express Rewards is if you are coming to the end of your free first year with American Express Preferred Rewards Gold, or no longer want to pay the fee on The Platinum Card, but want to keep your Membership Rewards points intact.

You need a minimum personal income of £20,000 to apply for the card.

British Airways American Express

Bonus: 5,000 Avios

Read our full review

Other information:

  • Receive a companion voucher, letting you book two flights for the Avios of one, when you spend £15,000 in a card year
  • A solo traveller can use it for a 50% discount on the Avios for one ticket
  • The companion voucher is only valid on Economy flights
  • It can be used on British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus
  • Annual fee: Free

Representative 30.7% APR variable

See if you qualify for the 5,000 Avios sign-up bonus +

You will receive 5,000 Avios as a sign-up bonus on the free British Airways American Express card if you spend £2,000 within 90 days of signing up.

To qualify for the bonus, you must NOT, currently or in the previous 24 months, have held any other personal American Express card.

You are OK if you had a supplementary card on someone else’s British Airways American Express account.

You are OK if, currently or in the previous 24 months, you have held a Business American Express card.

For clarity, you can still apply for the British Airways American Express card even if you do not qualify for the bonus.  You would still benefit from the companion voucher and the other card benefits.

Learn more about the card benefits +

When you spend £15,000 on the British Airways American Express card, you receive a companion voucher entitling you to book two Avios redemption flights for the miles of one.  This voucher is valid for one year.  (Full taxes and charges need to be paid on both tickets.)

The voucher on the free British Airways American Express card can only be used on Economy flights.

The voucher can be used for Avios bookings on British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus.

You receive your voucher within a few days of reaching the spending target.  You need to fly the outbound leg of your 2-4-1 flight before the expiry date of the voucher.

If you want more flexibility, the voucher issued with the British Airways Premium Plus American Express card is valid for two years, requires the same £15,000 of annual card spend and is valid in ALL cabins including Business and First.  The Premium Plus card also has a higher earning rate of 1.5 Avios per £1 on general spend and 3 Avios per £1 on spend with British Airways and BA Holidays.

You need a minimum personal income of £20,000 to apply for the card.

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

Bonus: 30,000 Avios

Read our full review

Other information:

  • Receive a companion voucher, letting you book two flights for the Avios of one, when you spend £15,000 in a card year
  • A solo traveller can use it for a 50% discount on the Avios for one ticket
  • The voucher is valid in any cabin
  • It can be used on British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus
  • Annual fee: £300

Representative 139.2% APR variable based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit and £300 annual fee. Interest rate on purchases 30.7% APR variable.

See if you qualify for the 30,000 Avios sign-up bonus +

You will receive 30,000 Avios as a sign-up bonus on the British Airways American Express Premium Plus card if you spend £6,000 within 90 days of signing up.

To qualify for the bonus, you must not have held the British Airways Premium Plus or the free British Airways American Express cards in the previous 24 months.

You are OK if you had a supplementary card on someone else’s British Airways American Express account.

You are OK if, currently or in the previous 24 months, you have held any other American Express card.

For clarity, you can still apply for the British Airways Premium Plus card even if you do not qualify for the bonus.  You would still benefit from the companion voucher and all of the other card benefits.

Learn more about the card benefits +

When you spend £15,000 on the British Airways American Express Premium Plus card, you receive a companion voucher entitling you to book two Avios redemption flights for the miles of one.

Alternatively, a solo traveller can use the voucher for a 50% reduction on the Avios required for one ticket.

This voucher is valid for two years.  Full taxes and charges need to be paid on both tickets.

This voucher is the most valuable perk available in the UK airline and hotel credit card sector in my view. It could save you 150,000 or more Avios when used for a long-haul redemption in a premium cabin.

The voucher with the Premium Plus card is far more powerful than the voucher given with the free British Airways American Express card.  You need to spend the same £15,000 to receive it.  More importantly, the Premium Plus voucher is valid for two years and is valid in ALL cabins.  The voucher on the free British Airways American Express card is only valid for one year and can only be used for Economy flights.

You receive your voucher within a few days of reaching the spending target.  You need to fly the outbound leg of your 2-4-1 flight before the expiry date of the voucher.

