American Express Platinum Card review: Full detail...

The Platinum Card® from American Express is among the prime premium journey rewards playing cards available on the market. As a cardmember, you will earn helpful Membership Rewards factors, obtain helpful annual assertion credit (so long as you’ll be able to reap the benefits of them, which we’ll talk about later) and achieve entry to an intensive community of airport lounges worldwide. Card score*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

*Card rating relies on the opinion of TPG’s editors and isn’t influenced by the cardboard issuer.

These days, each financial institution, airline and resort appears to supply a premium journey rewards card. However for a very long time, the Amex Platinum was the one premium rewards card available on the market. With its smooth metal design and hefty weight, there was a little bit of status connected to being an Amex Platinum Card member.

Nonetheless, now there are a number of steel playing cards which have some weight to them. Once you examine them, the Amex Platinum shines in methods the others do not. Then once more, it falls flat in some areas, too.

This 12 months has been the 12 months of card refreshes, as we simply noticed the premium Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) overhaul its product in June.

Following Chase’s footsteps, Amex just refreshed its most premium card, the Amex Platinum. This refresh primarily ushers in important extra worth with new advantages. Cardmembers can even get pleasure from a limited-edition mirror card design.

However, like with most card refreshes, there was an inevitable annual charge improve. The charge elevated by 29% to $895 per 12 months (see rates and fees). Present cardmembers will see this annual charge improve take impact Jan. 2, 2026.

With this even larger annual charge and new perks, we should ask the query: Is the Amex Platinum nonetheless worth it?

TPG recommends a great to wonderful credit score earlier than making use of for this card. Let’s study the small print and advantages to see whether or not having the Amex Platinum in your pockets is smart.

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New Amex Platinum Card members can discover out their provide and could also be eligible to earn as excessive as 175,000 bonus factors after spending $8,000 within the first six months of card membership. Welcome provides range, and also you is probably not eligible for a suggestion.

That is now the standard welcome offer.

Primarily based on TPG’s September 2025 valuations, American Specific Membership Rewards factors are value 2 cents every. That makes this bonus value as much as $3,500, which is greater than thrice the cardboard’s $895 annual charge.

It is vital to notice that you could be not be eligible for the welcome provide on this card if in case you have beforehand had or held this card or one other variant as a consequence of Amex’s once-per-lifetime rule and household restrictions.

Associated: The ultimate guide to credit application restrictions

What really units the Amex Platinum aside is its many helpful perks and journey advantages. Current cardmembers can have entry to new advantages from Sept. 18 on.

Let’s check out all the advantages and what it’s worthwhile to know.

Lounge entry

The Amex Platinum nonetheless provides the very best airport lounge entry available on the market. Eligible cardmembers have entry to the American Express Global Lounge Collection.

This grants you entry to the next lounges (enrollment could also be required):

• Centurion Lounges
• Aspire lounges
• Escape lounges
• Plaza Premium lounges
• Delta Sky Clubs (when touring on same-day Delta flights; eligible Platinum Card members will obtain 10 visits per eligible Platinum Card, per 12 months to the Delta Sky Membership or to Seize and Go places when touring on a same-day Delta-operated flight, until they spend $75,000 or extra on their card to unlock limitless visits)

Cardmembers additionally obtain a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required) for entry into over 1,700 lounges worldwide (eating places excluded). You possibly can convey two company with you totally free.

Visitor entry insurance policies range for different lounges. Cardmembers can unlock complimentary visitor entry for Centurion Lounges after spending $75,000 or extra on their card in a calendar 12 months.

Assertion credit

The Amex Platinum incorporates a coupon book-esque checklist of assertion credit. If absolutely used, cardmembers obtain over $3,500 in annual worth from the assertion credit alone.

