American Express: Your Flexible Friend for Miles
URGENT: Historic Welcome Bonuses Ending November 10, 2025
Amex Germany is offering all-time high bonuses: 50,000-55,000 points for Gold and 85,000 points for Platinum! These offers are valid only through November 10, 2025 and may not return to these levels for years. If you’ve been waiting, now is the time to apply!
AMEX Membership Rewards Points (MR)
American Express (Amex) is an excellent choice for earning flexible travel rewards. While you need a German address to apply, all Amex cards require a SCHUFA credit check (typically requiring a score of 90+). Contrary to earlier claims, Amex does not offer special advantages for newcomers without SCHUFA history. However, existing Amex cardholders from other countries may be able to use the Global Transfer Program to get a German card more easily.
The core benefit of Amex lies in its Membership Rewards points (MRPs), which are highly flexible and can be transferred to a wide array of airline and hotel loyalty programs. A key advantage is that your MR points DON’T expire as long as you hold at least one MR-earning Amex card in Germany (including free cards).
Earning MR Points
Earning MR Points:
- Standard: 1 MR point per €1 spent.
- Turbo Program (€15/year): Highly recommended! This boosts your earning to 1.5 MR points per €1. You can activate it online or by calling Amex.
- Welcome Bonuses: The quickest way to accumulate a large number of points. Current offers through November 10, 2025: 50,000 MR for Gold Card (55,000 with Rosé), 85,000 MR for Platinum Card - these are all-time highs!
- Upgrade Bonuses: Existing Blue/Green holders can get 65,000 MR upgrading to Gold or 95,000 MR upgrading to Platinum (highest ever).
- Use Referral Links: Referral bonuses match public offers currently (50K-85K). We provide our referral links on respective card pages - using them supports this guide!
- Amex Offers: Check the Amex app or website for targeted bonus points or statement credits at various retailers.
- Referrals: Earn bonus points for referring friends, who often receive attractive offers too.
Important: Welcome Bonus Rules (as of October 2025) Amex Germany’s rules restrict card cycling. To qualify for a new welcome bonus, you generally must not have been the primary cardholder of the same German American Express card in the previous 18 months. Always verify the current Terms & Conditions before applying. You must also keep any new card for at least 12 months to retain its welcome bonus. Note: Gold and Platinum count as separate products, so you can hold both simultaneously and qualify for bonuses on each.
Foreign Transaction Fees: Amex charges 2% outside the Eurozone (not ~5% as previously stated). This is better than expected but still higher than some alternatives like Barclays Visa (0%) or Miles & More cards (~2%).
NOTE: This guide primarily focuses on the personal Gold and Platinum cards as they often represent “sweet spots” for value. Business cards have different benefits and spending requirements. The Amex Payback card earns Payback points directly, not MR points (though Payback points can be transferred to Miles & More).