Amex Platinum cards come loaded with high end perks: Hundreds of dollars per year in various credit reimbursements, access to multiple types of airport lounges, hotel and car elite status, and much more. All of this goodness comes at a steep price:
- Consumer Platinum Card: $695
- Business Platinum Card: $695
There are multiple versions of the consumer Amex Platinum card. In addition to the regular card, there are Platinum cards branded by Morgan Stanley and Schwab. These cards are mostly the same, but they do each have a few unique benefits that can make one or the other a better fit for you.
The Business Platinum card is different in a number of ways. It offers different point earning bonuses and some different perks.
Annual Fees
Primary user
- Consumer Platinum Cards: $695 per year
- Business Platinum Card: $695
Authorized users for Platinum cards
It is possible to add authorized users for free by giving them Green or Gold cards instead of Platinum cards. In this case, the authorized users get very few perks. And it’s important to understand that the Gold card available as an authorized user card has none of the perks of the stand-alone Amex Gold Card. If you want your authorized users to get lounge access and other top end perks, they will need authorized user Platinum cards. These cost money to add to your account:
- Business Platinum: $350 per year for each Platinum employee card.
- Morgan Stanley Platinum: First Platinum authorized user card is free. Each additional authorized user is $195 per year.
- Other consumer Platinum cards: $195 per year for Platinum authorized users.
How to save money by sharing Amex Platinum benefits
If you have family or friends that you trust, consider sharing the cost of renewing your Platinum card each year by adding them as authorized users. The best card to do this with is the Morgan Stanley Platinum card since it offers the first authorized user free. Other Platinum cards will charge $195 for the first authorized user,
A Delta SkyClub membership alone costs $545 for 12 months. You can give friends the same access when flying Delta by adding them as authorized users. How much would your friends pay you for this benefit?
This table shows the total cost of card membership depending on how many authorized users are involved:
| Number of Platinum Cards | Consumer Platinum | Morgan Stanley | Business Platinum |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (Primary Only) | $695 | $695 | $695 |
| 2 (Primary + 1 AU) | $890 | $695 | $895 |
| 3 (Primary + 2 AUs) | $1085 | $890 | $1195 |
Amex Platinum Perks
Access to high end perks is the reason to hold an Amex Platinum card.
Perks for all Platinum cards
| Benefit | How to access or enroll | Available to Platinum Authorized users? |
|---|---|---|
| 5X points at amextravel.com: Earn 5X points for prepaid hotel and airline bookings at Amextravel.com | This benefit is automatic. | Yes. Points and bonus points are added to the primary card holder's account. |
| $200 airline fee credit: Amex will automatically reimburse up to $200 per calendar year for airline fees for your selected airline only. Eligible fees include: baggage fees, flight-change fees, in-flight food and beverage purchases, and airport lounge day passes. | Log in and go to Benefit page and click “Select a Qualifying Airline”. For tips on using this benefit, please see: Amex airline fee reimbursements. What still works? | No. Spend on authorized user cards does count, but only $200 per year will be reimbursed altogether. |
| Airport Lounge Access - Centurion Lounges, Airspace Lounges, Escape Lounges: Cardholder is allowed free in Centurion Lounges. In most cases guests will be charged $50 each (details here). Cardholder plus two guests are allowed free in Escape and Airspace Lounges. | No need to enroll. Simply show your Platinum card when visiting a Centurion Lounge. | Yes |
| Airport Lounge Access - Delta SkyClubs: Cardholder is allowed free when flying Delta same day. Extra charge for guests. | No need to enroll. Simply show your Platinum card and same day boarding pass when visiting a Delta SkyClub. | Yes |
| Airport Lounge Access - Plaza Premium Lounges: Cardholder plus one guest are allowed free when flying the same day. | No need to enroll. Simply show your Platinum card and same day boarding pass when visiting a Plaza Premium Lounge. See full list of lounges here. | Yes |
| Airport Lounge Access - Priority Pass Select Lounges: Priority Pass Select member plus two guests are allowed free entrance. Unfortunately, this membership does not include Priority Pass restaurants. | You must sign up for Priority Pass Select. Go to benefit page and click “Enroll in Priority Pass”. You will receive a membership card by mail. Present Priority Pass card and boarding pass at lounge entrance. | Yes. Each authorized user must sign up for Priority Pass Select. |
| Airport Lounge Access - select Lufthansa Lounges | Free access to Lufthansa Business Lounges (with confirmed ticket) or to Senator Lounges (with Business Class ticket) in the satellite building of Terminal 2 at Munich Airport and in Terminal 1, Departure Area B, at Frankfurt Airport. Valid only when flying Lufthansa, SWISS or Austrian Airlines. | Yes |
| Cell Phone Protection: Max $800 per claim, $50 deductible. | No need to enroll. Pay your cell phone bill with your Platinum card. | Yes |
