American Express Ireland Guide: AmexCredit Cards and Rewards

In this article, we’re going to take a closer look at the pros and cons of using Amex, along with how to apply and what the benefits are for users from Ireland.

Amex Definition: What is American Express Card?

Overview of the Financial Services Company

Amex is a contraction of AmericanExpress, and it’s the name that most people use because of how easily it rolls off the tongue. Founded in 1850 and headquartered in New York, the company has evolved over time until it became what it is today: the operator of a closed-loop payment network, meaning that it’s both the card issuer and the payment processor. 

This makes the company very different from competitors like Visa and Mastercard, who don’t issue cards and only process the payments. Amex is also known for going above and beyond the call of duty, providing high-quality customer service and a comprehensive rewards and benefits programme with perks on offer for both individual customers and businesses.

Credit vs. Charge Cards: Revolving Credit and Pay in Full

Before we go any deeper, we should take a moment to understand the difference between the two main types of American Express cards.

First of all, there’s the credit card, which allows users to carry a balance, make minimum payments and incur interest on unpaid amounts. This is what most people think about when they think about a credit card.

American Express’s charge cards are a little different, because they require users to pay their balance in full at the end of each month. Charge cards usually don’t have a spending limit, but you’ll be subject to fees if you don’t pay on time.

The choice of which one to go for depends upon your own specific use cases, but there’s plenty of flexibility on offer. The charge cards are also available in different levels (Green, Gold and Platinum), with the right one to use depending upon your spending habits and payment preferences.

Types and Categories of American Express Cards

Membership Rewards and Points from Amex

We’ve already touched on this a little bit, but let’s take a closer look at the main rewards card tiers for American Express holders. Here are the options:

• Green Card ($150 annual fee): Designed for casual travellers, offering benefits like triple points on travel, transit, and restaurants worldwide. 
• Gold Card ($325 annual fee): Aimed at higher spenders, offering 4x points at restaurants and supermarkets, as well as dining credits.
• Platinum Card ($895 annual fee): Aimed at luxury users, providing access to airport lounges, hotel upgrades, concierge services and more.

Regardless of which card you go with, you’ll still be eligible to earn Membership Rewards points, which you can redeem for travel bonuses, shopping discounts or transfers to airlines. Your points will remain valid for as long as your rewards programme account remains active. 

Blue Cash Everyday and Cashback Cards

American Express’s cash back cards offer an interesting alternative to the Membership Rewards points, because they instead provide cash back on your everyday spending, such as on groceries or gas. The Blue Cash Everyday Card also doesn’t require you to pay an annual fee, which makes it much more accessible. There’s also the Blue Cash Preferred Card, which requires an annual fee but which provides higher cash back rates.

The cashback system is seen by most as easier to use than the points system, because the cashback is applied directly to your balance. It’s one of those things that you can set up and then never think about again.

Business Gold and Other Corporate Options

Business and corporate users will want to look at the more premium American Express cards, which are designed with professional use in mind. The key options here are the Business Gold Card and the Business Platinum Card.

Both of these cards come with useful tools for business users like expense tracking tools and tailored rewards schemes for business purchases, as well as purchase protection and the ability to easily separate personal credit cards and business credit cards for small business owners.

Benefits and Perks of American Express Cards

Lounges, Insurance and Other Travel Benefits

Few other providers can compete with American Express when it comes to the perks that they offer. The company is particularly well-known for its travel perks, which include providing access to airport lounges such as via Priority Pass and Centurion Lounges on the Platinum card.

Other useful travel perks include built-in travel insurance and financial protection in the event of cancelled flights and hotel reservations, plus baggage insurance and airline fee credits. Select premium Amex cards also offer no fees on foreign transactions, making them ideal for on-the-go spending when you’re travelling to a foreign country. Add the concierge services to that, and you can see why American Express is so popular.

Extended Warranty and Fraud Protection

Whenever you make a purchase on your American Express card, you’ll benefit from their built-in purchase protection features, all of which are designed to make people feel safer and more comfortable when using their card.

For example, many purchases are covered by an extended warranty, adding as much as a year on to the manufacturer’s warranty. Purchase protection is in place to protect stolen or damaged items within the first 90 to 120 days, along with return protection and fraud protection for further peace of mind.

Other security features include real-time fraud alerts and the ability to use virtual card numbers when shopping online. Other providers just can’t keep up.

Entertainment, Dining and Other Exclusive Experiences

On top of all of the perks we’ve discussed that are designed to make your spending money go a little further, Amex also offers exclusive experiences that can’t be accessed anywhere else.

For example, on top of Amex Offers, which provides targeted merchant discounts, there’s American Express Experiences, which specialises in offering presale access to concert and event tickets, along with VIP access. Meanwhile, there are dining offers like the ability to make reservations at top restaurants and skip queues.

These kinds of perks are what American Express is all about. The aim is to make Amex more of a lifestyle brand than a simple financial services provider. 

American Express Ireland

Cards for Amex Users in Ireland

To get Green, Gold or Platinum cards, Irish residents need to apply for the company’s International Currency Cards. With these flexible products, you can easily take advantage of generous rewards and cashback options. And while Amex isn’t quite as widely accepted as Visa or Mastercard, its overall acceptance rate across the country has been steadily improving in recent years. 

American Express Ireland cards are now widely accepted by most major retailers, as well as premium hotels, transport providers and restaurants. Modern contactless payments are fully supported. Best of all, you get the essential ability to maintain your card account directly in euros to avoid expensive exchange fees. 

Amex Acceptance in Ireland and Euro Compatibility

American Express is accepted by around 65% to 70% of merchants, which is unfortunately much lower than the 98% that Visa and Mastercard enjoy. However, it all depends upon which merchants you plan to use. 

