Quick Answer
The short version
Here’s a sentence most affiliate sites won’t write, because there’s less money in it: for a lot of you, the free card is the right card. The PAYBACK American Express Card costs nothing, carries zero pressure, and lets you find out whether you’d actually use a premium card before paying for one. If you travel a couple of times a year, this Amex PAYBACK Card review might be the only one you need.
And before you file it under “not a travel card,” I flew Lufthansa business class to Tunis on points this €0 card earned me. I’ll show you exactly how further down. It’s the trick the brochures leave out. All figures verified August 18, 2026 on americanexpress.com.
What changed in 2026?
Three things to help you place older reviews correctly. First, PAYBACK reworked its partner network: Rewe and Penny left at the end of 2024, replaced by Edeka and Netto Marken-Discount; dm and Aral remain. Second, the Amex Green Card, once seen as the next step up from PAYBACK, no longer exists; its successor is the American Express Card at €60 a year, free from year two at €9,000 spend. Third, the Gold now costs €240 a year instead of €144, which makes the jump up from the free PAYBACK pricier and makes PAYBACK even more attractive for occasional travelers. Amex also sells a co-branded dm PAYBACK American Express Card: same €0 annual fee, same 1,000 Extra points welcome offer, and every supplementary card included, aimed at dm shoppers specifically.
How much does the PAYBACK American Express cost and what do you get?
As of August 18, 2026, sourced from the PAYBACK American Express Card product page.
| Benefit | PAYBACK American Express Card 2026 |
|---|---|
| Annual fee | €0, permanently |
| Supplementary cards | All included |
| Points | 1 PAYBACK point per €3 of card spend, not at gas stations; plus regular PAYBACK points at partners |
| Point value | 1 point = 1 cent |
| Point expiry | None |
| Welcome bonus | 1,000 Extra points per Amex directly; through a referral, 4,000 points for the first payment (promo through Sept 27, 2026) |
| Payments | Apple Pay, Google Pay, Amex Offers, Amex app |
| Lounges, credits, hotel status, travel insurance | None |
| Foreign currency | 2% foreign transaction fee |
| ATM cash | 4%, minimum €5 |
What you actually get with the PAYBACK American Express
The PAYBACK American Express Card has no annual fee, €0, and every supplementary card is included, which makes it the truly risk-free way into American Express. One distinction the brochures gloss over and I won’t: it earns PAYBACK points, not Membership Rewards. PAYBACK is Germany’s everyday loyalty programme. The card gives you 1 point per €3 spent on everything you pay with it (except gas stations), and at PAYBACK partners like dm, Edeka or Aral the normal partner points stack on top, quietly turning a routine you already have into points. The Platinum/Gold travel machinery is absent too: no lounges, no hotel status, no credits.
What you do get is the Amex ecosystem itself: acceptance, the app, the security tools, real-time notifications, Amex Offers, and a card that quietly earns PAYBACK points on normal spending without ever asking you to justify a fee. A point is worth a cent: €12,000 in annual spend earns 4,000 points, so €40, plus the partner points. It’s not a fortune, but it’s honest money for a zero fee.
The bit that makes it a travel card after all
Here’s what “not travel-flexible” misses. PAYBACK points can be converted into Lufthansa Miles & More, and a few times a year Miles & More runs a transfer bonus on top. So the everyday shopping points you barely noticed earning become airline miles, and during a bonus window they become more airline miles. That single bridge is the reason a free everyday card can quietly fund a real flight, and that’s exactly what happened to me. The exchange rate, minimum amount and bonus size all shift over time, so check them directly with PAYBACK and Miles & More before transferring.
How a free card flew me to Tunis in business class
I keep telling people this card “isn’t for travelers.” Then I look at my own boarding passes and have to laugh.
I’d carried the free PAYBACK Card for a while before I ever paid Amex a cent: PAYBACK first, then the Gold, and only later the Platinum once I was flying often enough to drain its perks. In that PAYBACK stretch I wasn’t trying to game anything. I was just living: the weekly grocery run (back then still at Rewe, which is no longer a PAYBACK partner), dm runs, and a tank of fuel at Aral every week or two. A slice of my Miles & More balance trickled in from Amazon purchases too, but honestly, a good 70% of the miles I eventually flew on came from plain PAYBACK on day-to-day spending. I travel a lot, so the everyday points stacked up faster than I expected.
Then Miles & More ran a transfer bonus. I pushed my PAYBACK points across, watched them land as miles plus the bonus, and booked a Lufthansa business-class seat to Tunis for 15,000 Miles & More. Blocked middle seat, the lounge before the flight, a proper hot meal instead of a trolley, all paid for by a card that costs €0 a year and that I’d very nearly written off as a groceries-only card.
That’s the open secret: the free card earns the currency, and Miles & More is the exit ramp to actual flights. You don’t need the metal card to leave the country on points. You need the everyday spend and one good transfer bonus.
