The Platinum Card® from American Express Review

The Platinum Card® from American Express is the OG of premium journey playing cards. Since its launch within the Eighties, it’s at all times been identified for its exclusivity, suite of perks, and stellar customer support.

Whereas it does have the best payment within the sport ($695, See Charges and Charges), it provides a ton of bang on your buck. You’ll greater than come out on high in the event you make the most of all that this premium card has to supply. It unlocks essentially the most complete lounge entry of any card, contains elite lodge standing, has tons of journey perks, and provides hefty assertion credit.

I personally love this card, but it surely’s not for everybody. Right here’s my assessment that can assist you resolve if it’s best for you.

What does the cardboard provide?

This card unlocks a ton of lounge entry, elite standing advantages (enrollment required), journey perks, particular lodge reductions, and luxurious items and repair credit. Right here’s a look at simply a number of the advantages:

• Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Factors after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases in your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership
• Earn 5x Membership Rewards® factors on flights booked immediately with airways or with American Categorical Journey® (on the primary $500,000 spent per calendar 12 months)
• Earn 5x Membership Rewards® factors on pay as you go motels booked on American Categorical Journey
• Journey insurance coverage protection together with secondary automobile rental insurance coverage, journey interruption and cancellation, misplaced baggage reimbursement
• Entry to The American Categorical International Lounge Assortment (for eligible Card Members)
• As much as $200 in airline credit score (Legitimate on one qualifying airline that it’s essential to select upfront. Legitimate on incidentals solely, not airfare.)
• As much as $200 again in assertion credit annually on pay as you go Positive Resorts + Resorts® or The Lodge Assortment bookings by way of American Categorical Journey utilizing your Platinum Card®. (The Lodge Assortment requires a minimal two-night keep.)
• As much as $199 annual CLEAR® Plus assertion credit score (covers an annual membership) per calendar 12 months (topic to auto-renewal)
• Obtain both a $120 assertion credit score each 4 years for a International Entry utility payment or an announcement credit score as much as $85 each 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (by way of a TSA official enrollment supplier) utility payment, when charged to your Platinum Card®. (Card Members permitted for International Entry may also obtain entry to TSA PreCheck at no extra value.)

Utilizing Your Membership Rewards Factors

You’ll earn Membership Rewards factors with The Platinum Card® from American Express. These are a number of the most dear transferable factors on the market, because of their spectacular suite of journey companions:

• Aer Lingus AerClub (1:1 ratio)
• Aeromexico Rewards (1:1.6 ratio)
• Air Canada Aeroplan (1:1 ratio)
• Air France-KLM Flying Blue (1:1 ratio)
• ANA Mileage Membership (1:1 ratio)
• Avianca LifeMiles (1:1 ratio)
• British Airways Membership (1:1 ratio)
• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles (1:1 ratio)
• Selection Privileges (1:1 ratio)
• Delta SkyMiles (1:1 ratio)
• Emirates Skywards (1:1 ratio)
• Etihad Visitor (1:1 ratio)
• HawaiianMiles (1:1 ratio)
• Hilton Honors (1:2 ratio)
• Iberia Plus (1:1 ratio)
• JetBlue TrueBlue (250:200 ratio)
• Marriott Bonvoy (1:1 ratio)
• Qantas Frequent Flyer (1:1 ratio)
• Qatar Airways Privilege Membership (1:1 ratio)
• Singapore KrisFlyer (1:1 ratio)
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership (1:1 ratio)

You can even use your Membership Rewards factors to ebook flights and motels within the Amex Journey portal. (This isn’t the most effective use of your factors. I’d typically advise towards it; it’s at all times greatest to switch your factors to journey companions somewhat than utilizing the cardboard’s journey portal.)

Breaking Down the Amex Platinum’s Credit and Advantages

I like Amex playing cards for his or her perks and advantages, and the Amex Platinum comes with over $1,500 value of them. It’s like a bit coupon ebook. Right here’s what you get with the cardboard:

Perks for a Streamlined Airport Expertise (Lounge Entry, CLEAR Plus, International Entry/TSA PreCheck)
One in all my favourite perks of this card is that it provides essentially the most complete lounge entry on the market, and to a number of the greatest lounges within the sport. The Centurion Lounges are stellar, as are the Delta Sky Membership lounges. You’ll additionally get entry to the Precedence Go community of over 1,700 lounges around the globe.

The Amex Platinum additionally will get you to the lounge faster with assertion credit that cowl providers to expedite airport safety. You’ll stand up to $199 annual CLEAR® Plus assertion credit score (covers an annual membership) per calendar 12 months (topic to auto-renewal). You’ll additionally obtain both a $120 assertion credit score each 4 years for a International Entry utility payment or an announcement credit score as much as $85 each 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (by way of a TSA official enrollment supplier) utility payment, when charged to your Platinum Card®.

Understand that in the event you’re permitted for International Entry, you’ll additionally get entry to TSA PreCheck at no extra value. So, in the event you’re touring internationally, simply go together with International Entry. The method is a little more concerned (you must go for an in-person interview), but it surely’s value it.

