Who is the American Express Platinum Card for?

The American Express Platinum Card is a great card to have, especially for avid travelers. It offers generous travel-related rewards and luxury travel benefits, which makes it very difficult to find a better card for travel from American Express.

What does this card offer?

Although the Platinum Card has a hefty annual fee of $550, it offers generous rewards that help justify this steep cost. The Platinum card offers 5x Membership Rewards points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel and on prepaid hotels booked through amextravel.com. It also offers the following travel-related bonuses:

• $200 airline fee credit per year for an airline of your choice that can be used toward incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments
• $100 Global Entry or $85 TSA PreCheck credit
• Access to over 1,200 airport lounges across 130 countries through the American Express Global Lounge Collection
• Benefits through the Fine Hotels & Resorts Program, including:
  • Daily breakfast for two
  • Room upgrade upon arrival when available
  • Property amenity valued at $100
  • Guaranteed 4 p.m. late check-out
  • Noon check-in when available
  • Complimentary Wi-Fi
• $100 hotel credit to spend on qualifying dining, spa and resort activities and room upgrade upon arrival when available when you boom with Amex Travel
• $15 in Uber Cash for U.S. rides each month plus $20 in December, which is up to $200 in annual Uber savings
• Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status
• Hilton Honors Gold status
• No foreign transaction fees
• Trip cancellations and delays
• Car rental loss and damage insurance
• Complimentary membership in premium car rental programs
• 24/7 medical, legal, financial or other select emergency coordination and assistance services when you travel more than 100 miles from home through Premium Global Assistance Hotline

The Platinum card also offers shopping-related rewards, including $50 Saks Fifth Avenue credit on a semi-annual basis, Platinum Card Concierge, return protection, purchase protection, extended warranty and more.

So, who should have this card?

As you can see, the Platinum Card offers a plethora of travel-related perks and would greatly benefit avid travelers. If you travel often and would like to access more high-end perks, this card would be a great fit for you, as it offers airport lounge access, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit and $200 airline fee credit. These benefits help compensate for the card’s hefty $550 annual fee.

However, if you don’t travel or spend much and know you won’t be able to take full advantage of the American Express Platinum Card’s perks, it is better to opt for a cheaper, more affordable card.