American Express Credit Card Reviews

The American Express Platinum travel phone number is 1 (800) 297-2977. This is the American Express Travel customer support number for all American Express cards. Live customer service representatives are available to book travel arrangements and answer travel-related questions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you are calling from outside the U.S., the American Express Platinum travel phone number is 1 (312) 980-7807.

When you call American Express Travel, you will be able to book entire travel packages or just flights, hotel rooms, cruises and rental cars. You can also redeem rewards for travel directly rather than transfer them to airline or hotel partners, and there are special deals with Delta Airlines for Amex cardholders who qualify. Plus, if needed, you'll be able to cancel or reschedule any travel arrangements previously booked through the travel center.

American Express Platinum also offers a concierge service that can help with your travel arrangements. This service can assist you with booking tickets to live events, dinner reservations, event planning and more, too. To access this benefit, call 1 (800) 525-3355.

Amex Platinum is worth it if you travel frequently, spend a lot, and can take advantage of the card's many benefits. Amex Platinum benefits include Uber and airline fee credits, lounge access and more. But the Platinum Card from American Express is not worth it if you rarely travel and won't spend enough ($5,000 in the first 6 months) to qualify for the card's initial bonus: 75,000 points. That bonus, along with the card's annual travel credits, goes a long way toward affording Amex Platinum's $550 annual fee.

But before you decide, let's do a little bit of math to see whether Amex Platinum is worth the expense, starting the first year:

• Amex Platinum annual fee = $550
• Amex Platinum initial bonus = $600 (points value)
• Minimum rewards earned, 1 point per $1 spent, to qualify for bonus = $50 (points value)
• Annual Uber credit = $200
• Annual airline fee credit = $200
• Saks Fifth Avenue Credit = $100
• Lounge access = $100
• TSA pre-screening application waiver = $100

So for your first year alone, you could wind up with $800 in net value ($1,350 in rewards and other perks, minus the $550 annual fee). And that doesn't even factor in the card's normal, purchase-based rewards, which would add at least another $50 in value.

Normal spending could add even more, too, if your purchases qualify for Amex Platinum's ongoing bonus rewards rates: 5 points per $1 spent on airfare and prepaid hotel stays booked through American Express. Similarly, there are other benefits that you could take advantage of, including Gold status in the Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors loyalty programs and complimentary amenities worth with an average of $550 per stay at participating Fine Hotels and Resorts.

Now let's look at the card's second year. You're still paying the $550 annual fee, but you no longer have an initial bonus to help make up for it. Also gone in year two is the value of the pre-screening application waiver, if you use it year one. As a result, if you spend the same amount as the first year, the total value of your benefits would be about $650, which isn't much more than the annual fee. So you'd be putting in and getting out about the same amount of value. To really make money with this card after the first year, you'd have to spend a lot more.

So Amex Platinum is a good card for big spenders who travel all the time and can wring every drop of value out of its benefits. But it's too expensive for light spenders and occasional travelers.

Amex Platinum's requirements for approval state that an applicant must be at least 18 years old with a physical U.S. address and a Social Security Number, Tax Identification Number or passport. Other requirements include a credit score of 700 or higher (good/excellent credit) and proof of a steady income. American Express doesn't publicly disclose a specific annual income requirement.

Another Amex Platinum requirement is that you must give American Express permission to pull a copy of your credit report. You will also need to complete an application. It's important that any information you enter on the application is complete and accurate. Knowingly submitting false information on a credit card application is a federal crime.

To dispute a charge on an American Express credit card, log in to the Amex account and locate the purchase in question on the “Statements & Activity” page. Then, select “Dispute/Inquire about this Charge” and follow the steps to open a billing dispute.

Before you file a dispute, try calling the merchant to resolve the issue directly. During the filing process, American Express will ask you to do this first, since merchants can often fix the problem on their end. That said, if the merchant can't or won't resolve the issue to your satisfaction, continue filing the dispute through American Express.

Most Amex disputes are resolved within a month, though some complex cases might take more time. If Amex decides the claim is legitimate, they will refund your transaction by issuing an immediate chargeback. If not, they might reach out to the merchant for more information. The disputed amount will not be part of your required payment unless the case is dismissed and you are informed that the charge is valid and must be paid.

Keep in mind that you cannot dispute a pending charge. If you'd like, American Express can monitor the charge for you, so you can file a dispute when the charge becomes a posted transaction. Just find the pending charges section under “Statements & Activity” and click “Alert Me When Posted” for the transaction you'd like to dispute. Follow the ensuing steps and then wait. You'll receive an email notification when the charge is no longer pending, and you can then file a dispute.

The American Express Gold Card limit is determined on a month-to-month basis, depending on the cardholder's previous spending habits, income, credit standing, payment history and other factors. That is because Amex Gold has a feature called no preset spending limit, or “NPSL,” and it results in the monthly spending cap not being disclosed to the cardholder.

While no pre-set spending limit can offer you some flexibility, it can be difficult in emergency situations. You can know roughly what you're able to spend based on past months, but you never know exactly when a future purchase will be declined. There are reports of cardholders getting messages from Amex telling them that they are approaching the amount they can spend, though.

If you'd rather get a card with a set credit limit, some good rewards card options from Amex include the Cash Magnet, Blue Cash Preferred and Blue Cash Everyday cards.