American Express (AMEX) is present in the Netherlands and has a number of charge cards available for Dutch residents. Whilst American Express cards are not as widely used in Europe, their acceptance has slowly been growing.
In this article we will feature all American Express cards in the Netherlands. We will broadly split them between the standard AMEX cards which earn Membership Rewards and the Flying Blue cards.
Membership Rewards is the in-house points program from American Express which can be transferred to other airline and hotel partners. Flying Blue is the frequent flyer program of Air France-KLM.
This overview may help you decide which is the best American Express card in the Netherlands for your own situation.
American Express Membership Rewards Cards in the Netherlands
The following table summarises the top 3 of the 4 classic American Express cards available in the Netherlands which earn Membership Rewards points. We will describe the benefits of all 4 cards in more detail below.
| Best Travel Benefits | Best Mid-Range Card | Best Value |
  |   |   |
| American Express Platinum Metal Card | American Express Gold Card | American Express Green Card |
| €780 per year | €240 per year | €78 per year |
| 1 point per €1 | 1 point per €1 | 1 point per €1 |
| Apply | Apply | Apply |
American Express Platinum Metal Card
Best Travel Benefits
The Platinum Metal Card costs €65 per month which is €780 annually. Apply for the American Express Platinum Card here
This is a high-end card used by many frequent flyers and travel ‘professionals’.
It offers fully comprehensive travel insurance for the cardholder and family and all supplementary card holders. This includes baggage delay, cancellation, travel accident and full car hire insurance.
POINTS EARNING: The Platinum Card now earns the standard 1 Membership Rewards point for every €1 spent on the card. This has been recently reduced from 1.5 points per €1 spend. There are currently no bonus points on applying.
AMEX Platinum Card Lounge Access
The card comes with a raft of travel benefits. The cardholder and main supplementary cardholder will each receive a special Priority Pass membership.
This allows free entry into one of 1,300 airport lounges worldwide and 1 free guest is allowed per card (unlike the usual Priority Pass membership which you have to pay for any guests). Thus with 2 Platinum cards a group of 4 people could all get free access into a lounge.
If you were to purchase Priority Pass ‘Prestige’ membership separately it would cost €459 per person and you would pay €30 each time for any guests.
The Platinum Card will also get you direct entry into the high-end American Express Centurion lounges (mainly in the US plus Hong Kong/Sydney/Melbourne/London Heathrow T3/Stockholm).
You can also get access to Plaza Premium lounges worldwide (with 1 guest allowed) – this includes lounges at Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Geneva, Helsinki, London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Rome, Stockholm and Zurich.
Access is granted to Delta Sky Club lounges (no free guests) when flying on Delta Air Lines.
Platinum Card holders can also access select Lufthansa lounges (no free guests) if flying on LH Group airlines Lufthansa, SWISS or Austrian. Economy flyers get access to Lufthansa Business Lounge; business class flyers can access the Lufthansa Senator Lounge.
The combined lounge access possibilities with the Platinum card is valued at a minimum of €910 per year.
At Schiphol airport Amsterdam, Platinum cardholders get a light freshly prepared meal (Loungebox on the go) at the GRAB&FLY outlets on presentation of your card and boarding pass.
If travelling by Eurostar train in any class you can also enter the Eurostar Business Premier lounge at London St Pancras, Paris Nord and Brussels Zuid stations. No free guests are allowed.
A complimentary Privium Plus membership (normally €285) is given which includes fast-track security and border control (by iris scan) at Amsterdam Schiphol, business class check-in at selected airlines, use of the 3 Privium lounges and the Privium parking garage.
Supplementary cardholders can make use of a free Privium Partner membership (normally €130).
Note, due to the ongoing situation at Schiphol airport, there are delays with activating Privium membership.
Other AMEX Platinum Card perks
The Platinum Card gives instant status in a number of hotel schemes:
Radisson Rewards Premium status
Hilton Honors Gold status (which includes free continental breakfast at all Hilton hotels)
MeliáRewards Gold status
Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status
For car rentals you get Avis Preferred and Hertz Gold Plus Rewards status which gives a discount up to 15%.
You also get free room upgrades and privileges when booking 4 and 5 star hotels with the Fine Hotels & Resorts program, The Hotel Collection and The Vacation Collection.
Cardholders can get priority booking to special events and exclusive experiences.
New – You get €300 dining credit each year at a selection of the best restaurants world wide. This is €150 at some 30 restaurants in the Netherlands and a further €150 to use at more than 1,400 restaurants in 20 countries.
In addition, 1 supplementary Platinum Card and 4 supplementary Green Cards can be taken out free of charge for family or friends.
American Express quote the total value of the average annual benefits as €3,175.
You now only require a minimum gross income of €30,000 per year. This was recently reduced from €60,000 per year – which opens the card to many more people.