| CLEAR credit: Get up to $189 per year reimbursed for CLEAR subscriptions. | No need to enroll. Pay for CLEAR with your Platinum card. See also: 5 ways to get CLEAR for less. | No. Spend on authorized user cards does count, but only $189 per year will be reimbursed altogether. |
| Global Entry or TSA Pre fee credit: Full reimbursement for signup fee once every 5 years, per card. Note: signup for Global Entry since that includes TSA Pre. | Sign up for Global Entry here. Pay with your Platinum card. Reimbursement should happen automatically. | Yes. Pay with the authorized user card in order to get reimbursed. Terms state “Additional Cards on eligible Consumer and Business accounts are also eligible for the $100 statement credit”. This works with no fee Green and Gold authorized user cards too. |
| Emergency Medical Transportation Assistance | Call the Premium Global Assist Hotline: 1-800-333-Amex (toll free), or 1-715-343-7977 (direct-dial collect) | Yes |
| Hilton HHonors Gold Status: Hilton Gold members receive free breakfast, room upgrades when available, and other perks at Hilton hotels. | Go to benefit page, find the Hilton HHonors Gold benefit, and click “Enroll Now”. | Yes. Authorized users may have to call Amex to enroll. |
| Marriott Gold Status: Marriott Gold members receive a points welcome gift with each stay, room upgrades when available, 2pm late checkout, and other perks (details here). | Go to benefit page, find the Marriott Gold benefit, and click “Enroll in Marriott Gold”. | Yes. Authorized users may have to call Amex to enroll. |
| International Airline Program: Save money when booking premium cabin international flights originating in the US or Canada. | Book your flight on amextravel.com. Make sure to log into your Amex account to see flight discounts. | Yes |
| Fine Hotels & Resorts: Book high-end hotels through Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts and get: room upgrade, daily breakfast for 2, 4pm late checkout, noon check-in, free wifi, and unique property amenity. Also: Earn 5X Membership Rewards for prepaid bookings. | Browse to www.americanexpressfhr.com and log into your Platinum account. | Yes |
| Fiesta Rewards Platinum Status | Use the Spanish language page: http://www.fiestarewards.com/inscripcion and enter code: AMEXPLATINUM | Yes |
| National Car Rental Executive status: Book midsize cars and select any car from the Executive Aisle for no extra charge. | Enroll here. | Yes |
| Hertz Rental Car Privileges: President's Circle Status, discounts, plus four hour grace period for rental car returns. | Details and enrollment form found here. | Yes |
| Cruise Benefits: Pay for your cruise with your Platinum card and receive $100 to $300 per stateroom shipboard credit plus additional amenities unique to each cruise line | Participating cruise lines and other info can be found here. | Yes |
| Premium Private Jet Program: 20% off plus one time $500 credit towards Wheels Up Connect or 40% off plus one time $2K towards Wheels Up Core memberships. | Sign up here. | Yes |
| ShopRunner: Free shipping at a number of merchants. | Sign up here. | Yes |
| Neiman Marcus In-Circle | Call 1-800-525-3355 to enroll | Yes |
Perks for Business Platinum cards only
| Benefit | How to access or enroll | Available to Platinum Employee Cards? |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5X points per dollar: Earn 1.5X on individual purchases of $5000 or more; and on select categories: Construction material & hardware, Electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and Shipping providers | Automatic | Yes. Points and bonus points are added to the primary card holder's account. |
| $400 in Dell Credits: Up to $200 in credits each year from January through June; and another $200 July through December. | Go to benefit page to enroll. | No. Employee cards do not receive their own Dell credits. |
| $120 in Wireless Credits: Up to $10 per month when you use your card to pay for wireless telephone service. | Go to benefit page to enroll. | No. Employee cards do not receive their own wireless credits. |
| $360 in Indeed Credits: Up to $90 per quarter for purchases with Indeed | Go to benefit page to enroll. | No. Employee cards do not receive their own Indeed credits. |
| $150 Adobe Credits: Up to $150 per year on annual prepaid plans for Creative Cloud for teams and Acrobat Pro DC with e-sign for teams | Go to benefit page to enroll. | No. Employee cards do not receive their own Adobe credits. |
| 35% points rebate on airfare: Pay with points for airfare on your selected airline or for business or first class with any airline and get 35% of your points back. | Book flights through AmexTravel.com and select to pay with points. | No. |
Perks for Consumer Platinum cards only
| Benefit | How to access or enroll | Available to Platinum Authorized Users? |
|---|---|---|
| $200 in Uber / Uber Eats Credits: Amex will reimburse $15 per month ($35 in December) for Uber charges. You will also get Uber VIP status. | Add your Platinum card number to your Uber account as a payment method. You do not have to pay with the Platinum card in order to get this benefit. Important: when requesting a ride, select Uber Cash for payment in order to use your credits. | No. Authorized user cards do not receive their own $200 in Uber credits or VIP status. |
