What are the American Express Platinum military perks?

There is one special American Express Platinum card military perk; the $695 annual fee is waived. That benefit applies to spouses, too. There’s one catch, though. You need to have “active duty” status, so veterans can’t get this benefit.

Here’s who qualifies for the American Express Platinum card military benefit:

• Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard members on active duty
• Reserve, National Guard and Air National Guard members called to active duty
• National Guard members on duty for 30+ days for a national emergency
• Public Health Service (PHS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Commissioned Officers
• U.S. citizens actively serving with U.S. allies
• Spouses of all of the above

If you qualify for this perk, you should definitely take advantage of it, as you’ll save yourself a lot of money every year. But you need to request it in order to get it, since American Express doesn’t automatically know your military status.

Here’s how to request your American Express Platinum card military benefit:

• Online: Log in into your American Express account. Submit any required documents, like proof of orders for active duty, at the document center. American Express says this is the fastest method.
• Phone: Call the number on the back of your card. Once you get to an American Express representative, tell them you’d like to request your active duty benefit. They’ll ask you for the necessary info.
• Fax: Send your active duty documents, along with your account number, to (623) 444-3000.
• Mail: Send a copy of your active duty documents, along with your account number, to:

  American Express

  Attn: Servicemembers Civil Relief Act

  PO Box 981535

  El Paso, TX 79998-1535

Once you send in your request, it’s possible that American Express will ask for more documents. Otherwise, you’ll get an official response, approving or denying your request, within 60 days of Amex receiving it. Thank you for your service!

Clarification - it seems that the fee waiver no longer applies to officers of the PHS and NOAA. If you request the card while in active duty status, SCRA does not apply and the MLA data base does not include PHS or NOAA officers. Sad, but apparently true.

You do get your annual fee waived, but I think that's about it. There are other issuers that roll out better stuff (like NFCU and USAA), so I'd argue see the Platinum as a good card on its own, not through the military perspective.