Amex Platinum card review: High annual fee with loads of perks

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

The Platinum Card® from American Express overview

While it has a high annual fee, The Platinum Card® from American Express is one of the top premium travel rewards cards on the market. As a cardmember, you’ll earn valuable Membership Rewards points, receive up to over $1,500 in annual statement credits (as long as you can take advantage of them) and receive access to an extensive network of airport lounges worldwide. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

Nowadays, it seems every bank, airline and hotel offers a premium travel rewards card. But for a long time, The Platinum Card from American Express was the only premium rewards card on the market. If you had an Amex Platinum Card, with its sleek design and hefty metal weight, there was a sense of cachet.

That still exists, even though a few competitors in the luxury card category have emerged in recent years, including the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. When you stack them up against one another, the Amex Platinum shines in ways the others don’t. Then again, it falls flat in some areas, too.

The Amex Platinum has undergone significant changes in recent years and carries a steep $695 annual fee (see rates and fees) — one of the highest on the market. That’s why people often ask whether the Amex Platinum is still worth the annual fee, even with the new perks.

The recommended credit score for this card is above 690 and it still ranks as one of the best travel cards out there. However, that doesn’t mean it’s right for every traveler.

Let’s dig into the details and benefits to see whether having the Amex Platinum in your wallet makes sense for you.


Apply now: The Platinum Card from American Express with an 80,000-point bonus after spending $8,000 in the first six months from account opening.

Check the CardMatch tool to see if you’re targeted for a 150,000-point Platinum Card offer (after meeting minimum spending requirements). These offers are subject to change at any time.

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Amex Platinum welcome offer

The current welcome bonus for the Amex Platinum is 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership.

According to TPG’s latest monthly valuations, Amex Membership Rewards points are worth 2 cents each, making this bonus worth $1,600. That’s nearly three times the card’s $695 annual fee.

THOMAS BARWICK/GETTY IMAGES

Amex sometimes offers up to 150,000 points to targeted individuals through other channels — including the CardMatch tool. These offers are subject to change at any time and are not necessarily available to everyone.

Related: How to redeem Membership Rewards points for maximum value

Amex Platinum benefits

What truly sets The Platinum Card from American Express apart is the fact that it confers so many valuable best perks and travel benefits. Let’s take a look:

  • Up to $200 in statement credits annually for incidental fees charged by one airline you select*
  • Up to a $200 annual hotel credit, in the form of a statement credit, on prepaid Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings with Amex Travel when you pay with your Amex Platinum (Hotel Collection stays require a two-night minimum)*
  • Up to $200 annually in Uber Cash, valid on Uber rides and Uber Eats orders in the U.S. (split into monthly $15 credits plus a $20 bonus in December)*
  • Up to $189 in statement credits to cover your Clear Plus annual membership*
  • Up to $240 in annual digital entertainment credit, disbursed as up to $20 monthly statement credits when you pay for eligible purchases with the Amex Platinum at eligible partners*
ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

Even if you can use just a handful of these perks, it’s easy to cover most (or all) of the Amex Platinum’s annual fee.

Here’s how TPG director of content Nick Ewen describes it:

“I have no use for some benefits of the Amex Platinum, and others (like Walmart+) I utilize just because they’re there. However, I have a two-car Sirius XM subscription, so I always max out the digital entertainment credit ($240). I also easily use all $200 in Uber credits and all $200 in airline statement credits annually. In other words, just three of these perks put $640 back in my pocket every year. As a result, I think of it as paying $55 for all of the other benefits on the card — and that makes it a no brainer to keep in my pocket.”

Your exact situation may vary, but crunch the numbers to see how much real-life value you can get from the card.

*Enrollment is required for select benefits.

**Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

***Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

Related: How to maximize benefits with the Amex Platinum

Earning points on the Amex Platinum

With the Amex Platinum, you’ll earn 5 points per dollar on airfare purchased directly with the airlines or through the Amex Travel portal (on up to $500,000 of airfare purchases per calendar year). Plus, you’ll earn 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked with Amex Travel.

RISKA/GETTY IMAGES

These 5-point categories are an excellent way to earn lots of Membership Rewards points. Based on TPG valuations, earning 5 points per dollar provides a 10% return.

All other purchases earn just 1 point per dollar, but Platinum cardmembers are eligible for targeted Amex Offers that could boost earning rates at various merchants (including Amazon).

Related: The ultimate guide to saving money with Amex Offers

Redeeming points on the Amex Platinum

Membership Rewards points are one of the most valuable and flexible loyalty currencies ever created for redeeming points. The best way to maximize your points is to transfer them to one of their loyalty program partners.

You can also use your Membership Rewards points to book travel directly through American Express Travel. But if the personal Amex Platinum is the only Amex card in your inventory, using points for airfare and hotel redemptions this way won’t get you amazing value. You’ll get only 1 cent per point when you redeem the points directly for airfare at Amex Travel and less than 1 cent per point when redeeming for hotel rooms.

From my experience, 9 out of 10 times you should never redeem Membership Rewards points for flights through American Express Travel, as you will get much better value utilizing transfer partners.

THE POINTS GUY

However, suppose you also have The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. In that case, you’ll get one of the very best direct point redemptions available. This results from the 35% points rebate for first- and business-class flights on any airline plus economy flights on your selected airline (up to 1 million bonus points back per calendar year).

Related: Here are 9 of our favorite ways to use Amex Membership Rewards points

Transferring points on the Amex Platinum

Each Membership Rewards point is worth 2 cents, thanks largely to the program’s airline and hotel transfer partners. Those include at least one helpful option in each major airline alliance (SkyTeam, Star Alliance and Oneworld).

ETHAN STEINBERG/THE POINTS GUY

Transferring your points to the right airline or hotel program is usually the best way to maximize your Membership Rewards points value.

I have received outstanding value multiple times by transferring a mere 42,000 Amex Membership Rewards to Avianca to redeem for United Polaris flights to Europe.

Which cards compete with the Amex Platinum?

Some other compelling premium credit cards go head-to-head with the Amex Platinum:

For additional options, check out our full list of the best cards for travel rewards and lounge access.

Read more: The best premium credit cards: A side-by-side comparison

Bottom line

If you can take full advantage of more than $1,500 in annual statement credits yearly, The Platinum Card from American Express is one of the most compelling rewards cards, especially if you travel enough to make the hotel statuses and lounge benefits useful or shop enough to get substantial value from the shopping protections.

The Amex Platinum’s $695 annual fee is steep, but the various annual credits can recoup the entire cost (and more), even before considering the card’s other perks.


Apply here: The Platinum Card from American Express

Check the CardMatch tool to see if you’re targeted for a 150,000-point Platinum Card offer (after meeting minimum spending requirements). These offers are subject to change at any time.


For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum, click here.

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