The Platinum CardĀ® from American Express Review
The Platinum CardĀ® from American Express ā all information about the credit card.
Good Choose for Young couples
- Rewards Rate:
- 5x Points on up to $500,000 spent on directly-booked airfare and flights (per calendar year).
- 5x Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
- 1x Points on all other purchases.
- Intro Offer:
- 80,000x Membership RewardsĀ® points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Annual Fee:$695 annually
- Purchase Intro APR:None
- Regular APR:21.24% - 29.24% Variable
- Balance Transfer APR:None
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The Platinum CardĀ® from American Express Rewards Calculator
All benefits
- Points
- 5x On up to $500,000 spent on directly-booked airfare and flights (per calendar year).
- 5x On prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
- 1x On all other purchases.
- Travel
- $200 Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + ResortsĀ® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum CardĀ® (requires a minimum two-night stay).
- The Global Lounge CollectionĀ®:
- The American Express Global Lounge CollectionĀ® can provide an escape at the airport, with more than 1,400 airport lounges across 650 cities in 140 countries and counting.
- $200 Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to your Platinum CardĀ®.
- $200 With your Platinum CardĀ®, you'll receive $15 in Uber Cash for rides or eats orders in the US every month plus a bonus $20 in December, delivered through an exclusive Uber app experience. That's up to $200 for Uber rides or eats orders annually. You'll also become an Uber VIP, where available, without meeting minimum ride requirements and be matched with top-rated drivers, so that even a 5-minute trip can be a 5-star experience.
- $189 Clear CreditĀ®. CLEARĀ® uses biometrics to assign you a touchless ID, allowing you to move faster through security at select airports and stadiums across the U.S. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR membership with up to $189 in statement credits per year after you pay for CLEAR with your Platinum Card.
- International Airline Program:
- Lower fares on the best international seats in the house, up to 8 tickets per booking. Thereās no need to shop around when you book the International Airline Program with American Express Travel. Enjoy savings on international First, Business, Premium Economy seats on more than 25 world-class airlines. Basic Card Member must be traveling on the itinerary and travel must originate in, and return to, the U.S.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PrecheckĀ®:
- Receive either a $100 statement credit for Global Entry or a statement credit for up to $85 for TSA PreCheckĀ® through any Authorized Enrollment Provider for a 5-year plan. TSA PreCheck can expedite security screening and Global Entry can reduce wait time at US Customs at select airports. And if you are approved for Global Entry you will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional charge. Only one credit will be given in a 4 year period for Global Entry or in a 4.5 year period for TSA PreCheck for whichever application fee is charged to your Card first.
- Fine Hotels & ResortsĀ® Program:
- Every stay at Fine Hotels + ResortsĀ® is packed with perks when you book with American Express Travel. Enjoy an average total value of $550 in extras at over 1,100 properties, like daily breakfast for two, 4PM check-out, and a $100 experience credit to savor something unique at each property.
- The Hotel Collection:
- Delight your senses when you book The Hotel Collection with American Express Travel. Get a $100 experience credit for qualifying activities like dining or spa treatments. Minimum 2-night stay required to be eligible for the benefit. Experience credits vary by property.
- Platinum Travel Service:
- Platinum Travel counselors specialize in providing custom itineraries and tailored recommendations to help you make the most of your travels.
- Marriott Bonvoyā¢ Gold Elite Status:
- With Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status, you can receive upgrades to enhanced rooms upon check-in when available.
- Hilton Honors Gold Status:
- As a Platinum Card Member, enroll to receive complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status.
- Premium Car Rental Status:
- Premium Card Members are eligible to enjoy complimentary premium status for car rental programs as well as additional benefits and discounts. Platinum CardĀ® members, enjoy complimentary premium status for a number of car rental programs. Platinum Card Members can view their specific Car Rental Privileges online by logging into their Platinum Card account. Card Members have the choice to enroll in Avis PreferredĀ®, Hertz Gold Plus RewardsĀ®, and/ or National Car RentalĀ® Emerald Club Executive through the Benefits Dashboard. Platinum Card Members are required to input a code when booking to receive free upgrades and discounts on their next car rental. Card Members must enroll using their eligible card.
- Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance:
- Getting into your Rental Vehicle can be the start of a great vacation. When you use your Eligible Card to reserve and pay for the Entire Rental and decline the collision damage waiver at the rental Company counter, you can be covered for Damage to or Theft of a Rental Vehicle in a Covered Territory. Please read important exclusions and restrictions. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Coverage is not available for vehicles rented in Australia, Italy, and New Zealand.
