American Express Platinum Card review: Full details

The Platinum Card from American Express overview

The Platinum Card® from American Express is one of the top premium travel rewards cards on the market. As a cardmember, you’ll earn valuable Membership Rewards points, receive valuable annual statement credits (as long as you can take advantage of them, which we’ll discuss later) and gain access to an extensive network of airport lounges worldwide. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

---

Nowadays, every bank, airline and hotel seems to offer a premium travel rewards card. But for a long time, the Amex Platinum was the only premium rewards card on the market. With its sleek metal design and hefty weight, there was a bit of prestige attached to being an Amex Platinum Card member.

However, now there are multiple metal cards that have some weight to them. When you compare them, the Amex Platinum shines in ways the others don’t. Then again, it falls flat in some areas, too.

This year has been the year of card refreshes, as we just saw the premium Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) overhaul its product in June.

Following Chase’s footsteps, Amex just refreshed its most premium card, the Amex Platinum. This refresh primarily ushers in significant additional value with new benefits. Cardmembers can also enjoy a limited-edition mirror card design.

But, like with most card refreshes, there was an inevitable annual fee increase. The fee increased by 29% to $895 per year (see rates and fees). Current cardmembers will see this annual fee increase take effect Jan. 2, 2026.

With this even higher annual fee and new perks, we must ask the question: Is the Amex Platinum still worth it?

TPG recommends a good to excellent credit score before applying for this card. Let’s examine the details and benefits to see whether having the Amex Platinum in your wallet makes sense.

Amex Platinum pros and cons

Pros	Cons
Extensive lounge access, including Centurion Lounges Complimentary hotel elite status with Hilton, Marriott and The Leading Hotels of the World Numerous statement credits Access to a premium concierge service Enrollment requirement for select benefits	High annual fee requires taking advantage of most of the card’s benefits to justify Not a great fit for infrequent travelers Limited bonus categories Up to $200 airline fee statement credit can be complicated to use since it’s issued per calendar year

Amex Platinum welcome offer

New Amex Platinum Card members can find out their offer and may be eligible to earn as high as 175,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 in the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.

This is now the standard welcome offer.

Based on TPG’s September 2025 valuations, American Express Membership Rewards points are worth 2 cents each. That makes this bonus worth up to $3,500, which is more than three times the card’s $895 annual fee.

It’s important to note that you may not be eligible for the welcome offer on this card if you have previously had or held this card or another variant due to Amex’s once-per-lifetime rule and family restrictions.

Related: The ultimate guide to credit application restrictions

Amex Platinum benefits

What truly sets the Amex Platinum apart is its many valuable perks and travel benefits. Existing cardmembers will have access to new benefits from Sept. 18 on.

Let’s take a look at all the benefits and what you need to know.

Lounge access

The Amex Platinum still offers the best airport lounge access on the market. Eligible cardmembers have access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection.

This grants you access to the following lounges (enrollment may be required):

• Centurion Lounges
• Aspire lounges
• Escape lounges
• Plaza Premium lounges
• Delta Sky Clubs (when traveling on same-day Delta flights; eligible Platinum Card members will receive 10 visits per eligible Platinum Card, per year to the Delta Sky Club or to Grab and Go locations when traveling on a same-day Delta-operated flight, unless they spend $75,000 or more on their card to unlock unlimited visits)

Cardmembers also receive a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required) for entry into over 1,700 lounges worldwide (restaurants excluded). You can bring two guests with you for free.

Guest access policies vary for other lounges. Cardmembers can unlock complimentary guest access for Centurion Lounges after spending $75,000 or more on their card in a calendar year.

Statement credits

The Amex Platinum features a coupon book-esque list of statement credits. If fully used, cardmembers receive over $3,500 in annual value from the statement credits alone.

Travel and dining credits

• Hotel credit: Receive up to a $600 annual hotel credit per calendar year in the form of a statement credit (allotted as up to $300 semiannually) on prepaid American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings made through American Express Travel® when you pay with your Amex Platinum (Hotel Collection stays require a two-night minimum).*
• Resy: Receive up to a $400 annual Resy credit (distributed as up to $100 per quarter). Simply pay with your Amex Platinum at an eligible U.S. Resy restaurant; no reservation is required. You may use this credit without even realizing it. However, note that this is not the ideal card to use for dining purchases since you won’t earn more than 1 point per dollar spent.*^
• Clear Plus: Receive up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year to cover your Clear Plus annual membership (subject to auto-renewal).*^
• Airline incidental credit: Receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year for incidental fees charged by one airline you select.*
• Uber: Receive up to $200 in Uber Cash per calendar year (split into monthly up to $15 credits plus an up to $20 bonus in December), valid on Uber rides and Uber Eats orders in the U.S.* Note: Uber Cash will only be deposited into one Uber account when you add the Amex Platinum as a payment method and redeem with any Amex card.
• Uber One: Receive up to a $120 Uber One statement credit that fully covers an auto-renewing $96 annual or $9.99 monthly membership*^
• Global Entry/TSA PreCheck: Receive a $120 statement credit for Global Entry every four years or an up to $85 fee credit for TSA PreCheck every 4½ years (depending on which application fee is charged to your card first).

