When I first started reading about Avios and points I knew that I had to have more means of collecting them. Only by travelling it will be very hard to do so, especially because I am price conscious and sticking to one loyalty programme can be very expensive.There are many credit cards out there, but as Muslims we have to be very careful how and what we use. Any card can be damaging if we use it in the wrong way, even our debits. We do not want to get involved with interest because as Muslims we know Islam prohibits this. And if we have a credit card we ALWAYS have to pay it off in FULL each month. It is very easy to get carried away and end up with bad debt. I certainly do not want this to happen to you or me. Don’t get me wrong credit cards are not all bad, they provide payment protection and I recommend you use a credit card when you buy something over £100. It is how we use the cards that can turn them into bad debt chasing us in this life and next.
When I started reading I got really disappointed, because as a Muslim I wanted to take advantage of what the travel world offers without getting into cards. Then I found out about the American express Gold charge card. This is not a credit card and you do not have a limit, you MUST pay every month in full and you do not get charge interest. It is free for the first year to use and has other great perks too, such as insurance, payment protection, travel insurance, double bonuses for daily essentials and more. American Express has been around for very long time and has excellent reputation and customer service. After reading for hours on blogs, small print and reviews I decided this card is an excellent offer.
My favourite benefits of Amex Gold:
- 20.000 points sign up bonus – 22.000 if I refer you which are enough for a flight for two in Europe even from regional airports
- Double points for supermarkets and petrol for the first year
- Points can be redeemed for travel with hotels and airlines – (Emirates, Etihad, BA, Virgin etc.)
- 2 complimentary airport lounge access- very useful if you are travelling with kids or night flights
- Travel and shopping protection
- Tickets and offers from American express-sometimes they have very good deals and money off
- Travel & inconvenience Insurance
- Global assist 24/7 if you need help while abroad
How we use this card
We use the card as a replacement of our debit cards. It gets paid every month in FULL from our debit card and we only spend within our budget and what we would normally have done. The good thing about this card is that you receive double points for your supermarket, travel, and petrol purchases for the first year. So we actually accumulate points faster as we need to eat and fill up the tank. 🙂
I find this card to be excellent value and for Muslims who do not want to get involved with interest this is a great card. There is no fee, no interest just use it as a debit card, pay it in FULL every month and you can travel the world in style. You can cancel anytime you want before your one year subscription runs out. To find more information about this card here. The sign up bonus is 20.000 points but if I refer you will receive 22.000 points (well worth it). If you want me to refer you please email me or comment below and I will be very happy to do so.
Enara says
Salaam Elena,
Thanks a lot for the comprehensive explanation on using Amex in a halal way and all the benefits with it .
I just received my card
Would you please recommend so I can get extra points .
Much appreciated in advance
Muslim Travel Girl says
unfortunately, you had to use the referral link prior to applying, now you cannot get the extra points.
TAHMED says
Salam,
is the offer still valid for the amex? i am interested in signing up for it
jzk
Muslim Travel Girl says
The offer on the Amex is now 6,000 points and it is a credit card. Still, you can sign up and receive extra bonus points.
zakia says
hi,
so this card is nice to have only for the 1st year right ? i mean if we should pay after 1 year, there is no point to keep it, right ?
xx
Muslim Travel Girl says
I will be updating the card as the reduced the offer, now I would say depending on your spending and travel plans. Yes you can get it for a year and it is great but the points you will receive got halved. So you will get two Europe tickets for example.
Sajid says
Great Post
Alhumdulillah
I managed to get £250 off Flights for 2 people for Umrah which included a stop over in Dubai too using Emirates, but you have to book using Amex Travel it came out to around £40 more expensive for 2 people compared to other Flight Comparison sight but with a lot of points accumulated it was worth it and also not to mention at the time i was booking Amex had a further £50 off if you spent £200 on flights!
Definitely recommend getting an Amex accumulate points for the year and use it for Spending
Highly recommended but important you don’t fall into accumulating interest!
Muslim Travel Girl says
I am very happy that you managed a good saving Sajid. Definitely worth it if you can stay focused and avoid the interest. Well done.
Sara says
Would you be able to recommend and I could still benefit from the 2000 extract bonus miles if I’m living in US?
Muslim Travel Girl says
I cannot recommend you for a card in the US sadly. You can check some of the other Boardingarea members based in the US
Imran Ahmed says
Assalamualaikum,
How can i apply for Amex card being citizen of India. Can you please give the full details.
Imran Ahmed
Muslim Travel Girl says
you will need to be a UK permanent resident or living in the UK. If you are based in India you can apply for the Amex India directly.
Sara says
Salams sister.
I would like to know , if after the first year of having the Amex card I decided to keep it for a second year , is the £140 charge interest?
Thank you.
Muslim Travel Girl says
No, it is not interest, it is a service charge more like for the insurance for example or the benefits you receive.
Amina says
What are the benefits of using this card abroad can you not use debit card so sorry I’ve never been abroad so this is all new to me
Muslim Travel Girl says
Salams, with a debit card your cash is not protected. If something happens your bank is hardly going to be cooperative to return the cash. With credit cards, you have a limit and also by law you have money protections in place. Using a credit card or even a recharge card is so much better than a debit card. Today many hotels and rental places also want to secure the rooms / cars with credit card as with debit you cant “block” an amount. you have to remove the cash which is much more hassle.
Shyla says
Assalaamu alaykum sister, I wanted some specific travel advice which I’m sure you can assist with In’shaa’Allah. Please could you kindly email me. Jazaak Allahu Khayran.
Muslim Travel Girl says
I tried emailing you and bounced back
Naveed says
Salam Elena,
If I cancel this card within my first 12 months will I be able to avail their advantage points or get it transferred to avios?
Thanks in anticipation
Muslim Travel Girl says
Salams Naveed, Before you cancel your card just transfer the points out of your account and then cancel. Transferring shouldn’t take more than few days.
Zulkifli Ali says
Salam Elena,
I am located in Singapore, are you able to refer me for the Amex Gold Card so I can enjoy the 22,000 points? this is my first Amex Card.
Muslim Travel Girl says
Unfortunately, I can only refer for the card in the UK 🙁 Sorry about this. Just go ahead and get it in Singapore. Make sure they have the same terms and benefits beforehand.
sidiqua khan says
Salaam.
I would like to apply for amex card but before that i would like to know, if there will be interest or subscription charge after one year of use.
Muslim Travel Girl says
Salams Sidiqua,
there is a charge after a year of £140, however you can cancel before the year ends.
Elena