Quick Answer
Is there a free Amex card in Germany?
Yes, and it’s called the Amex Blue Card. The annual fee is genuinely €0, permanently, no first-year-only trick, and there’s currently a €25 welcome credit on top. But before you celebrate the free points: the Blue doesn’t actually earn any points for free. That’s the catch, and it’s the one thing every “best free Amex” listicle skips over. I’d rather you know it upfront than discover it on your statement. So here’s the honest version of who the Blue Card is right for in Germany, and the two cases where the PAYBACK American Express or the American Express Card (formerly Green) quietly beats it. Figures verified August 18, 2026 on americanexpress.com.
What changed in 2026?
Two things older Blue Card reviews still get wrong. First, the Amex Green Card, once described as “the step up from the Blue,” is no longer available in Germany; its successor is the American Express Card at €5 a month (€60 a year), which drops to €0 from year two at €9,000 or more in annual spend and includes Membership Rewards. Second, Amex currently pays new Blue Card holders a €25 welcome credit after €1,200 spent in six months. The core rule stays the same: €0 for the card, €30 a year for Membership Rewards.
What you actually get with the Amex Blue Card
Stripped of the marketing, here’s what the free Blue Card puts in your wallet (as of August 2026, sourced from Amex’s product page):
| Benefit | Amex Blue Card 2026 |
|---|---|
| Annual fee | €0, permanently |
| Welcome credit | €25 after €1,200 spent in the first 6 months |
| Membership Rewards | Not included; optional €30/year, then 1 point per €1 plus 5,000 bonus points |
| Supplementary card | 1 included |
| Insurance | Travel accident insurance |
| Payments | Apple Pay, Google Pay, Amex Offers |
| Foreign currency | 2% foreign transaction fee |
| ATM cash | 4%, minimum €5 |
| Lounges, credits, hotel status | None |
- A real American Express card at €0/year. Use it anywhere Amex is accepted in Germany and abroad.
- A €25 welcome credit after €1,200 spent in six months: modest, but it’s there.
- Apple Pay and Google Pay: add it to your phone and tap.
- Amex Offers: the rotating brand discounts (statement credits at participating shops) that work the same on every Amex tier.
- Travel accident insurance: the basic cover that comes with the card.
What it doesn’t include out of the box is the one thing people assume an Amex is for: points. And that’s where the asterisk lives.
The catch with points: €30/year for Membership Rewards
The Blue Card on its own earns nothing. No Membership Rewards, no cashback, zero. To earn points, you have to opt in to Membership Rewards for €30/year, on top of the free card. Pay that €30 and you earn 1 point per €1 spent, plus 5,000 bonus points when you join. So the genuinely-free Blue is a payment card; the earning Blue costs €30 a year.
| Setup | Annual cost | Earns |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Card, no add-on | €0 | Nothing (payments only) |
| Blue Card + Membership Rewards | €30 | 1 point / €1 (+ 5,000 bonus points) |
Here’s the thing worth sitting with: once you’re paying €30 a year to earn points on a card, “free Amex” stops being the reason you hold it. At that point you’re really asking whether the Blue is the best way to earn Membership Rewards, and for most people it isn’t. The American Express Card (formerly Green) costs €60 a year, bundles Membership Rewards in at no extra fee, comes with a €40 welcome credit and a 90-day return policy, and its fee disappears entirely from year two once you spend at least €9,000 in a year. If you’d pay the MR add-on anyway, you get more there for €30 more in year one, and often €0 after.
Amex Blue vs PAYBACK: the two free options
This is the comparison that actually decides it for most readers in Germany, because both cards sit at €0, but they earn very differently.
| Amex Blue Card | PAYBACK American Express | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | €0 | €0 |
| Earns for free? | No, nothing without the €30/yr Membership Rewards add-on | Yes, 1 PAYBACK point per €3 (not at gas stations) plus partner points |
| Points currency | Membership Rewards (paid add-on) | PAYBACK (dm, Edeka, Aral and partners), no expiry |
| Welcome offer | €25 after €1,200 spent | 1,000 Extra points direct, 4,000 through referral |
| Supplementary cards | 1 included | All included |
| Best for | Payments + Apple Pay with no fee | Free everyday earning at German retailers |
The PAYBACK American Express earns you 1 PAYBACK point per €3 spent (except at gas stations), plus regular PAYBACK points at partner retailers, automatically and with no extra fee. The Blue earns nothing unless you pay the €30. So if your goal is “a free card that actually gives me something back,” the PAYBACK is the cleaner pick. The Blue only wins this matchup if you mainly want Amex for payments and Apple Pay, don’t care about points, or want to claim the €25 welcome credit.
