American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Card

The Preferred Rewards Gold is the UK's most popular points card for a reason: a large welcome bonus, 1 Membership Rewards point per £1 (more on airlines and at Amex Travel), four annual airport lounge passes and a £120 annual dining credit — with the £195 fee waived in the first year. Points transfer to Avios, Virgin Points, Hilton Honors and more, which is where the real value sits.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Card at a glance

Rewards & perks

• Transfer points 1:1 to British Airways Avios, Virgin Points and hotel programmes
• £120 a year in dining credits (£10 a month) at participating UK restaurants
• Four complimentary Priority Pass lounge visits each year, then a per-visit fee

Pros

• One of the richest welcome bonuses on a UK card
• First year free makes it easy to trial
• Lounge passes and dining credit offset most of the fee from year two

Cons

• £195 fee from year two unless you use the credits
• It is a charge card: balances must be paid in full each month
• Amex acceptance gaps in smaller UK shops

Who should apply

• UK residents with a good credit file who fly at least a few times a year
• People who will actually transfer points to airline partners
• Anyone who can comfortably pay the balance in full monthly

Before you apply: card terms change often. Confirm the current annual fee, interest rate, welcome offer and rewards on the official American Express UK site. CreditCardCompare is an independent comparison resource, not the card issuer, and this is not financial advice.