You can apply for the American Express Platinum Card here
Though expensive, if you travel extensively and make use of the card features you could find excellent value and benefits from the card.
- Comprehensive lounge access
- Full travel and car hire insurance
- Privium Plus at Amsterdam Schiphol
- €300 Dining credit
- Relatively expensive
- No current bonus points
American Express Gold Card
Best Mid-Range Card
The Gold Card costs €20 per month which is €240 annually. Apply for the American Express Gold Card here
It offers comprehensive travel insurance (up to age 75) for the cardholder and family if paying for your travel or stay with the card.
POINTS EARNING: You can earn 1 Membership Rewards point for every €1 spent on the card. There are currently no bonus points for applying.
AMEX Gold Card benefits
Other benefits include 4 free airport lounge passes each membership year via Priority Pass to enter into one of 1,300 airport lounges worldwide. This includes the Aspire lounges at Amsterdam Schiphol and in the UK.
At Schiphol airport Amsterdam, Gold cardholders get a light freshly prepared meal (Loungebox on the go) at the GRAB&FLY outlets on presentation of your card and boarding pass.
New – You get €100 dining credit each year at a selection of restaurants in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.
New – You get a complimentary Amazon Prime subscription.
In addition, 4 supplementary Green Cards can be taken out free of charge for family or friends.
You do require a minimum gross income of €20,000 per year – this has been recently reduced from €36,000.
Apply for the American Express Gold Card here
If you travel every now and again this could be a worthwhile mid-range card, with its travel insurance coverage and 4 lounge passes. And if you can make use of the dining credit and Amazon Prime subscription.
- 4 Lounge passes
- Travel insurance coverage
- €100 Dining credit
- Amazon Prime subscription
- No current bonus points
American Express Green Card
Best Value
The Green Card costs €6.50 per month (€78 annually) though the first year is free.
It offers some basic travel insurance (accident and missed departures) if paying for your travel or stay with the card.
POINTS EARNING: It has the same earning rate as the Platinum and Gold cards, earning 1 Membership Rewards point for every €1 spent on the card. There are currently no bonus points on offer for applying.
In addition, 2 supplementary Green Cards can be taken out free of charge for family or friends.
You do require a minimum gross income of €20,000 per year. Apply for the American Express Green Card here
The points earning rate and free first year makes this a great introductory choice for an Amex card.
- Basic travel insurance
- Free first year
- 1 Membership Reward point per 1 spend
- No current bonus points
- No lounge access or dining benefits
American Express Blue Card
The Blue Card is the basic budget entry card from American Express. The card costs €35 annually – however it is free if you spend €3,000 annually on the card.
It offers some basic travel accident insurance if paying for your travel or stay with the card.
Note, it only earns 1 Membership Rewards point for every €2 spent on the card which is half the rate of the Green and Gold Cards. If you are looking to rack up points from spending then consider one of the other cards. There are no bonus points awarded for taking the Blue card.
In addition, 2 supplementary Blue Cards can be taken out free of charge for family or friends. You do require a minimum gross income of €20,000 per year.
Since the Green card is free the first year and has a higher points earning rate we would recommend that card over the Blue card.
American Express Membership Rewards – Transfer Partners
The great feature about the Amex Membership Rewards program is the flexibility to transfer points to a number of airline and hotel transfer partners.
It is currently possible for Dutch-based Membership Rewards cardholders to transfer their MR points into points/miles of 8 frequent flyer programs and 3 hotel programs. Note, the partners and transfer rates are slightly different for Netherlands American Express cards compared to UK and US cards.
| Partner | Transfer Rate | Transfer Time | Minimum Transfer |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | 5 MR points : 4 Miles | 3-10 days | 625 MR points |
| British Airways Executive Club | 5 MR points : 4 Avios | 4-10 days | 1,000 MR points |
| Asia Miles | 5 MR points : 4 Miles | 7-10 days | 1,000 MR points |
| Delta SkyMiles | 3 MR points : 1 SkyMile | 4-10 days | 3 MR points |
| Finnair Plus | 5 MR points : 4 points | 4-10 days | 1,000 MR points |
| Iberia Plus | 5 MR points : 4 Avios | 4-10 days | 800 MR points |
| SAS EuroBonus | 3 MR points : 2 points | 4-10 days | 1,200 MR points |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFLyer | 5 MR points : 4 miles | 4-10 days | 1,600 MR points |
| Hilton Honors | 1 MR point : 1 point | 4-10 days | 100 MR points |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 1 MR point : 1 point | 4-10 days | 100 MR points |
| Radisson Rewards | 1 MR point : 2 points | 4-10 days | 2 MR points |
As an example, if you were to transfer 5,000 MR points to British Airways or Iberia you would receive 4,000 Avios into your account.