| $200 Hotel Credit: Get $200 back per calendar year towards prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings | No need to enroll. Book through Amex Travel and pay with your Platinum card. Hotel Collection bookings require a minimum two-night stay. | No. Spend on Authorized user cards does count, but only $200 per year will be reimbursed altogether. |
| $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Up to $20 per month rebate for select digital entertainment services (Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, SiriusXM, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal) | Enroll here. Enroll in any of the listed services and pay with your Platinum card. | No. Spend on Authorized user cards does count, but only $20 per month will be reimbursed altogether. |
| $100 in Saks Fifth Avenue Credits: Up to $50 in credits each year from January through June; and another $50 July through December. | Enroll here. Pay with your consumer Platinum card at Saks Fifth Avenue online or at locations in the US and US Territories. | No. Spend on Authorized user cards does count, but only $50 per 6 months will be reimbursed altogether. |
| Free Walmart+ Subscription: Get back the full cost, including taxes, for a Walmart+ monthly subscription. | No need to enroll. Use your Platinum card to pay for a monthly Walmart+ subscription. | No. You can use an Authorized user card to pay, but you won't get more than one credit per month. |
| $300 Equinox Credit: Get $300 back per year in statement credits for a digital or club membership at Equinox. There is a yearly option for Equinox+ (the app) membership that is $300 annually. | Enroll here. Use your Platinum card to pay for a digital or club membership at Equinox. | No. Spend on Authorized user cards does count, but only $300 will be reimbursed altogether. |
| $300 SoulCycle Rebate: Charge the full price of a SoulCycle at-home bike and get $300 back in statement credits. | Must join Equinox first (see above). | Sort of: Each Platinum account can get $300 back on each of 15 bikes purchased per year. |
| 5X points on flights booked directly with airlines. With business cards you must book through Amex Travel to get 5X. | Automatic benefit | Yes. Points and bonus points are added to the primary card holder's account. |
| Active Military Fee Waiver: Amex will waive consumer card fees (including annual fees) for US active military personnel. | Call the number of the back of your card and tell them you are serving on active duty military and had heard that AMEX offers to handle your account in accordance with the Military Lending Act (MLA) | Yes (primary user must call and can get fees waived for additional cardholders) |
Perks for Morgan Stanley Platinum cards only
| Benefit | How to access or enroll | Available to Platinum Authorized Users? |
|---|---|---|
| First authorized user free: Add one Platinum authorized user for free. Additional AU's are $195 each. | Simply add an authorized user to your account | N/A |
| Invest with rewards: Liquidate Membership Rewards points for 1 cent each when deposited to your Morgan Stanley brokerage account. | Log into your account to redeem points to your brokerage account. | No. |
| $500 anniversary spend award: Spend $100K in a cardmember year to get $500. If you spend exactly $100K per year, that amounts to a bonus of half of 1 cent per dollar spent. | This benefit is automatic | Not really. Authorized user card spend does contribute towards the required $100K spend, but authorized users do not get their own $500. |
| $695 Annual Engagement Bonus: Platinum CashPlus clients can get a $695 Annual Engagement Bonus. | Details here: Morgan Stanley Platinum Card Fee Free (how to earn the Annual Engagement Bonus) | No |
Perks for Charles Schwab Platinum cards only
| Benefit | How to access or enroll | Available to Platinum Authorized Users? |
|---|---|---|
| Invest with Rewards: Liquidate Membership Rewards points for 1.1 cents each when deposited to your eligible Schwab account. | Log into your account to redeem points to your Schwab account. | No. |
| $100 to $200 statement credit | Receive a $100 Card statement credit if your qualifying Schwab holdings are equal to or greater than $250,000 or receive a $200 Card statement credit if your qualifying Schwab holdings are equal to or greater than $1,000,000, when measured following Card account approval and annually thereafter. | No. |
Which Platinum card is best for me?
Your first decision point should be consumer vs. business:
- A business Platinum card is best if you highly value the 35% Pay with Points rebate, $120 in wireless credits, and $400 in Dell credits.
- A consumer Platinum card is best if you highly value Uber credits, hotel credits, Digital Entertainment credits, Equinox credits, Saks credits, Walmart Plus credits, and the ability to earn 5X directly with airlines.
Which consumer Platinum card is best?
If you decide that a consumer card, rather than a business card, is right for you (see above), then consider these decision points:
- The Morgan Stanley Platinum card is best if you want to add a Platinum authorized user (since the first AU is free), or if you qualify for $695 annual engagement bonus.
- The Charles Schwab Platinum card is best if you prefer cash back over travel rewards since it lets you cash out points at 1.1 cents each; or if you have a lot of money invested with Schwab since you’ll get an annual kickback ($100 for $250K invested, or $200 for $1M invested).
Amex Platinum Application Tips
Should you apply?
