Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card®, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings, which requires a minimum two-night stay, through American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®.
$240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Audible, Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The New York Times. Enrollment required.
$155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Ups are excluded.
American Express has expanded The Centurion® Network to include 40+ Centurion Lounge and Studio locations worldwide. There are even more places your Platinum Card® can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks.
$200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one select qualifying airline.
$200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only.
Get up to $300 back per calendar year on the Equinox+ digital fitness app, or eligible Equinox club memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card. Enrollment required. Learn more.
Breeze through security with CLEAR® lanes available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your membership when you use your Card. Learn more.
$695 annual fee.
Terms Apply.
November 30, 2021
In this article, we’ll be reviewing The Platinum Card®, from one of our partners, American Express. We’ll look at who the card is for, its credit score requirements, benefits, rewards rate, key characteristics, and more.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com for more information.
(Click on a link to jump to the specific section)
Let’s begin with this American Express Platinum Card review.
The Platinum Card® has a reputation for being an elite travel rewards card. It isn’t just a status symbol, it comes with a long list of travel, entertainment, wellness, and retail benefits.
Platinum card members gain access to the American Express Membership Rewards® Program. Membership Rewards points can be redeemed in exchange for exclusive airline and hotel purchases. Cardholders can also utilize points at checkouts on various online and retail outlets such as Apple, Sephora, Saks Fifth Avenue, and more.
What truly sets the Platinum Card apart is the plethora of travel benefits. The card facilitates the user to and from the airport with amazing perks like complimentary access to The Centurion® Network's 40+ Lounge and Studio locations worldwide plus, annual airline fee, CLEAR®, and Uber credit. If you’re someone who spends time hopping from one airport to the next, The Platinum Card may be the perfect American Express card for you.
As an elite travel rewards card, The Platinum from Amex offers a range of perks cardholders can benefit from:
The maximum benefit amount for Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance is $10,000 per Covered Trip and $20,000 per Eligible Card per 12 consecutive month period.
Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
The Amex Platinum Card has a robust Membership Rewards® Program. Similar to Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, Membership Rewards points are of high value and are very flexible.
Here’s a breakdown of how Platinum cardmembers can earn bonus points with the Amex Membership Rewards Program:
Cardholders earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 in combined purchases per calendar year. Prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel also earn 5X Membership Rewards points.
Points can be redeemed in a variety of ways - gift cards, hotel bookings and upgrades, flight bookings and upgrades, shopping, entertainment. You can even transfer your points to Amex partner programs such as Delta SkyMiles®, Iberia Plus, Marriott Bonvoy™, Etihad Guest, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, and more.
To qualify for the Amex Platinum Card, you’ll need a credit score within the Good - Excellent range.
What’s that?
A VantageScore or FICO® score of 670 or more, falls in the Good credit score range. A credit score over 800 is considered excellent.
Having a qualifying credit score largely impacts your approval odds. Apart from the credit score, the card issuer may also consider your income, existing debts, and other pertinent information.
The annual fee for the Platinum Card is $695 (See Rates and Fees). The annual fee for additional cards is $175 for up to 3 additional cards on one Amex card account (See Rates and Fees).
$695 is a lot of money to be paying annually for a credit card, but the card offers an array of benefits that can easily offset the annual fee.
The Amex Platinum Card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees (See Rates and Fees) which makes it an ideal card for the globetrotter.
Like just about every other credit card in the market, Amex Platinum has additional fees such as a cash advance fee, a late payment fee, etc.
The Platinum Card has a cash advance fee of either $10 or 5% of the cash amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater (See Rates and Fees).
The credit card company can also charge Platinum cardholders a late payment fee of up to $40 and a returned payment fee of up to $40 (See Rates and Fees).
Next, let’s take a look at some of the key characteristics of this credit card.
The Platinum Card from American Express is a top-tier travel rewards card and a symbol of elite status. While it may come with a high annual fee of $695, the card comes with a great welcome offer, tons of benefits, including unmatched Amex travel benefits.
Earning 5x Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel purchases and flights booked through American Express travel services is a perk unparalleled in the industry. This card is seen as the successor of the American Express® Gold Card and may not be for everyone. But if you’re willing to invest in the annual fee, you can drastically upgrade your traveling experience.
You can apply for this card here.
Rates and fees for The Platinum Card from American Express can be found here.
Rates and fees for the American Express Gold Card can be found here.
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