American Express Flying Blue Cards in Netherlands
With KLM being the national airline based in Amsterdam you may find yourself flying regularly on Air France-KLM, Delta and other Skyteam partners. The following table overviews the 4 American Express Flying Blue cards available to Dutch residents.
If you are not already a member of the Flying Blue program, applying for one of the cards will automatically enroll you.
The following table summarises the top 3 of the 4 American Express Flying Blue cards available in the Netherlands which earn Flying Blue miles. We will describe the benefits of all 4 cards in more detail below.
  |   |   |
| American Express Flying Blue Platinum Card | American Express Flying Blue Gold Card | American Express Flying Blue Silver Card |
| €660 per year | €198 per year | €75 per year |
| – | – | FREE first year |
| 10,000 bonus Miles | 5,000 bonus Miles | 2,500 bonus Miles |
| 1.5 Miles per €1 | 1 Mile per €1 | 0.8 Mile per €1 |
| Apply | Apply | Apply |
American Express Flying Blue Platinum Card
The top-of-the-range Flying Blue Platinum Card costs €55 per month which is €660 per year. Apply for the American Express Flying Blue Platinum Card here
It offers fully comprehensive travel insurance for the cardholder and family if paying for your travel or stay with the card. This includes the car hire insurance.
POINTS EARNING: It earns 1.5 Flying Blue Miles for every €1 spent on the card. You earn 2 Flying Blue miles per €1 spent with KLM, Air France and Hertz.
There is a 10,000 Miles welcome bonus if spending €5,000 on the card in the first 3 months.
By keeping the card your Flying Blue miles will not expire, even if you are not flying for a period of time.
10000 miles is the starting rate for a return economy flight from Amsterdam to London.
You get 60 free XP points which go towards attaining elite status in the Flying Blue program. The first elite tier (Flying Blue Silver) requires 100 XP in 12 months.
In addition, up to 1 supplementary Flying Blue Platinum card and up to 4 Flying Blue Gold cards can be taken out free of charge for family or friends.
You require a gross annual income of €30,000 – like the Amex Platinum card this has recently been reduced from €60,000. You can apply for the American Express Flying Blue Platinum Card here
- Highest welcome bonus (10,000 Miles) on any Dutch card
- Full travel and car hire insurance
- High Flying Blue Miles earn rate
- 60XP status points
- Tied to Flying Blue, Membership Rewards cards are more flexible
- Relatively expensive
Flying Blue Platinum Card Application
American Express Flying Blue Gold Card
The Flying Blue Gold Card costs €16.50 per month or €198 per year.
It offers comprehensive travel insurance for the cardholder and family if paying for your travel or stay with the card.
POINTS EARNING: It earns 1 Flying Blue mile for every €1 spent on the card. You earn 1.5 Flying Blue mile per €1 spent with KLM, Air France and Hertz.
There is a 5,000 miles welcome bonus if spending €2,500 on the card in the first 3 months.
Also, by keeping the card your Flying Blue miles will not expire, even if you are not flying for a period of time.
You get 30 free XP points which go towards attaining elite status in the Flying Blue program.
In addition, up to 2 supplementary Gold cards can be taken out free of charge for family or friends.
You also require a gross annual income of €20,000. Apply for the American Express Flying Blue Gold Card here
- 5,000 welcome bonus Miles
- Travel insurance coverage
- Solid Flying Blue Miles earn rate
- 30XP status points
- Tied to Flying Blue, Membership Rewards cards are more flexible
Flying Blue Gold Card Application
American Express Flying Blue Silver Card
The Flying Blue Silver Card costs €6.25 per month (€75 per year) – though the first year is free.
It offers some basic travel insurance (accident and missed departures) if paying for your travel or stay with the card.
POINTS EARNING: It earns a slightly lower 0.8 Flying Blue miles for every €1 spent on the card. You earn 1 Flying Blue miles per €1 spent with KLM, Air France and Hertz.
There is a 2,500 miles welcome bonus if spending €1,500 on the card in the first 3 months. Also, by keeping the card your Flying Blue miles will not expire, even if you are not flying for a period of time.
You get 15 free XP points which go towards attaining elite status in the Flying Blue program.
In addition, up to 2 supplementary Silver cards can be taken out free of charge for family or friends.
You require a gross annual income of €20,000. Apply for the Flying Blue Silver Card here
- 2,500 welcome bonus Miles
- Free first year
- 15XP status points
- Tied to Flying Blue, Membership Rewards cards are more flexible
Flying Blue Silver Card Application
American Express Flying Blue Entry Card
The basic Flying Blue Entry Card costs €36 per year. It is free the first year and remains free if you spend €3,000 annually.
It offers some basic travel accident insurance if paying for your travel or stay with the card.
It only earns 1 Flying Blue miles for every €2 spent on the card.