Journey and eating credit

• Lodge credit score: Obtain as much as a $600 annual hotel credit per calendar 12 months within the type of an announcement credit score (allotted as as much as $300 semiannually) on pay as you go American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings made by means of American Express Travel® while you pay together with your Amex Platinum (Lodge Assortment stays require a two-night minimal).*
• Resy: Obtain as much as a $400 annual Resy credit score (distributed as as much as $100 per quarter). Merely pay together with your Amex Platinum at an eligible U.S. Resy restaurant; no reservation is required. You could use this credit score with out even realizing it. Nonetheless, word that this isn’t the best card to make use of for eating purchases since you will not earn greater than 1 level per greenback spent.*^
• Clear Plus: Obtain as much as $209 in assertion credit per calendar 12 months to cowl your Clear Plus annual membership (topic to auto-renewal).*^
• Airline incidental credit score: Obtain as much as $200 in statement credits per calendar 12 months for incidental charges charged by one airline you choose.*
• Uber: Obtain as much as $200 in Uber Cash per calendar 12 months (cut up into month-to-month as much as $15 credit plus an as much as $20 bonus in December), legitimate on Uber rides and Uber Eats orders within the U.S.* Notice: Uber Money will solely be deposited into one Uber account while you add the Amex Platinum as a fee methodology and redeem with any Amex card.
• Uber One: Obtain as much as a $120 Uber One assertion credit score that absolutely covers an auto-renewing $96 annual or $9.99 month-to-month membership*^
• International Entry/TSA PreCheck: Obtain a $120 statement credit for Global Entry each 4 years or an as much as $85 charge credit score for TSA PreCheck each 4½ years (relying on which utility charge is charged to your card first).

Health and way of life credit

• Digital entertainment: Obtain as much as $300 per calendar 12 months in assertion credit for digital leisure (disbursed as as much as $25 month-to-month assertion credit). New eligible companions embrace Paramount+, YouTube Premium and YouTube TV*^. The addition of YouTube TV makes this perk extremely helpful; as extra folks ditch cable, YouTube TV continues to develop.
• Oura: Obtain as much as a $200 Oura assertion credit score per calendar 12 months (can solely be used on {hardware} purchases). Whereas this credit score is good to have, I hope it is expanded to greater than {hardware} purchases. Realistically, most individuals do not buy a brand new Oura ring yearly and would profit extra from a credit score overlaying the month-to-month subscription price.*^
• Equinox: Obtain as much as $300 in Equinox credit per calendar 12 months to make use of on Equinox health club and Equinox+ app memberships (topic to auto-renewal).*
• Soulcycle: Obtain as much as $300 in assertion credit per calendar 12 months towards the acquisition of a SoulCycle bike (as much as 15 bikes per calendar 12 months); have to be enrolled in an Equinox+ membership to be eligible for this profit.*

Purchasing credit

• Lululemon: Obtain as much as a $300 annual Lululemon assertion credit score per calendar 12 months at U.S. shops (excluding retailers) and on-line (allotted as as much as $75 per quarter). I completely love Lululemon. The model’s garments make up about half of my closet. I am contemplating making use of for this card due to this credit score.*^
• Walmart+: Obtain as much as a $155 Walmart+ assertion credit score per calendar 12 months (as much as $12.95 month-to-month, plus relevant taxes) that covers the price of a month-to-month membership when paying with the Amex Platinum (on one membership, topic to auto-renewal); Plus Up is excluded. Walmart+ features a complimentary Paramount+ subscription (separate enrollment required), so there isn’t any want to make use of the digital leisure credit score on Paramount+ in the event you use this credit score, until you wish to improve to an ad-free plan.*
• Saks Fifth Avenue: Obtain as much as $100 per calendar 12 months in Saks Fifth Avenue credit, cut up into two as much as $50 assertion credit between January and June, then July by means of December.*

Many of those advantages are lifestyle-oriented. You could not get the utmost worth from all of them. Nonetheless, even in the event you used a 3rd of those credit, you could possibly recoup your annual charge.

If you need to use the brand new or enhanced credit, like these from Lululemon, Oura and Resy, you will recover from $1,000 in annual worth, which looks like an amazing return for a $200 annual charge improve.

