If you live in the Netherlands and love travel, the American Express Gold or Platinum card can be incredibly powerful tools, but only if you understand how they work and use the perks strategically. Below you’ll find an introduction to the Amex Gold NL and Amex Platinum NL, written in English but tailored for Dutch citizens. Hopefully this will help you turn welcome bonuses into business class flights!
Membership Rewards Explained
Both the Dutch Gold and Platinum cards earn 1 Membership Rewards point per euro spent, which you can redeem for statement credits, gift cards or… the best return of your points: transfer to airline and hotel partners. Besides earning points per euro spent, the biggest boost is getting a sign-up bonus or welcome bonus through an invite link for new customers.
Current welcome bonuses in the Netherlands
Welcome bonuses in the Netherlands are promotion-based and change frequently, but they can be huge, especially for new customers who have not held an Amex for the past 12 months.
AMEX PLATINUM NL: 170.000 AMEX POINTS FOR SIGNING UP THROUGH INVITE LINK
AMEX GOLD NL: 70.000 AMEX POINTS FOR SIGNING UP THROUGH INVITE LINK
Terms and conditions apply to receive this bonus:
- You have not held any Amex card in the previous 12 months
- 50% of the bonus will be awarded in the 7th month after holding the card if you make at least one purchase of at least 1 euro with the card every month from month 1 to month 6 (period 1).
- 50% of the bonus will then be awarded in the 13rd month after holding the card if you make at least one purchase of at least 1 euro with the card every month from month 7 to 13 (period 2).
Because these offers change, always check the current campaign page or a trusted comparison blog before applying, and read the terms & conditions carefully.
American Express Gold Card NL
Key facts (Netherlands):
- Fee: €20 per month, i.e. €240 per year.
- Rewards: 1 Membership Rewards point per euro spent.
Travel perks that matter for Dutch cardholders
- Lounge access: 4 free visits per year via Priority Pass, usable in over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide
- Dining benefits: “Dining for 2” style credit (recent Dutch promotions mentioned an annual restaurant credit worth around €100), usually at selected restaurants in the Netherlands and Belgium.
- Lounge On the Go: takeaway meal and drink at selected locations on Schiphol, Rotterdam The Hague Airport and Brussels Airport, available several times per month within programme limits.
- Insurance: decent travel and purchase protection when you pay with your card; coverage is more limited than Platinum but still useful for trips and online shopping.
- Extras: some promotions include free Amazon Prime or similar digital perks.
American Express Platinum Card NL
The Platinum Metal Card is Amex’s top‑tier product in the Netherlands. It is a premium, thus expensive card, but packed with benefits aimed at frequent travellers who can actively use lounges, hotels, status and insurance.
Key facts (Netherlands):
- Fee: €65 per month, i.e. €780 per year.
- Rewards: 1 Membership Rewards point per euro spent.
- Income requirement: Amex states a minimum gross annual income of €30,000 for Platinum applicants.
Major perks for Dutch travellers
- Unlimited lounge access worldwide: Access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection and Priority Pass; both the main and additional (free) Platinum cardholder can bring a guest, making it excellent for couples or families.
- Privium Plus at Schiphol: Fast-track security and border control plus access to the Privium lounges at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, included for the main cardholder and often extendable to a partner with an extra Platinum card.
- Dining for 2: Up to three complimentary 2‑course dinners per year for two people at selected restaurants in the Netherlands and Belgium, a perk often valued at around €300 annually.
- Hotel status: Complimentary status with major hotel chains such as Hilton, Marriott and Radisson, giving benefits like room upgrades, late checkout and bonus points.
- Extensive insurance: Strong travel insurance, trip interruption cover and worldwide car rental insurance when you charge your travel to the card, which can easily save hundreds of euros per rental.
- Lounge on the Go is also applicable for the Platinum card holder
The AMEX NL Platinum Card is a no‑brainer for frequent travellers if you make use of Privium, lounges, dining credit and hotel status and even more so if there is a generous sign-up bonus.
Tricks on how to get the most value of your card
Points enthusiasts over the world have become creative on how to get the most points with their card, and Dutch AMEX card holders can easily make use of that.
