The Platinum Card® from American Express review
This card comes with all the perks you have come to expect from a luxury credit card. Enjoy exclusive perks like airport lounge access, special hotel benefits, concierge services, statement credit opportunities, and more.
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Key Features
descriptionEditor Analysis:
- Card membership gains you access to the Global Lounge Collection so that you can wait for your flight in comfort with complimentary access to over 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting.
- This card provides up to $200 a year in statement credits to cover incidental airline charges, like baggage fees and in-flight refreshments, charged on the card with a pre-selected airline.
- There are a number of additional credits which can be earned with this card which help to ease the cost of its annual fee.
- If you anticipate needing to carry a balance, you might want to consider something different. Unlike typical credit cards, this card allows you to carry a balance for certain charges, but not all.
Let’s get this out of the way right up front: CardName isn’t for everyone. It carries a sizable annual fee of AnnualFees and requires a level of fiscal responsibility many consumers find too daunting to take on. But for those with excellent credit and strong fiscal discipline, the card_name offers unique perks and benefits that make membership well worth it, and that led us to name this card a 2024 editor’s choice pick for the Best Luxury Credit Cards and it routinely makes our Best Credit Cards for Airport Lounge Access as well. (American Express is a CardRatings advertiser; See Rates and Fees.)
card_name benefits
CardName has no interest rate since cardholders are expected to pay their balances in full at the end of each billing period. Unlike typical credit cards, this card allows you to carry a balance for certain charges, but not all. It should also be noted that the card does not come with a spending limit unless the cardholder specifically requests one. Obviously, these factors combined mean this card requires excellent fiscal discipline. Since the card must be paid off each month, however, it could also help you avoid crippling debt or the accumulation of hundreds or even thousands of dollars in interest payments.
The annual fee is high enough to give some consumers pause when considering the American Express Platinum Card®, but a quick look at some of the card’s benefits shows that membership easily pays for itself if you utilize the full gamut of perks and features. Some of the top features include:
- A welcome bonus of 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership.
- An ongoing rewards rate of 5X Membership Rewards Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year; 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com; and 1X point per $1 on other eligible purchases.
- Access to 24/7 Platinum Club Concierge service to help with travel arrangements, obtain tickets to events or even picking out the perfect gift for that special someone.
This card also offers a plethora of additional value – more than $1,400-worth in a year. Many of these came about as part of a refresh of the card, making it even more valuable for everyday cardholders. Some of these benefits include:
A hotel credit. Cardholders can earn up to $200 back in statement credit each year when using the card for prepaid bookings with American Express Travel at Fine Hotels + Resorts or the Hotel Collection properties. (Requires a two-night minimum stay.)
An incidental airline credit. Cardholders can also enjoy up to $200 each year to cover incidental airline charges with a pre-selected airline.
CLEAR® Plus membership statement credit. Looking to expedite your way through airport security? This card comes with up to a $199 statement credit to help cover your Clear membership costs.
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee reimbursement. More great ways to expidite your way through airport security or through U.S. customs, this card also offers a statement credit of $120 for your Global Entry application fee or $85 for your TSA PreCheck application fee (for a 5-year plan only, through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider). Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost. Learn more about Global Entry vs. TSA PreCheck.
A digital entertainment credit. Enjoy up to $240 per year ($20 per month) when you use your Platinum Card® to pay for eligible purchases at one or more of the following: Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The New York Times.
An Equinox credit. Equinox fitness fans rejoice! This card comes with up to $300 in statement credits each year for eligible Equinox memberships paid with your card.
A Walmart+ credit – Save on eligible delivery fees, shipping, and more with a Walmart+ membership. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes back on one membership (excluding Plus Ups) each month.
