Search

My Honest American Express Experience - What I Actually Think as a Long-Time Cardholder

Updated 2 June 2026

Our guide covers
MoneyHub Founder Christopher Walsh shares his experiences of using an American Express card:
As the founder of MoneyHub, I get a steady stream of emails about American Express. Some readers love their card, while others have applied and been declined and want to know why.

Rather than creating another guide about AMEX, it's time to write a personal account of my experience as an AMEX cardholder to explain the pros, cons, tips, and must-know facts. I, like many New Zealanders, have held an American Express card at some time and use it as my primary card. 

Between spending on everyday living costs, travel, entertainment, business-specific expenses, etc., I have a strong view on what AMEX gets right, what could be improved, and who should consider applying for an AMEX card. 

This guide is the result of pulling those views together into one place. It includes my honest take on each card, the benefits I genuinely use, the ones I think are oversold, and a section answering the most common reader questions that land in my inbox. If you are weighing up whether to apply, this guide outlines my experience as a cardholder.
Christopher Walsh
MoneyHub Founder
Disclosure: MoneyHub may earn a referral bonus if you apply through some of the links in this guide. This does not change my views, the benefits, or the fees you pay. AMEX does not sponsor or review what I publish. Everything below is my personal experience and opinion, and I have included the criticisms readers have raised so you can make an informed decision.

Know This First: If you carry a credit card balance and pay interest, please close this page now – no amount of AMEX rewards offsets the cost of credit card interest. Many New Zealanders continue to have a long-term relationship with credit card debt – our research outlines the problem. Credit card debt is best paid off with a plan of attack – our guide to paying off credit debt with an average salary is a helpful starting point to get debt-free.

AMEX in a Nutshell:
  • I believe the Airpoints Platinum is the card that will appeal to most reasonably high-spending New Zealanders who fly Air New Zealand.
  • The earn rate beats every other Airpoints card on the market, the included perks (lounge passes, smartphone screen cover, travel insurance) more than offset the $195 annual fee, and the Airpoints welcome bonus is genuinely valuable.
  • Beyond the ever-popular Airpoints Platinum, the free Airpoints Card is a sensible second card or a fine starter. The Gold Rewards is popular if you eat out a lot and value the dining credit.
  • The Gold Business Card is the only business card I run, and it pays for itself every year with normal MoneyHub spending. In the interests of full disclosure, I convert the American Express Membership Rewards Points to Marriott Bonvoy points, and from there I transfer them either to British Airways Avios or Qatar Airways Avios, earning a transfer bonus in the process. I then use these Avios to fly business class on British Airways, Qatar Airways and Iberia, often one-way as I head overseas for conferences.

The AMEX Cards Ranked By How Popular They Are With MoneyHub Readers

From the emails I receive and the page view data I see on the MoneyHub site, here is the order of popularity:
  • American Express Airpoints Platinum (by a long way the most popular, given how integrated Air New Zealand's loyalty program is nationwide)
  • American Express Airpoints Card (the free Airpoints option offering bank-beating Airpoints earning rates with no annual fee)
  • American Express Gold Rewards Card (popular with diners and frequent travellers who want flexibility on points)
  • American Express Gold Business Card (the standout for self-employed people and small businesses looking to use a credit card for everyday expenses)

I have experience with all four; below is what I have learned from each:
1. American Express Airpoints Platinum: New Zealand's unrivalled value provider
This is the card that no bank or other card issuer can rival - this card is the fastest-earning Airpoints card in the country. ANZ and Westpac cannot match it. If you are loyal to Air New Zealand and you spend a meaningful amount on a card each month, the return on investment (ROI) is proven, especially when you consider the ongoing perks and one-off welcome bonus.

What it costs
  • Annual fee: $195
  • Foreign currency conversion fee: 2.50%
  • Purchase interest rate: hovers around 20% (only an issue if you carry a balance, which you should not)

What you earn and get
  • 1 Airpoints Dollar per $70 spent on eligible purchases
  • 1 Air New Zealand Status Point per $250 spent (helps with Silver, Gold, Platinum and Black Koru qualification)
  • Welcome offer: INSERT
  • Two complimentary Priority Pass entries per year for the basic cardholder, including the Strata Lounge at Auckland International Airport
  • Two complimentary entries per year to the AMEX Centurion Lounge at Sydney or Melbourne International when you cross the Tasman
  • $270 saved on the Air New Zealand Koru Club joining fee, plus a $145 discount on the annual Koru Club fee for as long as you hold the card
  • Smartphone screen damage cover (up to two claims a year, $500 maximum per claim, 10% excess)
  • Complimentary domestic and international travel insurance when you pay for the return trip on the card
  • Purchase Protection (90 days) and Buyer's Advantage (extended warranty) on eligible items

