Amex Gold Switzerland Review and Experiences 2024

The American Express Gold credit card is a beautiful card with some impressive features. However, despite having some really cool benefits, the Amex Gold is not as common in Switzerland as other Amex cards. The vast majority of Amex Gold reviews are based on experiences in other countries. However, the Amex Gold Switzerland has different advantages and disadvantages! For example, in Switzerland, it is not free in the first year but only 50% reduced.

In this article, we will only talk about the American Express Gold that is offered specifically in Switzerland.

What are the best Amex Gold Switzerland benefits?

The American Express Gold Switzerland comes with a variety of benefits that can significantly enhance travel experiences, shopping, and everyday lifestyle.

1. Amex Gold Priority Pass✈️

One concise benefit is lounge access and travel advantages through the Priority Pass. With this, cardholders enjoy access to over 1’400 airport lounges in more than 148 countries, regardless of the airline chosen.

The Amex Gold Switzerland entitles the holder to two free lounge visits per year plus the same benefits you get with the “Standard” membership level.

I wrote an entire article about the Amex Priority Pass. You can find it by clicking on this link.

2. Discounts🎁

The second benefit that makes the Amex Gold Switzerland favored is the numerous discounts. You can always check out the current discount offers at americanexpress.ch/en/rewards/selects. These are usually offered for about half a year (sometimes permanently), so you can just check in from time to time and then do the things that are currently discounted.

To give you an idea, here are some recent examples.

• 20% off a delivery of Powermeals (delivery service of healthy food)
• 20% on the Rigi day ticket (also for accompanying person)
• 25% on a tennis lesson at the Tennis Center Horgen
• 40% on the entire range of Outdoorchef (a Swiss company for barbecue accessories)
• Dozens more, including hotels, wellness offers, etc.

If you take advantage of a few of the discounts, the annual fee of CHF 350 is recouped pretty quickly. There is a 50% discount on the annual fee for the first year, hastening the time it takes to pay for itself.

What other advantages does the card have?

1. Amex Reward Program🎉

American Express is known for being the first to start credit card rewards programs. To this day, Amex’s rewards have remained pretty much the highest. To get a better idea of how much the reward points really make up, I’ve calculated a few examples for you.

You get one reward point for every franc you spend with your Amex Gold Switzerland. You can then use the points to top up your PayPal account or pay at various online stores and restaurants. Among them are Apple, Globus, Mediamarkt, Adidas, etc.

What is the gain from these points?

Here are some examples.

1. For 10’000 points, you get a CHF 50 voucher at Adidas. This means that you save about 0.5% with the points. (Calculation: 100 / 10’000 x 50 = 0.5)
2. For 234’500 points, you could get an iPhone 14 with 256 GB memory. At Digitec, this costs CHF 859 at the moment, which brings you to 0.4% savings. (Calculation: 100 / 234’500 x 859 = 0.4)
3. Even if you convert the points into Miles and More miles, you come out at less than 1% on average.
4. For 66’700 points, you can also buy the next annual fee. Here, you also come out with 0.5%. (100 / 66’700 x 350 = 0.5)

I don’t know about you, but this doesn’t really blow me away. One compares: If you collect Volgmärkli, you already save 1%! (Calculation: 100 / 1’000 x 10 = 1)

For this reason, the reward program of Amex Gold Switzerland is not on top of the greatest benefits. Nevertheless, 0.4% is still better than nothing. What’s also cool is that you get 15’000 starting points for free. A small welcome gift from Amex.

2. Dining Credit💰

Holders of the main American Express Gold Card Switzerland can look forward to a quarterly credit of CHF 25 on their card account.

This is on condition that either the main or additional cardholder has consumed at least CHF 80 at a participating Swiss restaurant or delivery service and paid the bill with the American Express Gold Credit Card.

Based on experience, the credit will usually be transferred to the main cardholder’s account within one week by Swisscard.

Since this benefit earns CHF 100 per year, it is definitely better than the reward points.

As briefly mentioned above, the annual fee in the first year is only 50%, which is CHF 175. So you can expect to get the fee out easily, at least in the first year.