Terms apply; enrollment required for some benefits.
card_name requirements
CardName requires good to excellent credit to get approval, but other factors are certainly considered in the application process including payment history of revolving credit, your total open cards, and the average age of accounts open. Also, because this isn’t like typical cards where you can carry a balance each month, there are no strict income requirements to qualify for the card. However, as it is a luxury card with a high annual fee, income may play a role in American Express’ decision to approve you for the card in conjunction with other factors.
card_name travel benefits
If you are a road warrior or just a serious wanderluster, CardName has you covered. In addition to the airline fee credit, hotel credit, and Clear and Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credits covered above, some additional travel benefits include:
- Up to $200 in annual Uber savings- with $15 in Uber Cash for US rides each month, plus a bonus $20 in December. Terms Apply.
- Access to the Global Lounge Collection, including more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting.
- Car rental loss and damage insurance.
- Baggage insurance plans.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Platinum travel service providing custom itineraries and tailored recommendations to help you make the most of your travels.
- See Rates and Fees; Enrollment required for some benefits.
Hotel benefits
We mentioned the $200 hotel credit above, but this card cards with so much more than that. For those looking for truly luxurious hotel experiences, it is difficult to beat the benefits offered by CardName. The card comes with complimentary Marriott Bonvoy™ Gold Elite status and Hilton Honors Gold status which provides a variety of benefits from late checkouts, enhanced room upgrades, and complimentary in-room Wi-Fi. Earning hotel elite status the old fashioned way can be quite difficult with the number of nights required by programs, so having this perk automatically included is a huge benefit for travelers who would otherwise have difficulty getting there.
It’s not just enhanced status that comes with the card though as you also get access to the Fine Hotel + Resorts program which includes an exclusive suite of benefits. Benefit examples include daily breakfast for two, room upgrades at check-in when available, as well as a unique amenity or service (valued at $100) such as a spa or food and beverage credit.
Still not sold? Well, to add to the already incredible hotel perks offered by the card, it also includes access to The Hotel Collection with American Express. This collection of hotels allows members to pay for rooms with points, or earn 5X Membership Rewards points when making a prepaid booking with their card. With a minimum of two night stay booked, guests receive a $100 hotel credit to spend on qualifying dining, spa, and resort activities as well as a room upgrade at check-in when available. With all of these benefits combined, CardName is in a league of its own when it comes to hotel perks. Enrollment required for select benefits.
CardRatings Tip
There’s a lot that you can do with American Express Membership Rewards points. Some popular options include redeeming them for travel, cashing in on statement credit, donating them to charity, and more! See our Guide to American Express Membership Rewards for additional ideas on how to make the most of your points.
Airport lounge access
With complimentary access to the Global Lounge Collection, including access to Priority Pass™ Select (enrollment required) and exclusive access to proprietary lounge locations around the world, CardName has some of the best lounge perks in any credit card available. Some other cards on the market also provide Priority Pass™ Select membership, which in itself is a huge perk with over 1,300 lounges available worldwide and the ability to bring guests with you to enjoy complimentary food, drinks and Wi-Fi access; however, the Platinum Card® sets itself apart from the rest with its access to the Global Lounge Collection as well as exclusive American Express Centurion Lounges, offering travelers more lounge options than any other card on the market.
Foreign transaction fees
CardName has no foreign transaction fees, giving you peace of mind to use the card while you travel internationally. This benefit may seem like a minor one, but it really adds up compared to cards that do have foreign transaction fees. For example, cards without this perk generally charge around 3% on any foreign transactions made. For your dream vacation to the Swiss alps, if you spend $10,000 on international purchases you could be shelling out around $300 on foreign transaction fees with a card that charges this fee, or you could save that money when using CardName; See Rates and Fees.
Is card_name annual fee worth it?
CardName annual fee is worth it, that is, if you can take advantage of the luxury travel perks and fee credits the card offers. If you are just an occasional traveler, or someone who is looking for a more basic rewards credit card, the AnnualFees annual fee would likely be difficult to justify. However, if you are able to take advantage of the full annual airline fee travel credit (up to $200), the Uber Cash (up to $200), the credit for Global Entry (up to $120), and the hotel credit (up to $200) you are already at $700 worth of perks without even taking into account any of the other benefits of the card. As mentioned earlier, new cardholders could enjoy more than $1,000-worth of value annually. For serious business or leisure travelers, the perks of the card more than make up for cost. Terms Apply. Enrollment required for select benefits.