Platinum card welcome bonuses are usually worth considerably more than the card’s annual fee. So, as long as you can make use of some of the card’s perks, and as long as you can meet the offer’s minimum spend requirements, it makes sense to sign up for at least one year. You can always cancel (or downgrade to a less expensive card) once the annual fee comes due in year 2 so as to avoid paying for the second year.
Are you eligible?
Anyone with decent credit is eligible for the regular consumer Platinum card. Other cards do have requirements:
- Morgan Stanley Platinum: To get this card you must have a Morgan Stanley account. Fortunately, a low-end Morgan Stanley Access Investing account works fine.
- Schwab Platinum: To get this card you must have a Charles Schwab account. Fortunately, even a no-fee checking account is fine. And, incidentally, Schwab has one of the best no-fee debit cards around with no foreign transaction fees and it reimburses ATM fees.
It’s not possible to earn welcome offers on all three cards. You’re only eligible for a welcome offer on the regular and Schwab Platinum cards if you’ve never held any of three cards previously. The Morgan Stanley Platinum card doesn’t have the same restrictions (yet).
More:
You must have a business (but you probably do): In order to sign up for a business credit card, you must have a business. That said, it's common for people to have businesses without realizing it. If you sell items at a yard sale or on eBay, for example, then you have a business. Similar examples include: consulting, writing (e.g. blog authorship, planning your first novel, etc.), handyman services, owning rental property, renting on airbnb, driving for Uber or Lyft, etc. In any of these cases, your business is considered a Sole Proprietorship unless you form a corporation of some sort.When you apply for a business credit card as a sole proprietor, you can use your own name as your business name, use your own address and phone as the business' address and phone, and your social security number as the business' Tax ID / EIN. Alternatively, you can get a proper Tax ID / EIN from the IRS for free, in about a minute, through this website.
Is it OK to use business cards for personal expenses? Anecdotally, almost everyone I know uses business cards for personal expenses. That said, the terms in most business card applications state that you should use the card only for business use. Also, some consumer credit card protections do not apply to business cards. My advice: don't use the card for personal expenses if you're not comfortable doing so.
How to apply for an Amex Platinum card
Simply click through to the appropriate application page and fill out the details. Here are the current welcome bonus offers. Click the offer you are interested in for more details and then click through to the application page. Note that some people find an even better offer for the generic consumer Platinum card by checking the CardMatch Tool.
| Card Offer |
|---|
80K Points 80K after $6K spend in first 6 months. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees)$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: 125K points after 6k spend [Expired 1/20/23] |
80K points 80K after $6K spend in first 6 months. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees)$695 Annual Fee This card is only available to clients that maintain an eligible Schwab brokerage account. 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: 100K points + 10x when you Shop Small in the US & at restaurants worldwide [Expired 1/20/22] |
150K points 150K points after $15K spend in the first 3 months. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees)$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. |
150K points 150K after $8K spend in 6 months. Terms apply.$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: 125K after $6K in the first 6 months + 15x when you Shop Small in the US and at restaurants worldwide on up to $25K in eligible purchases in the first 6 months [Expired 1/20/22] |
After you apply, you can check application status here.
Amex Platinum reconsideration
If denied, call reconsideration: 877-399-3083 (new account holders); 866-314-0237 (current account holders)
How to Earn Membership Rewards Points
Credit card welcome bonuses
The easiest and quickest way to earn Membership Rewards points is through Amex credit card welcome bonuses.
Most Amex welcome offers stipulate that you can’t get the bonus if you’ve ever had that card before. Additionally, you’re only eligible for a welcome offer on the regular and Schwab Platinum cards if you’ve never held any of three Platinum cards previously. The Morgan Stanley Platinum card doesn’t have the same restrictions (yet). So, if you wanted to earn welcome offers on more than one card, it’s best to get the regular or Schwab Platinum first, then move on to the Morgan Stanley. Additionally, targeted offers sometimes do not have that once per lifetime language. In those cases, you can get the bonus even if you’ve had the card before. See: 8 ways to get the best targeted Amex welcome bonus offers.
Below are the Amex cards with the best current and public Membership Rewards welcome offers.
