American Categorical Platinum Card evaluation: Full particulars

The Platinum Card from American Categorical overview

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

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

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These days, each financial institution, airline and lodge 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 glossy steel design and hefty weight, there was a little bit of status hooked up to being an Amex Platinum Card member.

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

This yr has been the yr of card refreshes, as we simply noticed the premium Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see charges and costs) overhaul its product in June.

Following Chase’s footsteps, Amex simply refreshed its most premium card, the Amex Platinum. This refresh primarily ushers in vital extra worth with new advantages. Cardmembers may take pleasure in a limited-edition mirror card design.

However, like with most card refreshes, there was an inevitable annual payment enhance. The payment elevated by 29% to $895 per yr (see charges and costs). Present cardmembers will see this annual payment enhance take impact Jan. 2, 2026.

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

TPG recommends a superb to glorious credit score rating earlier than making use of for this card. Let’s look at the main points and advantages to see whether or not having the Amex Platinum in your pockets is sensible.

Amex Platinum execs and cons

Amex Platinum welcome provide

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 differ, and also you might not be eligible for a proposal.

That is now the usual welcome provide.

Based mostly on TPG’s September 2025 valuations, American Categorical Membership Rewards factors are price 2 cents every. That makes this bonus price as much as $3,500, which is greater than 3 times the cardboard’s $895 annual payment.

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 resulting from Amex’s once-per-lifetime rule and household restrictions.

Associated: The final word information to credit score software restrictions

Amex Platinum advantages

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

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

Lounge entry

The Amex Platinum nonetheless provides the most effective airport lounge entry available on the market. Eligible cardmembers have entry to the American Categorical World Lounge Assortment.

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

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

Cardmembers additionally obtain a complimentary Precedence Cross Choose membership (enrollment required) for entry into over 1,700 lounges worldwide (eating places excluded). You may carry two company with you totally free.

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

Assertion credit

The Amex Platinum encompasses a coupon book-esque listing of assertion credit. If totally 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 lodge credit score per calendar yr within the type of an announcement credit score (allotted as as much as $300 semiannually) on pay as you go American Categorical Superb Lodges + Resorts or The Lodge Assortment bookings made by way of American Categorical Journey® whenever 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. Chances are you’ll use this credit score with out even realizing it. Nonetheless, notice 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 yr to cowl your Clear Plus annual membership (topic to auto-renewal).*^
• Airline incidental credit score: Obtain as much as $200 in assertion credit per calendar yr for incidental charges charged by one airline you choose.*
• Uber: Obtain as much as $200 in Uber Money per calendar yr (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 whenever you add the Amex Platinum as a cost methodology and redeem with any Amex card.
• Uber One: Obtain as much as a $120 Uber One assertion credit score that totally covers an auto-renewing $96 annual or $9.99 month-to-month membership*^
• World Entry/TSA PreCheck: Obtain a $120 assertion credit score for World Entry each 4 years or an as much as $85 payment credit score for TSA PreCheck each 4½ years (relying on which software payment is charged to your card first).

Health and way of life credit

• Digital leisure: Obtain as much as $300 per calendar yr 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 invaluable; as extra individuals ditch cable, YouTube TV continues to develop.
• Oura: Obtain as much as a $200 Oura assertion credit score per calendar yr (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 value.*^
• Equinox: Obtain as much as $300 in Equinox credit score per calendar yr 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 yr towards the acquisition of a SoulCycle bike (as much as 15 bikes per calendar yr); 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 yr at U.S. shops (excluding shops) 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 yr (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 is not any want to make use of the digital leisure credit score on Paramount+ when you use this credit score, except you wish to improve to an ad-free plan.*
• Saks Fifth Avenue: Obtain as much as $100 per calendar yr in Saks Fifth Avenue credit score, cut up into two as much as $50 assertion credit between January and June, then July by way of December.*

Many of those advantages are lifestyle-oriented. Chances are you’ll not get the utmost worth from all of them. Nonetheless, even when you used a 3rd of those credit, you can recoup your annual payment.

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 as if a terrific return for a $200 annual payment enhance.