Christopher Walsh shares his view:
Cardholders may not use every benefit (such as claiming on-screen cover or getting a Koru Club discount). Still, my view is that the AMEX lounge passes are useful even if a cardholder is Koru Gold, Platinum or Black and wants a different experience in Australia. Furthermore, the complimentary travel insurance, status points earning and overall quality experience as an AMEX cardholder make this a popular choice. The only negative comments I hear about it are from MoneyHub readers who were declined – unfortunately, this is not something I can influence or comment on.

Who this card is most likely for
Frequent Air New Zealand flyers who spend at least $20,000 to $30,000 a year on a card. If your annual card spend is closer to $10,000, the free Airpoints Card is arguably going to be a better fit, given you would earn 100 Airpoints and pay no annual fee. The Platinum makes sense when the Airpoints Dollars and the included benefits comfortably exceed $195 of annual value, and that becomes obvious very quickly at higher spend levels.
2. American Express Airpoints Card (free): The Popular Starter credit card
This is the card that appeals to those who want an Airpoints credit card but don't want to pay an annual fee. You earn at $100 of spend per Airpoints Dollar, which is slower than the Platinum but still respectable for a free card, and the card pays for itself the moment you earn a single Airpoints Dollar.

What it costs
  • Annual fee: $0
  • Foreign currency conversion fee: 2.50%
  • Up to four supplementary cards at no extra fee

What you earn and get
  • 1 Airpoints Dollar per $100 spent
  • Welcome offer: 50 bonus Airpoints Dollars when you spend $750 in the first three months
  • 0% p.a. introductory rate on purchases for the first six months
  • Fraud Protection Guarantee

Christopher Walsh shares his view:
The free Airpoints Card does not include lounge access, travel insurance or smartphone cover. If those are the perks you want, the Platinum is the only sensible AMEX option in the Airpoints range. The free card is a proven loyalty earner, but it is not a benefits card. I believe an increasing number of New Zealanders hold it as their primary card, with a free Visa or Mastercard credit card as a backup to maximise rewards with minimal (or zero) ongoing annual fees.
3. American Express Gold Rewards Card: The dining and flexibility card
The Gold Rewards Card is arguably for New Zealanders who want maximum flexibility on how they redeem points, and who eat out at restaurants in the AMEX Dining Collection. The card earns Membership Rewards points rather than Airpoints, which can be transferred to airline programmes, used for travel through American Express Travel, redeemed for gift cards, or used to offset eligible card charges.

What it costs
  • Annual fee: $200
  • Foreign currency conversion fee: 2.50%

What you earn and get
  • 2 Membership Rewards points per $1 spent (the fastest earn rate in the Membership Rewards range)
  • Up to $200 in annual dining credit ($100 back twice a year on a single $100+ transaction at a Dining Collection restaurant)
  • Welcome offer: $200 statement credit when you spend $1,500 in the first three months
  • Complimentary domestic and international travel insurance when you pay for the return trip on the card
  • Up to four supplementary cards at no extra fee
  • Choice of Gold or Rose Gold metal card finish

Christopher Walsh Shares His Views:
The ROI is delivered if you actually spend $200 across two single transactions of $100 or more at participating restaurants in a calendar year, which most regular diners in Auckland, Wellington, or Christchurch will. If you do, the dining credit alone returns the annual fee, and the points are pure upside. If you rarely eat out, the card is likely to be less suitable than the Airpoints Platinum, given its rewards flexibility.
4. American Express Gold Business Card: the card MoneyHub runs on
This is the card I have used for the bulk of MoneyHub spending for some time. Payments made on this AMEX include ongoing invoices for Xero, Mailchimp, Cloudflare, Google, Reddit, and the Companies Office, as well as GST and other IRD payments via RewardPay and key supplier payments. It pays for itself comfortably within a few weeks and earns me a useful pool of Membership Rewards points that I usually convert into overseas flights. While the redemption of points on Qatar Airways was disrupted in 2026 due to the temporary suspension of their Auckland route, AMEX Membership Rewards Points do not expire (as long as I am a cardholder), so I can convert them from my AMEX account as needed without expiry risk.

