Quick Answer
The honest French verdict first
Most “best Amex card” roundups you’ll find for France are quoting old numbers: the Carte Gold used to cost around €192/year with a free first year, and the Carte Platinum’s Priority Pass used to be unlimited. Neither is true anymore. The Gold now costs €252/year with no fee waiver at all, and the Platinum’s lounge access has been capped since 3 February 2026. Verified directly on americanexpress.com and in the official Conditions Générales on 18 August 2026, here’s the current lineup, ranked honestly by who each card actually suits.
The full French Amex lineup, verified 18 August 2026
| Card | Annual fee (FR) | First year | Rewards | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carte Blue | €60 (€5/mo) | Free | 1 loyalty point/€ (1,000 pts = €4) | Fee-free Amex acceptance |
| Carte Green | €95 | Free | Membership Rewards | A lighter entry into Membership Rewards |
| Carte Gold | €252 (€21/mo) | No waiver | Membership Rewards | Dining and everyday spend |
| Carte Platinum | €708 (€59/mo) | None | Membership Rewards | Frequent flyers |
| AIR FRANCE KLM Silver | Free above €10,000 spend, else €65 | Free | Flying Blue Miles | Air France/KLM flyers who want no fee |
Fees and offers change. Confirm the current terms on the application page before applying.
Carte Platinum: for frequent flyers, with a new lounge cap
The flagship card still delivers the American Express Global Lounge Collection, Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite hotel status, and roughly €950/year of insurance value. But since 3 February 2026, Priority Pass visits are capped at 15 a year for the main card and 15 for a supplementary Platinum card, with each extra visit costing €30 per person; both the main and supplementary holder can still bring one guest for free. The annual credits are €200 for restaurants and €120 for streaming services, plus a PerfectStay credit of €100 per €1,000 spent. The welcome offer is €400 back after spending €4,000 within 4 months. At €708/year, it only pays off if you’ll genuinely use those 15 lounge visits and the credits. See the Amex Platinum review.
Carte Gold: no longer a free-first-year card
Around €252/year and, despite what a lot of comparison sites still print, there is no first-year fee waiver on the proprietary Carte Gold. The current welcome offer is €100 back after €1,000 spent within 3 months, plus up to €60/year in streaming credits and €75 back per €1,000 spent through PerfectStay. Priority Pass is included with 2 visits a year, not unlimited and not zero. See the Amex Gold review.
Carte Green: the lighter entry, with no fee refund
€95/year, free the first year, then a flat €95/year from year two with no spend-based waiver: that claim, which circulates on several French comparison sites, doesn’t appear on the Carte Green’s product page or in the Conditions Générales fee schedule. What it does offer: the welcome offer is 10,000 loyalty points after €1,000 spent, travel accident cover up to €150,000, and purchase protection up to €800 per claim. See the Amex Green review.
Carte Blue: France’s genuinely cheap Amex
At €60/year (€5/month), free the first year, the Carte Blue is the least expensive proprietary card and, unlike Germany’s Blue Card, it includes the loyalty points programme rather than charging extra for it: 1 point per euro spent, redeemable at 1,000 points = €4. See the Amex Blue review.
AIR FRANCE KLM Silver: free, but only under a condition
The Silver is genuinely free in year one, and the price list itself calls it “free year after year, subject to conditions”: the condition is that combined annual spend on the main and supplementary cards reaches €10,000. Below that, it costs €65/year from year two onward. It earns Flying Blue Miles rather than Membership Rewards, and comes with a welcome offer of 3,000 Flying Blue Miles plus a free checked bag voucher on some Air France/KLM routes.
What changed at Amex France in 2026
Three things older reviews (including our own, before this update) got wrong:
- The Carte Gold’s fee rose to €252/year (from around €192) as of 1 July 2026, and the first-year waiver that used to apply is gone. The card now leans on its welcome offer (€100 after €1,000 spent) instead of a fee holiday.
- Priority Pass on the Carte Platinum is no longer unlimited. Since 3 February 2026 it’s capped at 15 visits a year per card (main and supplementary), with €30 charged per extra visit.
- The AIR FRANCE KLM Platinum’s fee rose to €792/year (from €636) under the Conditions Générales effective 15 January 2026, though that’s a separate co-branded product from the proprietary Carte Platinum reviewed here.
The one-question test
Count last year’s airport visits. Double digits, and you’ll use lounges and hotel status → Carte Platinum. A handful, with strong dining and everyday spend → Carte Gold. You want Membership Rewards on a lighter budget → Carte Green. You just want a working Amex at the lowest fee → Carte Blue. You fly Air France/KLM and can hit €10,000 a year in spend → the AIR FRANCE KLM Silver, genuinely free. Torn between the top two? Amex Platinum vs Gold.
Don’t forget the acceptance gap
Amex acceptance in France lags Visa/Mastercard, especially at small commerçants and markets. Pair any Amex with a free Revolut card for fee-free spending where 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 France?
It depends on your profile. The Carte Platinum (€708/year, €59/month) suits frequent flyers who’ll use its lounges and hotel status, the Carte Gold (€252/year, €21/month) suits everyday Membership Rewards earners on dining and daily spend, the Carte Green (€95/year, free the first year) suits anyone who wants a lighter fee, and the AIR FRANCE KLM Silver card (free if annual spend reaches €10,000, otherwise €65/year) suits Air France or KLM flyers who want no fee at all.
Is there a free American Express card in France?
Not a permanently free mainstream Amex. The closest is the AIR FRANCE KLM Silver: free the first year, then free again only if your annual spend (main plus supplementary cards) reaches €10,000, otherwise it costs €65/year. It earns Flying Blue Miles, not Membership Rewards.
How much does the Carte Gold American Express cost in France?
€252 a year (€21/month, rate in effect since 1 July 2026). Contrary to what many older articles still claim, there is no free first year on the proprietary Carte Gold: the current welcome offer, €100 back after spending €1,000 within 3 months, is what softens the cost, not a fee waiver.
Does the Carte Platinum give unlimited airport lounge access?
No, not since 3 February 2026. The Carte Platinum’s Priority Pass is now capped at 15 visits a year for the main card and 15 for a supplementary Platinum card, with extra visits costing €30 per person. Each holder can still bring one guest for free.
Can the Carte Green’s fee be refunded if I spend enough?
No. Neither the Carte Green product page nor the Conditions Générales mention any spend-based fee refund: that claim confuses it with the AIR FRANCE KLM Silver, whose free-from-year-two status genuinely depends on reaching €10,000 in annual spend. The Carte Green’s fee is fixed at €95/year, waived only in year one.
Verdict
In France: frequent flyer who’ll use 15 lounge visits a year → Carte Platinum. Everyday diner who wants points on a lower budget → Carte Gold. Want Membership Rewards but a lighter fee → Carte Green. Want a working Amex for the least money → Carte Blue. Fly Air France/KLM and spend €10,000+ a year → the AIR FRANCE KLM Silver, genuinely free. Compare the current offers below.