The voucher can be used for flights on British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus.

You need a minimum personal income of £35,000 to apply for the card.

Nectar American Express

Bonus: 20,000 points

Read our full review

Other information:

  • You can convert Nectar points into Avios, and vice versa
  • Annual fee: Free for the first year, £30 from Year 2

Representative 37.5% APR variable.  Annual fee applies after the first year.

See if you qualify for the 20,000 points sign-up bonus +

You will receive 20,000 Nectar points as a sign-up bonus on the Nectar American Express credit card if you spend £2,000 within 90 days of signing up.

Nectar points are worth 0.5p each if spent in Sainsbury’s, Argos etc.  They can also be converted to Avios at the rate of 400 : 250.  1 Nectar point gets you 0.625 Avios.

To qualify for the bonus, you must NOT, currently or in the previous 24 months, have held any other personal American Express card.

You are OK if you had a supplementary card on someone else’s American Express account.

You are OK if, currently or in the previous 24 months, you have held a Business American Express card.

For clarity, you can still apply for the Nectar American Express card even if you do not qualify for the bonus.  You would still benefit from the ‘no fee in Year 1’ offer.

Learn more about the card benefits +

The Nectar American Express credit card comes lets you earn 2 Nectar points for every £1 you spend.  This is on top of any Nectar points you would usually earn at Sainsbury’s and other Nectar partners.

Converted to Avios, you would be earning 1.25 Avios per £1.  This makes the card better value than the free British Airways American Express credit card for your first year, as the Nectar American Express is ‘fee free’ for the first 12 months.  There is a £30 annual fee from Year 2.

The sign-up bonus of 20,000 Nectar points is worth £100 to spend in Sainsbury’s, Argos etc.

20,000 Nectar points can also be converted into 12,500 Avios.

You need a minimum personal income of £20,000 to apply for the card.

Amex Cashback Credit Card

Bonus: 5% cashback (to £125) for three months

Read our full review

Other information:

  • Cashback paid in a lump sum after 12 months
  • Annual fee: £25

Representative 36.3% APR variable based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit and £25 annual fee. Interest rate on purchases 30.7% APR variable.

See if you qualify for the 5% cashback sign-up bonus +

You will receive 5% cashback on purchases on the Amex Cashback Credit Card within 90 days of signing up.  This is capped at £125.

To qualify for the bonus, you must NOT, currently or in the previous 24 months, have held any other personal American Express card.

You are OK if you had a supplementary card on someone else’s American Express account.

You are OK if, currently or in the previous 24 months, you have held a Business American Express card.

For clarity, you can still apply for the Amex Cashback Credit Card even if you do not qualify for the bonus.  You will receive the standard rate of cashback on your spending.

Learn more about the card benefits +

The Amex Cashback Credit Card is the most generous cashback credit card in the UK.

After the first three months, during which the special bonus rate applies:

  • Spend £0 to £10,000 and receive 0.75% cashback on purchases
  • Spend over £10,000 and receive 1.25% cashback on purchases

Cashback is paid in a lump sum at the end of each 12 month period.  If you close the card mid-year you will lose any accumulated cashback.

As our review shows, this card is better value if you will spend over £10,000 per year.  If you will spend under £10,000 per year, you should apply for the free Amex Cashback Everyday Credit Card instead.  The cashback rate is lower but this is offset by the lack of any annual fee.

You need a minimum personal income of £20,000 to apply for the card.

Amex Cashback Everyday Credit Card

Bonus: 5% cashback (to £125) for five months

Read our full review

Other information:

  • Cashback paid in a lump sum after 12 months
  • Minimum spend of £3,000 per year required to receive cashback
  • Annual fee: Free

Representative 30.7% APR variable

See if you qualify for the 5% cashback sign-up bonus +

You will receive 5% cashback on purchases on the Amex Cashback Everyday Credit Card within five months of signing up.  This is capped at £125.

To qualify for the bonus, you must NOT, currently or in the previous 24 months, have held any other personal American Express card.

You are OK if you had a supplementary card on someone else’s American Express account.

You are OK if, currently or in the previous 24 months, you have held a Business American Express card.