Fitness and lifestyle credits

• Digital entertainment: Receive up to $300 per calendar year in statement credits for digital entertainment (disbursed as up to $25 monthly statement credits). New eligible partners include Paramount+, YouTube Premium and YouTube TV*^. The addition of YouTube TV makes this perk incredibly valuable; as more people ditch cable, YouTube TV continues to grow.
• Oura: Receive up to a $200 Oura statement credit per calendar year (can only be used on hardware purchases). While this credit is nice to have, I hope it’s expanded to more than hardware purchases. Realistically, most people don’t buy a new Oura ring annually and would benefit more from a credit covering the monthly subscription cost.*^
• Equinox: Receive up to $300 in Equinox credit per calendar year to use on Equinox gym and Equinox+ app memberships (subject to auto-renewal).*
• Soulcycle: Receive up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year toward the purchase of a SoulCycle bike (up to 15 bikes per calendar year); must be enrolled in an Equinox+ membership to be eligible for this benefit.*

Shopping credits

• Lululemon: Receive up to a $300 annual Lululemon statement credit per calendar year at U.S. stores (excluding outlets) and online (allocated as up to $75 per quarter). I absolutely love Lululemon. The brand’s clothes make up about half of my closet. I’m considering applying for this card because of this credit.*^
• Walmart+: Receive up to a $155 Walmart+ statement credit per calendar year (up to $12.95 monthly, plus applicable taxes) that covers the cost of a monthly membership when paying with the Amex Platinum (on one membership, subject to auto-renewal); Plus Up is excluded. Walmart+ includes a complimentary Paramount+ subscription (separate enrollment required), so there’s no need to use the digital entertainment credit on Paramount+ if you use this credit, unless you want to upgrade to an ad-free plan.*
• Saks Fifth Avenue: Receive up to $100 per calendar year in Saks Fifth Avenue credit, split into two up to $50 statement credits between January and June, then July through December.*

Many of these benefits are lifestyle-oriented. You may not get the maximum value from all of them. However, even if you used a third of these credits, you could recoup your annual fee.

If you can use the new or enhanced credits, like those from Lululemon, Oura and Resy, you’ll get over $1,000 in annual value, which seems like a great return for a $200 annual fee increase.

Travel and lifestyle benefits

The Amex Platinum has a variety of benefits that can enhance your travel experience, including:

• Complimentary Gold status with Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy*
• Complimentary car rental status: This perk includes complimentary Hertz Gold Plus Rewards President’s Circle, Avis Preferred Plus and National Emerald Club Executive status.*
• Complimentary Leaders Club Sterling status: Leaders Club is the loyalty program for a collection of independent hotels. It offers benefits like upgrades and the ability to earn points (something typically not associated with independent hotels).*^
• Access to Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection
• Access to Platinum nights from Resy: Platinum nights by Resy will be available in Los Angeles, Miami and New York City.^

Travel and purchase protections

The Amex Platinum also includes a range of travel and purchase protections, including:

• Trip delay insurance: If your trip is delayed by more than six hours because of a covered reason, you may be eligible to be reimbursed up to $500 per covered trip for reasonable additional expenses.**
• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: If you need to cancel or interrupt your trip because of a covered reason, you may be eligible for reimbursement of up to $10,000 per covered trip.**
• Extended warranty protection: Extends eligible manufacturers’ warranties of five years or less by up to one additional year.***
• Purchase protection: Protects recent purchases against theft, accidental damage or loss for up to 90 days from the purchase date.***

Terms apply to the benefits listed.

*Enrollment is required for select benefits.

**Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

***Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

^Denotes a new or enhanced benefit.

Even if you can only use a handful of these perks, it’s easy to cover most (or all) of the Amex Platinum’s annual fee.

Here’s how TPG senior editorial director Nick Ewen describes it:

“I don’t typically utilize some benefits of the Amex Platinum, and others (like Walmart+) I use just because they’re there. However, I always max out the digital entertainment credit (now $300). I also easily use all $200 in Uber credits and all $200 in airline statement credits annually. Plus, we travel to big cities enough that we can definitely utilize the new Resy credits ($100 each quarter). In other words, just four of these perks will put $1,100 back in my pocket every year. As a result, I think of it as effectively getting paid $205 to then gain access to all of the other benefits on the card — and that makes it a no-brainer to keep in my wallet.”