| Card Offer |
|---|
150K points 150K after $8K spend in 6 months. Terms apply.$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: 125K after $6K in the first 6 months + 15x when you Shop Small in the US and at restaurants worldwide on up to $25K in eligible purchases in the first 6 months [Expired 1/20/22] |
150K points 150K points after $15K spend in the first 3 months. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees)$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. |
90K points 90K points after $4K in purchases in the first 6 months. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees)$250 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: 90K after $4K in the first 6 months + 20% back at restaurants for the first 12 months up to $250 back [Expired 6/8/22] |
80K points 80K after $6K spend in first 6 months. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees)$695 Annual Fee This card is only available to clients that maintain an eligible Schwab brokerage account. 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: 100K points + 10x when you Shop Small in the US & at restaurants worldwide [Expired 1/20/22] |
80K Points 80K after $6K spend in first 6 months. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees)$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: 125K points after 6k spend [Expired 1/20/23] |
70K Points 70K points after $10K spend in 3 months. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees)$295 Annual Fee |
40K Points 40K after $3K spend in first 6 months. Terms apply. See Rates & Fees$150 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: 60K after $3K spend in first 6 months + 20% off travel and transit purchases for first 6 months. [Expired 8/21/23] |
10K Points 10K after $1K spend in 3 months. Terms apply.No 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. |
15K Points 15K after $1K spend in 3 months. Terms apply.$95 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: 30K after $2K in first 3 months |
15K points 15K points after $3K spend in first 3 months. Terms & limitations apply. $95 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. |
0% APR for 12 months 0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 18.49% - 26.49%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors at account opening. (Rates & Fees)No Annual Fee |
Credit card upgrade bonuses
Amex frequently offers bonus points for upgrading from one card to another. For example, we’ve seen 50,000 point offers for upgrading from the Business Gold Rewards card to the Business Platinum card. Even better, these upgrade offers often do not have the once per lifetime language. That is, if you are targeted for an upgrade offer, you may be able to earn the bonus points even if you’ve had the card before. It is best to accept these offers only after you have earned a signup bonus for the higher end card.
One strategy to try with Platinum cards is to downgrade to the lower priced Green card when your second year annual fee comes due. Then wait and hope to get an upgrade offer to go back to Platinum.
Credit card category bonuses
The next best way to earn Membership Rewards points is by using the best card for each category of spend. If you spend a lot personally or through your business on any of the below categories, you can do very well. Particularly noteworthy is the no-annual-fee Blue Business Plus Credit Card which offers 2 points per dollar for all spend, up to $50K spend per calendar year (then 1X thereafter). That’s fantastic.
| Spend Category | Best Options |
|---|---|
| US Supermarkets |
American Express Gold 4X (up to $25K per year, then 1X) EveryDay Preferred Up to 4.5X* (max $6K per year) |
| US Gas Stations |
Business Gold Rewards Up to 4X** EveryDay Preferred Up to 3X* |
| Restaurants | American Express Gold 4X American Express Green 3X Business Gold Rewards Up to 4X** |
| Travel (Broadly Defined) | American Express Green 3X |
| Flights |
Platinum consumer cards 5X Business Platinum (via Amex Travel) 5X Business Gold Rewards Up to 4X** American Express Gold 3X American Express Green 3X |
| Prepaid Hotels |
Platinum cards (via Amex Travel) 5X American Express Green 3X |
| Select Car Rental Companies | American Express Green 3X Morgan Stanley Credit Card 2X |
| US Shipping | Business Gold Rewards Up to 4X** |
| US Advertising in select media | Business Gold Rewards Up to 4X** |
| US Computer related purchases |
Business Gold Rewards Up to 4X** |
| Rakuten portal shopping | Rakuten Visa 3X + portal rewards |
| Everywhere else | Blue Business Plus 2X EveryDay Preferred 1.5X* |
* The Amex EveryDay Preferred card earns a 50% bonus every billing period in which the card was used for 30 or more transactions. Before the 50% bonus, the card has the following bonus categories: 3x points at US supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1x); 2x points at US gas stations; 1x points on other purchases. After the 50% bonus, it offers: 4.5x points at US supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1.5x); 3x points at US gas stations; 1.5x points on other purchases.
** The Business Gold Card offers 4X on the two categories where your business spends the most each billing cycle from the following categories: ⚬ US purchases at restaurants ⚬ Airfare purchased directly from airlines ⚬ U.S. purchases for advertising in select media ⚬ U.S. purchases at gas stations ⚬ U.S. purchases for shipping ⚬ U.S. computer hardware, software, and cloud computing purchases made directly from select providers. 4X applies to first $150,000 in combined purchases in your two categories each calendar year, 1X point per dollar thereafter and on other purchases. Terms apply.
Credit card referrals
Another great way to earn Membership Rewards points is by referring friends and relatives. In some cases referral bonuses are really big. However, if you want to keep your friends, then make sure that the offer they get is as good as the best available public offer (compare to our Best Offers page).
Log into your account to check for any special referral offers.
Note that this option is especially powerful since you can now refer friends to other cards — even to cards you do not have. See this post for full details: Maximizing value from Amex multi-referrals.
Amex Offers
Amex Offers are usually best for saving cash. But, sometimes Amex Offers provide terrific opportunities for point earning instead. One (now expired) example was an offer for Reebok: Spend $75 or more, Get 1,500 Membership Rewards points. And one for Hugo Boss: Spend $250 or more, Get 5,000 points.
Sometimes Amex Offers are longer term and act more like a new category bonus. For example, you’ll often see offers to earn 2X rewards at various merchants.
Log into your account and check the section titled “Amex Offers and Benefits” to look for offers like these.