- Premium Global AssistĀ® Hotline:
- When you travel more than 100 miles from home, we can provide you with 24/7 medical, legal, financial or other select emergency coordination and assistance services. Card Members may be responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers. Emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost only if approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline.
- Membership Rewards Program ā Transfer Points:
- Canāt get to the beach soon enough? Whether youāre dreaming of sunrise abroad or sunset on your favorite shore, American Express offers you the opportunity to transfer points to qualifying airline and hotel partners of any major U.S. Credit Card rewards program.
- Trip Delay:
- Booking the trip is easy. Avoiding delays is next to impossible. If a round-trip is paid for entirely with your eligible Card and a covered reason delays your trip more than 6 hours, Trip Delay Insurance can help reimburse certain additional expenses purchased with your same eligible Card, up to $500 per trip, maximum 2 claims per eligible Card per 12 consecutive month period.
- Trip Cancellation:
- If you purchase a round trip entirely with your eligible Card and a covered reason cancels or interrupts your trip, Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance can help reimburse your non-refundable expenses purchased with the same eligible Card, up to $10,000 per trip and up to $20,000 per eligible Card per 12 consecutive month period.
Rate and fee information
- Purchase Intro APR
- None
- Purchase APR
- 21.24% - 29.24% Variable
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- None
- Balance Transfers APR
- None
- APR for Cash Advances
- 29.99% Variable
- How to Avoid Paying Interest
- Your due date is at least 25 days after the close of each billing period. You will not be charged interest on charges automatically added to a Pay Over Time balance if each month you pay your Account Total New Balance on your billing statement (or, if you have a Plan balance, your Adjusted Balance on your billing statement) by the due date. If you have Cash Advance on your Account, you will be charged interest on cash advances on the transaction date.
Fees
- Annual Fee
- $695 annually
- Fees for Cash Advances
- Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater
- Penalty Fees
- 29.99%
- Return Payment
- Up to $40
- Late Payment
- Up to $40
Pros & Cons
- Exceptional travel rewards
- Luxury travel benefits
- Generous welcome offer
- No preset spending limit
- No foreign transaction fee
- Over-the-top annual fee
- Restrictive benefits
- Balance transfers are not available
Features
- No foreign transaction fees
- Payment Flexibility
- Fraud Protection
- Rewards
- Bonus points
- Purchase Protection
- Extended Warranty Protection
- Travel
- Airline
- Award Travel seats
- Lowest Hotel Rates Guarantee
- Trip Cancellation
- Auto Rental Insurance
- 24/7 Travel Assistant
- Airport Lounge Access
- Good Credit
- Excellent Credit
About the issuer
Compare with other cards
- NoneAnnual Fee
- 14.99% - 29.99%Regular APR
- 3%Cash Back on Home, Auto and Health categories.
- NonePurchase Intro APR
- NoneAnnual Fee
- 19.99% - 29.99%Regular APR
- 1.5%Cash Back on all purchases.
- NonePurchase Intro APR
- NoneAnnual Fee
- 14.99% - 29.99%Regular APR
- 1.5%Cash Back on payments.
- NonePurchase Intro APR
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Disclaimer: Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit http://americanexpress.com to learn more.
The Platinum CardĀ® from American Express Review
Letās talk about the Platinum CardĀ® from American Express and look into its pros and cons.
With this card, cardholders get numerous benefits and an attractive rewards system for a hefty annual fee of $695. Hotels and flights booked through AmEx or directly with airlines earn 5x points for each dollar spent, and all other purchases earn 1x points. Currently, thereās an excellent welcome bonus of up to 80,000 points after you spend $6,000 in the first six months. Other features include premium perks, like lounge access at more than 1,300 airports.
The Platinum CardĀ® from American Express: pros and cons
| Pros: | Cons: |
|---|---|
| Exceptional travel rewards. With a rate of 5x points per dollar on hotel stays and flights booked through Amex and directly with airlines, this card has one of the best travel rewards programs. | Over-the-top annual fee. Even though this is a premium travel card, the $695 annual fee is still a bit much. Only the most frequent travelers will be able to earn enough rewards to outweigh it. |
| Luxury travel benefits. The Platinum CardĀ® from American Express really stands out with its benefits. It offers cardholders $200 credit for hotel bookings, $200 credit for airline fees, access to over 1,300 airport lounges, savings on international flights, and many others. | Restrictive benefits. We do not deny that the perks are significant, but theyāre still relatively inflexible. For example, the airline credit covers only incidental fees, and cardholders must select one qualifying airline, which they can change once a year. |
| Generous welcome offer. The 80,000-bonus points offer is one of the greatest on the market. Throw in the 10x points at restaurants and small shops, and you get a great incentive that new cardholders will appreciate. | |
| No preset spending limit. Your spending limit will be determined by factors like payment, purchase, and credit history. This feature allows for great spending flexibility. | |
| No foreign transaction fee. A valuable feature considering this is a travel card. |
Rewards system in a nutshell
The rewards system of the Platinum CardĀ® from American Express has a great start with the 80,000-points worth welcome offer. These points could be worth up to $1,250, which is almost double the annual fee. Although the $6,000 spending requirement is relatively high, itās reasonable for a 6-month period.
