Revolut Metal vs Amex Gold: which is better in the UK?

Amex Gold wins for earning points on most UK spending. Revolut Metal is the stronger card for foreign-currency spending and wider day-to-day acceptance.

Gold earns 1 Membership Rewards point per £1 of general eligible spend, compared with Metal’s 1 RevPoint per £2. Metal costs £140 a year when paid annually; Gold costs £0 in year one and £195 from year two. The best choice changes once foreign-currency fees, bonus categories and benefits you actually use are included.

Metal annual billing: £140 a year
Gold annual fee: £0, then £195
Metal base earn: 1 point per £2
Gold base earn: 1 point per £1

Metal vs Gold value calculator

Compare like-for-like Avios-equivalent value after fees, then add only the benefits you would genuinely pay for yourself.

Annual general UK eligible spend

Exclude the airline, foreign-currency and Amex Travel amounts below.

Direct airline spend in sterling

Gold models 2 points per £1.

Foreign-currency spend

Gold models 2 points per £1 and a 2.99% non-sterling fee.

Amex Travel spend in sterling

Models 3 total Membership Rewards points per £1 on eligible bookings paid with Gold. This input earns no Metal points because Amex Travel requires an Amex card.

Enter every pound once. A foreign airline purchase belongs under foreign-currency spend, not both airline and foreign. An Amex Travel booking belongs only in the Amex Travel field.

Metal billing

£140 annual £14.99 monthly

Gold membership year

First year · £0 Year 2+ · £195

Shared Avios-equivalent value

p / point

The same value is applied to both currencies as a like-for-like Avios planning assumption. Amex publishes 1:1; Revolut currently says up to 1:1, so confirm its live ratio in-app.

Metal benefits you value

Your annual value for cover, subscriptions, discounted lounges or other included features.

Gold benefits you value

Your annual value for lounge visits, Deliveroo credits, offers or other benefits.

Your annual comparison

Points value after plan or card fee

Revolut Metal −£55 8,500 points · £140 fee

Amex Gold £75 27,000 points · £195 fee

Gold leads by £130 on points value after fees.

Foreign-currency fee effect

Metal additional exchange fee modelled£0

Gold 2.99% fee on entered foreign spend−£119.60

Gold’s 2x foreign-currency points are already included above; this line then subtracts its published fee.

Value after FX and benefits you entered

Revolut Metal −£55 Includes £0 benefits

Amex Gold −£44.60 Includes £0 benefits and −£119.60 FX

Gold leads by £10.40 after foreign-currency fees.

Use-both split

−£125

Gold takes UK, sterling airline and Amex Travel spend; Metal takes foreign-currency spend. Both annual fees and both benefit values are included.

The best single-card result leads the split by £80.40.

Model scope: entered spend is assumed eligible; actual points can be lower because Amex awards points per full pound per transaction and both programmes exclude some transactions. The Amex Travel input earns no Metal points. Revolut’s exchange rate, dynamic currency conversion, ATM costs, welcome offers, interest, late fees and tax effects are excluded.

The fee and earning maths

This is why a generic “one point equals one point” comparison is not enough. Gold earns faster, but its renewal fee and non-sterling fee can change the winner.

Revolut Metal and American Express Gold fees and earning rates
Item	Revolut Metal	Amex Gold
Plan or card fee	£140 annually, or £14.99 monthly (£179.88 over 12 months)	£0 in year one; £195 a year thereafter
General eligible spend	1 RevPoint per £2	1 Membership Rewards point per full £1
Direct airline or foreign-currency spend	Base Metal rate	2 total Membership Rewards points per £1
Eligible Amex Travel spend	Not eligible: bookings must be paid with Amex	3 total Membership Rewards points per £1
Annual spend bonus	Not included in this comparison	5,000 points at £10,000 annual spend; another 5,000 at £20,000; 10,000-point cap
Non-sterling fee	No additional Metal exchange fee; Revolut’s rate still applies	2.99% of the converted transaction amount

Checked against official UK product and programme pages on 18 July 2026. Eligibility, rounding and exclusions apply.

At a shared 1p-per-point assumption

£1,000 of general eligible spend models as £5 of Metal points versus £10 of Gold points. For £1,000 spent in a foreign currency, Gold’s 2,000 points model as £20, but its 2.99% fee is £29.90; Metal’s 500 points model as £5 with no additional Metal exchange fee. The calculator lets you change the point value rather than presenting 1p as guaranteed.

Benefits matter only if you use them

Do not copy either provider’s headline retail value into your decision. Start at zero, then add what each benefit would save you in real spending.