There is a 1,000 miles welcome bonus if spending €500 on the card in the first 3 months.
In addition, 2 supplementary Entry Cards can be taken out free of charge for family or friends. You do require a gross annual income of €20,000.
Since the Flying Blue Silver Card is free the first year and has a higher points earning rate we would probably recommend that card over the Entry card.
American Express Business Cards in Netherlands
American Express offers a number of business cards to cater for business expenses. These following two cards earn Membership rewards points. You need to have been registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KvK) for at least 1 year to apply for such a card.
  |   | |
| American Express Business Gold Card | American Express Business Green Card | |
| €225 (free first year) | €85 | |
| 1 point per €1 | 1 point per €1 | |
| Apply | Apply |
American Express Business Gold Card
The Business Gold Card costs €225 per year though the first year is free. It earns 1 Membership Rewards point for every €1 spent on the card.
The card offers business travel accident, travel inconvenience and cancellation insurance. There is also purchase and refund protection.
You require a gross annual income of €36,000.
You can apply for the American Express Business Gold Card here
American Express Business Green Card
The Business Green Card costs €85 annually. It earns 1 Membership Rewards point for every €1 spent on the card.
The card includes business travel accident and business travel inconvenience insurance.
You require a gross annual income of €23,000.
Apply for an American Express Business Green Card here
About American Express
American Express is an international financial services company with headquarters in New York, USA and offices worldwide. It specialises in payment card services and has 60,000 staff located in 110 countries.
American Express was originally established in 1850. It introduced its first charge card in 1958.
Its Dutch office is located in Amsterdam.
American Express Cards Netherlands FAQ
Is the American Express Netherlands website available in English?
No, generally the Amex (Netherlands) website is in Dutch. There is an exception for the Platinum Metal Card which has an English landing page. All other card pages and application pages are in Dutch.
The landing pages for the business cards are in English and Dutch, though again the application procedure is in Dutch.
How long does it take to apply for an American Express card in the Netherlands?
Applications are normally processed within 10 working days.
What are the general requirements for an American Express card in the Netherlands?
You need to be aged 18 or over and have a Dutch address.
You should have no negative records on the ‘BKR’ Dutch credit register.
You should have a Dutch bank account. You need to verify your identity using the iDIN online identification system using your bank account login credentials.
You also have to upload a copy of your identity – valid passport or ID card (driving license not accepted) – which is verified via Onfido.
What are the eligibility requirements for any welcome bonus points or first year card discounts?
To receive any welcome bonus points or get discounts on the first year of card fees you should not have held an American Express card in the Netherlands for the last 12 months.
How can I manage my American Express account?
The account can be managed online through the American Express NL website or via the American Express app.
American Express can also be contacted by phone and Dutch/English is spoken.
Does American Express offer credit cards or charge cards in the Netherlands?
American Express issues charge cards in the Netherlands. Charge cards are slightly different to credit cards as they must be paid off every month – meaning there is no ongoing balance carried over.
No registration is therefore needed with the Dutch ‘BKR’ credit register due to the issuance of the card.
American Express will give you a spending limit on the card based on your spending habits and personal profile. If you need a higher temporary limit you should contact Amex customer service.
Can I use Apple Pay with American Express Netherlands cards?
Yes, Apple Pay is available for all Membership Rewards and Flying Blue cards.
What is the fee on non-Euro payments for Dutch-based American Express cards?
American Express charges 2.5% for payments made in other (non-euro) currencies. This is pretty standard for credit cards in the Netherlands. This is less of an issue than say the UK or US based cards – since the Dutch cards can be used forex fee-free anywhere in the 19 member states of the eurozone.
Can I cancel or change my American Express card?
Yes, American Express is generally very flexible with cancellations. You usually pay the card fee monthly so effectively you get a pro-rata refund if cancelling the card. Many other card providers will charge you for the full year.
You can also easily upgrade or downgrade to other American Express cards should you satisfy all the basic requirements.
What about the American Express Centurion card in the Netherlands?
We haven’t covered the Dutch American Express Centurion card above because this is an invitation-only card product. There is a one-time €4,000 registration fee and the annual fee is also €4,000 per year. The card earns 1.5 Membership Rewards points per €1 spent.
Which retailers in the Netherlands accept American Express cards?
ALDI, Dirk van den Broek and Jumbo supermarkets, De Bijenkorf department store, HEMA, IKEA stores and major petrol stations all accept AMEX payments.
Transport companies accepting AMEX include NS (Dutch Railways), KLM and Transavia.
Note: Card names above are registered trademarks. You should pay your credit card or charge card balance in full every month. We are not offering any financial advice, we are merely describing the main card benefits and features. Always read the terms and conditions carefully before taking out any financial product.
Last update 23 November 2023, originally published in 2019.
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