The Platinum Card^® from American Express Review

The Platinum Card^® from American Express is one of the most coveted luxury cards among frequent travelers — and for good reason.

This card provides one of the best earning rates on travel, offers an extensive amount of travel and shopping credits and provides several types of travel insurance. It also offers airport lounge access, hotel elite status (enrollment required) and much more, making it a great asset for serious travelers. It does have a high $695 annual fee, but its benefits — including more than $1,500 worth of credits — can make it more than worth its annual fee each year.

However, those who don’t travel often enough to take advantage of all of the card’s benefits may be better off with a no or low annual fee travel card or even a cash back card.

• Generous welcome offer

  Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. If you use your points to book a flight through American Express Travel, that’s a $800 value.

  That’s one of the most valuable welcome offers among travel cards. You can increase the value of your points from 1 cent on American Express Travel to around 2.2 cents by transferring them to travel partners, depending on where and when you redeem them.

• High rewards rate on travel purchases

  The Platinum Card^® from American Express offers 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Terms apply.

  The rewards rate on flights is much higher than other similar cards, including the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve^®. Even though it doesn’t offer elevated rewards on much else, the rewards rate could still provide a lot of value to frequent flyers.

• Credits worth more than $1,500

  The Platinum Card^® from American Express offers valuable travel credits, which can help you cover the cost of the annual fee, including:

  • Up to $200 hotel credit: Redeemed as statement credits on select prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel
  • Up to $200 airline fee credit: Select one qualifying airline at the beginning of the year and receive statement credits for incidental fees, like checked bags and in-flight refreshments
  • Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit: Get either a $100 statement credit for Global Entry or a statement credit for up to $85 for TSA PreCheck
  • Up to $189 CLEAR® Plus credit: Up to $189 in statement credits per calendar year for CLEAR Plus (enrollment required)
  • Up to $200 Uber Cash: Up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the U.S. annually
  • Up to $155 Walmart+ credit: A statement credit of $12.95 (plus taxes where applicable) after paying for a Walmart+ membership (enrollment required)
  • Up to $300 Equinox credit: Statement credits each calendar year on a digital or club membership at Equinox (enrollment required)
  • Up to $240 digital entertainment credit: $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases on Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The Wall Street Journal (enrollment required)
  • Up to $100 Saks Fifth Avenue credit: $50 in statement credits semi-annually (enrollment required)
  • $300 SoulCycle at-home bike credit: Get a $300 statement credit for the purchase of a SoulCycle at-home bike with your Platinum Card® (Equinox+ subscription required)

  These credits add up to more than $1,500 — which can cover the high annual fee of the card if you take advantage of them. Just be aware that not all of them are applied automatically, and you may have to jump through a couple of hoops to use them.

  For example, the airline fee credit requires you to pick a qualifying airline before you can use the credit. The hotel credit also must be used on bookings for American Express’s Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel — and requires a minimum two-night stay.

• Flexible redemption options

  There are many ways you can use your American Express Membership Rewards. The most valuable way to redeem them is by transferring them to one of American Express’s travel partner loyalty programs, which include:

  Column 1	Column 2
  Asia Miles British Airways Executive Club Delta SkyMiles® Emirates Skywards Etihad Guest Finnair Plus Flying Blue	Iberia Plus Marriott Bonvoy™ Qantas Frequent Flyer SAS EuroBonus Singapore KrisFlyer Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

  Depending on when and where you transfer points, they could be worth around 2.2 cents each — which is extremely valuable.

  Some other ways you could redeem them include claiming statement credits, booking travel through American Express’s travel portal, using points at checkout in certain stores, selecting gift cards and more.

• Hotel elite status

  Cardholders qualify for Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status, which allows you to receive upgrades to enhanced rooms upon check-in when available (enrollment required).

  You will also be eligible for Hilton Honors Gold status (enrollment required), which lets you earn space-available room upgrades, daily food and beverage credits or continental breakfast and more.

• Global airport lounge access

  The Platinum Card^® from American Express offers cardmembers access to The Global Lounge Collection, which includes more than 1,400 lounges in over 140 countries. That includes the Centurion® Lounges from American Express, which have plenty of services and amenities. Those include:

  Column 1	Column 2
  Member Services Professionals that can help you adjust your current travel itinerary, book future travel and more Signature cocktails, premium spirits and curated wine High-speed Wi-Fi Semi-private workspace	TVs Spa services Wine tasting Luggage lockers

  On top of access to Centurion® Lounges, The Global Lounge Collection also offers access to these groups of lounges, which are widely available at airports both in the U.S. and internationally:

  Column 1	Column 2
  The International American Express Lounges Priority Pass Escape Lounges	Delta Sky Club® Plaza Premium Air Space

• Wellness and entertainment credits

  Whether you’re ready for a workout or eager to kick back with some digital entertainment, The Platinum Card^® from American Express has credits that can help. Get up to $300 back a year toward the Equinox+ digital fitness app, or eligible Equinox club memberships when you pay with your link provided by Amex to enroll. And get up to $240 back a year (enrollment required) toward eligible digital entertainment purchases with Peacock, Audible, SiriusXM and the New  York Times.