Other options to earn Membership Rewards
FX International Payments
Amex offers businesses the ability to earn 1 Membership Rewards point per $30 of foreign wire payments (max 4,000 points per transaction). Even better, you may receive a welcome bonus offer like the one shown above (keep an eye out for this in your mailbox or email!).
Where to Redeem Membership Rewards Points
In general, Membership Rewards points are worth up to 1 cent each when redeemed for merchandise or gift cards. Fortunately, there are three ways in which it is possible to get more value: redeem points for flights, transfer points to hotel or airline partners, or invest rewards. More on each below…
Redeem points for travel
The Business Platinum Card offers a 35% Airline Bonus: Get 35% of your points back when you redeem points through Amex Travel for either a First or Business class flight on any airline, or for any flights with your selected airline.
After you receive the 35% rebate, the value works out to 1.54 cents per point. That's very good, but it does require owning this ultra-premium card.
Transfer points to travel partners
The best use of Membership Rewards points, in my opinion, is to transfer points to airline and hotel partners in order to book high value awards. Your best bet is usually to wait until you find a great flight or night award before transferring points. One exception: Amex often offers 30% or higher transfer bonuses to certain programs (Virgin Atlantic and British Airways are two recent examples). If you’re confident that you’ll use the points for good value, it may make sense to transfer points when those bonuses are in effect.
For specific examples of great ways to use points transferred to airline miles, please see: Amex Membership Rewards sweet spots.
Current Amex transfer bonuses
Here are the currently available transfer bonuses from Amex Membership Rewards (this table will update automatically when new offers are found):
| Transfer Bonus Details | End Date |
|---|---|
| 25% Transfer Bonus from AMEX Membership Rewards to Air France/KLM Flying Blue | 2023/09/22 |
Points can be transferred to the loyalty accounts of the primary cardholder or any authorized user or employee on the account.
Amex transfer partners
It is free to transfer Membership Rewards points to foreign airlines. For transfers to US airlines, however, Amex charges an “excise tax offset fee” of $0.0006 per point (with a maximum fee of $99). Airlines subject to this fee are noted below.
| Rewards Program | Amex Transfer Ratio | Best Uses |
|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus Avios | 1 to 1 | Fuel surcharges are sometimes lower when booking with Aer Lingus (Avios.com) rather than British Airways, Qatar, or Iberia. It's possible to move points (Avios) between Iberia, British Airways, Aer Lingus, and Qatar. See also: Avios Sweet Spots for Award Tickets. |
| AeroMexico ClubPremier | 1 to 1.6 | AeroMexico is a SkyTeam partner. Club Premier points can be used to book flights on AeroMexico, SkyTeam alliance members (such as Delta or Korean Air), or on select partner airlines. Unfortunately many have reported that awards are extremely difficult to book through AeroMexico so we do not recommend transferring points to this program. If you want to fly AeroMexico, look to transfer points to another SkyTeam partner (such as Air France) and then book AeroMexico with that program. |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 1 to 1 | Redeem for Star Alliance flights and/or flights with Air Canada partners (such as Etihad). No fuel surcharges; $39 CAD award booking fee; 5,000 points to add stopover on one-way award. See: Air Canada Aeroplan: Everything you need to know. |
| Air France KLM Flying Blue | 1 to 1 | Monthly Air France Promo Awards often represent very good value. Air France miles can be used to book Sky Team awards, including Delta awards. Air France often offers very good business class award pricing between the US and Europe & Israel. |
| ANA Mileage Club | 1 to 1 | Redeem for Star Alliance flights. Multiple stopovers allowed. ANA offers many great sweet-spot awards, including flying around the world in business class for as few as 115K miles! See also: ANA - a terrific Membership Rewards gem. |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 1 to 1 | Avianca LifeMiles can be great for Star Alliance awards. They offer reasonable award prices and no fuel surcharges on awards. They also offer shorthaul awards within the US (for flying United, for example) for as few as 7,500 miles one-way. Best of all, their mixed-cabin pricing can lead to fantastic first-class award prices. See this post for details. |
| British Airways Avios | 1 to 1 | While flights on British Airways itself often incur outrageously high fuel surcharges, many BA partners charge low or no fuel surcharges. Excellent value can be had in redeeming BA points for short distance flights. It's possible to move points (Avios) between Iberia, British Airways, Aer Lingus, and Qatar. See also: Avios Sweet Spots for Award Tickets. |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 1 to 1 | Cathay Pacific has a decent distance based award chart, but they no longer allow stopovers longer than 24 hours. Cathay Pacific Asia Miles can be a good option for booking American Airlines flights with a distance based award chart, especially if other OneWorld Alliance miles aren't available. For long distance flights, it is possible to reduce the cost of a premium cabin award by adding on a lower cabin segment. See this post for details. |
| Choice | 1 to 1 | Choice Privileges points seem to be randomly valuable within the US, but dependably valuable internationally in expensive locations such as Scandinavia and Japan. Points can sometimes offer great value when used towards participating Preferred Hotels of the World. |
