The Amex Platinum Card – Full Review [2024]

Great Card If

• You travel often enough to take advantage of the travel perks
• You can use the annual credits (airline incidental fees, Saks Fifth Avenue, prepaid hotels) and monthly credits (Uber, Equinox, digital entertainment)
• You want global complimentary airport lounge access
• You want hotel elite status
• You want a luxury card with luxury benefits

Don’t Get If

• You don’t travel often
• You aren’t interested in the perks and credits
• You prefer a card with more bonus categories

Amex Platinum Card — Is It Worth the Yearly Fee?

The Amex Platinum card is well worth it for frequent travelers who want luxury travel and lifestyle perks, and who can regularly take advantage of the card’s premium benefits.

When you combine best-in-class airport lounge access with 5x earnings on airfare (up to $500,000 per year) and prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com, Gold elite status with Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors upon enrollment, and access to Amex’s Fine Hotel + Resorts program, you’ve got a package that makes for one of the best travel cards.

While the annual fee might initially give you pause, the math starts to come out in your favor when you consider the bevy of credits that come with the card.

Virtually every card benefit is tailored toward enhancing your travel experiences, making it a perfect complement for any traveler looking to upgrade their travels.

While many cardholders don’t use every perk of the Amex Platinum card, you can easily offset the annual fee with the up to $200 airline incidental credit, up to $240 digital entertainment credit, up to $200 in Uber Cash, and up to $189 annual CLEAR credit. When you add perks like airport lounge access, various elite statuses, and travel protections, it’s easy to see why the Amex Platinum card can earn a permanent place in your wallet. Remember to enroll in all your card’s benefits to max out the value you receive from your card.

If this sounds like the ideal card for you, we suggest checking to see if you’re eligible for the Amex Platinum card’s 150k offer.

What Benefits Do You Get With the Amex Platinum Card?

Annual Credits

One of the easiest ways to determine how worthwhile the Amex Platinum card will be to you is to consider the value you’ll get from the card’s annual credits, and whether or not that figure exceeds the annual fee. These credits include:

• Up to $200 airline incidental credit (good towards expenses such as baggage and seat selection fees)
• Up to $200 Uber Cash credit ($15 per month and $35 in December)
• Up to $240 digital entertainment credit ($20 per month)
• Up to $200 prepaid hotel credit on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings, which require a minimum 2-night stay, through AmexTravel.com
• Up to $155 Walmart+ credit (with free same-day delivery and free shipping on orders)
• Up to $300 Equinox credit annually
• Up to $100 Saks Fifth Avenue credit ($50 from January to June and $50 from July to December)
• Up to $189 CLEAR Plus credit

Some credits require enrollment, so be sure to explore your American Express account to make the most of your card.

Lounge Access

One of the card’s best benefits is the airport lounge access level that it offers via the American Express Global Lounge Collection.

Not only do you get access to Priority Pass lounges (upon enrollment) that many other premium credit cards offer, but you also get access to swanky Centurion Lounges (in the U.S. and abroad), Escape Lounges – The Centurion Studio Partner, Plaza Premium Lounges, Airspace Lounge, select Virgin Clubhouses, select Lufthansa lounges when flying with Lufthansa Group the same day, and Delta Sky Clubs when flying with Delta the same day.

No matter what airport you find yourself in, you’ll almost always have a lounge that you can kick back and relax in thanks to your Amex Platinum card, making it one of the best credit cards with lounge access.

Upgraded Points’ Senior Content Contributor Katie Seemann had this to say about the lounge access offered with the Amex Platinum card:

“One of the main reasons I keep the Amex Platinum card in my wallet is for the lounge access. Of course, I love Centurion Lounges, but I value access to Escape Lounges more. That’s because the only lounge at my home airport is an Escape Lounge, so it’s what I use every single time I fly. Knowing I have a quiet place to wait for my flight with complimentary food and drinks is a perk that makes my travel day so much more enjoyable.”

