Best credit card in Luxembourg 2023

It depends as always on your needs and goals.
How important are acceptance, perks and cashbacks or is the main interest to earn points and miles.

Few things have changed, Spuerkees introduced a new premium card, BIL offers card with lounge access, but both have no cashback or points.

So, lets start:

As usual BCEE Miles&More Luxair VISA Platinum is fair.
It costs 110€ per year
– 95€ Luxair voucher
– 5000 welcome miles
– miles do not expire
– 1 Euro => 0,5 mile
– yearly 3x lounge access vouchers, when flying with Luxair or Luxairtours
– yearly 2x fast lane access vouchers, when flying with Luxair or Luxairtours
– good insurances

BCEE VISA Infinite
it costs 350€ per year
– unlimited lounge access with Lounge Key
– concierge service
– exclusive events
– very good insurances
difficult to get the card and no possibility to earn miles or points

BIL VISA Platinum and Infinite
Platinum 204€ – Infinite 420€
– for Platinum 2 lounge vouchers are included – Infinite unlimited lounge access with Lounge Key
– very good insurances
possibility to get lounge access but compared with BCEE and Amex not really worth it.

Lets see American Express now as they have updated their perks for Gold and Platinum. Membership Reward points can be transferrd to different hotels and airline programs.

AMEX Blue is entry level, but no perks and no welcome or referral points, no insurance and it costs 53,5€ per year.
– 1 Euro => 1 MR

AMEX Green is basic level, but has no perks and no welcome points, it comes with decent 3000 referral points, basic insurance and it costs 83,5€ per year.
– 1 Euro => 1 MR

Now it´s getting interresting.

AMEX Gold
it costs 240€ per year
– yearly 4 lounge access with Priority Pass
– yearly 2×50€ restaurant reimbursement in selected restaurants in BeNeLux
– yearly 36€ Amazon Prime reimbursement (subscription or on demand video)
– 6 000 membership reward points for being referred, sometimes even more!
now 12000 points until 20/09!
– 1 Euro => 1 MR
– 4 Green partner cards included for free
– good insurances
I value the lounge vouchers in 100€ total at least with 25€/lounge access. If you are lucky you could benefit in expensiv lounges where the entry could cost around 50€. This would mean you get benefit of 236€, so “technically” you will pay 4€ for a metal gold card with good insurances. This is nobrainer for starting to earn AMEX Membership Reward points.
I would suggest this card if you would like start earning membership reward points instead of Green or Blue card.

AMEX Platinum
it costs 780€ per year
– unlimited lounge access with Priority Pass (+1 Platinum card for your parnter which also come with Priority Pass and both could bring +1 guest in the lounge)
– lounge access while travelling with Eurostar
– yearly 2×150€ restaurant reimbursement in selected restaurants in BeLux and other countries
– 12 000 membership reward points for being referred, sometimes even more!
now 24000 points until 20/09!
– 1 Euro => 1 MR
– fast lane access in different airports, (in Brussels Zavantem and some others)
– 1x Platinum and 4x Green partner cards for free
– gold status in different hotel programs (Hilton, Marriott, Melia and Radisson)
– status in car rentals programs (Hertz Gold Plus and AVIS Preferred)
– very good insurances
– Fine Hotels & Resorts, upgrades, +-100$ dining and beverage vouchers per stay, sometimes 3rd or 4th night for free or even free breakfast, of course upon availibility
– The Hotel Collection, upgrades and +-100$ vouchers for spa, dining or other upon availibilty (Hyatt, Hilton, Loews and Kimpton hotels)

As you see, there is planty of benefits, of course this card make only sense if you travel few times a year, visit the lounges and use all the 300€ from dining benefit. You can also check hotel maybe amex offers a bit better with free breakfast and 100$ voucher.

AMEX Brussels Airlines Premium
it costs 150€ per year, first 3 months are waived
– Miles&More miles never expiring
– 6000 welcome bonus miles
– 3000 referral miles, sometimes even more!
– 10 000 miles yearly bonus if spending 20 000€
– 1 Euro => 1,5 miles
– good insurances
First year total miles would be 47 000 if spending 20k €!

AMEX Brussels Airlines Preferred
it costs 120€ per year, first 3 months are waived
– Miles&More miles never expiring
– 3000 welcome bonus miles
– 3000 referral miles, sometimes even more!
– 5000 miles yearly bonus if spending 10 000€
– 1 Euro => 1,25 miles
– good insurances (same as Premium)
First year total miles would be 21 500 if spending 10k €!

Different prepaid cards
Curve is a free product, you only pay for the card delivery. It is a proxy card, which you can link your normal VISA or Mastercard to it and they will be charged, but the card has limits. The big plus is Google Pay/Wallet possibility. Of course there is also some pay features if you need to increase your limits or add more cards to it.

Other cards
Revolut, Monese, N26, myTU, Skrill, Crypto.com
The most of these cards are free of use or small fees apply, some come with perks…
Revolut and Monese are possible to connect to Google Pay/Wallet
You can use them as small amounts on the cards while you are away or just pay few thing with goolge pay.
I mostly use this card abroad Lux or with curve as you can pay with Google Pay.

Summary:

If you are collecting for Miles and More, then you have 3 cards in option.
What is important for you?
Acceptance and Luxair vouchers?
Then sign up for BCEE Miles&More VISA Luxair Platinum.
You would like earn more miles on avarage and you can spend at least 20 000€ per year or below 10 000€?
Then sign up for AMEX Brussels Airlines Premium.
If you cannot spend 20 000€, but preferrably spend 10 000€, then sign up for AMEX Brussels Airlines Preferred.

You are collecting points or miles for different programs (like Air France/KLM, SAS, Britsh Airways, Qatar, Delta, Etihad, Emirates, Finnair) and you would like to be flexible? Then sign up for AMEX either Gold or Platinum.
If you are just starting the miles and points games, then sign up for Gold as it comes with few perks. Of course you can later upgrade to Platinum, but wait for an upgrade promotion around 50k Membership Reward points or even more! Or if you wish, you can even downgrade to Green.
update: now there is an upgrade promotion to receive 60.000 Membership Reward points until 29/11/2023!

If you are travelling few times a year, can benefit from the hotel status, car rentals, FHR and dining benefit as top, then sign up for AMEX Platinum.

You do not want to collect miles and points, but you would like to have lounge access and you can efford it, then sign up for BCEE VISA Infinite card.

As already mentioned, is good to have at least one backup card, especially if you have an AMEX card, as AMEX is not accepted everywhere.
For me the curve is a must! Of course you can have additionally Revolut or Monese or other cards.

If you are BCEE Zebra account holder, then you can also benefit from their VISA Premier card at 0€ instead of their VISA Classic card as it has good insurances!

!Please do not buy products that you don´t need and pay the credit cards always in full so you don´t go in debts.

UPDATE:
2023/11/09 – AMEX Platinum upgrade promotion of 60.000 points
2023/07/16 – AMEX New referral points