Personal Card

Amex Platinum Credit Card

Written by: Lenny Pappano

The Amex Platinum is the most luxurious personal travel card on the market, packed with elite perks, statement credits, and access to the most extensive lounge network available.

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Amex Platinum Credit Card Review

Key Takeaways

When it comes to premium travel cards, the American Express Platinum has no true rival — but that level of luxury comes with a hefty $695 annual fee. The standard sign-up bonus is 80,000 points, which we value at 1.5 cents each. Points can be transferred to any of 18 airline partners or 3 hotel partners. The Platinum Card also offers one of the most extensive lists of statement credits and travel benefits, but long-term value depends on whether those perks align with your lifestyle and travel habits.

Why This Card Could Be Right For You

This is Amex’s flagship personal travel card — and it's packed with benefits designed for frequent travelers and lifestyle spenders. While the $695 annual fee is significant, the sign-up bonus can offset it in the first year.

Welcome bonus: 80,000 points with $8,000 spend in 6 months (sometimes as high as 100,000)
Travel perks:
- $200 airline incidental credit
- $200 hotel credit (on Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings via Amex Travel)
- Access to the Global Lounge Collection when you enroll in Priority Pass Select (including Centurion Lounges and Delta Sky Clubs)
Lifestyle credits:
- $200 in Uber Cash ($15/month + $20 in December)
- $240 digital entertainment credit ($20/month) toward services like Disney+, Hulu, NYT, and Peacock
- $155 annual Walmart+ membership
- $100 Saks Fifth Avenue credit ($50, 2x per year)
- $189 CLEAR Plus credit for faster airport security
Other benefits:
- Premium purchase protection
- Extended warranties
- Exclusive Amex Offers

If you’re someone who can take full advantage of these credits, they more than offset the annual fee.

When The Usual Advice Doesn't Apply

This card may not be the best fit if:

You can’t find a targeted or elevated welcome offer of at least 100,000 points
You don’t use the credits or perks frequently enough to justify the $695 fee
You want better point multipliers for everyday spending — Amex Platinum only offers 5x on flights and hotel bookings through Amex Travel
You haven’t yet earned sign up bonuses from the Amex Green or Gold cards — Amex’s once-per-lifetime bonus rule means getting the Platinum first can lock you out of those other bonuses

What to Know About Amex Member Rewards

Amex points are great in theory. We just find them harder to collect and more expensive to hold than Chase points.

If you’re in the points game long enough, you’ll dabble in both main systems (Chase & Amex).
Amex has a one card bonus per lifetime rule, so ultimately, there will be more of a limit to how many you can collect via sign-up bonuses.
You’ll need to keep a “fee” card to hold your points.
Delta and Hilton are solid transfer values and having Amex points gives you top-off flexibility if you are invested in either of those systems.
We do find Amex travel a higher quality of service over the Chase travel portal.

How The Amex Platinum Credit Card Fits In The Amex Member Rewards Ecosystem

Before applying for any personal American Express card, be aware of two specific rules:

You can only receive the sign-up bonus on each Amex card once per lifetime.
To be eligible for all potential bonuses, you must apply in this order: Green --> Gold --> Platinum. (If you start with the Platinum, you cannot later receive the bonuses for the Green or Gold).

All Amex personal cards count toward your 5/24 status, so keep that in mind.

The Green Card is the entry-level personal card, though it still has a $150 annual fee. It often has a 40,000-point sign-up bonus, and its standout benefit is a $199 Clear credit, which can more than cover its annual fee. Whether it’s worth getting depends on your 5/24 status and how you value the bonus and benefits.
The Gold Card is the next step, with a $325 annual fee and a 60,000-point welcome bonus. It also provides several credits and perks related to dining and groceries.

Amex does not currently impose the same “card order” rule on its business cards, making them a good option if you are close to 5/24. The annual fees, welcome bonuses, and other benefits on these business cards are similar to their personal counterparts, allowing you to start collecting American Express Membership Rewards without affecting your 5/24 count. However, the once-per-lifetime bonus rule still applies to business cards, so keep that in mind as well.

