Everything about calling American Express from abroad
Who American Express is, and why it has so many numbers
American Express issues personal, business and corporate Cards in the UK. Its Contact us page gives most Cards their own 0800 number (a few Cards share one), with an overseas +44 number next to it, and tells Cardmembers to call the number on the back of the Card. The line that covers the most ground is 0800 917 8047: Amex gives it for a lost, stolen, damaged or missing Card, for charges you do not recognise, and for its Global Assist Helpline, and it is also the Card line for the Platinum Cashback, Rewards, Vitality and Harrods Cards.
Why you might ring Amex from abroad
Travel is where an Amex Card most often goes missing. Amex says a Card lost or stolen abroad is usually replaced within two working days, and that a Card in Apple Pay, Amex Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay is updated in the wallet at once. Its Global Assist Helpline, answered around the clock, helps with things like lost luggage and delayed departures, though Amex says it is not available on the Basic and Harrods Cards and some services may cost extra.
Why a UK 0800 number is awkward from a foreign line
0800 numbers are free to call inside the UK, and that rule stops at the border. From a foreign SIM or a hotel phone, the call may not connect, depending on your provider. Amex prints an overseas number beside its 0800 lines, starting with +44 (0)1273 696 933 for a lost or stolen Card, and does not say what calling its 0800 lines from abroad costs.
What Losali does with these numbers
Losali is an independent dialler that runs in a web browser. Your call travels over the internet and Losali's telecom carrier connects it to the UK 0800 number, so your foreign network only carries data. There is no app to install and no UK SIM to buy, and it works from a laptop or a borrowed phone if your own phone went missing with the Card.
- Check the back of your Card: Amex asks you to call the number printed there, and most Cards have their own line.
- If you can sign in, a lost Card can be replaced in the Online Account or under 'Replace a Card' in the app.
- Note any charges you do not recognise, with dates and amounts.
- Have a delivery address ready: a Card lost abroad is usually replaced within two working days.
Hours, and the ways in without calling
Amex's lost and stolen line is a 24-hour line, and its Contact us page says the team is available 24/7. Live chat with a Customer Care Professional is open around the clock too, from the chat icon once you are signed in to your Account. Cardmembers moving abroad for good can ask through Live Chat or the number on the Card about transferring their Card through Global Card Transfer.
What kind of number is this?
Freephone 0800 / 0808. Free to call from inside the UK. Losali shows the price before the call starts.