American Express updated the public welcome offer on the consumer Platinum card yesterday and it’s now possible to earn as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards when spending $8,000 in the first 6 months. Note that ‘as high as’ wording though, as there’s no guarantee that you’ll receive an offer as high as that.
The Offer & Key Card Details
| Card Offer and Details |
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![](http://cdn.nextinsure.com/imaging/opt/09d4a050-a29b-4322-9c43-9e2b7aad2ec3.png?w=300" alt="The Platinum Card® from American Express" />) ⓘ $2259 1st Yr Value Estimate$200 Fine Hotels & Resorts credit valued at $100, $200 airline incidental fee credit for select airline only valued at $140, $200 Uber credit ($15 per month, $35/December) valued at $100, $100 Saks credit ($50 per six months) valued at $25 Click to learn about first year value estimates As high as 175K points ⓘAffiliateThis is an affiliate offer. Frequent Miler may earn a commission if you are approved for this offer As high as 175K points after $8K spend in 6 months. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Terms apply.$695 Annual Fee Recent better offer: 175K points after $8K spend in 6 months. FM Mini Review: This card is absolutely loaded with high end perks. Depending upon your situation, those perks may be worth the annual fee or much more. Earning rate: 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel ✦ 5X points for prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel Card Info: Amex Pay Over Time Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Noteworthy perks: Up to $200 a year in statement credits for incidental fees at one qualifying airline per calendar year ✦ $200 prepaid hotel credit per calendar year valid on Fine Hotels & Resorts and The Hotel Collection bookings ✦ Up to $20 per month rebate for Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and/or The Wall Street Journal ✦ Up to $120 Global Entry/TSA Precheck fee reimbursement.✦ $15 monthly Uber or Uber Eats credit ($20 in December, use it or lose it each month) ✦ $199 CLEAR (R) Plus fee credit per calendar year ✦ $12.95 (+tax) monthly credit for Walmart+ monthly membership subscription credit when you pay with Platinum card ✦ Up to $100 in credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue (up to $50 in credits semi-annually) ✦ Global Lounge Access benefits: Priority Pass membership (Lounges only) with 2 guests, Centurion Lounge access. Also, Delta Sky Club® access (when flying an eligible Delta flight): 10 visits per year February 1 until January 31 of the next calendar year (after 10 visits have been used, additional visits can be purchased for $50 each or earn unlimited visits after spending $75K/calendar year on the card). Access limited to eligible card members ✦ Rental car elite status ✦ Marriott Gold status ✦ Hilton Honors Gold status Enrollement required for some benefits. Terms Apply. (Rates & Fees) See also: Amex Platinum Guide |
Quick Thoughts
We’ve seen ‘as high as’ welcome offers before, but only when applying via select referral links; I don’t believe we’ve seen public welcome offers using that particular language until now.
As the phrasing suggests, when you click through to apply for the card, you don’t initially know what welcome offer Amex will be willing to extend to you. Instead, you have to complete the application form like you normally would and submit that. That’s not the end of the application process though; Amex will then proceed to advise you if you’re approved and, if you are, the bonus you can earn as part of your individualized welcome offer. At that stage you can choose to either proceed or cancel your application. If you cancel your application, there’s no hard pull on your credit. If you decide to accept the offer, you can accept the offer and finish the card application (note that accepting the offer could affect your credit score).
On the one hand, it’s a little disappointing to see Amex expand these ‘as high as’ welcome offers because it means applicants don’t know what bonus they’ll be offered until they’ve completed the application form. On the other hand, there’s not really any harm that comes of it in the sense that if you don’t like what’s offered, all you’ve lost is a couple of minutes of your time.
For what it’s worth, up until yesterday the best publicly (and easily) available welcome offer was 100,000 Membership Rewards after $8k spend in 6 months + 10x at restaurants worldwide on up to $25K of spend in 6 months via Resy. This new welcome offer therefore has the potential to be far more rewarding if you don’t anticipate a ton of dining spend in the next 6 months.
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I bumped into Han Solo and told him about the Amex Platinum refresh. He said that he’s got a bad feeling about it. But, I think he’s always that way.
Never tell me the odds!
lifetime card bonus applicable?
“Public” Amex card offers usually mean that the lifetime rule is in effect. But, the operative word in the rule is “may.” So, it doesn’t hurt to try . . . with confidence . . . and no effect on your credit score.