Quick Answer
The honest Austrian verdict first
Austria’s Amex lineup looks like Germany’s at a glance, but one thing trips up readers coming from the German market: there is no permanently free Amex here, and no PAYBACK card at all. Every Austrian Amex carries a fee from year two at the latest. The good news: three cards, the American Express Card and both BMW Cards, are free for a full first year, so you can still try Membership Rewards at zero upfront cost. Before you reach for the Platinum’s prestige, though: if you won’t fly often, you’re about to overpay for lounges you won’t use. Here’s the honest ranking, checked against americanexpress.com/de-at on 18 August 2026.
The Austrian Amex lineup compared
Checked 18 August 2026 against each card’s official americanexpress.com/de-at product page.
| Card | Annual fee (AT) | Welcome offer | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platinum (metal) | 690€ (57.50€/month), no waiver | 30,000 MR after 10,000€ spend in 6 months (until 31 Aug 2026) | Frequent flyers: lounges, credits, golf |
| Gold | 192€ (16€/month), no waiver | None shown on the product page | Everyday spenders who want Vienna lounge access |
| American Express Card | Free 12 months, then 72€/year | Not a referral product | Cheapest ongoing Membership Rewards |
| BMW Card Blue | Free 12 months, then 55€/year | 1,000 MR after first card use | The cheapest ongoing MR card overall |
| BMW Card Gold | Free 12 months, then 150€/year | 1,000 MR as a welcome gift | Two included supplementary cards |
All cards: 2% foreign transaction fee. Fees change; confirm current terms on each card’s application page.
What changed for 2026 (and what older comparisons still get wrong)
Several numbers that circulate online, including in an earlier version of this article, no longer match Amex Austria’s own pages:
- The Gold Card has no first-year waiver and no public welcome offer. “Often free the first year” was true of the old Gold, not the current one. The only welcome offer on Gold today runs through the referral programme: 15,000 Membership Rewards points after 1,000€ spend within 3 months.
- The American Express Card earns the same rate as Gold and Platinum, 1 Membership Rewards point per euro, not a lower rate as older write-ups claim.
- Two BMW co-brand cards, BMW Card Blue (55€/year) and BMW Card Gold (150€/year), sit on Austria’s main private-card list and are the cheapest ongoing route into Membership Rewards. Most comparisons of the Austrian lineup skip them entirely.
- Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold status are not stated anywhere on the Austrian Platinum pages, unlike the German and Swiss Platinum. Treat any claim of hotel elite status on the Austrian card as unverified until Amex publishes it.
- The Platinum’s credits are 540€, not a travel/dining/shopping bundle: 360€ Gourmet-Gutschrift plus 180€ Entertainment-Gutschrift, with no separate travel credit and no shopping credit in Austria.
Platinum: for frequent flyers, 690€ a year with no waiver
57.50€ a month, 690€ a year, billed monthly with no first-year discount. Against that fee: a 360€ Gourmet credit and a 180€ Entertainment credit, 540€ total, plus access to over 1,500 airport lounges worldwide through the Global Lounge Collection, Fast Track through security at Vienna Airport, Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection stays, and six free green fees a year at Austrian golf courses through the Leading Golf American Express programme. A comprehensive travel insurance package covers the cardholder and supplementary cardholders, though Amex publishes no single headline coverage sum for it. The welcome offer is 30,000 Membership Rewards points after 10,000€ spend within 6 months, in the window 11 June to 31 August 2026, so confirm it’s still running before you apply. A separate metal Platinum Plus card for splitting private spending exists, at around 345€/year according to a comparison site (not confirmed on an official page as of this check). See the Amex Platinum review for how the German version compares.
Gold: 192€ a year, now with Vienna lounge access
16€ a month, 192€ a year, with Membership Rewards included in the fee and no separate programme charge. Unlike the German Gold, the Austrian Gold includes lounge access at Vienna International Airport for the main cardholder and up to two included supplementary cardholders. Travel insurance covers up to 220,000€ for medical costs abroad, 200€ for flight delay or cancellation, 300€ for delayed baggage and 3,000€ for trip cancellation, plus a 90-day return right worth 30€ to 400€ per item, extended to supplementary cardholders, partners and children under 23. There is no first-year waiver and no welcome offer on the official product page; the referral route currently pays better, 15,000 Membership Rewards points after 1,000€ spend within 3 months of approval. Eligibility requires Austrian residence, a SEPA account and monthly net income from 1,651€. See the Amex Gold review for the German equivalent.