1. Concentrate spending and big purchases
Because every euro earns 1 point, using Amex for flights, hotels, electronics, and other large bills quickly accelerates your Membership Rewards balance. When travelling with friends or family, having one person put group hotels or rental cars on their Amex and settle up later is a common tactic to boost points faster.
2. Use your card for everyday Dutch spend (where possible)
Try to do your daily expenses with Amex as this automatically gives you some sort of “cashback” just for using your card. Although not universally accepted, some places like Jumbo, Dirk, Aldi, HEMA, Kruidvat and many webshops, plus Shell fuel stations allow the use of AMEX. Over the year, these daily expenses can generate an interesting amount of points.
3. Intelligent sign-up strategy
- Choose to sign-up for a AMEX NL Platinum Card during a high welcome‑bonus period. Consider downgrading after several months if you don’t need all the benefits year‑round.
- Later upgrading back to Platinum when Amex offers lucrative upgrade bonuses can boost you bonus points. Recently, an offer of 120.000 Amex points was available for card holders upgrading to Platinum!
- Waiting at least 12–13 months without any Amex card before applying again to be eligible for a fresh welcome bonus (as per AMEX NL rules).
All of these strategies depend heavily on Amex’s current conditions, which can change, so always check the latest sign-up bonuses on blogs or the AMEX website!
Turning Dutch Amex points into flights
Once you’ve built up a meaningful points balance, the real magic is in transferring Membership Rewards to airline programmes.
The transfer ratio is one of the better available options in Europe compared to Germany or American Express Belgium:
The following programs are the best transfer partners:
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer at 5:4 transfer rate
- British Airways Avios at 5:4 transfer rate
- Cathay Pacific at 5:4 transfer rate
- FlyingBlue at 5:4 transfer rate
Example redemptions
FlyingBlue (KLM/Air France)
75.000 American Express points can be transferred to 60.000 Flyingblue miles, enough to book a one-way in business class to Mexico.
Non-Skyteam partners are also bookable and are usually lower in taxes, such as Etihad Airways. This is a great example with usually last-minute availability.
British Airways Avios
Never fall for this trap: Avios are inter-transferable between Iberia, Finnair, Qatar Airways and British Airways, allowing extremely flexibility between all these 4 programs. American Express allows transfer to Iberia at a 3:2 rate but also at 5:4 rate to British Airways. Therefore, never ever transfer your points to Iberia, as you can perfectly transfer your points to British Airways and further move them to Iberia at a 5:4 transfer rate! For example, with 45.000 Avios you can book a one-way Business Class flight to Middle-East such as Kuwait on Qatar Airways… That’s only 56.250 American Express points!
Singapore KrisFlyer
KrisFlyer has some great redemptions, especially within Asia, you’ll find very cheap flight. On top of that, Singapore Airlines charges very low amount of taxes, making it a great award redemption overall!
For 61.500 Krisflyer miles and just 40 euro of taxes, you can fly First Class on the 777 (or A380 if you find availability!) from Singapore to Shanghai, that’s just a little over 76.000 Amex points.
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
Flying on a top-ranked airline on a direct route can be extremely expensive. However, using Asia Miles, you can book Amsterdam – Hong Kong direct for just 27.000 AsiaMiles (= almost 34.000 Amex points) and 230 euro taxes. Business Class on this same flight is 88.000 AsiaMiles (= 110.000 Amex points).
Are you convinced? Get yourself an American Express Card now!
AMEX PLATINUM NL: 170.000 AMEX POINTS FOR SIGNING UP THROUGH INVITE LINK
AMEX GOLD NL: 70.000 AMEX POINTS FOR SIGNING UP THROUGH INVITE LINK
Disclaimer: This post contains invite links. If you choose to register through our link, we may receive benefits; however, the inclusion of these links does not affect the integrity of our content. For details about the current benefits I may receive, please check the official website of American Express. I am not affiliated with American Express. For full disclosure of the credit card conditions, please visit the official website of the credit card issuer. Read the agreement before signing up to any credit card.