3. Rental Car Discount🚗

Another advantage is the 10% discount for car rental bookings through Rentalcars.com.

4. Insurance🧾

In addition, the Gold card offers extensive insurance benefits. The following insurances are included.

• Foreign Travel Medical Expenses Insurance: In the event of acute illness or accident while traveling abroad, the credit card offers comprehensive insurance coverage, including medical treatment costs and hospitalization up to CHF 10’000, as well as travel expenses for a hospital visit up to CHF 5’000.
• Transport Accident Insurance: When paying with the Gold Card on public transport, coverage of up to CHF 700’000 is guaranteed in the event of death or disability in the event of an accident.
• Returned Goods Insurance: If unused and undamaged goods are not returned within 90 days, the amount is refunded up to CHF 2’000, provided the purchase amounted to at least CHF 60 and was paid for with the Gold Credit Card.
• Shopping Insurance: In the event of theft or damage to purchases paid for with the Gold Card within 90 days of purchase, the costs will be reimbursed up to CHF 2’000.
• Warranty Extension: When electronic equipment is paid for with the Gold Card, a warranty extension of two additional years beyond the manufacturer’s warranty is provided automatically, with compensation for repair or replacement up to CHF 3’000 per year.
• Online Purchase Protection: When making online purchases with the American Express Gold Card, protection against financial loss due to non-delivery, incorrect delivery, or delivery of damaged goods is included up to a maximum of CHF 2’000.

The full list of terms and conditions can be found here.

What are the disadvantages of the Amex Gold?

The Amex Gold is one of the most popular American Express credit cards in Germany. However, it is still less known in Switzerland. Here are some disadvantages that might contribute to that.

1. Acceptance Points🚫

One specific disadvantage of all Amex credit cards in Switzerland is that they are not accepted everywhere. If you decide to get the card, it will pretty much certainly happen two or three times that the card will be declined in a store. The reason for this is that the store owners have to give a fee of several percent to Amex.

However, this disadvantage is not too tragic, in my opinion. Personally, I just always carry a spare card in case my Amex is not accepted.

2. Fees😕

Another disadvantage of the Amex Gold Switzerland is the fees. Of course, these are incurred by pretty much all credit cards that also come with certain benefits. The following fees apply.

• Annual fee main card: CHF 350
• Annual fee additional card: CHF 150
• Fee for foreign currency or foreign transactions: 2.5%
• Cash withdrawal in Switzerland: 4 %, min. CHF 5
• Cash withdrawal abroad: 4%, min. CHF 5
• If you use the partial payment option (not recommended): Annual interest rate of 13%
• Replacement cards are free of charge.

How could a fictitious usage example look?

The following is a fictitious example to illustrate the use of the credit card in everyday life.

After his application has been reviewed, Lukas becomes a proud owner of the American Express Gold Card.

He is particularly pleased to have access to over 1400 airport lounges through his Priority Pass, enjoying two free lounge visits per year and discounts thereafter.

Thanks to the card, he also receives discounts on various offers, which help him quickly recoup the CHF 350 annual fee.

During a trip to the Rigi with his brother, the two benefit from a 20% discount on the day pass. Lukas also takes advantage of the multitude of discount offers for hotels and wellness packages to go on excursions with his girlfriend and save money at the same time.

When dining out at a participating restaurant, he takes advantage of the opportunity to pay with his American Express Gold Card and is delighted to receive a CHF 25 credit on his card account.

On a business trip abroad, Lukas unfortunately suffers a minor accident. Thanks to his insurance, however, he is well covered.

In addition, Lukas collects reward points every time he pays with his Gold Card, which he redeems at various online stores and restaurants. Although the savings from the points are not overwhelming, he still appreciates the opportunity to get something back every time he makes a purchase.

At one point, Lukas buys an expensive new gadget online, but it is delivered damaged. Fortunately, his Amex Gold offers online purchase protection, and Lukas is refunded the amount of 1’900 francs without any problems.

Despite the fees and occasional inconveniences, as the Amex Gold is not accepted everywhere, Lukas is satisfied with the benefits and services of his Amex Gold Switzerland.

What is the spending limit for the Amex Gold?