How do cardholders rate card_name?
CardRatings commissioned Slice MR in November 2024 to survey 1,666 cardholders nationwide. Responses were given on a scale of 1-10 and respondents’ ratings were then averaged under broad topics. Here are the results for CardName:
| Cost Effectiveness | 8.20 |
| Rewards Satisfaction | 8.48 |
| Customer Service | 8.88 |
| Website/App Usability | 8.83 |
| Likehood of Continuing to Use | 8.57 |
| Recommend to a Friend/Colleague | 8.22 |
| Overall Rating | 8.47 |
Survey results by question
Respondents rated their personal experience with the card_name, answering questions on a scale from 1-10. The results for each question can be found below:
How card_name compares to other cards
card_name vs. CardName
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For serious travelers that are looking for some of the best possible perks, the CardName card is a great alternative to consider.
With the CardName you get some serious travel benefits including a $300 annual travel reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year. Compared to the $200 airline incidental credit, $200 Uber Cash and $200 hotel credit on the Platinum Card® (terms apply), the CardName $300 credit is less in value but is reimbursed on any travel spend, which provides more flexibility. The CardName also provides up to $120 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck as well and a complimentary Lyft Pink membership, a $199 minimum value.
As far as ongoing rewards go, CardName earns bonus points at a rate of 3X points for restaurants and travel purchases after you’ve earned your annual reimbursement and 1X point for other eligible purchases. Plus, earn 5X total points on flights and 10X total points on hotels and car rentals when you book through Chase Travel℠ (after earning the annual travel credit). If you are eating out a lot and want to earn maximum points for those purchases, the CardName is a great option to consider as the American Express Platinum Card® only earns 1X point on restaurant purchases. Additionally, with the CardName, points are worth 50% more when redeemed for travel through Chase Travel. That means 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel.
card_name vs. CardName
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With a more budget-friendly annual fee, the CardName could be a good option for you if you’re looking for perks but can’t justify card_name annual fee.
As you might expect, the Gold version doesn’t have as generous a perks package as its Platinum cousin, but don’t move on just yet. New card members earn 60,000 points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership. This offer makes the bonus points just a bit easier to attain than with CardName.
CardName users don’t receive the access to airport lounges, concierge service or many of the other special perks that come with the Platinum Card®, but the overall points program matches up well and may even be better for you depending on your spending habits. CardName members earn 4X points per $1 spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year), then 1X points; 4X points per $1 spent at US supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year) then 1X points; 3X points per $1 spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com; 2X points per $1 spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com; and 1X point per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases.
See Rates and Fees for the CardName.
Is card_name a good card?
CardName is a good card for travel rewards, but is specifically geared towards those that don’t mind a high annual fee. If you are an occasional traveler and don’t plan to take advantage of the perks offered by the card, it may not be a good fit for you. For people doing lots of domestic or international travel and who can take full advantage of the monthly Uber credits, airfare and hotel fee credits, and who want exclusive lounge access, there are few cards that can compete with the overall value that CardName provides.
Frequently asked questions
Is it hard to get the American Express Platinum Card®?
Why would anyone want the Platinum Card® from American Express?
Our Methodology
Survey methodology: CardRatings commissioned Slice MR in November 2024 to survey 1,666 cardholders nationwide. CardRatings’ website analytics from Jan. 1, 2024-Oct. 31, 2024 were used to determine a selection of the most popular cards. Responses to 10 questions were given on a scale of 1-10. For nine of these questions, respondents’ scores were averaged under broad topics. The overall rating represents an average of respondents’ responses to their overall rating of each card.
Disclaimer:The information in this article is believed to be accurate as of the date it was written. Please keep in mind that credit card offers change frequently. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this article. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information. See the online credit card application for full terms and conditions on offers and rewards. Please verify all terms and conditions of any credit card prior to applying.
This content is not provided by any company mentioned in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed here are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any such company. CardRatings.com does not review every company or every offer available on the market.
To see the rates and fees for the American Express cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: CardName: See Rates and Fees; CardName: See Rates and Fees