Your exact situation may vary, but crunch the numbers to see how much real-life value you can get from the card, especially with all of its new credits.

Related: How to maximize benefits with the Amex Platinum Card

Earning points on the Amex Platinum

With the Amex Platinum, you’ll earn:

• 5 points per dollar spent on airfare purchased directly with the airlines or through American Express Travel® (on up to $500,000 of airfare purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar spent) (10% return based on TPG’s valuations)
• 5 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with Amex Travel (10% return)
• 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases (2% return)

These 5-point categories are an excellent way to earn lots of Membership Rewards points.

All other purchases earn just 1 point per dollar spent, so you may be better suited putting general purchases on a flat-rate earning card like the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card or the Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees).

Amex Platinum Card members are eligible for targeted Amex Offers that could boost earning rates at various merchants, such as Amazon.

Related: The ultimate guide to saving money with Amex Offers

Redeeming points on the Amex Platinum

Membership Rewards points are among the most valuable and flexible loyalty currencies ever created for redeeming points. The best way to maximize your points is to transfer them to one of Amex’s loyalty program partners.

You can also use your Membership Rewards points to book travel directly through American Express Travel. But if the personal Amex Platinum is the only Amex card in your inventory, using points for airfare and hotel redemptions this way won’t get you amazing value.

You’ll get only 1 cent per point when you redeem points directly for airfare through Amex Travel and less than 1 cent per point when redeeming for hotel rooms.

From our experience, nine out of 10 times, you should never redeem Membership Rewards points for flights or hotels through American Express Travel, as you will get much better value using transfer partners.

However, suppose you also have The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. In that case, you’ll get one of the best direct point redemptions available.

Business Platinum Card members receive a 35% points bonus on flights booked through Amex Travel (up to 1 million bonus points per calendar year) on their designated airline (the same one you selected for the annual up to $200 airline fee statement credit).

Related: Best ways to use Amex Membership Rewards points, from business-class flights to Europe to budget-friendly hotel stays

Transferring points on the Amex Platinum

According to TPG’s valuations, each Membership Rewards point is worth 2 cents, thanks largely to the program’s airline and hotel transfer partners. Those include at least one helpful option in each major airline alliance (SkyTeam, Star Alliance and Oneworld).

Notable Membership Rewards partners include Air Canada Aeroplan, Delta SkyMiles, ANA Mileage Club and Hilton Honors.

Transferring your points to the right airline or hotel program is usually the best way to maximize your Membership Rewards points value.

Here’s how TPG contributing editor Matt Moffitt likes to transfer and redeem his Membership Rewards points:

“I look out for transfer bonuses to maximize my points to book long-haul business-class flights. I often transfer to Iberia Club for lie-flat seats to Madrid. Sometimes, I’ll transfer to Qantas Frequent Flyer to secure hard-to-find business- or first-class flights back to Australia.”

Which cards compete with the Amex Platinum?

Some other compelling premium credit cards go head-to-head with the Amex Platinum :

• If you want more targeted benefits: The Chase Sapphire Reserve comes with a slightly lower $795 annual fee. It offers a $300 travel credit, an annual $500 The Edit by Chase Travel℠ credit (a minimum stay of two nights is required), a $300 dining statement credit and some of the best travel protections available. However, it can’t beat the Amex Platinum when it comes to lounge access. To learn more, read our full review of the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
• If you want a much lower annual fee: Capital One’s premium rewards card, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, packs a punch and comes with a more affordable $395 annual fee. The Venture X is potentially more lucrative than the Amex Platinum when it comes to earning, accruing 10 miles per dollar spent on hotels and car rentals booked via Capital One’s travel booking site, 5 miles per dollar spent on flights and vacation rentals booked via Capital One’s travel booking site and an unlimited 2 miles per dollar spent on everything else. To learn more, read our full review of the Venture X.
• If you’d prefer a mid-tier travel card: The American Express® Green Card is a great option for young professionals and those looking for a more affordable alternative to the Amex Platinum. Cardmembers earn 3 points per dollar spent on restaurants worldwide (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.), travel and transit and 1 point per dollar spent on everything else. This card has a $150 annual fee.

The information for the American Express Green Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

For additional options, check out our picks for the best cards for travel rewards and lounge access.

Related: The best premium credit cards: A side-by-side comparison

Bottom line

If you can fully take advantage of its annual statement credits, including the new ones, the Amex Platinum is one of the most compelling rewards cards.

It’s especially compelling if you travel enough to use its hotel statuses and lounge benefits or shop enough to get substantial value from its shopping protections.

The Amex Platinum’s new $895 annual fee is steep, but its various benefits can recoup that cost and more.

---

Apply here: The Platinum Card from American Express

---

For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum, click here.