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

We estimate the card’s value to be nearly $5,000 each year if you utilize all the perks. In addition to its popular entertainment subscriptions, you may not know that SiriusXM also offers specialty subscriptions for mariners and those in aviation. 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). 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.

1. Additional Platinum cardholders receive complimentary Hertz Gold Plus Rewards President’s Circle, Avis Preferred Plus and National Emerald Club Executive status.
2. Just remember that the bonus-rewards cap will limit your cash back potential.
3. You’ll also want to follow up on any special pricing you received to be sure the service doesn’t renew at a higher amount.
4. Your Basic Card Member will continue to earn rewards on eligible travel, dining, and other purchases.
5. Each Membership Rewards point is worth 2 cents, thanks largely to the program’s airline and hotel transfer partners.
6. This is especially true during the first year when the annual fee is waived.

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. The recommended credit score for this card is above 690 and it still ranks as one of the best travel cards out there. Contacting the concierge is easy—all you have to do is call the number on the back of your Platinum card and ask for “concierge.” Once on the line, you can ask a concierge about making a purchase or booking a service. Highlights – Receive Taj Experience gift card worth Rs. 10,000 from Taj, Vivanta, and SeleQtions hotel on spends of Rs 4 Lakhs every year.

If you’re looking to travel in luxury and benefit from high rewards on eligible airfare and hotel expenses, consider The Platinum Card® from American Express. If you make a qualifying purchase for an Amex Offer, your ability to earn other types of spend-based rewards (such as Membership Rewards) for that purchase may be based on the amount after any statement credit is applied. Go to the Rewards & Benefits section, select Benefits, and then select the $240 digital entertainment credit option. Let’s wind down our Amex digital entertainment credit options by looking at Peacock TV and its offerings. Peacock is owned and operated by NBC, so it’s no surprise the streaming service is named after the NBC logo. Nowadays, it seems every bank, airline and hotel offers a premium travel rewards card.

Are American Express cards worth it?

Of course, the bonus rewards on U.S. gas station and transit purchases can help, as can the card’s welcome bonus and other benefits like the annual $84 Disney Bundle credit. Due to the stellar bonus earning rates on the card_name, you can quickly maximize your rewards on everyday spending and bills. That said, reward caps limit its potential, especially when it comes to grocery spending. The 6% cash back on up to $6,000 in spending at U.S. supermarkets per year (then 1% back), only works out to $500 in monthly spending on food and household supplies. That’s not a big grocery budget to work with, as most families spend a lot more than that over a 12-month period.

How to add additional cardholders

See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. 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. You have a chance to get American Express cards with the first-year fee waived off on being referred for the card.

Best Credit Cards for Bad Credit 2024

Any monthly billing of Audible on your Amex Platinum after October 2 will no longer be credited. So if you do not want to continue an Audible subscription due to its removal, then make sure you cancel your subscription before October 2. If the qualifying purchase is subject to finance charges, the finance charges may accrue on the total amount of that purchase before any statement credit is applied. The balance in which the charges are assessed may include the total amount of your qualifying purchase from the date the transaction was made (i.e. without any savings from the Amex Offer being applied). You will be responsible for paying amounts due, as indicated in the terms of your agreement with your Card issuer. In order to get the statement credit or points, you must make the qualifying purchase using the same Card to which you added the offer.

If you don’t like paying high annual fees of $400 or more, the Hilton Honors Surpass card is one of the best $95 cards out there with a $95 annual fee (see rates and fees). The Delta SkyMiles Reserve card is another popular Amex card worth considering for your five-card Amex line-up. TPG staffers love it for its status boost feature, allowing them to earn Delta elite status without stepping on a plane.

If you make a purchase and return the merchandise, we reserve the right to reverse the statement credit or points. If the statement credit or points have been reversed and the offer has not expired, you can still take advantage of the offer if you make another qualifying purchase and meet the offer terms. After you add the offer to your eligible Card, simply spend on qualifying purchases to get rewarded.

You can make specific requests for a particular restaurant or make a general request for something like an upscale Italian restaurant with a view of the Hudson River in New York City. If rewards points are all about saving money, concierge services are all about saving time. To use your American Express Platinum Concierge benefit, all you have to do is make a request and wait for final details by email or phone. Calling the concierge does not guarantee access to a sold-out event or fully booked hotel. There may be times when the concierge won’t be able to help you.

With Amex Offers, tap into value again and again

When you make a qualifying purchase in a foreign currency, the applicable statement credit will be credited in your local currency using the exchange rate at the date the statement credit is applied. If you have any questions or concerns about your eligible Card account including, without limitation, foreign currency conversion, please call the number on the back of your eligible Card for assistance. You must add the offer to your Card first and then make your qualifying purchase using the same Card to receive the statement credit or points. For additional options, check out our full list of the best cards for travel rewards and lounge access. According to TPG’s latest monthly valuations, Amex Membership Rewards points are worth 2 cents each, making this bonus worth $1,600. Once you’ve reached the bonus maximums, the regular rewards rate of 1% cash back that applies is pretty disappointing.

See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best American Express credit cards. You must enroll for the entertainment credit benefit before signing up for https://1investing.in/ a subscription or making a purchase. Register by logging into your Amex Platinum card account online. Click the Rewards & Benefits box, then select the Benefits tab.

Beyond creative card designs, Amex cards offer a wide range of benefits for a variety of consumers, whether you’re looking to earn rewards, get out of debt, travel or streamline business expenses. The new application experience is currently available for individuals applying for a U.S. Personal Card via Select, at AmericanExpress.com/us/credit-cards, or by calling American Express and is not available if you apply for a Card after you log into an existing Card Member Account.

Whether you’re out and about or making purchases in-app or online with your American Express® Card, using digital payment solutions can help you checkout with ease. If you currently pay for a subscription or find value in enrolling in a new subscription with any of the eligible providers, it can be worth it. If you utilize the $20 credit, you’re paying about $2 per month for all of those services. When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card® from American Express.

With more than 50 million redeemed miles under her belt, Becky Pokora is a rewards travel expert. She’s been writing about credit cards and reward travel since 2011 with articles on Forbes Advisor, BoardingArea, The Points Guy and more. Her redemptions have helped her travel to more than 50 countries and all seven continents. Beyond the above perks, primary and additional cardholders share several Amex Platinum benefits. In other words, these perks are granted once per account — but purchases by any card on the account will trigger them.

In addition to rewards, cardholders can benefit from up to $200 in annual airline fee credits to cover incidentals, such as baggage fees, seat upgrades and in-flight purchases. If you fly often, there’s another money-saving perk that can allow you to speed through security — an application fee credit for Global Entry ($100) every 4 years or TSA PreCheck (up amex playing cards to $85) every 4.5 years. And if you want even more flexibility to choose between expedited security programs, the card also comes with a $189 annual credit to enroll in CLEAR® Plus. Within the personal card family, the two co-branded options offer additional flexibility and the potential to lower your out-of-pocket cost through extra statement credits.