The
American Express Platinum Card® is a very good card for high-spending frequent travelers with good credit or better. The
Platinum Card® has a pricey annual fee, at
$895, but it is
worth the cost for people who take advantage of its assorted benefits and rewards.
What I Like About the American Express Platinum Card®
Find Out Your Offer - As High As 175,000 Points
You may be eligible to earn as high as
175,000 points for spending at least
$8,000 on eligible purchases within
6 months of opening an account. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Here’s how it works:
- Apply and find out if you’re approved, along with your exact welcome offer amount;
- Accept the card with your offer;
- Spend at least $8,000 within 6 months;
- Receive your points.
Airport lounge access and annual travel credits
The
Platinum Card® provides complimentary access to over 1,550 airport lounges worldwide to eligible card members, including the Amex Centurion Lounge network (terms and limitations apply, depending on the lounge). Other top-tier travel rewards cards may give you access to a similar number of lounges, but they won’t have the most exclusive locations.
Plus, cardholders can select one qualifying airline and get up to $200 per year in statement credits for baggage fees and other airline incidentals charged by that airline to their card. That’s in addition to as much as $200 in annual Uber Cash (when you add your card in your account and use it to pay for the transaction) and up to $600 in statement credits each year ($300 in statement credits semi-annually) for prepaid bookings made through American Express Travel at Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection properties.
Note that The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay. Also, remember that such perks are only good if you use them. If you don’t travel much, it will be difficult to actually get value from these benefits.
Solid travel rewards, with some limitations
The
Platinum Card® gives you 5 points per $1 spent on airfare, up to $500,000 spent per calendar year, as long as you book directly with the airline or with American Express Travel®. You’ll also get 5 points per $1 spent on prepaid hotel reservations booked with American Express Travel. That is great compared to the
1.2 points you’d earn with the average rewards card.
Automatic hotel status
As an
American Express Platinum Card® user, you will be able to enroll in Hilton's and Marriott’s loyalty rewards programs as a Gold member without meeting any of the standard spending requirements. This gives you access to perks such as complimentary room upgrades and enables you to earn free nights faster.
For more information about these loyalty programs, check out WalletHub’s
Hilton and
Marriott rewards program reviews.
Good customer service
The
Platinum Card® has a reputation for good customer service. You can get help 24/7 with pretty much anything. The
Platinum Card® phone number is
1-800-525-3355 for the card’s concierge or
1-800-528-4800 for general customer service.
What I Don’t Like About the American Express Platinum Card®
$895 annual fee
The
American Express Platinum Card®'s annual fee is
$895. That is a very high fixed cost for cardholders, especially when compared to the average credit card annual fee (
$27.85). Nevertheless, frequent travelers can definitely still get their money’s worth from the card’s rewards and other perks.
Good credit or better recommended for approval
The
American Express Platinum Card® is available to people with
good credit or better. So make sure to
check your credit score for free on WalletHub before applying.
You have to pay in full most of the time
The
American Express Platinum Card® is not a traditional credit card, which means you generally need to pay your monthly bill in full if you want to continue making purchases.
Certain eligible charges may qualify for the “Pay Over Time” feature (up to the Pay Over Time Limit), which allows you to carry an interest-accruing balance. But all charges not added to a Pay Over Time balance must be paid in full each month by the payment due date. As a result, you may need to find another card for big-ticket purchases.
Uncertain spending limit
The
American Express Platinum Card® has
no preset credit limit. That means the amount you can spend may change from month to month based on your usage of the card, credit history, income and more. That does not mean unlimited spending, though.
If you’re not convinced the
American Express Platinum Card® is the right card for you, check out WalletHub’s picks for the
best overall travel rewards credit cards on the market right now.
There are both premium and more affordable options to choose from.Note: This review is not provided, commissioned or endorsed by any issuer. Opinions and ratings are our own.