What it costs
  • Annual card fee: $95
  • Annual Membership Rewards fee: $50
  • Total: $145 per year

What you earn and get
  • 1 Membership Reward points per $1 spent
  • Welcome offer at the time of writing: 50,000 bonus Membership Rewards points (the headline can change; check the live page on the AMEX website
  • Extended cash flow on business spend
  • Complimentary overseas travel insurance when you book the trip on the card
  • Year-end summary, GST line items, MYOB and Excel exports

The Benefits I Use (And The Benefits I Think Are Less Valuable)

Most credit card reviews list every benefit on the marketing page and treat them all as equal. That is not how anyone uses a credit card in real life. Here is a frank breakdown of the AMEX benefits I actively use and those I rarely touch.

Benefits I genuinely use

1) Airpoints Dollars and Membership Rewards points
This is the headline benefit, and it is real. On the Airpoints Platinum, $30,000 of spend earns me roughly 428 Airpoints Dollars. On the Gold Business, the same spend earns 30,000 Membership Rewards points, which I usually transfer to Marriott Bonvoy and work towards business class redemptions on Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific, or Qantas – our guide to the best use of AMEX points has more information.

2) AMEX Invites and Experiences (presale tickets)
This is one of the most underrated benefits, and the one most readers do not know about. AMEX cardholders in New Zealand can access presale tickets via the Amex Invites for events that sell out quickly on public sale. I have used it for concerts and have friends who routinely use their AMEX to secure concert tickets without missing out. I am a Coachella regular, and the AMEX presale system has been the difference between getting tickets at face value and not getting them at all. Any AMEX card works for this, even the free Airpoints Card. Best of all, your AMEX can be used to secure priority tickets for international events.
    
3) Lounge access (with the honest detail readers ask about)
This is the benefit I get the most reader questions about, and the one I want to address head-on. On the Airpoints Platinum, you get two complimentary Priority Pass entries per year, plus two complimentary entries to the AMEX Centurion Lounge at Sydney or Melbourne International Airport. That is four lounge entries in total, but they come from two different programmes.

Warning: read this before you turn up at a lounge
  • Priority Pass on the Airpoints Platinum covers two entries per calendar year for the primary cardholder only.
  • Guests, including your partner, are charged a guest fee that is automatically charged to your AMEX card upon entry. The Strata Lounge in Auckland, along with other Priority Pass lounges, follows this rule strictly.
  • If you want to bring a partner without a guest charge, the cost-effective option is to use one of your two Centurion Lounge entries when crossing the Tasman, where complimentary access typically extends to immediate family travelling with you, subject to the Centurion lounge policies in place at the time. Always check with the lounge staff before entering, as rules can change without notice.
  • You also need to enrol in Priority Pass before you can use the two passes, and several readers have told me the enrolment process can be more cumbersome than it should be.
  • My view is that new cardholders should complete the Priority Pass enrolment when first activating the card, not on the morning of the flight. If you get stuck, calling AMEX directly tends to resolve it within minutes, even if the online experience is clunky.

4) Travel insurance
Complimentary domestic and international travel insurance is a meaningful benefit. On the Airpoints Platinum, it covers up to $2,500,000 in medical emergency expenses (including repatriation), $2,000,000 in personal liability, and rental vehicle excess of up to $3,000. However, it's important to note that you must pay for your return trip with your AMEX card for the cover to activate. Our guide to credit card travel insurance has more details.

5) Smartphone screen insurance
This benefit is unique to the Airpoints Platinum among Airpoints cards. Cardholders can make two claims per 12-month period with a $500 maximum per claim and a 10% excess. The trigger for cover is that you need to be paying for the phone or its monthly contract on the card for cover to apply.

6) Welcome offers
If you have not held an AMEX card in recent history, AMEX is generous with offering welcome bonuses – you can see the current offers in our list of AMEX cards. No other credit card provider routinely offers such generous signup bonuses.

Benefits I rarely use, and you may not either
  • Buyer's Advantage extended warranty: It is genuinely useful for major appliance purchases, but most people forget it exists by the time something fails. Set a calendar reminder if you buy a fridge or TV on the card.
  • Purchase Protection: Covers theft and damage within 90 days. Useful for laptops and phones in the first three months, less relevant otherwis

The Honest Negatives - Reader Questions Answered

This is a section I believe readers value. Below are the most common complaints and questions I get about American Express in New Zealand, with my honest answer to each. Some of these I have raised directly with AMEX. None of the answers is sponsored or endorsed by AMEX.