The honest tradeoffs
- No annual fee, truly free, every supplementary card included
- 1 PAYBACK point per €3 on nearly everything, plus partner points at dm, Edeka, Aral
- Points never expire, 1 point equals 1 cent, easy to redeem
- Points convertible into Lufthansa Miles & More (great in a transfer bonus)
- Risk-free way to try the Amex ecosystem
- No card-earning at gas stations
- Miles & More is one programme, less flexible than Membership Rewards' many partners
- No lounges, hotel status, credits or travel insurance
- 2% foreign transaction fee, 4% at ATMs
- Amex acceptance gaps abroad, needs a backup card
That’s not a knock; it’s a matter of fit. For a few-times-a-year traveler, a free card earning PAYBACK on normal spending (that you can later cash out as Lufthansa miles) is exactly right. If you’d rather bank flexible Membership Rewards that transfer to many airlines and hotels, that’s the American Express Card (€60/year, free from year two at €9,000 spend), the Gold (€240) or the Platinum (€720). And because every German Amex charges a 2% foreign transaction fee and isn’t accepted everywhere abroad, pair it with a no-fee Revolut card for foreign currency, cash and spending where only Visa or Mastercard is taken.
Welcome bonus: 1,000 Extra points direct, 4,000 through referral
Amex’s product page lists 1,000 Extra points for new customers, worth around €10; the exact terms are in the application. Through my referral link below there are currently 4,000 Extra points for the first payment made with the card (promotion through September 27, 2026). The bonus is for new cardholders only, meaning no primary PAYBACK Amex card in the last 18 months. I earn points for the referral too, which is the disclosure.
Who should get the PAYBACK American Express (and who shouldn’t)
Get the PAYBACK Card if you travel occasionally, want zero commitment, or are testing the waters before a paid card, especially if you already shop at dm, Edeka or Aral and like the idea of cashing those points out as Lufthansa flights. Skip it if you want lounges, hotel status, or the flexibility of Membership Rewards across many airlines and hotels: that’s the American Express Card, Gold or Platinum. (For what it’s worth, that’s the exact path I took: PAYBACK first, then Gold, then Platinum once I was flying enough to justify it.) The full Amex Germany comparison lines up all five cards side by side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a free American Express card with no annual fee?
Yes. In Germany the PAYBACK American Express Card has a permanent €0 annual fee, with every supplementary card included (as of August 2026). It earns 1 PAYBACK point per €3 of card spend (not at gas stations) on top of the regular PAYBACK points at partners like dm, Edeka or Aral, and the points never expire. The honest caveat: no flexible Membership Rewards, no lounges, no credits, no hotel status. It’s the right pick if you travel only a couple of times a year or want to try the Amex ecosystem at zero cost.
Does the Amex PAYBACK Card earn Membership Rewards?
No, and this is the key distinction. The PAYBACK American Express Card earns PAYBACK points (1 point per €3 of spend, each point worth 1 cent), which you redeem within Germany’s PAYBACK programme. If you specifically want flexible Membership Rewards points for flights and airline transfers, you need the American Express Card (€60/year, free from year two at €9,000 spend), the Gold (€240) or the Platinum (€720) instead.
Can you use Amex PAYBACK points for flights?
Yes, by way of a detour: PAYBACK points can be converted into Lufthansa Miles & More, and Miles & More periodically runs a transfer bonus on top. As miles, you can redeem them for Lufthansa and Star Alliance flights, including business class. I booked a Lufthansa business-class seat to Tunis for 15,000 miles built mostly from everyday PAYBACK spending. Check the exchange rate and minimum amount directly with PAYBACK before transferring, since both can change.
How big is the Amex PAYBACK Card welcome bonus?
Amex’s product page lists 1,000 Extra points for new customers (as of September 2026), worth around €10. Through a referral there are currently 4,000 Extra points for the first payment made with the card (promotion through September 27, 2026). The bonus is for new cardholders only, meaning no primary PAYBACK Amex card in the last 18 months.
What’s the catch with the free Amex PAYBACK Card?
There’s no annual-fee catch; it’s genuinely free. The trade-off is scope: no travel perks, no lounges, no hotel status, no credits, and rewards are PAYBACK points (worth 1 cent each) rather than travel-flexible Membership Rewards. On top of that, like every German Amex, there’s a 2% foreign transaction fee and 4% (minimum €5) for ATM cash. It’s a no-frills everyday card, not a points-maximiser’s tool.
Who should get the Amex PAYBACK Card?
Occasional travelers who don’t want to justify a fee, anyone who already shops at PAYBACK partners like dm, Edeka or Aral, and anyone who wants to live inside the Amex ecosystem (acceptance, the app, the security) before deciding whether a paid card is worth it. Many people start here, watch their travel habits for a year, then upgrade to the American Express Card, the Gold or the Platinum if the numbers justify it.
Verdict
The PAYBACK American Express Card is the honest starting point. Free, no pressure, 1 point per €3, points that never expire, and a clean way to decide whether a paid Amex earns its keep for you. Start here through my referral link below, and if a year in you find yourself flying more, the American Express Card, Gold and Platinum are waiting. Compare every card side by side in our credit cards guide.