Where Metal has the edge

No additional Metal exchange fees or weekend exchange surcharge, although Revolut’s own rate applies.
A debit-account plan with broad card-network acceptance and no credit-card borrowing.
Selected subscriptions, discounted airport lounge access and insurance benefits may have value, subject to current terms and eligibility.

Where Gold has the edge

Twice Metal’s base points on general spend, before Gold bonus categories and spend bonuses.
Four complimentary Priority Pass lounge visits per membership year and up to £120 Deliveroo statement credit, subject to enrolment and terms.
As a credit card, qualifying purchases may receive Section 75 protection; Metal is a debit card and does not provide Section 75.

Which is better abroad?

Metal is normally the card to spend on in foreign currencies. Gold currently awards 2 Membership Rewards points per £1 on foreign-currency transactions, but also charges a 2.99% non-sterling fee.

Metal lists no additional exchange fee and no weekend exchange surcharge. Revolut’s own exchange rate still applies, and an ATM or merchant may add separate charges. Always reject dynamic currency conversion and pay in the local currency where appropriate.

Which offers better protection?

Gold is a UK credit card. Section 75 can make the card issuer jointly liable for qualifying purchases, subject to the Consumer Credit Act and the details of the transaction.

Metal is a debit card, so Section 75 does not apply. Revolut lists plan insurance and card protections, but those are contractual benefits with conditions and exclusions—not the same statutory protection. Read the current policy before relying on it for a trip.

The strongest setup may be to use both

The products solve different problems. If you already get real value from both fee packages, split spending by what each does best.

Use Amex Gold for

General eligible UK spend where Amex is accepted.
Direct airline bookings in sterling and eligible Amex Travel bookings.
Qualifying purchases where Section 75 protection matters.

Use Revolut Metal for

Foreign-currency spending and cash access within current limits.
Merchants that do not accept American Express.
Transactions where you specifically want debit rather than credit.

Keep the Avios comparison like for like

Both currencies can reach British Airways Club, so the calculator applies one editable Avios-equivalent planning value to compare them consistently. Amex publishes a 1:1 Membership Rewards ratio; Revolut currently describes airline transfers as up to 1:1. Transfers are not cash, can be final and may change, so confirm the live ratio and reward availability before moving points.

Revolut Metal vs Amex Gold questions

Is Revolut Metal or Amex Gold better in the UK?

Amex Gold is usually better for earning points on UK spending: its base rate is 1 Membership Rewards point per £1, compared with Metal’s 1 RevPoint per £2. Metal is usually better for foreign-currency spending and wider acceptance. Fees, bonus categories and benefits you actually use decide the overall winner.

Which earns more points, Revolut Metal or Amex Gold?

Gold earns twice as many base points on general eligible spend: 1 point per £1 versus Metal’s 1 point per £2. Gold also has higher rates for eligible airline, foreign-currency and Amex Travel spend, plus spend bonuses. This comparison assumes both currencies are valued equally when transferred to Avios.

Is Revolut Metal or Amex Gold better abroad?

Metal is normally better for card spending in foreign currencies because its plan lists no additional exchange fee or weekend exchange surcharge. Amex Gold earns 2 points per £1 in foreign currencies but charges a 2.99% non-sterling transaction fee.

Can Metal RevPoints and Amex Gold points both become Avios?

Yes. British Airways Club is available through both programmes. Amex publishes a 1:1 Membership Rewards ratio; Revolut currently describes airline transfers as up to 1:1. Check the live ratio before transferring because partners and terms can change, and transfers may be final.

Is Amex Gold free?

The current UK product has a £0 fee in the first membership year and a £195 annual fee thereafter. Promotional terms can change, so verify the fee shown by American Express when applying.

Does this calculator include Amex welcome points or credit-card interest?

No. Welcome offers change and are excluded from the evergreen comparison. Interest is also excluded because the model assumes the Amex balance is paid in full every month. If you carry a balance, interest can overwhelm the value of rewards.

Can I use Revolut Metal and Amex Gold together?

Yes. A practical split is Gold for eligible UK spending and larger qualifying purchases, with Metal for foreign-currency spending and merchants that do not accept Amex. Paying both fees only makes sense if their combined points, savings and benefits exceed the cost.

Methodology and primary sources

Last verified: 18 July 2026 · Market: United Kingdom · RevPointsGuide is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Revolut or American Express.

Fees, earning rates and named benefits come from official provider pages. Section 75 context comes from the Financial Conduct Authority. Calculator outputs are independent planning estimates based on the user’s inputs and a shared point-value assumption.