All the information you’ll need to apply for an American Express Credit Card and Charge Card.
Applying for a Card
Am I eligible for a Card?
To apply for a personal Card in the UK you need to meet certain eligibility criteria. To save time you can use the following checklist:
I am aged 18 or over
I have a current UK bank or building society account
I have a permanent UK home address
I have no history of bad debt
Some of our Cards may require different criteria in order to be issued. You may need to provide additional details in order to complete your application.
Once you’ve decided which Card you wish to get, you can apply online. Make sure you read the detailed information and then use the 'Apply now' button to start the Application Process. You will also be able to decide how you'd like your name to be displayed.
Your application takes less than 10 minutes to fill out and we may be able to give you a response in less than 60 seconds.
Want to check your likelihood of being approved prior to submitting a formal application?
It only takes a few minutes to find out if you are eligible with our online Eligibility Checker tool. It won’t affect your credit rating and you can find out quickly whether a formal application is likely to be approved.
When you submit your Card application you will be asked for the following information:
Personal information: including your name, email address, date of birth and nationality.
Contact details: including your phone number and current address. If you’ve lived at your current address for less than three years, you will also need your previous address.
Financial information: including your annual personal income and any other household income, your employment status and employer contact details, as well as how long you’ve been with your bank or building society.
Having all of this information to hand before you start your application will make your application process smoother.
How do I apply for a Credit Card or a Charge Card?
Once you have chosen a Card, read the Terms and Conditions, then click the ‘Apply now’ button on your chosen Card page to begin your application.
The Card application takes less than 10 minutes. You’ll be asked to input the personal and financial information outlined previously, after which you can review a summary to ensure that all the information you’ve provided is correct before submitting your application.
When considering your application, we will ask a credit reference agency to carry out a credit assessment.
If you have any additional questions about this process or need further assistance, please contact our team on 0800 032 7642.
What is a Credit check?
When you apply for a Credit Card or a Charge Card, your application will undergo a credit check which includes an evaluation of your credit history.
A credit check is the process undertaken by American Express to ensure you are able to meet the obligations of a Credit or Charge Card contract. Generally, it means looking at:
Your ability to repay
Your financial responsibility
Your chance of defaulting, not paying back your debt
We provide a range of UK Credit Cards and Charge Cards that offer various rewards and benefits. Whether you want to collect points, get cashback, enjoy travel rewards or premium entertainment and lifestyle experiences, American Express has a Card for you.
When searching for a Card, you should take time to consider the fees and possible interest charges, as well as how much you can afford to repay each month.
Find a Card that will complement and reward your lifestyle by selecting a type of Card.
Enjoy points for flights. With the ability to earn Frequent Flyer points or Avios points on practically every purchase and often additional travel benefits like lounge access, complimentary travel protection and 24/7 global Card support.
Earn Membership Rewards points or premium rewards. For service and benefits that are second to none, reward yourself with a premium Card for your platinum lifestyle.
Enjoy all the benefits, convenience and security of an American Express Card when traveling. With the added bonus of earning more points when you use your Card on the high street or for your travel purchases or choose to enjoy Hotel and Retail rewards.
Earn cashback everyday. American Express Cashback Credit Cards give you all the benefits and convenience of an American Express Credit Card, whist earning you cashback on almost everything you buy.
Get the most out of life. Enjoy all the benefits, convenience and security of an American Express Card – with the added bonus of accumulating Rewards points which offer you the flexibility to redeem for points for flights, hotels, gift cards and more.
Get the most out of your Card with no annual fee Enjoy all the benefits, convenience and security of an American Express Card - with the added bonus of accumulating rewards.
Contactless is the quick, easy and secure way to make payments - Simply touch your American Express Card on the reader, wait for the beep and you're done. What's more, with Amex pay and Apple PayTM you can even pay with your phone.
American Express Offers a range of Credit Cards with different rewards and benefits tailored to your lifestyle and interests.
Cashback is earned on every full pound spent on each purchase. The value of each purchase will be rounded down to the nearest full pound before Cashback is calculated .Cashback will be payable at the following rates, 1% on spend up to £10,000; 1.25% on spend over £10,001. Cashback will be paid by crediting your Account during each Card anniversary month on the expenditure that has taken place during the preceding 12 months. Cashback is not earned on Balance Transfers, Cash Advances, American Express Travellers' Cheques, Foreign Exchange transactions, interest, any spending in excess of your credit limit, charges for returned payments, late payment or referral charges and American Express Credit Card finance charges. You will earn cashback at the rate of 0.5% cashback at warehouse retailers in the United Kingdom. You can find out which retailers we treat as warehouse retailers by checking the FAQ section of our website (americanexpress.co.uk).