For clarity, you can still apply for the Amex Cashback Everyday Credit Card even if you do not qualify for the bonus.  You will receive the standard rate of cashback on your spending.

Learn more about the card benefits +

The Amex Cashback Everyday Credit Card is the most generous free cashback credit card in the UK.

After the first three months, during which the special bonus rate applies:

  • Spend £0 to £10,000 and receive 0.5% cashback on purchases
  • Spend over £10,000 and receive 1% cashback on purchases

You must spend at least £3,000 per year to receive cashback.

Cashback is paid in a lump sum at the end of each 12 month period.  If you close the card mid-year you will lose any accumulated cashback.

As our review shows, this card is better value if you will spend less than £10,000 per year.  If you will spend over £10,000 per year, you should apply for the £25 Amex Cashback Credit Card instead.  The cashback rate is higher and you are better off even after paying the annual fee.

You need a minimum personal income of £20,000 to apply for the card.

Marriott Bonvoy American Express

Bonus: 20,000 points

Read our full review

Other information:

  • 15 elite night credits per year to help you towards higher status
  • Free night, up to 25,000 points, when you spend £25,000 per year.
  • Upgrade to Gold Elite status when you spend £15,000 in a card year
  • Annual fee: £95

Representative 54.5% APR variable based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit and £95 annual fee. Interest rate on purchases 30.7% APR variable.

See if you qualify for the 20,000 points sign-up bonus: +

You will receive 20,000 points as a sign-up bonus on the Marriott Bonvoy American Express card if you spend £3,000 within 90 days of signing up.

To qualify for the bonus, you must NOT, currently or in the previous 24 months, have held any other personal American Express card.

You are OK if you had a supplementary card on someone else’s American Express account.

You are OK if, currently or in the previous 24 months, you have held a Business American Express card.

For clarity, you can still apply for the Marriott Bonvoy American Express card even if you do not qualify for the bonus.  You would still benefit from the 15 elite night credits per year, the free night (up to 25,000 points) for spending £25,000 and Gold Elite status for spending £15,000.

Learn more about the card benefits +

You will receive 15 elite night credits per year in Marriott Bonvoy.  The first batch will arrive within 60 days on applying and then in Spring in each subsequent year.

15 elite nights will automatically get you Silver Elite status in Marriott Bonvoy and put you nearer to Gold Elite and higher tiers.

If you spend £15,000 per card year, you will be upgraded to Gold Elite status in Marriott Bonvoy.

If you spend £25,000 per card year, you will receive a free night voucher, valid at any hotel where reward nights cost up to 25,000 points.

You need a minimum personal income of £20,000 to apply for the card.

American Express Business Gold

Bonus: 20,000 Membership Rewards points

Read our full review

Other information:

  • Annual fee: Free for the first year
  • £195 annual fee from Year 2
  • Get £100 per year to spend at Dell
  • Points transfer at 1:1 into Avios and Virgin Points
  • You can also convert to other airlines, Eurostar and hotel schemes

This is a charge card, not a credit card. You must clear your balance in full each month.  Annual fee £195 from Year 2, free in Year 1.

See if you qualify for the 20,000 points sign-up bonus +

You will receive a sign-up bonus of 20,000 American Express Membership Rewards points if you spend £3,000 in your first three months.

Membership Rewards points are hugely flexible.  You can transfer them into Avios, Virgin Points or other airlines (at 1:1) or into various hotels schemes, into Club Eurostar or use them for shopping vouchers.

There are no longer any rules on qualifying for the sign-up offer on this card.  If you are accepted, you will receive the bonus, irrespective of what other cards you hold or have recently held.

Learn more about the card benefits +

You receive £100 of Dell statement credit per calendar year.  This is made available in two parts.  You receive a £50 credit on Dell purchases made between January and June and a £50 credit on Dell purchases made between July and December.  There is no minimum spend requirement.

You can apply for complimentary Amex business cards for your employees.

You will receive one consolidated statement showing the spend on your card and all of the complimentary cards.  All of the Membership Rewards points earned on the complimentary cards will flow into your personal account.

Depending on when in your monthly cycle you make a payment, you will effectively receive up to 54 days free credit on your spending.