Katie Seemann, senior content contributor

I agree with Katie; airport lounge access is easily one of my favorite perks of the Amex Platinum card. Similar to Katie, I had just 3 airport lounge options available to me when I lived in Cincinnati: The Club at CVG, an Escape Lounge, and a Delta Sky Club, all of which I could access using my Amex Platinum card. Now that I live in New York, I’m spoiled for lounge options and can visit excellent lounges like the Amex Centurion lounge at JFK, LGA, and soon at EWR.

Hotel Elite Status

Cardholders get an automatic boost to Hilton Honors Gold status and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status within each program upon enrollment.

Both status levels earn extra points on stays, space-available room upgrades, late checkout if available, and much more.

Rental Car Elite Status

If you regularly rent cars during your travels, you’ll love that the Amex Platinum card gets you automatic National Emerald Club Executive status, along with Avis Preferred Plus and Hertz Gold Plus President’s Circle benefits upon enrollment.

Perks from each company include, but aren’t limited to, vehicle upgrades, discounts, expedited pickup lanes, and convenient dropoff locations.

Travel Protections

If anything goes wrong during your travels, your Amex Platinum card keeps you covered with the following travel insurance benefits:

• Trip Delay Insurance — Get reimbursed for up to $500 per ticket in covered expenses if your flight is delayed by 6 hours or requires an overnight stay. This includes items such as lodging and food.
• Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance — If you need to cancel a trip due to a covered cause, like severe weather, you’ll receive a reimbursement of up to $10,000 per trip, and $20,000 per year, towards nonrefundable travel expenses if you need to cancel your trip or end it early.
• Rental Car Insurance — Your card gives you secondary rental car insurance, which covers up to $75,000 towards accidental damage or theft of the vehicle.
• Baggage Insurance — If your baggage is lost or damaged while in transit with the carrier, you’re covered for up to $2,000 towards checked baggage and $3,000 towards carry-on baggage.

Consumer Protections

The Amex Platinum card doesn’t just offer travel protections. You’re also covered with the following consumer protections:

• Cell Phone Insurance — Receive coverage for accidental damage caused to your cell phone, with up to $800 in coverage, up to 2 times per year, with a $50 deductible.
• Purchase Protection — If an item you’ve purchased gets stolen, accidentally damaged, or lost within 90 days of purchase, you’re covered for up to $10,000 per item and $50,000 per year.
• Return Protection — If you try to return an item within 90 days of purchase, and the merchant won’t accept it, you can be refunded by Amex for up to $300 per item, and up to $1,000 per year.
• Extended Warranty Coverage — This protection adds 1 year of extended warranty coverage to standard warranties that are 5 years or less.

What Is the Annual Fee on the Amex Platinum Card?

The annual fee for the Amex Platinum card is $695. While this is one of the highest annual fees on the market for travel rewards cards, many cardholders find it helpful to think of it as prepaying for perks that would have cost you far more otherwise.

For instance, if you often take Uber or order Uber Eats then you are likely to get a lot of value out of the Uber credit. The same goes for the digital entertainment credit, airline incidental credit, prepaid hotel credit, and more.

Additionally, if having airport lounge access saves you from having to purchase food and drinks at the airport, or if having hotel elite status saves you from needing to purchase breakfast at the hotel, then each of these instances adds up to increase the overall value that the card provides for you.

Best Ways To Earn and Redeem Your Amex Points

Aside from using your card for everyday purchases, you should learn how to earn as many Amex points as possible. Fortunately, we have a comprehensive guide covering all the best ways to earn Amex Membership Rewards points.

From there, you’ll want to learn about all the best ways to redeem your Amex points. This will help you start traveling like a pro while getting huge value out of your hard-earned points.

Some of our favorite ways to redeem Amex Membership Rewards points include utilizing select Amex transfer partners to book business and first class tickets for a mere fraction of the typical cash price!

In fact, team members at Upgraded Points have used their Amex Membership Rewards points to book some incredible products including Lufthansa first class, Virgin Atlantic Upper Class, ANA “The Suite” first class, and Cathay Pacific business class.

If this sounds like the right credit card for you, take a look at this fantastic Amex Platinum card offer, and be sure to read our guide to find out all you need to know about making an American Express credit card application.

Alternative Cards to the Amex Platinum Card

Chase Sapphire Reserve^®

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card offers 3x points on all travel and dining purchases, including airfare, hotels, Airbnb, and Uber/Lyft.