The spending limit with the Amex Gold Switzerland varies. Generally, spending limits for credit cards are always set based on your financial situation. When you apply, you have to answer various questions, and then they also check whether you have already had debt collection, for example. Taking all factors into account, a provisional limit is then set. Upon request, this can then also be increased.

However, the American Express Gold Switzerland has an upper spending limit of a maximum of 30’000 francs per month.

If you are looking for a credit card with a higher limit, you should consider the Amex Platinum.

How are customer experiences with the Amex Gold Switzerland?

I have compiled some customer opinions for you. They are mainly from answers to questions on Facebook (I translated them from German). In my experience, people are relatively open there, and you get a good picture of the general opinion.

Essentially, the following answers answer versions of the question, “Are you satisfied with your Amex Gold?”

Here are the customer experiences.

1. Honestly, I had problems with customer service at first. But now that everything is sorted out, I think the card is pretty good.
2. For me, it’s not really worth it. The annual fee is high, and I don’t use all the benefits. Thinking about switching.
3. I love my Amex Gold. Especially the lounge access at airports. Saves me quite a bit of stress when traveling.
4. It’s okay. I keep it mainly because of the insurance benefits. Otherwise, there are cheaper alternatives.
5. Absolutely. You can’t beat the travel benefits, and I’m racking up points like crazy.
6. Not really. I’m looking for another card.
7. I’m split on this one. There are things I like, like the insurance. But I find the app to be a bit cumbersome at times.
8. Been with it for 5 years and have nothing to complain about.
9. Was skeptical about the fee at first, but when you do the math, it’s worth it.

Personally, I have now opted for an alternative that offers more advantages in my situation. To better assess whether the credit card is a good fit for you, read the following section.

For whom is the American Express Gold worthwhile?

The Amex Gold Switzerland is less attractive than the same offer in Germany or Austria. The annual fee is higher, and you get fewer benefits. For example, in Germany, you can activate a “turbo mode” for a few euros, which allows you to collect 1.5 times as many reward points.

Many Amex credit cards offer excellent value for money. Moreover, if you ask me, there are no credit cards with more beautiful designs than those from Amex. But in the case of the American Express Gold specifically for Switzerland, there are cheaper offers on the market. More on the alternatives in the next chapter.

Don’t get me wrong at this point – the Amex Gold Switzerland can be well worth it. It depends on how you personally assess the advantages.

Should you take the Amex Gold?

Do you think you could take advantage of many of the discounts? – Then the Amex Gold Switzerland is recommended. On the other hand, if you simply want to spend as little as possible on your credit card, you should look for something else.

What are the alternatives to the American Express Gold in Switzerland?

The American Express Gold Switzerland is indeed a very good credit card, but there are also options with better value for money. For a better overview of the numerous credit card offers, we have written an article for you about the best credit cards in Switzerland, sorted by user categories.

Here are the most attractive alternatives to the Amex Gold.

• Swisscard Cashback Cards Duo (also from Amex, but free and with 1% cashback)
• Lufthansa Miles & More Gold Credit Card (CHF 220 per year)
• SWISS Miles & More Credit Cards Duo Gold (CHF 220 per year)
• Luxury variant: American Express Platinum card (50% in the first year, so CHF 450)

What is the conclusion of the review?

👍The American Express Gold Credit Card for Switzerland offers a variety of cardholder benefits, including access to airport lounges, discounts, a quarterly dining credit of CHF 25, and comprehensive insurance benefits.

👍The Priority Pass benefits and the wide range of insurance that comes with the card particularly stand out.

👎However, in Switzerland, the card is not free for the first year, as in some other countries, but offers a 50% discount on the annual fee for the first year. The main drawbacks include the limited acceptance points in Switzerland and the fees, especially the CHF 350 annual fee for the main card.

Customer reviews are mixed, with some appreciating the cards’ benefits while others complain about the fees.

Overall, the Amex Gold Switzerland is suitable for those who can take full advantage of its benefits. However, those looking for a credit card with lower fees or a higher acceptance rate should consider other options.

It is advisable to look at individual needs and the actual benefits of the discounts before choosing the Amex Gold Switzerland.