Searching for a Virgin Atlantic American Express? There isn’t one. Virgin’s own cards are Virgin Money Mastercards — and Amex only feeds Virgin Points through transfers. Here is the honest breakdown for 2026.
The myth: there is no Virgin Atlantic Amex
Many people search for a “Virgin Atlantic American Express”, but no such co-branded card exists in the UK. Virgin’s own credit cards are Virgin Money Mastercards. Amex enters the picture only because you can transfer Membership Rewards points to Virgin Points at 1:1.
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In a word, no. Unlike British Airways, which has a genuine co-branded American Express range, Virgin Atlantic does not offer an Amex card in the UK. Virgin’s own credit cards are issued by Virgin Money and run on the Mastercard network. If you have read about earning Virgin Points on an “Amex”, that refers to transferring American Express Membership Rewards points across to Virgin Points at a 1:1 rate — a different card, doing a different job.
Two routes, one balance: earn Virgin Points directly on a Virgin Money Mastercard, or earn transferable Membership Rewards on an Amex and move them over. Many collectors do both.
| Card names | Virgin Atlantic Reward+ and Reward (Virgin Money Mastercards) |
| Network | Mastercard — not American Express |
| Reward+ fee & earn | £160/yr · 1.5 pts per £1 (3 pts per £1 with Virgin) |
| Reward fee & earn | No fee · 0.75 pts per £1 |
| Voucher trigger | £10,000 spend (Reward+) or £20,000 (Reward) |
| Voucher use | Companion ticket OR cabin upgrade, valid 2 years |
| Amex link | Indirect — transfer Membership Rewards to Virgin Points 1:1 |
Fees, earn rates and welcome offers change — confirm the current terms on Virgin Money’s own site before applying. This is general information, not financial advice.
The voucher is the star of the show. On a premium redemption — see our Upper Class guide — a companion voucher or upgrade can be worth far more than a year of everyday points.
Pros
Cons
If you fly Virgin regularly, the Reward+ Mastercard is the strongest single card for building Virgin Points, chiefly because the £10,000 voucher is realistic and genuinely useful. The free Reward card suits lighter spenders happy to build a balance slowly. But do not go hunting for a Virgin Amex — it does not exist. Instead, pair a Virgin Money card with a Membership Rewards Amex (see our best cards guide) so you earn directly and keep a transferable balance you can move to Virgin Points at 1:1. This is general information, not financial advice.
The AviosArcana Editorial Team
We decode UK travel loyalty in plain English, cross-checking every figure against published card terms. We are not a lender and this is general information, not financial advice.