Amex has boosted the welcome bonus and referral bonus on two of its most popular credit cards until 2026. New cardmembers who successfully apply for either the American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card or The Platinum Credit Card will receive an enhanced welcome bonus if they meet the minimum spend within the specified time period. Those who opt for The Platinum Credit Card can also receive a £250 American Express Travel Credit, increasing the overall value of the offer to around £400, depending on how the points are utilised. For Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card holders, the boosted offer could be worth around £100, depending on how the points are used.
American Express regularly runs these boosted bonus offers, though this one could be particularly useful to potential customers who have been deterred by the minimum spend requirements in the past but are anticipating an expensive Christmas period.
What is the Amex welcome bonus offer?
The Amex bonus points offer is available on two of its cards, the American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card and The Platinum Credit Card.
The Gold offer is for 40,000 Membership Rewards points, up from the usual 20,000. The extra 20,000 points are worth around £100 in gift cards, but you could also put the points towards:
- paying off some of the card balance
- shopping with select retailers for flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises and vacation packages
- making eligible purchases through PayPal
- a transfer to a partner loyalty programme, such as British Airways Executive Club or Emirates Skywards
The Platinum Credit Card offer is for 75,000 points, up from 50,000, plus a £250 travel credit. The extra 25,000 points are worth around £125 and can also be moved to a partner reward programme, used to pay off a balance, shop online or make purchases through PayPal.
How to get the Amex welcome bonus
To get the extra Membership Rewards points, new cardmembers will need to meet a minimum spend within the first months of cardmembership.
For the American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card, this means spending £5,000 on eligible purchases in the first six months. For The Platinum Credit Card this increases to £6,000 in just the first three months. Only certain spends will count towards this figure, with important exclusions such as money transfers and cash advances.
Be careful not to spend excessively in order to hit the target, as the bonus points may not be worth the additional expense.
Who is eligible for the bonus points?
Only new cardmembers who apply and are approved before 13th January 2026 can get the bonus points. Amex defines a new cardmember as someone who does not hold any personal American Express cards and has not held one in the past 24 months. This does not include being a named additional cardholder on someone else's account.
If you have had an Amex card in the last two years, you can still apply for a new card and get the standard rewards and benefits, but you will not get the welcome bonus.
You will need to meet the following criteria to get either card:
- aged 18 or over
- have a current UK bank or building society account
- have a permanent UK home address
- have no history of bad debt
You will also need to earn at least £20,000 per year to get the American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card and £35,000 per year to get The Platinum Credit Card.
Is there an Amex referral bonus?
On top of the boosted welcome bonus, Amex has also enhanced the referral bonus for the American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card and The Platinum Credit Card. Through the "invite a friend" offer, cardmembers and those they refer who are approved for an account can earn even more points.
Gold cardmembers can earn 16,000 Membership Rewards points per referral, up from the usual 9,000, and their referred friend can earn 45,000 points when they spend £5,000 in their first six months.
Platinum cardmembers can earn 20,000 Membership Rewards points per referral, up from the usual 12,000, and their referred friend can earn 85,000 points and a £250 American Express Travel credit when they spend £6,000 in the first three months.
All types of cardmember can earn up to a maximum of 90,000 Membership Rewards points per calendar year through the referral programme, so Gold cardmembers would need to refer six friends to hit the limit and Platinum cardmembers would need to refer five.
The enhanced "invite a friend" offer also expires on 13th January 2026.
What is the best American Express credit card?
Both the Gold card and the Platinum card offer a long list of perks, but can also be expensive.
The American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card includes:
- 4 airport lounge passes yearly
- £5 back twice a month on Deliveroo
- Travel accident and travel inconvenience insurance
- A $100 hotel credit
- 1 Membership Rewards point for every £1 spent (boosted to 3 points for American Express Travel purchases and 2 for purchases made directly with airlines)
The card has an annual fee of £195, though this is waived in the first year.
The Platinum Credit Card includes:
- Unlimited airport lounge access
- Worldwide travel insurance
- A £400 global dining statement credit
- A $100 hotel credit
- Car rental and hotel benefits
- 1 Membership Rewards point for every £1 spent (boosted to 2 points for purchases made on amextravel.co.uk)
There is an annual fee of £650.
You can find out more about these cards and the rest of the Amex range on our 'Which is the best American Express credit card?' page.
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