Airline and Lodge Credit
The Platinum Card additionally provides as much as $200 in airline credit score, which sounds nice at face worth however generally is a little bit of a ache to make use of. The credit score can solely be used on one airline, which it’s essential to pre-select, and you may solely use it for incidentals, not airfare. Nevertheless, in the event you commonly verify a bag (and don’t have already got an airline bank card that gives free baggage as a perk), you’ll deplete that $200 very quickly. (You can even apply it to issues like paid seat choice and in-flight meals and beverage.)

The cardboard additionally provides as much as $200 again in assertion credit on pay as you go Positive Resorts + Resorts® or The Lodge Assortment bookings by way of American Categorical Journey utilizing your Platinum Card®. These are normally fairly luxurious properties, so that you gained’t be getting any free lodge stays with this profit alone. However in the event you’re trying to splash out with a high-end lodge or resort keep, $200 off is fairly good.

Plus, the Amex Platinum provides complimentary Marriott Bonvoy® Gold Elite and Hilton Honors™ Gold Standing, which supply additional perks and advantages when staying at these properties.

Way of life Assertion Credit
The “way of life” assertion credit are the place this card generally is a bit much less helpful relying in your spending habits. My favourite of those is the $200 Uber Money profit. It’s distributed as $15 in Uber Money every month, plus you’ll get a bonus of $20 in December after including your Card to your Uber account.

That mentioned, I do discover it a bit annoying that you may solely use your Uber Money on rides and orders within the U.S. (when you choose an Amex Card on your transaction), since I’m typically overseas.

(To obtain this profit, it’s essential to have downloaded the newest model of the Uber App and your eligible American Categorical Platinum Card should be a technique of cost in your Uber account. The Amex Profit could solely be utilized in america.)

Different way of life credit embody as much as $50 biannual Saks Fifth Avenue credit score and as much as $155 Walmart+ Credit score once you use your Platinum Card to pay for a month-to-month Walmart+ membership.

You’ll additionally obtain as much as $240 Digital Leisure Credit score through as much as $20 again in assertion credit every month on eligible purchases made along with your Platinum Card on a number of of the next: Disney+, a Disney+ Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Occasions, Peacock, and The Wall Avenue Journal. (That is a straightforward set and neglect in the event you subscribe to any of those.)

Amex Presents
Along with all these assertion credit, you’ll get entry to Amex Presents. With these, it can save you cash or earn bonus factors with choose retailers. The provides are ever-changing and focused, which means you gained’t have the identical provides as one other cardholder. Nearly all of these provides are “spend X, get Y quantity again.”

The Amex Platinum’s Journey Insurance coverage
Final however not least, you’ll get nice journey insurance coverage with this card. Regardless of the place you’re going, journey insurance coverage is an important factor to get on your journey. Hopefully, you gained’t want to make use of it, however I do know from expertise that in the event you do, you’ll be glad to have it. I’ve had to make use of it around the globe, from Argentina to South Africa to Italy. Every time one thing has gone incorrect on the street, journey insurance coverage has helped me recoup my prices.
Whereas I at all times advocate buying a standalone journey insurance coverage coverage, many journey playing cards provide journey insurance coverage as a perk for no extra value (other than the cardboard’s annual payment). Whereas I wouldn’t solely depend on the cardboard’s journey insurance coverage, it’s a pleasant profit.

Listed below are the journey protections that the Platinum provides:

• Journey cancellation and interruption protection of $10,000 per particular person, per journey (on round-trip tickets solely, $20,000 per 12 consecutive month interval)
• Journey delay protection as much as $500 if the delay is six hours or extra (on round-trip tickets solely, two claims per 12 consecutive-month interval)
• Emergency evacuation and medical transport protection: no restrict; should be coordinated through the Premium International Help Hotline
• Cellphone safety as much as $800 minus a $50 deductible (two permitted claims per 12-month interval, and it’s essential to have paid your cellular phone invoice along with your card)
• Misplaced baggage protection as much as $3,000 per particular person
• Secondary automobile rental protection
• Understand that to be eligible for these protections, you must pay on your journey (or cellular phone invoice) along with your Amex Platinum. Additionally, at all times make sure you at all times learn the high-quality print so that you simply perceive precisely what’s coated!

Eligibility and Profit stage varies by Card. Phrases, Circumstances, and Limitations Apply. Please go to americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for extra particulars. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Firm.

Who’s the Amex Platinum for?

The Amex Platinum is greatest for frequent vacationers who’ll use the premium perks, like simpler airport experiences and elite standing at motels. If you can even make the most of a number of way of life credit, it’s a stable deal. I’d say simply run the numbers and see if the worth provides up for you. (And browse my publish on selecting a journey card in the event you want extra assist.)

As with every rewards card, you shouldn’t get this card in the event you’re already carrying a stability or plan to hold a stability. Rates of interest for journey playing cards are notoriously excessive and the factors simply aren’t value it in the event you’re paying curiosity every month.

This card can be not for anybody with poor credit score, as you want wonderful credit score to qualify. (If that’s you, take a look at the most effective bank cards for spotty credit so you can begin enhancing your rating at the moment.)

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The Amex Platinum isn’t low cost however in the event you journey typically, the perks can simply outweigh the hefty annual payment. From airport lounge entry to beneficiant journey credit, it’s a card constructed for individuals who reside life on the transfer. In case you’re a frequent flyer trying to journey smarter and extra comfortably, I feel this card is value it.
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