That’s because Amex is inherently associated with travelling, and so it’s more widely accepted at hotels, restaurants, car rental firms and airlines than it is at, say, hardware stores. It’s also fairly widely accepted at major chains, but smaller shops, pubs and family-owned businesses are less likely to accept Amex payments.

As a backup, it’s a good idea to carry cash and/or a Visa/Mastercard, just in case. The good news is that when it is accepted, your rewards will be earned in euros, and there’s also a customer service team in place for Irish customers.

How to Get American Express Card: Eligibility and Application

Credit Score and Income Requirements

Next up, you might be wondering how to get an American Express card in the first place. Let’s begin by looking at the eligibility requirements. You’ll need a good to excellent credit history, a stable income and an age of at least eighteen, rising to 21 in some jurisdictions. You’ll also need to be an EU resident and have the paperwork in place to be able to prove all of this. 

Getting approval from American Express is typically a little more difficult than it is to sign up with other issuers, but that’s part of the reason why they’re seen as so exclusive and why they’re able to offer their customers such good deals. An existing relationship with Amex will help, as will having no prior bankruptcies or defaults. You may also need to verify your employment.

Online Application Process and Documents Needed

If you’re ready to apply, you’re probably now wondering how to get American Express card. The good news is that the application process is fairly simple and self-explanatory.

• Start by visiting the American Express website.
• Once there, you’ll be able to navigate to the page associated with your card of choice, which will include a link to the application form. 
• Fill out the form by providing your personal details and information on your income, employment and current address.
• Submit identification documents and then move on to the credit check. Depending on the product, Amex may carry out one or more credit checks as part of the application process.

If you’re lucky, you’ll get an instant decision; otherwise, you may have to wait for 7-10 days for your application to be approved. You’ll then need to wait for another 7-14 days before your card arrives in the mail.

Tips and Strategies for Approval

The more stringent requirements for American Express cards might have you wondering how you can boost your chances of approval, but the good news is that there are certain tips and tricks you can use to increase your chances of success.

These include:

• Maintain a high credit score
• Report accurate income (including all of your different income sources)
• Maintain a low debt-to-income ratio
• Have a stable employment history
• Don’t have any recent credit applications
• Have an existing relationship with American Express
• Apply for an easier card first before moving on to one of their premium cards

There are also pre-qualification tools that you can use to check your likelihood of being accepted before you apply. 

Fees and Costs for American Express

Charges and Annual Fees for Amex Cards

The fees and costs you can expect to pay depend upon which specific card you’ve opted for. Here is what you can expect to pay per year (keep in mind these fees are accurate at the time of writing): 

Personal Cards

• Green Card: €100
• Gold Card: €300
• Platinum Card: €550

Business Cards

• Green Card: €100
• Gold Card: €275
• Platinum Card: €550

These are some big numbers, but you can justify the cost of the premium cards by the amount you get back in the form of travel credits, lounge access and other rewards and benefits. There can also be special offers for your first year. As with everything, you should weigh up the pros and cons before you apply and make sure that you’re going to get the value that you’re looking for. 

Late Fees, Interest and Other Charges

It’s also important to remember that it’s not just the annual fee that you have to worry about. Don’t be surprised if you see AmericanExpresscharges on your statement, depending upon the kind of card that you have. 

For example, credit cards come with APR interest rates of around 16-25% depending upon your creditworthiness, while charge cards avoid interest but are subject to late payment fees if you don’t settle up on time. 

You may also need to consider foreign transaction fees (which are usually 2.7%), as well as cash advance fees (we’d recommend avoiding using cash advances entirely) and returned payment fees. Some cards may also be subject to over-limit fees, although these are relatively rare as there’s no pre-set limit on many cards.

American ExpressLimitations and Global Acceptance

Refusals by Merchants Like Costco

By now, you should be aware that American Express isn’t as widely accepted as other cards like Visa and Mastercard. With that said, it’s accepted at millions of locations around the world and American Express Ireland is known for having up to a 70% acceptance rate throughout the country.

One of the reasons why not all merchants accept it is that the fees are higher at up to 3.5% per transaction, versus the 1-2% that Visa and Mastercard charge. With that said, acceptance is pretty good at hotels, restaurants, airlines and online retailers, although you’ll struggle to find a pub, taxi or small business that accepts Amex. Most major retailers accept it, but there are notable exceptions to the rule, depending on the merchant and location. 

Having a Backup and Other Workarounds

There are several solutions to consider if you’re worried about your American Express card not being accepted, but the most obvious is to carry a backup. Most Irish Amex users carry a Visa or a Mastercard around in their wallets that they can switch to if their Amex gets declined. Plan ahead if you intend to travel to rural areas and consider carrying cash, just in case.

You’ll want to prioritise using your Amex for bigger purchases, because that’s where you’ll earn the biggest rewards. You can also consider using digital wallets like Apple Pay. 

Guide Summary

American Express is a premium credit card issuer that was founded in 1850 and which acts as both issuer and network. It’s known for its rewards and its customer service, as well as the variety of cards available.

Charge cards include Green at €100/year, Gold at €300/year and Platinum at €550/year, and these require full payment at the end of the month. There are also credit cards available, alongside business cards for entrepreneurs. 

American Express cards have a number of benefits, from flexible points to airport lounge access and exclusive entertainment access throughout Ireland. Irish users can apply through the site but will require a high credit score, along with a stable income and the paperwork to prove it. 

Remember that American Express is slightly less widely accepted than other options, and so you may want to carry a Visa or Mastercard and/or some cash as a backup. Other than that, you’re good to go.