| Delta SkyMiles | 1 to 1 plus excise tax | Delta no longer charges change or cancellation fees on awards originating in North America. Flash award sales and flights to/from locations other than the U.S. or Canada can offer great value. See: Best uses for Delta miles. |
| Emirates Skywards | 1 to 1 | The best use of Emirates miles has been to fly Emirates itself. Unfortunately fuel surcharges can be steep. See: Emirates Sweet Spot Awards - First class from 30K miles round trip. |
| Etihad Guest | 1 to 1 | Etihad offers a distance based award chart for flying Etihad and another for its partners. Points may offer good value for expensive but short-distance flights. |
| Hawaiian Miles | 1 to 1 plus excise tax | Hawaiian Airlines’ award prices tend to be quite high, but there are some not-terrible uses: fly to neighboring islands for 7.5K miles, fly first class round-trip from Hawaii to South Pacific islands for as few as 95K miles, fly first class round-trip from Hawaii to Australia for as few as 130K miles, or use miles to upgrade paid flights. |
| Hilton | 1 to 2 | 5th Night Free awards. Best value is usually found with very low end or very high end Hilton hotels. Bonus: award nights are not subject to resort fees. |
| Iberia Avios | 1 to 1 | Iberia offers very low award prices on their own flights and a very reasonable 25 Euro cancellation fee. Partner awards can offer good value under some circumstances as well, but these are usually nonrefundable. Fuel surcharges are sometimes lower when booking with Iberia rather than British Airways, Aer Lingus, or Qatar. It's possible to move points (Avios) between Iberia, British Airways, Aer Lingus, and Qatar. See also: Avios Sweet Spots for Award Tickets. |
| JetBlue | 250 to 200 plus excise tax | JetBlue points offer the most value when cheap ticket prices are available and when award taxes are high relative to the overall cost of the ticket (more details can be found here). The JetBlue Plus Card and the JetBlue Business Card offer a 10% rebate on awards, so you can get more value by holding one of these cards. |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 1 to 1 | 5th Night Free awards. Opportunities to get outsized value exist but can be hard to find. |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 1 to 1 | Best use is probably for flights on El Al with no fuel surcharges. Also useful for short AA flights. Qantas offers distance based award charts similar to Cathay Pacific. Both are OneWorld Alliance members. I recommend comparing award prices across both programs before transferring to either. Qantas offers round the world business class awards for only 280,000 points (but with many restrictions) |
| Qatar Privilege Club Avios | 1 to 1 | Qatar has reasonable award prices for flying Qatar itself. Points are now transferable 1 to 1 to British Airways (and from there to Aer Lingus or Iberia) |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 1 to 1 | Use to book Singapore Airlines First Class awards (generally reserved for their own members), Alaska Airlines economy awards, or for Star Alliance awards (including United Airlines). |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1 to 1 | Virgin Atlantic offers a few great sweet spot awards including US to Europe on Delta One business class for 50K points one-way. See: Best uses for Virgin Atlantic points (Sweet Spot Spotlight). |
Cash back
Other options for redeeming Membership Rewards
You can also redeem points for gift cards or merchandise. At most, with this approach you’ll get 1 cent per point value, but usually you’ll get quite a bit less.
You can also use points to pay some merchants directly (Amazon.com, for example). Don’t do this. These options offer very poor value. Further, they may compromise the security of your account (i.e. if someone hacks into your Amazon account, they might spend your Ultimate Rewards points – causing you a headache in getting your points reinstated).
Managing Membership Rewards Points
Combine Points
Amex automatically pools all of your points together. When you earn points with different cards, the point total shown when viewing either card is the total across cards.Share Points
Unlike Chase and Citibank, Amex doesn’t allow members to move points from one person’s account to another. That said, it is possible to transfer one person’s points to another person’s loyalty program account. The key is that the person who receives the points must be an authorized user or employee on the other person’s account. For example, my wife can transfer Membership Rewards points to my Virgin Atlantic account as long as I’m an authorized user (or employee) on any of her Membership Rewards cards.An authorized user card must be active for 90 days before it will unlock the ability to transfer your points to the authorized user’s loyalty program account.
How to Keep Points Alive
Thankfully, it is very easy to keep Amex Membership Rewards points alive. Simply keep any Membership Rewards card open. For example, if you are about to close your one and only Membership Rewards card, then open another Membership Rewards card account first in order to preserve your points. Amex offers some no-fee Membership Rewards cards, such as the Blue Business Plus and the Amex Everyday, so this shouldn't be much of a burden.Amex Platinum: Should I Keep or Cancel?
Deciding whether to keep or cancel Amex Platinum cards can be a tough decision. Given the card’s very high annual fee, it’s a significant investment to keep the card year after year. If you make good use of the card’s perks, though, it can be well worth it. For example, a Delta SkyClub membership alone currently costs $545 for 12 months, but you get the same access when you’re a Platinum cardholder. Plus, the Platinum card gives you access to many other lounges including Amex Centurion Lounges and Escape Lounges, both of which are arguably the best domestic airport lounges in the US.