My Experience, No Filter

I enjoyed the Amex Platinum and got solid value from the welcome offer and the credits. The Uber and airline perks were helpful, and I appreciated the Centurion Lounge experience. But as time went on, I found the Chase Sapphire Reserve was simply a better fit for how I personally travel and redeem points.

The Chase portal’s simplicity, the 1.5x redemption boost, and the ability to pool points from multiple no-annual-fee cards gave me more flexibility. While Amex Platinum delivers luxury, the Sapphire Reserve delivers more consistent value for my day-to-day and travel lifestyle—so after the first year, I moved on.

Card Information

Bonus Points	Minimum Spend	Point Value	Annual Value	Annual Fee	1st Year Value
80,000	$8,000	1.5 ¢	$332	$695	$992

Best Value	Differentiating Perks	Rules
Delta & Hilton transfers	Premier Airport Lounges, Hilton Gold Status, 5x points on Amex travel	Amex 3/90 , No 5/24 , Amex 1/10

AWARD SYSTEM

BANK

Reconsideration Phone 800.528.4800

MOST RECENT SPECIAL OFFER

100,000 Bonus Points for
$6,000 spend ended Nov 2022

Spend Categories

Airfare + »

5X points
7.7¢ Per Dollar Spent

All Other = »

1X points
1.5¢ Per Dollar Spent

Hotels - »

5X points
7.7¢ Per Dollar Spent

Travel + »

5X points
7.7¢ Per Dollar Spent

Apply Now »

Card Benefits

Travel Credits »
Get statement credits of up to $200 per calendar year toward incidental air travel fees (lounges, checked bags, seat upgrades, wi-fi, etc.) on ONE U.S. airline you select

Lounge Access »
Get unlimited access to the Centurion Lounge, Delta Sky Club and Priority Pass Select lounges

Cell Phone Protection »
Your cell phone will be covered against damage or theft up to $800 — with a $50 deductible — up to $1,000 per 12-month

TSA Pre Check »
Get up to $100 statement credit for Global Entry, or an $85 fee credit for TSA PreCheck.

Airline Incidentals »
Get statement credits of up to $200 per calendar year toward incidental air travel fees (lounges, checked bags, seat upgrades, wi-fi, etc.) on ONE U.S. airline you select

Car Rental Insurance »
Secondary car rental insurance coverage up to $75,000 in collision damage and theft per incident

Travel Insurance »
Lost luggage insurance up to $3,000 per person; trip delay protection up to $500; and trip cancellation protection up to $10,000 per trip

No Foreign Transaction Fees »
You will pay no foreign transaction fees when you use your card for purchases made outside the United States.

Concierge »
Call 1-800-525-3355 to get complimentary assistance making dinner reservations, buying theater tickets, getting travel guides & sending gifts/flowers

Roadside Assistance »
A complimentary 24-hour dispatch hotline that can send a tow operator or locksmith to assist in an emergency situation. Cardholder will be charged for any services or goods provided.

Statement Credits »
Get statement credits of up to $200 per calendar year on repaid Fine Hotels + Resorts, up to $199 CLEAR in statement credits per calendar year and up to $200 for Uber orders with Uber Eats and rides with Uber annually.

Hotel Perks »
Automatic Hilton Gold status includes: free breakfast, late checkout, free WiFi, bottled water, room upgrades (in same category) & 5th night free on reward stays. Amex Hotel Collection credits and upgrades also included.

Purchase Protection »
You can file up to $10,000 per claim ($50,000 max per year) in the event of damage or theft in the first 90 days.

Extended Warranty »
Enjoy up to 1 additional year on the original manufacturer’s warranties of 5 years or less.