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 automotive rental standing: This perk consists of complimentary Hertz Gold Plus Rewards President’s Circle, Avis Most well-liked Plus and Nationwide Emerald Membership Government standing.*
• Complimentary Leaders Membership Sterling standing: Leaders Membership is the loyalty program for a set of impartial accommodations. It provides advantages like upgrades and the power to earn factors (one thing usually not related to impartial accommodations).*^
• Entry to Amex Superb Lodges + Resorts and The Lodge Assortment
• Entry to Platinum nights from Resy: Platinum nights by Resy might be obtainable 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 journey is delayed by greater than six hours due to a lined motive, you could be eligible to be reimbursed as much as $500 per lined journey for affordable extra bills.**
• Journey cancellation/interruption insurance coverage: If it is advisable to cancel or interrupt your journey due to a lined motive, you could be eligible for reimbursement of as much as $10,000 per lined journey.**
• Prolonged guarantee safety: Extends eligible producers’ warranties of 5 years or much less by as much as one extra yr.***
• Buy safety: Protects latest purchases towards 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 differ by card. Phrases, circumstances 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 differ by card. Phrases, circumstances 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 when you can solely use a handful of those perks, it is simple to cowl most (or all) of the Amex Platinum’s annual payment.

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 take advantage of 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 huge 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. Because of this, I consider it as successfully getting paid $205 to then acquire entry to all the different advantages on the cardboard — and that makes it a no brainer to maintain in my pockets.”

Your precise state of affairs could differ, however crunch the numbers to see how a lot real-life worth you may get from the cardboard, particularly with all of its new credit.

Associated: Learn how to maximize advantages with the Amex Platinum Card

Incomes factors on the Amex Platinum

With the Amex Platinum, you will earn:

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

These 5-point classes are a superb option to earn a lot of Membership Rewards factors.

All different purchases earn simply 1 level per greenback spent, so you could be higher suited placing normal purchases on a flat-rate incomes card just like the Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card or the Citi Double Money® Card (see charges and costs).

Amex Platinum Card members are eligible for focused Amex Provides that might enhance incomes charges at numerous retailers, akin to Amazon.

Associated: The final word information to saving cash with Amex Provides

Redeeming factors on the Amex Platinum

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

You may also use your Membership Rewards factors to e-book journey immediately by way of American Categorical Journey. But when the private Amex Platinum is the one Amex card in your stock, utilizing factors for airfare and lodge redemptions this manner will not get you wonderful worth.

You may get only one cent per level whenever you redeem factors immediately for airfare by way of Amex Journey and fewer than 1 cent per level when redeeming for lodge rooms.

From our expertise, 9 out of 10 instances, you need to by no means redeem Membership Rewards factors for flights or accommodations by way of American Categorical Journey, as you’re going to get significantly better worth utilizing switch companions.

Nonetheless, suppose you even have The Enterprise Platinum Card® from American Categorical. In that case, you will get among the finest direct level redemptions obtainable.

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

Associated: Greatest methods to make use of Amex Membership Rewards factors, from business-class flights to Europe to budget-friendly lodge stays

Transferring factors on the Amex Platinum

In accordance with TPG’s valuations, every Membership Rewards level is price 2 cents, thanks largely to this system’s airline and lodge switch companions. These embrace at the 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 Membership and Hilton Honors.

Transferring your factors to the correct airline or lodge program is normally 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 e-book 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.”

Which playing cards compete with the Amex Platinum?

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 payment. It provides a $300 journey credit score, an annual $500 The Edit by Chase Journey℠ credit score (a minimal keep of two nights is required), a $300 eating assertion credit score and a number of the finest journey protections obtainable. Nonetheless, it could actually’t beat the Amex Platinum in terms of lounge entry. To study extra, learn our full evaluation of the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
• In order for you a a lot decrease annual payment: Capital One’s premium rewards card, the Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card, packs a punch and comes with a extra reasonably priced $395 annual payment. The Enterprise X is probably extra profitable than the Amex Platinum in terms of incomes, accruing 10 miles per greenback spent on accommodations and automotive leases booked through Capital One’s journey reserving web site, 5 miles per greenback spent on flights and trip leases booked through Capital One’s journey reserving web site and an infinite 2 miles per greenback spent on every little thing else. To study extra, learn our full evaluation of the Enterprise X.
• For those who’d desire a mid-tier journey card: The American Categorical® Inexperienced Card is a good possibility for younger professionals and people searching for a extra reasonably priced different 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 every little thing else. This card has a $150 annual payment.

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

For extra choices, try our picks for the most effective playing cards for journey rewards and lounge entry.

Associated: The very best premium bank cards: A side-by-side comparability

Backside line

For those who can totally make the most 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 when you journey sufficient to make use of its lodge statuses and lounge advantages or store sufficient to get substantial worth from its purchasing protections.

The Amex Platinum’s new $895 annual payment is steep, however its numerous advantages can recoup that value and extra.

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Apply right here: The Platinum Card from American Categorical

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