There are several “flavors” of Amex Platinum card, one of which is the American Express Platinum Card for Morgan Stanley. You’ll need to be a Morgan Stanley customer in order to get this Platinum card, and it does feature the irritating “family” language, but for those eligible and interested, there’s a terrific new welcome offer.
The Offer & Key Card Details
| Card Offer and Details |
|---|
 ⓘ $1871 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 150K points Non-AffiliateThis is NOT an affiliate offer. We always present the best offer even when it means less revenue for Frequent Miler 150K after $8K spend in first 6 months. Terms apply. (Offer Expires 6/11/2025)$695 Annual Fee Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. Recent better offer: None FM Mini Review: In my opinion, this is the best of the consumer Amex Platinum cards when you need two cards thanks to Morgan Stanley offering one free authorized user. Unfortunately you do need to have a Morgan Stanley account to apply. Earning rate: ✦ 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel ✦ 5X prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel Card Info: Amex Pay Over Time Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Big spend bonus: $500 after $100K cardmember year spend Noteworthy perks: This card includes all of the great perks that come with the American Express Platinum Card, plus: ✦ 1 Free Authorized User ✦ Redeem points for 1 cent each into your Morgage Stanley account ✦ $695 Annual Engagement Bonus for Platinum CashPlus accounts See also: Amex Platinum Guide |
Quick Thoughts
This is the best offer that I can remember seeing on the Morgan Stanley Platinum card, but keep in mind that you will need to be a Morgan Stanley customer before applying.
Morgan Stanley Access Investing is no longer available for new customers, so this variant of the card probably may not be appealing if you’re not already with Morgan Stanley (note that the Schwab Platinum Card, which offers a 10% higher redemption rate when redeeming points for brokerage deposits, is far easier since you could simply open a free Schwab Investor Checking account to qualify).
Still, as you’ll see in our post about Which is the best Platinum card? or you can hear about in our podcast episode about the topic, one of the key benefits of the Morgan Stanley version of the card is that you get a free Platinum-level Authorized User card (and the standard Platinum-card benefits like Centurion Lounge and Delta SkyClub access that come with it). This offer makes it even better.
Amex added family language to the Morgan Stanley card last year, so if you have or have had the Schwab Platinum card or the “vanilla” Platinum, you may not be eligible for the bonus on this card. That’s not to say that you’re definitely ineligible, just that you may not be. Luckily, Amex will let you know one way or the other before they check your credit and give you the card.
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To emphasize:
1. Even though E*Trade is under Morgan Stanley, it’s customers are not eligible
2. The annual fee waiver necessitates $25k in an essentially 0% account, thus creating a $1k per year opportunity cost
3. The high-spending annual bonus is no longer an additional benefit
Is there a free or cheap way to become a Morgan Stanley Customer?
Ask Morgan Stanley if the Virtual Advisor program can be (in effect) a self-directed account. That would be your likely avenue. Best of luck.
Any data points on people getting the MS or Schwab card when they already have a vanilla one? Wondering if it’s worth the hassle to unfreeze my credit.
Try and report back.