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Point Transfer Options

Transfer To Spouse/Partner No

Transfer To Friends No

Travel Partner Transfers

Amex Member Rewards Outside Point System

Transfers Out To

Air Canada Aeroplan

1:1 100% value retained

Avianca LifeMiles

1:1 100% value retained

British Airway Executive Avios

1:1 71% value retained

Cash in Cents

1:1 71% value retained

Cathay Pacific

1:1 86% value retained

Delta SkyMiles

1:1 86% value retained

Etihad Guest

1:1 86% value retained

Flying Blue and Air France

1:1 86% value retained

Hilton Honors

1:2 86% value retained

jetBlue trueBlue

1:0.8 69% value retained

Marriott Bonvoy

1:1 50% value retained

Qantas Frequent Flyer

1:1 86% value retained

Singapore KrisFlyer

1:1 93% value retained

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

1:1 100% value retained

View All Point Transfer Options »

Amex Platinum Application Rules

Amex 3/90

You'll be declined if you apply for a fourth Amex card in 90 days

No 5/24

Card approval not subject to 5-personal-cards-in-24-months rule

Amex 1/10

Amex allows only 1 bonus per specific card per lifetime (yours or that version of the card)

Ranking of Cards Offering Amex Member Rewards

Amex Business Platinum »

Amex Platinum »

Amex Business Gold »

Amex Gold »

Amex Green »

Amex Business Green »

Best for Series

Below is a snapshot of where this card performs best compared to the other cards in our database:

Rank 7^th

Best Cards For U.S. Domestic Flights »

Rank 1^st

Best Cards For Flights To Asia »

Rank 6^th

Best Card For International Business Class »

Rank 5^th

Best Cards For Rental Cars »

Rank 3^rd

Best Cards For Cruises »

Rank 7^th

Best Cards For Flights To Australia »

Rank 4^th

Best Cards For Hotels In Europe »

Rank 3^rd

Best Cards For South America Flights »

Breaking Points

August 16, 2024

Mini Points - September 2024

- AAdvantage American Airlines Citi Mastercard - Limited time offer, earn 75,000 miles after spending $3500 in 4 months, $0 annual fee for first year then $99/year.

- World of Hyatt Business Chase Visa - Limited time offer, earn 60,000 points after spending $5000 in 3 months, $199/annual fee.

- Ink Business Unlimited Business Chase Visa - $900 cash back after spending $6000 in 3 months, $0/annual fee.

- Miles & More Barclays Lufthansa Mastercard - 80,000 miles after spending $3000 in 3 months, $89/annual fee.

- Wyndham Earner Visa - Earn 45,000 points after spending $2000 in 6 months, $0/annual fee.

February 5, 2023

Amex gets Generous with Delta Points

Here is a fun list of Delta Amex cards that are offering limited time (ending 3/29/23) sign-up bonus:

- Amex Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business Card: 100,000 miles after spending $6000 in 3 months, $550 annual fee.

- Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Card: 95,000 miles after spending $4000 in 3 months, $250 annual fee.

- Amex Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Card: 75,000 miles after spending $3000 in 3 months, $0 intro annual fee, then $99.

- Amex Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card: 90,000 miles after spending $6000 in 6 months, $550 annual fee.

- Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card: 90,000 miles after spending $4000 in 6 months, $250 annual fee.

- Amex Delta SkyMiles Gold Card: 70,000 miles after spending $2000 in 6 months, $0 intro annual fee, then $99.

March 3, 2022

American Express Delta Cards Limited Time Offers

American Express only gives you once in a lifetime sign up bonuses, so if you've been waiting, this might be the time:

- Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business Card, 110,000 Bonus miles after spending $6000 in 3 months, $550 annual fee.

- Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Card, 100,000 Bonus miles after spending $4000 in 3 months, $250 annual fee.

- Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Card, 75,000 Bonus miles after spending $3000 in 3 months, $0 annual fee for the 1st year, then $99.

- Delta SkyMiles Reserve, 100,000 Bonus miles after spending $5000 in 3 month, $550 annual fee.

- Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card, 90,000 Bonus miles after spending $3000 in 3 months, $250 annual fee.

- Delta SkyMiles Gold Card, 70,000 Bonus miles after spending $2000 in 3 months, $0 annual fee for the 1st year, then $99.

July 2, 2021

American Express Platinum Special Offer

The Amex Platinum increases everything. Sign up offer is now 100,000 points after spending $6000 in 6 months, 10x points at restaurants worldwide, $240 Digital entertainment credit, $300 Equinox Credit, $200 Uber Cash, $100 Saks Credit, 5x points on flights, 5x points on prepaid hotels. Take advantage of all these savings to compensate for the increased annual fee rate of $695.