American Express Card: the cheapest real Amex, free for a year
Austria still files this card under the /green-card/ URL and calls it the “grüne Karte” on the page, but the branding is “American Express Card”, not “Green Card”. It’s free for the first 12 months, then 6€ a month (72€ a year), and earns the same 1 point per euro as the Gold and Platinum, with Membership Rewards included. It isn’t part of the referral programme. A supplementary card is available, and the insurance package extends to it too. For anyone who wants “a real Amex” without lounges or credits, it’s the cheapest ongoing option that isn’t a co-brand. See the American Express Card review.
BMW Card Blue and BMW Card Gold: the cheapest ongoing Membership Rewards
The two BMW-branded cards are Austria’s only consumer co-brands (no airline or hotel card exists here) and sit on the main private-card list alongside Platinum, Gold and the American Express Card. BMW Card Blue is free for 12 months, then 55€ a year, the cheapest ongoing Amex in the country; a welcome offer of 1,000 Membership Rewards points arrives after the first purchase, one supplementary card is included and each extra one costs 27.50€ a year. BMW Card Gold is free for 12 months, then 150€ a year, comes with 1,000 Membership Rewards points as a welcome gift and includes two supplementary cards. Neither requires owning a BMW.
The one-question test
Count last year’s airport visits. Double digits, and you’ll actually use the lounges and 540€ in credits → Platinum. A handful, or you want Vienna lounge access without the Platinum price → Gold. You want a “real” Amex for the lowest ongoing cost → the American Express Card. You just want the cheapest way into Membership Rewards → BMW Card Blue. Torn between the top two? Amex Platinum vs Gold breaks down the math (figures there reflect the German cards, so treat it as a framework, not Austrian pricing).
Foreign transactions, cash and the acceptance gap
Every Austrian Amex, including the Platinum, charges a 2% Auslandseinsatzentgelt on purchases in a currency other than the euro. Cash withdrawals cost extra too, though Amex Austria doesn’t publish the percentage on its own pages, so budget for a real fee rather than assuming Germany’s 4% applies. Amex acceptance in Austria also trails Visa/Mastercard, especially at smaller shops and outside the cities. Pair any Amex with a free Revolut card for fee-free spending and cash withdrawals where Amex isn’t taken or the FX fee would bite; full breakdown in Amex vs Revolut. For the full lineup across every market and card type, browse our credit cards guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Amex card is best in Austria?
The Platinum Card (57.50€/month, 690€/year) suits frequent flyers who will use the lounges and the 540€ in yearly credits. The Gold Card (16€/month, 192€/year) suits everyday spenders, since it includes Vienna Airport lounge access that the German Gold does not have. The BMW Card Blue is the cheapest ongoing route into Membership Rewards at 55€/year after a free first year. Austria has no PAYBACK card and no permanently free Amex at all.
Is there a free Amex card in Austria?
Not permanently. The American Express Card and both BMW Cards are free for the first 12 months, then cost 72€/year (American Express Card), 55€/year (BMW Card Blue) or 150€/year (BMW Card Gold). Unlike Germany, Austria has no permanently free PAYBACK card, so there is no truly free long-term option.
How much does the Amex Platinum cost in Austria?
57.50€ a month, so 690€ a year, billed monthly with no first-year waiver. Against that fee stand 540€ in yearly credits (360€ Gourmet, 180€ Entertainment), Fine Hotels + Resorts access, Fast Track at Vienna Airport security and six free green fees a year at Austrian golf courses.
What is the Amex Platinum welcome offer in Austria?
30,000 Membership Rewards points after spending 10,000€ within 6 months, in the offer window from 11 June 2026 to 31 August 2026. Confirm the offer is still live before applying, since this article was last checked on 18 August 2026.
Does the Amex Gold in Austria include lounge access?
Yes. Unlike the German Gold Card, the Austrian Gold Card includes airport lounge access at Vienna International Airport for the main cardholder and supplementary cardholders, plus travel insurance up to 220,000€ for medical costs abroad and 3,000€ for trip cancellation.
Is there a foreign transaction fee on Austrian Amex cards?
Yes, 2% on every purchase in a currency other than the euro (the Auslandseinsatzentgelt), on every card including the Platinum. Amex Austria also charges extra for ATM cash withdrawals, though it publishes no percentage, so pair any Amex with a free Revolut card for cash and non-euro spending.
Verdict
In Austria: frequent flyer who’ll use the credits → Platinum; everyday spender who wants lounge access without the Platinum price → Gold; want a “real” Amex as cheaply as possible → the American Express Card; just want the lowest-cost route into Membership Rewards → BMW Card Blue. Compare the current offers below.