Combine that with a $300 travel credit and a Priority Pass Select membership, and it makes for a compelling option.

While the Chase Sapphire Reserve card doesn’t feature nearly the level of elite benefits that the Amex Platinum card does, this could be a good option if you’re after a more well-rounded travel card.

Check out our head-to-head comparison of the Amex Platinum card vs. the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

If you prefer a premium rewards card that offers airport lounge access at a lower annual fee, then the Capital One Venture X card could be a perfect option.

With its $395 annual fee (rates & fees), you’ll get complimentary access for you and 2 guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network, a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus starting on your first anniversary, an up to $300 annual Capital One Travel credit, and much more.

The card earns 10x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel, and 2x miles on all other purchases.

Which card is right for you? See our detailed comparison of the Amex Platinum card vs. the Capital One Venture X card.

Amex Platinum Card — Should You Get This Card?

There’s a reason why the Amex Platinum card regularly ranks as one of the best credit cards. The Amex Platinum card is easily worth it for anyone who can get more value out of the card than what the annual fee charges. For many, this isn’t as difficult as it might seem thanks to its $1,500+ in annual credits, airport lounge access, complimentary hotel and rental car elite status, travel protections, and more.

We’ve also compared the Amex Platinum card to several other popular cards:

• Amex Platinum card vs. American Express^® Gold Card
• Amex Platinum card vs. Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express
• Amex Platinum card vs. The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express
• Amex Platinum card vs. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
• Amex Platinum card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card
• Amex Platinum card vs. Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum American Express Card
• Amex Platinum card vs. Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve American Express Card
• Amex Platinum card vs. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card
• Amex Platinum card vs. Mastercard^® Black Card™

If you currently have the Amex Gold card but are interested in the Amex Platinum card, we recommend you take a look at this Amex Platinum card upgrade offer.

For the trip delay insurance benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, up to $500 per covered trip that is delayed for more than 6 hours; and 2 claims per eligible card per 12 consecutive month period. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

For the trip cancellation and interruption insurance benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, the maximum benefit amount for trip cancellation and interruption insurance is $10,000 per covered trip and $20,000 per eligible card per 12 consecutive month period. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

For the car rental loss and damage insurance benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, car rental loss and damage insurance can provide coverage up to $75,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the commercial car rental company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

For the baggage insurance plan benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, baggage insurance plan coverage can be in effect for covered persons for eligible lost, damaged, or stolen baggage during their travel on a common carrier vehicle (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus) when the Entire Fare for a ticket for the trip (one-way or round-trip) is charged to an eligible card. Coverage can be provided for up to $2,000 for checked baggage and up to a combined maximum of $3,000 for checked and carry-on baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the common carrier. The coverage is also subject to a $3,000 aggregate limit per covered trip. For New York State residents, there is a $2,000 per bag/suitcase limit for each covered person with a $10,000 aggregate maximum for all covered persons per covered trip. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the cell phone protection benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, coverage for a stolen or damaged eligible cellular wireless telephone is subject to the terms, conditions, exclusions and limits of liability of this benefit. The maximum liability is $800, per claim, per eligible card account. Each claim is subject to a $50 deductible. Coverage is limited to two (2) claims per eligible card account per 12 month period. Eligibility and benefit level varies by Card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

For the purchase protection benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, purchase protection is an embedded benefit of your card membership and requires no enrollment. It can help protect covered purchases made on your eligible card when they’re accidentally damaged, stolen, or lost, for up to 90 days from the covered purchase date. The coverage is limited up to $10,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per card member account per calendar year. Coverage limits apply. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the return protection benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, with return protection, you may return eligible purchases to American Express if the seller won’t take them back up to 90 days from the date of purchase. American Express may refund the full purchase price excluding shipping and handling, up to $300 per item, up to a maximum of $1,000 per calendar year per Card account, if you purchased it entirely with your eligible American Express^® Card. Purchases must be made in the U.S. or its territories. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.

For the extended warranty benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, when an American Express^® card member charges a covered purchase to an eligible card, extended warranty can provide up to one extra year added to the original manufacturer’s warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per card member account per calendar year. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.