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When I first heard that the American Express Platinum Card(R) discontinued_disclaimer was raising its annual fee to annual_fees, I thought Amex was pushing it too far. Were people really going to pay this much for a credit card? And if so, why? I found the Amex Platinum annual fee increase especially troubling since this issuer is known for offering coupon-book-style benefits that can be extremely difficult to use.
But, after reviewing the refresh, it’s clear that the new benefits can easily outweigh the higher fee — if you actually use them. After all, the new version of the card still has the best airport lounge access perks of any travel credit card, and it also comes with new perks like up to $400 in Resy credits per year, Lululemon credits worth up to $300, up to $600 in hotel credits annually, up to $300 in digital entertainment credits, and more.
These new perks, combined with the enticing welcome offer, convinced me to sign up for the Amex Platinum credit card again after several years without it. Here’s a detailed overview of why I chose to reapply despite the Amex Platinum annual fee increase, and how I plan to maximize the card’s value to make it worthwhile.
The Amex Platinum welcome bonus – a strong start
Although I have held this card before, and American Express is known for its “once in a lifetime” credit card welcome offer policy, I was still approved for the Amex Platinum welcome bonus on this occasion. While some applicants received higher bonuses as high as 175,000 points, I was offered the opportunity to earn 80,000 American Express Membership Rewards points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases within six months of account opening.
Considering Amex points can be worth an average of 2 cents each when transferred to partners for premium travel redemptions, I value this bonus at $1,600.
Other benefits that make the Amex Platinum Card® worth the annual fee increase
The welcome bonus on the Amex Platinum was a significant factor in my decision, but it was the enhanced American Express Platinum Card® benefits that truly sealed the deal. The key advantages that convinced me include the card’s premium travel perks, valuable lifestyle benefits, and generous statement credit offers.
Travel perks: Lounge access, hotel status and more
I love the fact that this card comes with a Priority Pass Select membership and gives access to Amex Centurion airport lounges around the world. As a Delta Diamond member, I really appreciate the fact this card comes with 10 visits to Delta Sky Clubs when flying on a Delta marketed and operated flight on the same day.
Another travel benefit I can easily use is the $200 airline incidentals credit, which I plan to use for guest visits into Delta Sky Clubs. Additionally, the card comes with automatic Gold Elite status in both the Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy programs.
Cardholders also get a fee credit worth up to $85 for TSA PreCheck every 4.5 years or up to $120 for a Global Entry membership every four years. Since my entire family needs to update our Global Entry membership in January 2026, we will use this credit for one of our applications.
The card also comes with up to $600 in annual credits toward hotel bookings with Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection, which is given out twice per year in increments of $300. I have already used this credit to book two nights at the Omni Louisville Hotel for a weekend concert event this upcoming December. Not only did this booking get me a $300 statement credit for the second half of 2025, but I also scored free breakfast for two, a room upgrade based on availability, and a $100 statement credit at the property for booking through The Hotel Collection and Amex.
Lifestyle perks: Lululemon, Resy, and digital entertainment
Several other Amex Platinum perks enticed me to sign up, and may even help me justify keeping the card for the long haul. These include:
- $300 Lululemon credit: This credit is given out quarterly in $75 increments, and I will be able to use it easily since I’m the parent of two teenage girls. My kids wear Lululemon shorts and leggings all the time, and it’s one of their favorite brands.
- $400 Resy credit: This dining credit is given out quarterly in increments of $100, and it applies to select restaurants available through Resy.com. There are several restaurants we already love that belong to this program, so using this perk will be a breeze.
- $300 digital entertainment credit: This credit is given out monthly and applies to subscriptions for Disney+, a Disney+ bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Paramount+, Peacock, The Wall Street Journal, YouTube Premium, and YouTube TV.
Other perks that make this card well worth it aren’t necessarily new, but I’ll still take full advantage of them. For instance, I plan to use the up to $200 in Uber credits this card offers annually, as well as the $100 Saks Fifth Avenue credit each year.
Some other perks this card offers I won’t use include the CLEAR Plus credit, the $155 Walmart+ credit, and the $200 Oura Ring credit.
Shopping protections and extended warranties
The Amex Platinum also comes with several shopping protections I could potentially use. These include return protection worth up to $300 per item with a maximum benefit of $1,000 per calendar year, purchase protection worth up to $10,000 per item with a maximum benefit of $50,000 per year, extended warranties and cell phone protection.
How I plan to maximize the value of the Amex Platinum Card every year
While the welcome offer will help me cover most of the $895 Amex Platinum annual fee the first year, I believe I’ll be able to justify keeping this card for many years into the future. After all, I estimate I’ll get $2,100 in cardholder value every 12 months of card membership thanks to the $600 in annual hotel credits, $200 in Uber cash, $200 airline incidentals credit, $300 in Lululemon credit, $300 in digital entertainment credits, $400 in Resy credits and $100 Saks Fifth Avenue credit alone.
To maximize the benefits of Amex Platinum Card each year, I am already doing the following:
- Tracking quarterly and annual credits: I created a simple spreadsheet for all the credits I get through various rewards credit cards, and I added the Amex Platinum credits to it. This will help me remember to use the credits with Lululemon, Resy and Saks Fifth Avenue since they each require a purchase.
- Updating my payment info with Uber: I updated my payment info in my Uber account so all rides will be charged to my Amex Platinum from this point forward. This will help me get maximum value out of the $200 in Uber Cash this card offers every 12 months.
- Updating payment for digital entertainment: I changed payment methods with Peacock and Paramount+ in order to take advantage of the $25 in monthly digital entertainment credits on the Amex Platinum.
- Booking travel through Amex Travel: I’ll also check the Amex Travel portal before booking trips since this card earns 5X points on up to $500,000 in airfare and on hotels booked through the portal. Based on my travel habits, using the up to $600 in hotel credits available on eligible bookings through Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection should be easy.
Conclusion
While the annual_fees American Express Platinum Card(R) discontinued_disclaimer annual fee is massive, there are scenarios when paying it still makes sense. If you travel as often as I do and can utilize at least some of the statement credit offers the updated Amex Platinum provides, you could receive thousands of dollars in value without even considering the new cardmember welcome offer.
At the end of the day, it’s up to you to decide if the “juice is worth the squeeze” when it comes to credit card annual fees. You can do this by adding up the value of welcome offers you receive, statement credits you can take advantage of, and other perks. If the math says getting a credit card would be worth it, even cards with the highest annual fees can be a good deal.
See Rates and Fees for the American Express Platinum Card(R)
