Quick Answer
The honest UK verdict first
The UK is unusual: it has a genuinely free Amex that earns Membership Rewards, which makes the £650 Platinum a much harder sell than people admit. So before the prestige wins: if you won’t use lounges and the Platinum’s credits, the free Rewards card or the £195 Gold will leave you better off. One number applies to all three: a 2.99% foreign exchange fee on anything you spend outside sterling. Here’s the full UK lineup, honestly ranked, checked against Amex UK’s own product pages on 18 August 2026.
The UK Amex lineup compared
| Card | Annual fee (UK) | Welcome offer | Key perk | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platinum | £650 | 50,000 points for £6,000 spend in 3 months | Unlimited Priority Pass, £400 combined dining credit, hotel status | Frequent flyers (lounges, status) |
| Preferred Rewards Gold | £195 (1st yr free) | 20,000 points for £3,000 spend in 3 months | 4 lounge visits a year, £120/year Deliveroo credit | Everyday spend with some travel |
| Amex Rewards Credit Card | £0 | 10,000 points for £2,000 spend in 3 months | None beyond Membership Rewards | Free entry into Membership Rewards |
Welcome offers are current as of August 2026 and change often, so confirm current terms on the application page. All three cards charge a 2.99% foreign exchange fee on non-GBP spend.
Platinum: for frequent flyers
The Platinum has been a credit card, not a charge card, in the UK since August 2022. At £650/year it earns 1 point per £1 and comes with the American Express Global Lounge Collection (Priority Pass, unlimited visits for the cardholder plus a guest, plus Centurion Lounges), Hilton and Marriott Gold hotel status, and a £200/year UK dining credit plus a £200/year international dining credit, £400 in total. A current welcome offer pays 50,000 Membership Rewards points after £6,000 spend in the first 3 months (check the application page, as offers rotate every few weeks). It only makes sense if you’ll actually use the lounges and the dining credits. See the Amex Platinum review.
Preferred Rewards Gold: the value sweet spot
£195/year and free the first year. The earn rate is 1 point per £1 on everyday spend, 2 points per £1 on flights and foreign currency, 3 points per £1 booked through Amex Travel, plus up to 10,000 bonus points a year (5,000 at £10,000 spend, another 5,000 at £20,000). There’s no UK dining multiplier, so don’t expect extra points at restaurants. What the Gold does include, and what older reviews get wrong, is four complimentary airport lounge visits a year through the Priority Pass network, rather than the Platinum’s unlimited access, plus a £120/year Deliveroo credit (£5 a month, twice a month) and hotel and car-hire perks. A current welcome offer pays 20,000 points after £3,000 spend in the first 3 months. The smarter buy for most people. See the Amex Gold review.
Amex Rewards Credit Card: the free one
The UK’s standout: a genuinely free Amex that still earns Membership Rewards at 1 point per £1, with a welcome offer of 10,000 points after £2,000 spend in the first 3 months. No lounges or hotel status, but no fee either, so it’s the ideal risk-free entry, or a keeper alongside a paid card. It still carries the same 2.99% foreign exchange fee as the Platinum and Gold.
The one-question test
Count last year’s airport visits. Double digits → Platinum. A handful, and you’d use four lounge visits a year plus everyday points → Gold (free first year). You want Membership Rewards for free → the Rewards Credit Card. Torn between the top two? Amex Platinum vs Gold.
What changed in 2026
Three things worth knowing if you last checked the UK Amex lineup a while back:
- The Preferred Rewards Gold’s lounge access was widely under-reported. Some older comparisons (including an earlier version of this page) said the Gold has no lounge access. It does: four complimentary Priority Pass lounge visits a year, confirmed on Amex UK’s own Gold product page.
- The 2.99% foreign exchange fee now gets stated plainly. It applies to all three consumer cards, Platinum included, on any non-GBP spend. It’s the reason the Revolut pairing advice below exists.
- The British Airways Amex Premium Plus is getting a worse earn rate from 7 October 2026. Its rate drops from 1.5 to 1.25 Avios per £1, and the double-Avios rate on BA and BA Holidays spend (3 per £1) is being withdrawn. The free British Airways Amex is unaffected.
Don’t forget the acceptance gap and the FX fee
Amex acceptance in the UK has improved but still trails Visa/Mastercard at smaller shops. On top of that, every UK Amex, the free Rewards Credit Card included, charges a 2.99% foreign exchange fee on anything you spend outside sterling. Pair any Amex with a free Revolut card for fee-free spending abroad and wherever Amex isn’t taken. See Amex vs Revolut. For the full lineup across every market, browse our credit cards guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Amex card is best in the UK?
The Platinum (£650/year) for frequent flyers who’ll use its unlimited Priority Pass lounges and £400 combined dining credit, the Preferred Rewards Gold (£195/year, first year free) for everyday points plus four lounge visits a year, and the free Amex Rewards Credit Card if you don’t want a fee. The UK also has two strong co-brands: the British Airways Amex Premium Plus (£300/year, though its earn rate drops from 1.5 to 1.25 Avios per £1 on 7 October 2026) and the Nectar Credit Card (£30/year, free in year one).
Is there a free American Express card in the UK?
Yes, the American Express Rewards Credit Card has no annual fee and earns Membership Rewards points, including a welcome offer of 10,000 points after £2,000 spend in the first 3 months. It’s the genuine free entry into the Amex ecosystem in the UK, without the Platinum or Gold’s perks, though it still charges the same 2.99% foreign exchange fee as the paid cards.
How much does the Amex Platinum cost in the UK?
£650 a year, with a current welcome offer of 50,000 Membership Rewards points after £6,000 spend in the first 3 months (this is a current offer, so check the application page as it changes). The Preferred Rewards Gold is £195/year and is free the first year, with a 20,000-point offer for £3,000 spend. Both cards, and the free Rewards Credit Card, charge a 2.99% foreign exchange fee on non-GBP spend.
Do UK Amex cards charge a foreign exchange fee?
Yes. The Platinum, the Preferred Rewards Gold and the free Amex Rewards Credit Card all charge 2.99% on non-GBP transactions. That’s the reason to pair any of them with a fee-free card such as Revolut when you’re spending abroad.
Does the Preferred Rewards Gold include airport lounge access?
Yes. It includes four complimentary airport lounge visits a year through the Priority Pass network, rather than the Platinum’s unlimited Priority Pass access.
Verdict
In the UK: frequent flyer → Platinum (£650, unlimited lounges, £400 dining credit); everyday spender who still wants some travel perks → Gold (£195, free first year, four lounge visits); want free Membership Rewards → the Rewards Credit Card. Whichever you pick, budget for the 2.99% foreign exchange fee and carry a fee-free card alongside it. Compare the current offers below.