amex
THE PLATINUM CARD FROM AMERICAN EXPRESS
amex

Amex

The Platinum Card from American Express

$895/year · 175,000 point signup bonus · luxury travel, lounge access, premium perks

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Quick Stats

Annual Fee

$895

Signup Bonus

175,000 pts

Spend Requirement

$12,000 in 6mo

Foreign Transaction Fee

None

Credit Score

excellent

Currency

MR

Earning Rates

flights5x
brand portal5x
dining1x
groceries1x
gas1x
other1x
Travel portal value

Worth 1¢ per point when booking through Amex's travel portal

1¢/pt

Transfer Partners

American Express Membership Rewards

Airlines

Delta SkyMiles

DL·SkyTeam

1:1

instant

Air France/KLM Flying Blue

AF·SkyTeam

1:1

instant

British Airways Avios

BA·oneworld

1:1

instant

Singapore KrisFlyer

SQ·Star Alliance

1:1

12-24 hours

ANA Mileage Club

NH·Star Alliance

1:1

2-3 days

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

VS·SkyTeam

1:1

instant

Emirates Skywards

EK

1:1

instant

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

CX·oneworld

1:1

instant

Qantas Frequent Flyer

QF·oneworld

1:1

instant

Avianca LifeMiles

AV·Star Alliance

1:1

instant

JetBlue TrueBlue

B6

1:0.25

instant

Aer Lingus AerClub

EI

1:1

instant

Etihad Guest

EY

1:1

instant

Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles

HA

1:1

instant

Air Canada Aeroplan

AC·Star Alliance

1:1

instant

Hotels

Hilton Honors

2 Hilton points per 1 MR

1:2

instant

Marriott Bonvoy

1:1

1-2 days

Choice Privileges

1:1

instant

Perks & Benefits

travel

Centurion Lounge Access

Access to Amex Centurion Lounges worldwide. Includes food, drinks, spa amenities, and shower suites at select locations.

~$500/yr

Priority Pass (Select, No Guests)

Access to 1,500+ Priority Pass lounges. Cardmember only — no guest access included.

~$329/yr

Global Entry / TSA PreCheck Credit

Up to $120 statement credit for Global Entry ($120) or TSA PreCheck ($85) application fee.

~$30/yr

Premium Car Rental Status

Complimentary status with Hertz, Avis, and National car rental companies. Skip the counter, get free upgrades.

~$100/yr

insurance

Trip Delay Insurance

Up to $500 for trip delays of 6+ hours. Covers meals, lodging, and essential purchases.

~$150/yr

Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance

Up to $10,000 per person for prepaid, non-refundable travel expenses when trips are cancelled or interrupted.

~$200/yr

Secondary Rental Car Insurance

Secondary auto rental collision damage waiver for rental cars. Kicks in after your personal auto insurance.

~$100/yr

lifestyle

Saks Fifth Avenue Credit

$100 Saks Fifth Avenue credit ($50 Jan-Jun, $50 Jul-Dec). Enroll your Platinum Card at Saks.

~$100/yr

financial

5x Points on Flights Booked Direct

Earn 5x Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel.

~$200/yr

status

Hilton Honors Gold Status

Complimentary Hilton Gold: 80% bonus points, room upgrades, free breakfast at select properties.

~$300/yr

Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status

Complimentary Marriott Gold Elite: 25% bonus points, enhanced room upgrades, late checkout at 2pm.

~$200/yr

Statement Credits

Uber Cash

Uber, Uber Eats

$15/mo ($20 in December = $200/yr total). Use it or lose it each month.

$15

monthly

Uber One Membership Credit

Uber One · Enrollment required

Covers Uber One membership fee. Must enroll through Amex benefits.

$120

annual

Resy Dining Credit

Resy-booked restaurants

$100 per quarter. Must book through Resy.

$100

quarterly

Hotel Credit (FHR/THC)

Fine Hotels + Resorts, The Hotel Collection

Must book through Amex Travel. Minimum 2-night stay for THC.

$300

semi annual

Airline Fee Credit

Selected airline · Enrollment required

Must select one airline per year. Covers incidental fees only (baggage, seat upgrades).

$200

annual

Digital Entertainment Credit

Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Peacock, Paramount+, YouTube Premium, YouTube TV · Enrollment required

$25/mo ($300/yr). Must enroll each merchant. Covers select streaming and news subscriptions.

$25

monthly

Walmart+ Membership Credit

Walmart+ · Enrollment required

Covers Walmart+ membership fee (up to $12.95/mo + tax). Must enroll through Amex benefits.

$12.95

monthly

Saks Fifth Avenue Credit

Saks Fifth Avenue · Enrollment required

$50 semi-annually ($100/yr). Enroll at saksfifthavenue.com/platinum. Expiring after June 30, 2026.

$50

semi annual

Oura Ring Credit

Oura · Enrollment required

Must enroll. Covers Oura Ring membership.

$200

annual

Lululemon Credit

lululemon

$75 per quarter. Automatically applied to lululemon purchases.

$75

quarterly

The Verdict

4/5
ByEllis Church·Apr 12, 2026

The ultimate premium card — but only if you'll actually use the avalanche of credits.

The Platinum is the gold standard for frequent travelers who fly 10+ times a year and stay at hotels regularly. The Centurion Lounges alone are worth the card if you connect through hubs like DFW, JFK, or SFO. But be honest with yourself: if you won't use the Resy credits, don't care about Oura, and rarely fly — the Venture X gives you 80% of the experience for less than half the fee.

Pros

  • Centurion Lounges are genuinely excellent — better food, drinks, and atmosphere than Priority Pass
  • 5x on flights booked directly is the highest airline earning rate from any general-purpose card
  • Over $2,500 in annual credits (hotel, dining, airline, Uber, entertainment, Lululemon, Walmart+) can dwarf the fee
  • Hilton Gold + Marriott Gold status provides free breakfast and room upgrades at two hotel chains
  • Transfer partners include ANA, Singapore, Virgin Atlantic — some of the best sweet spots in award travel

Cons

  • $895 annual fee is the highest of any personal card — you need to actively manage credits to justify it
  • 1x on everything outside flights makes it a terrible everyday spending card
  • Many credits are use-it-or-lose-it with specific merchants (Resy, Oura, Lululemon) — value is only real if you'd spend there anyway
  • Amex acceptance is still weaker than Visa/Mastercard, especially internationally and at small businesses
  • Once-per-lifetime signup bonus rule means you get one shot at the welcome offer

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