"I was declined, and I cannot understand why. I have a high income, no debt, perfect credit history."
This is by far the most common email I receive about AMEX, and I had a particularly thoughtful version of it land in my inbox in May 2026 from a reader who was rejected despite a well-above-average six-figure income, no debt other than mortgage debt, considerable equity in her home, and a strong superannuation balance. The reader found the AMEX application process "opaque", with no opportunity to disclose assets and no reason given for the decline beyond "computer says no".

Here is what I tell every reader in this position: AMEX uses its own internal credit and behavioural models, and no one outside the company has full visibility into them. The application is not a comprehensive financial disclosure, and the decision is made on a narrow set of inputs; the model will sometimes decline applicants who any reasonable human assessor would clearly approve.

The most common reasons I have heard for declines among financially strong readers are:
  • Self-employment with under 18 months of trading history (12 months if you already hold an AMEX card)
  • Income that is technically high but lumpy or hard for the system to verify in a pure data check
  • A thin credit file (no current credit cards, no recent loans, no obvious repayment history)
  • A previous AMEX product cancellation that is still flagged on the account

Christopher Walsh Shares His Views:
"If you are declined, do not take it personally. I have spoken to wealthy investors, SME owners and retirees with seven-figure portfolios who have all been declined at various times. The decision is algorithmic, it is sometimes wrong, and it is not a reflection on your finances or your character.

In such cases, a popular approach is to wait 3 to 6 months, avoid applying for any other credit during that window, ensure your income documentation is clean and current, and try again. Many readers who reapply later are approved without any material change to their circumstances.

"The lounge access situation was confusing, and my partner was charged."
This issue is addressed in detail above, but as a reminder, with Airpoints Platinum, you get two Priority Pass entries plus two Centurion Lounge entries (Sydney/Melbourne) per year, totalling four lounge accesses. However, they come from two different programmes, and the rules differ. Guests at Priority Pass lounges, including the Strata in Auckland, are charged automatically to your AMEX card, and there is no opt-out at the door. If you are bringing a partner, plan: either pay the guest fee and accept it, or save the visit for a Centurion Lounge crossing the Tasman, where the family policy is generally more generous.

"AMEX is not accepted everywhere. The marketing makes it sound universal."
Some, not most, utility companies and insurance companies accept AMEX in New Zealand. However, the Auckland Council does not accept AMEX for rates, which is a meaningful annual expense for most homeowners. Some smaller cafes, market stalls, and rural petrol stations also do not accept it.

That said, acceptance has changed enormously in the last seven years. AMEX continues to add thousands of merchant locations in New Zealand each year. Our guide to where AMEX is accepted has more details.

I use my AMEX for Auckland Transport, Uber, airline bookings, booking.com, petrol stations – and that's just travel. Of course, I get refused from time to time at some independent cafes, but I notice more and more accepting AMEX. Realistically, if you carry a Visa or Mastercard alongside your AMEX (as most people do), this is a non-issue.

"My call centre experience was hit and miss."
I have called AMEX a few times over the years and find the service excellent. Agents based in Australia are quick to answer, have the proper authority to resolve the issue, and provide resolutions during the same call. I rate the AMEX call centre as a top performer, and my experience is that any email follow-ups have solved issues.

On occasion, I appreciate that some cardholders may have an experience that does not meet their needs. This is normal in any business – my view on such instances is to call back and speak with another agent. AMEX is focused on cardholder service as a core part of its offering, so unlike a bank-issued credit card, agents are empowered to help resolve issues quickly. This extends to a robust fraud protection policy that puts the cardholder first. Dealing with bank-issued credit cards on fraud and recharge matters can be a very different experience.

"The annual fee feels steep."
Reward credit cards all have fees that sit around what AMEX Gold Rewards and AMEX Airpoints Platinum costs. However, the Airpoints Platinum, $195 a year, is likely to be reasonable if you fly Air New Zealand at least once or twice a year domestically and use even one or two of the included benefits. Factoring in travel insurance, Airpoints earning, and the instance of a single Smartphone Screen claim ($500 cover), the ongoing ROI of the annual fee is high, even long after any welcome bonus has been redeemed.

If you do not fly Air New Zealand, do not have a Koru membership in your future, do not eat out at AMEX Dining Collection restaurants, and do not break the occasional phone screen, then yes, the fee is hard to justify. The free Airpoints Card or no AMEX at all is likely to be more suitable.

