Is there American Express (Amex) in Portugal?

04 Apr 2023

Yes, the American Express card is accepted in Portugal, but to a limited extent. In Portugal, American Express offers several cards, including American Express® Gold Card, American Express® platinum, American Express® Green Card, Blue Cash Preferred® Card, and more.

If you are traveling to Portugal, especially not from the Eurozone, you might wonder which card to bring. You might also consider using your American Express. After all, it is usually travel-friendly, has perks for using it, and has excellent customer service if something goes wrong.

However, foreign credit cards are generally not accepted in many restaurants and small shops, including the metro and toll booths (carrying cash as a backup is always recommended). Therefore, using a VISA or Mastercard credit or debit card will be much easier than using an AMEX card.

So it's a good idea to have a backup credit card, preferably one that's travel-friendly and doesn't charge you a fee for foreign transactions or an unnecessarily punishing exchange rate. Revolut, a debit card available in the UK and the US, among other places, is one option to consider.

Of course, some merchants will pay the higher fees and accept American Express (AMEX typically charges 3% versus 2% for Mastercard or Visa), but it depends on where you stay and the types of shops you visit.

Paying with an American Express credit card in Portugal is safe. American Express provides several layers of fraud protection to help protect Card Members from credit card fraud. Card security, online account security, and advanced analytics that evaluate thousands of data points on every transaction all contribute to fraud prevention.

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