Journey and way of life advantages

The Amex Platinum has a wide range of advantages that may improve your journey expertise, together with:

• Complimentary Gold standing with Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy*
• Complimentary car rental status: This perk contains complimentary Hertz Gold Plus Rewards President’s Circle, Avis Most well-liked Plus and Nationwide Emerald Membership Govt standing.*
• Complimentary Leaders Membership Sterling standing: Leaders Membership is the loyalty program for a group of impartial inns. It provides advantages like upgrades and the power to earn factors (one thing usually not related to impartial inns).*^
• Entry to Amex Wonderful Resorts + Resorts and The Lodge Assortment
• Entry to Platinum nights from Resy: Platinum nights by Resy might be accessible in Los Angeles, Miami and New York Metropolis.^

Journey and buy protections

The Amex Platinum additionally features a vary of journey and buy protections, together with:

• Journey delay insurance coverage: In case your trip is delayed by greater than six hours due to a coated motive, you could be eligible to be reimbursed as much as $500 per coated journey for cheap extra bills.**
• Journey cancellation/interruption insurance coverage: If it’s worthwhile to cancel or interrupt your journey due to a coated motive, you could be eligible for reimbursement of as much as $10,000 per coated journey.**
• Extended warranty protection: Extends eligible producers’ warranties of 5 years or much less by as much as one extra 12 months.***
• Purchase protection: Protects current purchases in opposition to theft, unintended harm or loss for as much as 90 days from the acquisition date.***

Phrases apply to the advantages listed.

*Enrollment is required for choose advantages.

**Eligibility and profit ranges range by card. Phrases, situations and limitations apply. Go to americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for particulars. Insurance policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance coverage Firm, an AIG Firm.

***Eligibility and profit ranges range by card. Phrases, situations and limitations apply. Go to americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for particulars. Insurance policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Firm.

^Denotes a brand new or enhanced profit.

Even in the event you can solely use a handful of those perks, it is easy to cowl most (or all) of the Amex Platinum’s annual charge.

Here is how TPG senior editorial director Nick Ewen describes it:

“I do not usually make the most of some advantages of the Amex Platinum, and others (like Walmart+) I exploit simply because they’re there. Nonetheless, I all the time max out the digital leisure credit score (now $300). I additionally simply use all $200 in Uber credit and all $200 in airline assertion credit yearly. Plus, we journey to massive cities sufficient that we are able to positively make the most of the brand new Resy credit ($100 every quarter). In different phrases, simply 4 of those perks will put $1,100 again in my pocket yearly. Consequently, I consider it as successfully getting paid $205 to then achieve entry to the entire different advantages on the cardboard — and that makes it a no brainer to maintain in my pockets.”

Your actual state of affairs might range, however crunch the numbers to see how a lot real-life worth you will get from the cardboard, particularly with all of its new credit.

Associated: How to maximize benefits with the Amex Platinum Card

With the Amex Platinum, you will earn:

• 5 factors per greenback spent on airfare bought immediately with the airways or by means of American Specific Journey® (on as much as $500,000 of airfare purchases per calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback spent) (10% return primarily based on TPG’s valuations)
• 5 factors per greenback spent on pay as you go inns booked with Amex Journey (10% return)
• 1 level per greenback spent on all different purchases (2% return)

These 5-point classes are a wonderful option to earn plenty of Membership Rewards factors.

All different purchases earn simply 1 level per greenback spent, so you could be higher suited placing common purchases on a flat-rate incomes card just like the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card or the Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees).

Amex Platinum Card members are eligible for focused Amex Provides that might enhance incomes charges at varied retailers, resembling Amazon.

Associated: The ultimate guide to saving money with Amex Offers

Membership Rewards factors are among the many most useful and versatile loyalty currencies ever created for redeeming factors. The easiest way to maximise your factors is to switch them to one in every of Amex’s loyalty program partners.