Who Should Consider an AMEX Card (and Who is Best to Avoid Applying)

Based on our research team's observations and reader interactions, AMEX is more suitable as a credit card if:
  • You spend at least $20,000 a year on a credit card and pay the balance in full every month
  • You travel internationally or domestically more than once or twice a year on Air New Zealand
  • You are happy to carry a Visa or Mastercard as a secondary backup
  • You eat out regularly (Gold Rewards cardholders benefit from dining statement credit)
  • You run a small business, or you are self-employed and want to put your business expenses on a rewards card (Gold Business)
  • You go to concerts, festivals or major sports events and want presale access via AMEX Invites

AMEX is likely to be unsuitable if:
  • You sometimes carry a balance month to month (the interest rate around 20% will eat any rewards value – credit card debt is notoriously difficult to pay off, as the credit card minimum payments calculator shows.
  • You only ever spend a few hundred dollars a month on a card (unless you're considering the AMEX Airpoints Card which has no annual fee)
  • Your spending is heavily international, and the 2.50% currency conversion fee bothers you (use a Wise debit card is going to be cheaper for those purchases instead)
  • You are between jobs or have an unstable income; the application is more likely to be declined, and you are better off applying when your income picture is clean​

Concluding Comments

Christopher Walsh shares his feelings to help anyone considering an AMEX to make the best decision:

"After years of holding AMEX cards across both my personal and business spending, my honest summary is that:
  • AMEX in New Zealand is a strong product that rewards engaged users with unrivalled rewards; no other credit card comes close to offering
  • AMEX has a small but real set of friction points (acceptance gaps, opaque application decisions if you're declined), and
  • Continues to improve year after year.

For the right kind of cardholder (engaged, organised, a regular flyer, comfortable carrying two cards), the value is significant and clear.
I see no reason to switch to any other card – I keep seeing AMEX improve their offering while rewarding its cardholders with value for money.

How to apply
Each card has a dedicated review page on MoneyHub with my full breakdown, the latest welcome offers, and the application link:
If you have a question that is not answered above, email me at [email protected]. I read every email personally, and I particularly value the critical ones, because they make these guides better for the next reader.

Where are AMEX Cards Accepted?

Cards are increasingly accepted at major New Zealand retailers – You can use your card at Woolworths, New World, PAK'nSAVE and other supermarkets. Other retailers include most petrol stations and airline websites. Beyond that, many other companies accept them, as outlined below. 

Groceries and retails

Woolworths, New World, PAK'nSAVE and Four Square. Bottle shops include Bottle'O, Glengarry and Liquor King, among others. Retailers include Harvey Norman and Noel Leeming. A number of fashion retailers also accept American Express, including all shops within Westfield malls. However, independent retailers often don't accept Amex, meaning you'll need an alternative payment method.

Petrol stations and vehicle-related businesses accepting American Express include:

Z Energy, BP, Mobil, Gull, Bridgestone and Supercheap Auto are the major companies accepting Amex.

Transport and leisure companies accepting American Express include:

AT Hop (Auckland Transport), rental car firms Avis, Budget and Hertz, and online booking sites such as Expedia, Hotels.com, Tripadeal and Wotif.com. UBER also accepts Amex. Duty-free shops such as JR Duty Free accept Amex, as do all major hotel chains in New Zealand and around the world. All major airlines also accept Amex, but you may have to pay a credit card fee when purchasing a ticket.

Insurance companies and utility providers accepting American Express include:

AA Insurance, AMI, Asteron, NZI, State and Vero. Internet/power providers include 2 degrees, Contact Energy, Genesis Energy, Meridian Energy, National Storage, Orcon, Powershop, Skinny, Slingshot, Spark, Trustpower and Vodafone.

Dining and takeaway providers accepting American Express include:

McDonald's, KFC, Carl's Jnr, Pizza Hut and St Pierre Sushi, among others. Whether or not restaurants and cafes take your Amex card can be fairly hit or miss. In most cases, they won't, due to the fees charged. In such instances you'll need a backup card.

Business expenses can be paid by American Express:

Online payments providers Stripe and PayPal, which process credit card payments for Xero, accept Amex. ​If you're a business owner whose suppliers use Xero, you would be able to pay business bills by Amex.

Where can't I use an Amex card?

Historically, independent retailers, restaurants, cafes and recreation businesses are, more often than not, were unlikely to accept Amex. But things are changing, slowly. To ensure you make the most of your Amex cards, including maximising the points and travel benefits offered, applying for a low-fee or free credit card is a popular option. 
Related guides