Want the genuinely-free Amex for payments and Apple Pay? The Blue Card is €0/year with no commitment; just go in knowing the points cost extra.
Blue vs American Express Card (formerly Green): when to step up
If you read “the points cost €30 extra” and thought I’d probably pay that, stop, and look at the American Express Card instead. (The old Amex Green Card no longer exists; the American Express Card is its successor.)
The American Express Card isn’t free in year one; it costs €5 a month, so €60 a year. But it includes Membership Rewards at 1 point per euro rather than charging it as a bolt-on, comes with a €40 welcome credit after €2,000 spent and a 90-day return policy, and the fee disappears entirely from year two once you spent at least €9,000 on it the year before. So the real question isn’t “Blue or American Express Card” in the abstract; it’s: am I going to pay for Membership Rewards anyway? If yes, the American Express Card gives you a fuller package for €30 more in year one, and often €0 after. The Blue stays the better choice only when you want the card to cost you exactly €0 and you’re fine earning nothing.
The honest tradeoffs
- Genuinely free: €0 annual fee, permanently
- €25 welcome credit after €1,200 spent in 6 months
- Full Amex acceptance plus Apple Pay and Google Pay
- Amex Offers brand discounts, travel accident insurance, 1 supplementary card
- No commitment, easy to hold as a backup card
- Earns nothing without the €30/yr Membership Rewards add-on
- Once you pay for MR, the American Express Card (€60, often €0 from year 2) gives more
- PAYBACK American Express earns automatically for free, Blue doesn't
- 2% foreign transaction fee, 4% at ATMs
- Amex acceptance gaps mean you still need a Visa/Mastercard alongside it
Like every German Amex, the Blue Card charges a 2% foreign transaction fee on non-euro purchases and 4% (minimum €5) for ATM cash, and acceptance in Germany isn’t universal: keep a no-fee Revolut card or any Visa/Mastercard for foreign currency, cash and the shops and machines that turn Amex away.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Amex Blue Card worth it in Germany?
It depends what you want from it. As a free Amex for payments and Apple Pay: yes, €0 annual fee permanently, €25 welcome credit after €1,200 spent in 6 months, no commitment. As an earning card, the catch is that Membership Rewards costs €30/year extra, so the points aren’t really free. If you want a free card that gives something back, the PAYBACK American Express is simpler; if you want real Membership Rewards points, the American Express Card (formerly Green) at €60/year, free from year two at €9,000 spend, is the better step up.
Does the Amex Blue earn Membership Rewards points?
Not automatically. Membership Rewards participation costs an extra €30/year on top of the free Blue Card, with 5,000 bonus points on joining. Pay it and you earn 1 point per €1 spent. Don’t pay it and the Blue Card earns nothing, which is why the Blue is less straightforward than it first looks.
Amex Blue vs PAYBACK: which free Amex is better in Germany?
The PAYBACK American Express Card earns 1 PAYBACK point per €3 spent (not at gas stations) with no extra fee, plus regular PAYBACK points at partners like dm, Edeka or Aral. The Blue Card earns nothing without the €30/year Membership Rewards add-on. If you want a free card that gives something back, the PAYBACK is the cleaner pick. The Blue wins if you mainly use Amex for payments, or want the €25 welcome credit.
What does the Amex Blue Card cost abroad?
Like every German Amex, the Blue Card charges a 2% foreign transaction fee on non-euro payments and 4% (minimum €5) for ATM cash. Within the eurozone there’s no surcharge. For payments outside the euro area and for cash, pair it with a no-fee Revolut card.
Verdict
The Amex Blue Card is exactly what it says (a free Amex with a €25 welcome credit) and no more. Hold it for payments and Apple Pay at €0, and it’s a perfectly good backup card. But the moment “I want points” enters the picture, the maths changes: the free PAYBACK American Express earns automatically, and if you’d pay for Membership Rewards anyway, the American Express Card (formerly Green) bundles it better for €60 (often €0 later). The full Amex Germany comparison lays all five cards side by side, and the credit cards guide covers every country.