You too can use your Membership Rewards factors to guide journey immediately by means of American Specific Journey. But when the non-public Amex Platinum is the one Amex card in your stock, utilizing factors for airfare and resort redemptions this fashion will not get you superb worth.

You will get just one cent per level while you redeem factors immediately for airfare by means of Amex Journey and fewer than 1 cent per level when redeeming for resort rooms.

From our expertise, 9 out of 10 instances, you need to by no means redeem Membership Rewards factors for flights or inns by means of American Specific Journey, as you’re going to get a lot better worth utilizing transfer partners.

Nonetheless, suppose you even have The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. In that case, you will get one of many best direct point redemptions available.

Enterprise Platinum Card members obtain a 35% points bonus on flights booked by means of Amex Journey (as much as 1 million bonus factors per calendar 12 months) on their designated airline (the identical one you chose for the annual as much as $200 airline charge assertion credit score).

Associated: Best ways to use Amex Membership Rewards points, from business-class flights to Europe to budget-friendly hotel stays

Based on TPG’s valuations, every Membership Rewards level is value 2 cents, thanks largely to this system’s airline and hotel transfer partners. These embrace at the very least one useful possibility in every main airline alliance (SkyTeam, Star Alliance and Oneworld).

Notable Membership Rewards companions embrace Air Canada Aeroplan, Delta SkyMiles, ANA Mileage Club and Hilton Honors.

Transferring your factors to the best airline or resort program is often one of the simplest ways to maximise your Membership Rewards factors worth.

Here is how TPG contributing editor Matt Moffitt likes to switch and redeem his Membership Rewards factors:

“I look out for switch bonuses to maximise my factors to guide long-haul business-class flights. I usually switch to Iberia Membership for lie-flat seats to Madrid. Typically, I will switch to Qantas Frequent Flyer to safe hard-to-find business- or first-class flights again to Australia.”

Another compelling premium bank cards go head-to-head with the Amex Platinum :

• In order for you extra focused advantages: The Chase Sapphire Reserve comes with a barely decrease $795 annual charge. It provides a $300 travel credit, an annual $500 The Edit by Chase Travel℠ credit score (a minimal keep of two nights is required), a $300 eating assertion credit score and a few of the best travel protections available. Nonetheless, it may possibly’t beat the Amex Platinum in the case of lounge entry. To study extra, learn our full review of the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
• In order for you a a lot decrease annual charge: Capital One’s premium rewards card, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, packs a punch and comes with a more affordable $395 annual fee. The Enterprise X is doubtlessly extra profitable than the Amex Platinum in the case of incomes, accruing 10 miles per greenback spent on inns and automobile leases booked by way of Capital One’s travel booking site, 5 miles per greenback spent on flights and trip leases booked by way of Capital One’s journey reserving website and an infinite 2 miles per greenback spent on all the pieces else. To study extra, learn our full review of the Venture X.
• When you’d desire a mid-tier journey card: The American Express® Green Card is a good possibility for younger professionals and people searching for a extra inexpensive various to the Amex Platinum. Cardmembers earn 3 factors per greenback spent on eating places worldwide (together with takeout and supply within the U.S.), journey and transit and 1 level per greenback spent on all the pieces else. This card has a $150 annual charge.

The knowledge for the American Specific Inexperienced Card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.

For added choices, take a look at our picks for the best cards for travel rewards and lounge access.

Associated: The best premium credit cards: A side-by-side comparison

When you can absolutely reap the benefits of its annual assertion credit, together with the brand new ones, the Amex Platinum is among the most compelling rewards playing cards.

It is particularly compelling in the event you journey sufficient to make use of its resort statuses and lounge advantages or store sufficient to get substantial worth from its shopping protections.

The Amex Platinum’s new $895 annual charge is steep, however its varied advantages can recoup that price and extra.

Apply right here: The Platinum Card from American Express

For charges and costs of the Amex Platinum, click on here.