• Annual fee

  The Platinum Card^® from American Express charges an annual fee of $695. Regardless of the card’s extensive benefits, that is a hefty bill.

  However, it can be made back fairly quickly by taking advantage of the card’s many benefits and credits.

• You may have to pay your balance in full each month

  Unlike typical cards, The Platinum Card^® from American Express only allows you to carry a balance for certain charges — but not all.

• Low rewards rate on non-travel purchases

  The Platinum Card^® from American Express earns 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Terms apply.

  It doesn’t include other categories like dining or groceries, which may make it hard to earn points on everyday purchases outside of travel.

• International acceptance may be limited

  American Express is accepted by 99% of U.S. merchants, according to a 2022 Nilson Report. However, its availability abroad can be limited. If you’re traveling internationally, you should bring a Visa or Mastercard with you, which are more commonly accepted.

The Platinum Card^® from American Express vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve^®

If more simple benefits and a lower annual fee is important to you, The Chase Sapphire Reserve^® may be a better fit. Chase Sapphire Reserve^® has a slight advantage for less frequent travelers by charging a lower annual fee of $550 that can be more than half offset by the card’s $300 flexible travel credit. This credit applies to most travel expenses, including airfare, making it easier to use than most of the credits from The Platinum Card^® from American Express.

The Platinum Card® from American Express	Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Up to $200 in Uber Cash per year for rides and eats in the U.S. ($15 monthly, $20 in December, enrollment required)	Earn 10x total points on Lyft rides through March 2025
Up to $100 annual statement credit to Saks Fifth Avenue or saks.com (enrollment required)	Up to $100 in statement credits for Global Entry, TSA Precheck or NEXUS applications every 4 years
Up to $240 digital entertainment credit per year for eligible transactions with partners such as Peacock and the New York Times (enrollment required)	Up to $300 annual travel credit
Access to the Global Lounge Collection over 1,200 airport lounges (including Priority Pass) (enrollment required)	Priority Pass™ Select membership
Complimentary benefits at Fine Hotels and Resorts (enrollment required)	Complimentary benefits at The Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection
$195/year for each authorized user	$75/year for each authorized user

The Platinum Card^® from American Express vs. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

If you don’t want to deal with that card’s large annual fee but still want a high rewards rate on travel, TSA PreCheck or Global Entry and a valuable travel credit, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card could be your best choice. It’s another luxury travel credit card that offers a generous travel rewards rate, travel credits and lounge access. It also has a lower $395 annual fee.

You’ll earn 2X Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day; 10X Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel; 5X Miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel, plus a generous sign-up bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

On the other hand, it doesn’t have as many travel benefits as The Platinum Card^® from American Express . It offers a $300 annual travel credit for bookings through Capital One Travel and a $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit — but The Platinum Card^® from American Express has a lot more credits available.

The Platinum Card^® from American Express vs. Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve American Express Card

If you mostly fly with Delta, the Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve American Express Card may be a better fit than The Platinum Card^® from American Express. Unlike The Platinum Card^® from American Express, the Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve American Express Card is a co-branded card that offers Delta-specific rewards and benefits.

The card lets you earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases. There’s also a big welcome offer: Earn 70,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $5,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

Not surprisingly, this card comes with a ton of Delta benefits, including:

• 15% off award flights
• Delta status boost to get you closer to Medallion Status
• A Delta Reserve annual companion certificate when you renew your card
• Access to Delta Sky Club and The Centurion Lounge
• First checked bag free

However, you can only use most of the card’s benefits with Delta Air Lines, which means it’s only worth it if you fly Delta frequently. If you’re looking for more flexibility, The Platinum Card^® from American Express is the better choice.

The Platinum Card^® from American Express is worth it if you take advantage of the majority of its benefits and credits. So if you already love utilizing airport lounges, making in-flight purchases and staying in Marriott and Hilton resorts, then this card will likely be a good fit for your lifestyle.

This card isn’t worth it if the card’s offerings aren’t already a part of your spending habits. You won’t save as much money if you get it just to start using Uber Eats more, for example.

If you’re looking for a simpler but similar card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve^® might be a good option. It offers a $300 flexible travel credit and other luxury benefits like airport lounge access and a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck or NEXUS fee credit. You wouldn’t have to worry about taking advantage of niche credits — and you can focus instead on getting your value from the card by transferring your points to travel partners.