Good morning, points collectors! I'm writing this slightly earlier than usual because there's something you absolutely need to know about before midnight tonight: American Express is running what I can only describe as their most aggressive welcome bonus campaign I've ever seen in the UK market – and it all ends in less than 12 hours.
If you've been sitting on the fence about applying for an Amex card, or if you've been eligible for months but haven't pulled the trigger, today is genuinely your last chance to capitalise on these enhanced offers. Let me break down exactly what's on offer and, more importantly, whether you should be scrambling to apply before midnight.
The Four Offers Ending Tonight
American Express has enhanced the welcome bonuses across their entire personal and business card lineup. Here's what's disappearing at midnight:
Personal Cards
American Express Gold: 45,000 Membership Rewards points (usually 22,000)
Spend £5,000 within 6 months
£0 annual fee in year one (then £195)
Includes £120 annual Deliveroo credit
Representative 86.8% APR variable
Eligibility catch: You cannot have held ANY personal MR-earning Amex card in the past 24 months (BA Amex/Marriott Amex etc doesn’t count). Use our tool to confirm this.
The Platinum Card: 100,000 Membership Rewards points (usually 55,000)
Spend £10,000 within 6 months
£650 annual fee (refundable pro-rata if you cancel)
Access to Centurion Lounges globally
£400 annual restaurant credits
Hotel elite status with Marriott, Hilton, Radisson
Representative 691.7% APR variable
Important: Same as above. You cannot have held another Membership Rewards Earning card in the last 24 months to get this welcome bonus.
Business Cards (No Restrictions!)
Here's where it gets really interesting. Since 2024, American Express removed ALL eligibility restrictions on their business cards. If you're approved, you get the bonus – regardless of what other Amex cards you currently hold or have recently held.
American Express Business Gold: 65,000 Membership Rewards points (usually 22,000)
Spend £6,000 within 3 months
£0 annual fee in year one (then £195)
No eligibility restrictions whatsoever
Minimum personal income: £20,000
American Express Business Platinum: 130,000 Membership Rewards points (usually 55,000)
Spend £12,000 within 3 months
£650 annual fee (refundable pro-rata)
£200 annual Amex Travel credit
Same lounge access as personal Platinum
No eligibility restrictions whatsoever
Minimum personal income: £35,000
What Are These Points Actually Worth?
Membership Rewards points transfer at 1:1 to both Avios and Virgin Points, plus numerous other airline and hotel partners. To put this in perspective:
130,000 points = one-way business class to Tokyo with British Airways (100,000 Avios off-peak) plus a return Club Europe flight to Southern Europe (20,000 Avios) with 10,000 points left over
100,000 points = return premium economy to New York (85,000 Avios off-peak) with 15,000 left over, or two full return Club Europe flights to Southern Europe (80,000 Avios total)
65,000 points = return Club Europe to destinations like Barcelona or Rome (40,000 Avios off-peak) with 25,000 points remaining, or one-way premium economy to the USA (42,500 Avios off-peak)
45,000 points = return Club Europe to Southern Europe (40,000 Avios off-peak) or multiple return economy flights within the UK and nearby European cities
If you're looking to book award flights, our Award Travel Finder tool can help you search across multiple airlines including British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Qatar Airways and Etihad to find the best uses for your points.
My Honest Take: Which Should You Apply For?
I'm going to be direct here: these offers are exceptional, but they're not for everyone. The key question isn't whether the bonuses are good (they are) – it's whether you can realistically meet the spend requirements without going out of your way.
For Business Card Holders (or Those With Self-Employed Income)
This is the no-brainer category. The Business Gold card offers 65,000 points with zero first-year fee and just £6,000 spend over three months. That's roughly £2,000 per month – which for many businesses is simply your normal operating expenses.
I currently hold both the Business Gold and Business Platinum cards alongside my personal cards, and the spending requirements have never felt like a stretch. If you've got upcoming business expenses – whether that's equipment, software subscriptions, or even paying yourself through the company – this is money you're spending anyway.
For Personal Card Applicants
The Gold card is the obvious choice if you're new to Amex or haven't held a personal card in 24 months. £5,000 over six months is more achievable than the usual three months, especially if you’ve got large purchase (and with Christmas on the horizon…), and with the Deliveroo credit effectively reducing the year-two fee to £75, it's excellent value even beyond the welcome bonus.
The Platinum is trickier. Yes, 100,000 points is extraordinary. But £10,000 in six months is serious money. Unless you have large planned expenses coming up (home improvements, a wedding, major travel bookings), I wouldn't stretch for this. The £650 annual fee is refundable pro-rata if you cancel, which reduces the risk, but you're still committing to finding £10,000 of spend.
That said, if you can naturally meet the spend, this is the single best personal card offer I've ever seen in the UK market. The combination of the bonus plus the benefits (particularly those restaurant credits and Centurion Lounge access) makes it genuinely compelling.
The Eligibility Rules You Must Know
This is where many people get caught out, so pay close attention:
Personal Cards:
Gold: Cannot have held ANY personal Amex earning Membership Rewards in past 24 months (BA Amex doesn't count)
Platinum: Cannot have held any personal Amex earning Membership Rewards in past 24 months (BA Amex doesn’t count)
Business Cards:
Zero restrictions. If approved, you get the bonus.
Doesn't matter what personal or business cards you currently hold
Can hold both Business Gold AND Business Platinum simultaneously
If you're unsure about your eligibility for personal cards, I've previously written a comprehensive guide to Amex welcome bonus eligibility that might help clear things up.
What Happens After Midnight?
These enhanced offers revert to their standard levels:
Gold: Back to 22,000 points
Platinum: Back to 55,000 points
Business Gold: Back to 22,000 points
Business Platinum: Back to 55,000 points
Will these enhanced offers return? Probably. American Express typically runs major promotions every 6-12 months. However, I haven't seen bonuses this high since the legendary 100,000-point Platinum offer that ran briefly earlier this year. There's no guarantee the next round will be this generous.
The Final Call
Look, I'm not here to pressure anyone into applying for credit cards they don't need. But if you've been considering an Amex application anyway, and you can genuinely meet the spend requirements through your normal expenses, tonight is objectively the best time to pull the trigger.
For business owners or self-employed readers who haven't yet grabbed the Business Gold card, I'd be applying before breakfast. It's essentially free money – 65,000 points for spending you're making anyway, with zero first-year fee. The Business Platinum makes sense if you have the income requirement and larger business expenses to put through it.
For personal card applicants, the Gold is the safer bet for most people, whilst the Platinum is exceptional if you can justify the £10,000 spend requirement.
As a reference point, I personally hold the Business Gold, Business Platinum, and Barclaycard Avios Plus. The business cards have been fantastic for accumulating points through regular business expenses, and the flexibility of Membership Rewards points (being able to transfer to Avios, Virgin Points, or other partners) makes them incredibly useful. You can see my full list of recommended UK Avios-earning credit cards here if you want to understand where these fit into a broader strategy.
Quick Links to Apply
All offers end at midnight tonight (14th October 2025):
Personal Cards (Gold + Platinum)
Business Cards (Business Gold + Business Platinum)
Terms and conditions apply, 18+, subject to status. Representative APRs are listed above for each card.
Have you applied for any of these offers? Are you tempted by the Business Platinum, or do you think the spend requirement is too high? I'd love to hear your thoughts – and if you've got questions about eligibility or which card to choose, drop them in the comments below.
Until next time, happy collecting!