5% cashback will be payable to you by us on all your purchases made in the first three months up to £125. Introductory offers are not available if you currently hold or have held any other Platinum Cashback American Express Cards in the past six months. Any cashback from introductory offers will be credited to your Account in your card anniversary month. Your Card anniversary month is the one month period each year following the date on which your Account was opened. Cashback is not earned on Balance Transfers, Cash Advances, American Express Travellers' Cheques, Foreign Exchange transactions, interest, any spending in excess of your credit limit, charges for returned payments, late payment or referral charges and American Express Credit Card finance charges. You will earn cashback at the rate of 0.5% cashback at warehouse retailers in the United Kingdom. You can find out which retailers we treat as warehouse retailers by checking the FAQ section of our website (americanexpress.co.uk).
Terms and Conditions apply. Please see the Insurance Terms and Conditions for full details. Please read this to understand the limits and exclusions that may apply.
20,000 bonus points will be awarded onto your Account once you have been approved and a minimum of £2,000 has been spent and charged to the Account within three months of Account opening. All introductory offers are subject to change, can be withdrawn at any time and are not available if you currently hold or have held the Nectar Credit Card in the past six months. Purchases made at warehouse retailers in the United Kingdom will earn you Points at the rate of 1 point for every £1. You can find out which retailers we treat as warehouse retailers by checking the FAQ section of our website (americanexpress.co.uk).
The annual fee is £25. With this offer you will receive the first year of Cardmembership with £0 annual fee. From year two of your membership, a £25 annual fee will automatically be charged to your Account on or after the anniversary of your Account opening date. The first year fee waiver is only available to new American Express Cardmembers. A customer is not considered a new Cardmember if they hold or have held in the last six months another American Express Card.
2 points per full £1 spent consists of collecting 2 points for virtually every full £1 spent and charged on your Nectar Credit Card everywhere, including abroad (except for purchases made at warehouse retailers in the United Kingdom (e.g. Costco) where you will earn Points at the rate of 1 point for every full £1).
4 points per full £1 spent consists of collecting 2 points for virtually every full £1 spent and charged on your Nectar Credit Card (except for purchases made at warehouse retailers in the United Kingdom where you will earn Points at the rate of 1 point for every full £1) and 2 points on your Nectar loyalty card at most participating Nectar partners. For BP, Expedia and Homebase, different points levels apply as the base earn rate on the loyalty card varies. See nectar.com for details.
For the Premium Plus Card, the 25,000 bonus Avios will be awarded onto your Account once you have been approved and you have spent and charged a minimum of £3,000 on goods and services to the Account within three months of Account opening. For the Premium Plus Card, you will be awarded 1.5 Avios for every £1 spent and charged per transaction, and 3 Avios for virtually every £1 you spend direct on British Airways flights and holidays. Avios are not earned on Balance Transfers, Cash Withdrawals, American Express Travellers Cheques purchases, Foreign Exchange, interest, any spending in excess of your credit limit, charges for returned payments, late payment or referral charges and American Express Credit Card finance charges. Written details available on request. Introductory offers are not available if you currently hold or have held any other British Airways American Express Cards in the past six months. Please note, it can take up to one month for the bonus Avios to be awarded to your Account once you have met the required spend.
Terms and Conditions apply to Avios redemptions. Reward flights and companion voucher bookings are subject to availability. Detailed information on companion vouchers can be found here or by calling 0844 493 0750. Please note, calls cost a maximum of 7p per minute, plus your phone company’s access charge. All applicable Terms and Conditions will be provided within your Welcome Pack if you are approved.
Terms and Conditions apply. Please see the Insurance Terms and Conditions for full details. Please read this to understand the limits and exclusions that may apply.
For the Credit Card, 5,000 bonus Avios will be awarded onto your Account once you have been approved and you have spent and charged a minimum of £1,000 on goods and services to the Account within three months of Account opening. Introductory offers are not available if you currently hold or have held any other British Airways American Express Cards in the past six months. Please note, it can take up to one month for the bonus Avios to be awarded to your Account once you have met the required spend.
Terms and Conditions apply to Avios redemptions. Reward flights and companion voucher bookings are subject to availability. Detailed information on companion vouchers can be found here or by calling 0844 493 0750. Please note, calls cost a maximum of 7p per minute, plus your phone company’s access charge. All applicable Terms and Conditions will be provided within your Welcome Pack if you are approved.
Terms and Conditions apply. Please see the Insurance Terms and Conditions for full details. Please read this to understand the limits and exclusions that may apply.
