Amex Gold

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you make a booking through these links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The honest German verdict first Most people in Germany reach straight for the Platinum because it’s the famous one — and a chunk of them waste hundreds of euros doing it. So before the shiny metal card wins the argument: if you won’t be at an airport in double digits this year, the Platinum is the wrong card for you, and I’d rather tell you that than take your click. The good news is Germany has a genuinely free Amex too. Here’s the whole lineup, honestly ranked. ...

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you make a booking through these links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The honest answer in one question Forget the brochures. Amex Platinum vs Gold comes down to a single question: how many times were you at an airport last year? Double digits, and the Platinum’s lounges and status pay for themselves. Single digits, and you’re about to pay a premium fee for perks you’ll watch go unused — the Gold is your card. Everything below just shows the working. ...

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you make a booking through these links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. 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. Here’s the full UK lineup, honestly ranked. ...

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you make a booking through these links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The short version Everyone obsesses over the Platinum. Here’s the uncomfortable truth most reviews skate past: for the average traveler, the Gold is the smarter card. It earns the same Membership Rewards points, costs a fraction of the fee, and Amex often hands you the first year free — which means you can test the entire ecosystem at zero cost and decide later. If you fly into double-digit airport visits a year, sure, go Platinum . Everyone else: this Amex Gold review is the one to read. ...

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you make a booking through these links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The honest truth first I had the application open in one browser tab and a calculator in the other, and I was about to close both. A high annual fee for a single credit card sounds absurd — that’s exactly what I thought, sitting at my kitchen table, shaking my head. I looked at the best Amex travel card everyone kept recommending, the Platinum, and I put it away. Twice. ...

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you make a booking through these links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The honest US verdict first The Amex Platinum just jumped to $895 — and the internet is full of people defending a fee they don’t come close to earning back. So I’ll say it plainly: most Americans reading this should not pay $895 for a credit card. The Platinum is a phenomenal card if you live in airports and burn its credits; for everyone else it’s an expensive flex. Here’s the full US lineup, ranked by who it actually fits. ...

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you make a booking through these links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The honest French verdict first In France the Carte Platinum carries serious prestige — and prestige is exactly what makes people overpay. So let me be the one to say it: if you don’t fly often, the Platinum’s ~€708 a year is money you won’t earn back. France also has free co-branded options most “best card” lists skip. Here’s the whole picture, ranked by who each card genuinely fits. ...

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you make a booking through these links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The honest Italian verdict first Italy is one of the rare markets where Amex hands you a free card that still earns Membership Rewards — the Carta Blu. That single fact makes the €840 Carta Platino far harder to justify than its prestige implies. So before you reach for the famous one: if you won’t use lounges and credits, the free Carta Blu or the Carta Oro is the smarter call. Here’s the full Italian lineup, honestly ranked. ...

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you make a booking through these links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The honest Spanish verdict first In Spain the Tarjeta Platinum carries the same glamour it does everywhere — and the same trap. Let me be blunt: if you won’t fly often enough to drain its lounges and credits, ~€780 a year is money you won’t recoup. The Tarjeta Oro’s free first year means you can test the points game at zero cost first. Here’s the Spanish lineup, honestly ranked. ...

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you make a booking through these links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The honest Swiss verdict first Switzerland is one of the rare markets where Amex gives you a permanently free card — which makes the CHF 900 Platinum a tougher sell than the prestige suggests. So before you commit: if you won’t use the lounges and credits, the free Cashback Card or the CHF 350 Gold serves you better. Here’s the full Swiss lineup, honestly ranked. ...

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you make a booking through these links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The honest Austrian verdict first Austria’s Amex lineup looks a lot like Germany’s — with one big difference people miss: there’s no permanently free Payback card here. So the instinct to “just get the free one” doesn’t apply the same way. The good news: every card except the Platinum and Gold is free in the first year, so you can still start at zero cost. But before you reach for the Platinum’s prestige — if you won’t fly often, you’re about to overpay. Here’s the honest ranking. ...

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you make a booking through these links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The honest Japanese verdict first Japan has one of the richest Amex ecosystems in the world — and the Platinum’s ¥165,000 fee to match. Prestige runs deep here, which is exactly why people overbuy. So I’ll say it: unless you genuinely fly often and use the lounges, hotel status and credits, the Gold Preferred gives you most of the magic for a quarter of the fee. Here’s the full Japanese lineup, honestly ranked. ...