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American Express Airpoints Card Review 2026 — Free Airpoints Card NZ

Updated

The American Express Airpoints Card is the entry-level Airpoints-earning Amex: $0 annual fee, an earn rate of 1 Airpoint per $100, and no lounge access listed. Here’s how it compares with the standard Visa Airpoints cards.

Quick answer

The Amex Airpoints Card ($0 annual fee) earns 1 Airpoint per $100, a lower rate than the Platinum (1 per $70). The Amex acceptance problem still applies, so cardholders usually carry a backup Visa or Mastercard. The ANZ Airpoints Visa ($65, 1 per $170) is on the Visa network, which is accepted almost everywhere. Which costs less overall depends on where you spend and whether you already hold another card.

Amex Airpoints Card — Key Facts

Feature Detail
Annual fee $0
Interest rate Check current rate
Airpoints earn rate 1 Airpoint per $100 spent
Travel insurance Not included (Platinum benefit only)
Lounge access No
Card network American Express
Foreign transaction fee ~2%

Always verify current earn rates, fees, and terms directly with American Express before applying.

Amex Airpoints Card vs Amex Airpoints Platinum

Feature Amex Airpoints Card Amex Airpoints Platinum
Annual fee $0 $195
Earn rate 1 per $100 1 per $70
Travel insurance No Yes
Lounge access None listed 2 Priority Pass visits a year (Basic Card Member only) and 2 Centurion Lounge entries a year at Sydney or Melbourne

The standard card sacrifices earn rate and travel benefits for a lower cost. Whether that trade-off is worth it depends on your spending volume.

The Amex Airpoints Card vs ANZ Airpoints Visa

This is the key comparison for most NZers considering the standard Amex card:

Feature Amex Airpoints Card ANZ Airpoints Visa
Annual fee $0 $65
Earn rate 1 per $100 1 per $170
Network American Express (not accepted at some NZ merchants) Visa
Travel insurance No No
Backup card needed? Yes No

Acceptance: Because some NZ merchants don’t accept Amex, Amex cardholders typically also hold a Visa or Mastercard. The ANZ Airpoints Visa is a single Visa card.

Features and Limitations

Features:

  • $0 annual fee
  • Earns Airpoints at merchants that accept Amex

Limitations:

  • Not accepted at some NZ merchants
  • No travel insurance or lounge access (the Amex Airpoints Platinum includes these)
  • Lower earn rate than the Platinum
  • ~2% foreign transaction fee

The Two-Card Approach with Standard Amex

Using the Amex Airpoints Card alongside a backup card:

Card Use for
Amex Airpoints Card Woolworths, New World, major retailers (Amex-accepting merchants)
A no-fee Visa or Mastercard Everywhere else

This gives Airpoints earning where Amex works and coverage elsewhere. If both cards have no annual fee (the Kiwibank Zero Visa, for example, has none), the combined annual cost is $0.

Airpoints Earning: Standard Amex vs ANZ Airpoints Visa

Valuing each Airpoint at NZ$1, the Amex Airpoints Card (1 per $100, $0 fee) and the ANZ Airpoints Visa (1 per $170, $65 fee) compare like this:

Annual spend Amex Airpoints Card, Airpoints earned (net of $0 fee) ANZ Airpoints Visa, Airpoints earned (net of $65 fee)
$5,000 50 (+$50) about 29 (-$36)
$8,000 80 (+$80) about 47 (-$18)
$12,000 120 (+$120) about 71 (+$6)

On these rates the Amex Airpoints Card earns more Airpoints per dollar and has no fee, but only at merchants that accept Amex. On spending at non-Amex merchants, the backup Visa earns nothing (unless you use an Airpoints Visa as backup).

Summary

The Amex Airpoints Card earns 1 Airpoint per $100 for a $0 annual fee, but only at merchants that accept Amex, so it works as a second card alongside a Visa or Mastercard. The ANZ Airpoints Visa ($65/year, 1 per $170) earns Airpoints on a single card accepted almost everywhere. The Amex Airpoints Platinum ($195) earns 1 per $70 and adds travel insurance and Priority Pass lounge visits.

Where to check the latest data

Rates, fees and returns change often. Before deciding, check current figures yourself:

Next Steps