Since itās a travel card, the main focus is on the travel rewards:
- 5x points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com
- 5x points on flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel
- 1x point on everything else.
You must reserve and pay for a flight or accommodation with your card to get the rewards. There are a few exceptions from these categories, like private jet flights, hotel group reservations, tours, cruises, etc. You can find the complete list on the Amex Platinum Terms and Conditions.
There are plenty of redemption options, like paying with points, gift cards, redeem toward credit charges through Amex Travel, or you can transfer them to a frequent flyer program. You'll get the most value if you redeem for travel through Amex or with a transfer to a frequent flyer program. To find out the value of your points for different redemption options just use our helpful tool ā Rewards Calculator. You can notice that the minimum redemption limit is 5,000 points.
Who can benefit from getting the Platinum CardĀ® from American Express?
Obviously, this is a travel card that will bring the most value only to the most avid travelers who value luxury perks. However, itās important to take a good look at your spending before applying for this card. If it turns out you donāt spend enough to earn the rewards, youāll end up not getting much value out of it.
Upscale customers wonāt have any problem with covering the annual fee, especially if they are regulars at an Equinox gym ($300 statement credit annually), frequently use Uber ($200 Uber Cash annually), or they shop at Saks Fifth Avenue (up to $100 in statement credits). If you add the $200 hotel credit, thatās already $800, which is quite over the $695 annual fee. However, that means you'll have to spend a lot too. Equinox is a fancy fitness club, and the hotels eligible for the hotel credit are all very luxurious.
Now, if we consider only the rewards from bonus categories, by spending $8,000 yearly on flights and $6,000 on hotel stays, thatās $700 per year if you redeem for flights through Amex Travel. So itās already enough to offset the annual fee.
Finally, letās not forget the lounge access that comes with this card and offers cardholders a far more pleasant trip. Lounges usually have free drinks and food and are a nice place to relax between flights. It's hard to put a price on that, but frequent travelers will find it very valuable.
Are there any other benefits?
A fancy travel card like this usually comes with quite a few benefits, and the Platinum CardĀ® from American Express does excellent on this point. Letās look at some of the best additional benefits it offers:
- Access to the Global Lounge Collection - this feature includes several lounge products (the Centurion and Escape Lounges) and some airline-operated lounges like the Delta Sky Club and Lufthansa lounges.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit ā Up to $20 per month in statement credits at the following partners: Peacock, the New York Times, Audible, and SiriusXM.
- $189 with Clear ā you can get up to $189 on your membership.
- Fine Hotels and Resort Program ā nice perks at partner hotels if you book through Amex Travel (things like breakfast for two, a late check-out, and many more).
- Platinum Travel Service ā counselors that provide itineraries and tailored recommendations.
- Cell Phone Protection - if you pay your monthly mobile bill with your card, youāll get cell phone protection. The coverage amount is $800 per approved claim, and you can have two approved claims per 12-month period.
- Global Entry/TSA credit - You can get a $100 statement credit for Global Entry (one credit in 4 years ) or up to TSA $85 credit (one credit in 4.5 years).
- Hilton Honors Gold Status and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status
- $155 for Walmart+ membership - receive a statement credit for the Walmart + monthly membership fee.
- Terms Apply.
Note that some of these benefits require enrollment in 3rd party programs.
Although all those above are the cherries-on-top, this card doesnāt lack some standard benefits either:
- Secondary Car Rental Insurance
- Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation Insurance
- Purchase Protection
- Extended Warranty
Conclusion
In a nutshell: we absolutely love Amex Platinumās many fancy features that can make every cardholder feel special ā starting from the great welcome bonus, the high rewards rates on travel, and up to the many, many exclusive perks. However, one thing where there's room for improvement is the $200 airline fee, which in our opinion should include more expenses if they want to be on the same level as the competition.
While itās true that the annual fee is a bit on the high side, the rewards and benefits can make up for it. This card is designed for a particular target customer group, and only those that are entirely sure they'll spend enough and will make the most of it should apply.
FAQ
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Is The Platinum CardĀ® from American Express worth it?
What is The Platinum CardĀ® from American Express made of?
- $150Annual Fee
- None *Regular APR
- 5%Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
- None *Purchase Intro APR