American Express statements provide more underlying transaction detail for flights and certain other transactions than Visa or Mastercard statements, making it easier to reconcile transactions.

You need a minimum personal income of £20,000 to apply for the card.

Terms and conditions apply to all card benefits.

American Express Business Platinum

Bonus: 50,000 Membership Rewards points

Read our full review

Other information:

  • Get £200 per year to spend at Amex Travel
  • Two Priority Pass cards, each allowing two people into 1,400 airport lounges
  • Elite status in four major hotel loyalty programmes
  • Get £150 per year to spend at Dell
  • Get £300 per year to spend at job ads site Indeed
  • Comprehensive travel insurance
  • Annual fee: £650

This is a charge card, not a credit card. You must clear your balance in full each month.  Annual fee £650.

See if you qualify for the 50,000 points sign-up bonus +

You will receive a sign-up bonus of 50,000 American Express Membership Rewards points when you spend £6,000 in your first three months.

Membership Rewards points are hugely flexible.  You can transfer them into Avios, Virgin Points or other airlines (at 1:1) or into various hotels schemes, into Club Eurostar or use them for shopping vouchers.

There are no longer any rules on qualifying for the sign-up offer on this card.  If you are accepted, you will receive the bonus, irrespective of what other cards you hold or have recently held.

Learn more about the card benefits +

American Express Business Platinum comes with an unrivalled list of benefits for the keen traveller.

Your personal travel patterns will determine which of these is the most valuable.  The key benefits are:

£200 of Amex Travel credit per membership year

Full comprehensive travel insurance for you, your family and the family of up to five complimentary cardholders, subject to enrolment

Two Priority Pass cards, each of which allows the holder and a guest unlimited free access to 1,400 airport lounges

Elite status in four major hotel loyalty schemes: Marriott Bonvoy (Gold), Hilton Honors (Gold), Radisson Rewards (Premium), MeliaRewards (Gold)

Other benefits include:

£150 of Dell statement credit per year – you receive £75 credit on Dell purchases betweeen January and June and £75 credit on purchases between July and December

£300 of credit to run job advertisements at indeed.com (£75 per quarter)

Digital subscription to The Times and The Sunday Times, worth over £300

You need a minimum personal income of £35,000 to apply for the card.

Terms and conditions apply to all card benefits.

British Airways American Express Accelerating Business

Bonus: 30,000 Avios

Read our full review

Other information:

  • Earn 1.5 Avios per eligible £1 spent
  • Get 1 bonus On Business point per £1 spent on qualifying BA flights
  • Annual fee: £250

Representative 107.8% APR variable based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit and £250 annual fee. Interest rate on purchases 28.2% APR variable.

See if you qualify for the 30,000 Avios sign-up bonus +

You will qualify for the bonus as long as you have not held an American Express Business card, including Accelerating Business, Business Gold and Business Platinum, in the previous 12 months.

There are no restrictions if you only have personal American Express cards at the moment, including the personal British Airways cards.

You need to spend £5,000 within the first three months to receive the bonus.

Certain items (the card fee, cash withdrawals etc) do not count towards the £5,000 target – check the card rules for full details.

Learn more about the card benefits +

The card comes with the typical American Express credit card benefits:

Up to 56 days to pay

Up to 20 complimentary cards for your employees

Travel inconvenience cover (with higher payouts if you or your baggage is delayed on a British Airways flight)

Travel accident protection

Purchase protection

Refund protection

Terms and conditions apply to all benefits.

(Want to earn more miles and points from credit cards?  Click here to visit our dedicated airline and hotel travel credit cards page or use the ‘Credit Cards’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.)

Disclaimer: Head for Points is a journalistic website. Nothing here should be construed as financial advice, and it is your own responsibility to ensure that any product is right for your circumstances. Recommendations are based primarily on the ability to earn miles and points. The site discusses products offered by lenders but is not a lender itself. Robert Burgess, trading as Head for Points, is regulated and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as an independent credit broker.

Comments (29)

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

  • lev441 says:

    Is there a referral bonus on the business cards charge cards? I don’t seem to see it on the app from my personal cards…

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

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