Summary of All Amex Platinum Cards
Here’s summary information about each currently available Amex Platinum card variation. Click through any of the links for more details:
| Card Offer and Details |
|---|
150K points 150K points after $15K spend in the first 3 months. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees)$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. 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 flights and prepaid hotels at AmexTravel.com ⚬ 1.5X points per dollar on eligible purchases of $5000 or more (on up to $2 million of those purchases per year) ⚬ 1.5x on US construction/hardware stores, US electronic goods, and US shipping ⚬ 1X elsewhere ⚬ Terms apply. Card Type: Amex Pay Over Time Card Noteworthy perks: Up to $200 a year in statement credits for airline incidental fees (select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year for qualifying charges) ⚬ Up to $400 a year in statement credits for Dell purchases ($200, twice-yearly) ⚬ Up to $120 in wireless services credits per year ($10 per month) ⚬ Up to $360 per year in credit with Indeed (up to $90 per quarter ⚬ Up to $150 per year in purchases with Adobe for annual prepaid plans for eligible Creative Cloud for teams and Acrobat Pro DC with e-sign ⚬ $100 Global Entry fee reimbursement.⚬ Priority Pass membership (Lounges only) with 2 guests and other airport lounge benefits (Centurion and Delta) ⚬ Rental car elite status ⚬ Marriott Gold status ⚬ Hilton Gold status. ⚬ $189 CLEAR fee reimbursement annually (cover the cost of a CLEAR membership with up to $189 in statement credits per calendar year when you charge your CLEAR membership to your Business Platinum card) ⚬ 35% Airline Bonus: Get 35% points back after you Pay With Points for flights with your selected airline (or premium cabin with any airline). Enrollment required for select benefits See also: Amex Platinum Guide |
150K points 150K after $8K spend in 6 months. Terms apply.$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: 125K after $6K in the first 6 months + 15x when you Shop Small in the US and at restaurants worldwide on up to $25K in eligible purchases in the first 6 months [Expired 1/20/22] 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 Type: Amex Pay Over Time Card Noteworthy perks: ⚬ $200 Airline Fee Credit. Up to $200 a year in baggage fees and more at one qualifying airline per calendar year ⚬ $200 prepaid hotel credit per calendar year valid on Fine Hotels & Resorts and The Hotel Collection bookings (Hotel Collection requires a two-night stay) ⚬ Up to $300 in Equinox statement credits. ⚬ Up to $20 per month rebate for select digital entertainment services (Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The Wall Street Journal) ⚬ $189 CLEAR fee reimbursement per calendar year ⚬ Up to $200 for Uber rides annually. Credit and Uber VIP status for Basic Member only ⚬ Get a $300 statement credit for the purchase of a SoulCycle at-home bike with your Platinum Card(R). An Equinox+ subscription is required to purchase a SoulCycle at-home bike and access SoulCycle content. Must charge full price of bike in one transaction. Shipping available in the contiguous U.S. only. Enrollment Required ⚬ $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, enrollment required) ⚬ Card members are eligible to receive a statement credit every 4 years for the application fee for Global Entry fee when charged to an aligible card and a statement credit every 4.5 years for the application fee for TSA PreCheck® when charged to an eligible card ⚬ Priority Pass membership (Lounges only) with 2 guests and other airport lounge benefits (Centurion and Delta) ⚬ Rental car elite status ⚬ Marriott Gold status ⚬ Hilton HHonors Gold status ⚬ Free Companion Platinum card AUs (previously known as Gold AUs). Terms Apply. (Rates & Fees) See also: Amex Platinum Guide |
80K Points 80K after $6K spend in first 6 months. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees)$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: 125K points after 6k spend [Expired 1/20/23] 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 Type: Amex Pay Over Time Card 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 Reserved Clients See also: Amex Platinum Guide |
80K points 80K after $6K spend in first 6 months. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees)$695 Annual Fee This card is only available to clients that maintain an eligible Schwab brokerage account. 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: 100K points + 10x when you Shop Small in the US & at restaurants worldwide [Expired 1/20/22] 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 Type: Amex Pay Over Time Card Noteworthy perks: This card includes all of the great perks that come with the American Express Platinum Card, plus: ⚬ Use Membership Rewards® points for deposits by Schwab to your eligible brokerage account. (For example, 10,000 points = $110) ⚬ $100 credit with Schwab holdings of $250,000+ or $200 credit with holdings of $1,000,000+ on approval & each year. See also: Amex Platinum Guide |
Want to learn more about miles and points? Subscribe to email updates or check out our podcast on your favorite podcast platform.
Nice resource. But can you please clarify one point? Regarding the Priority Pass you wrote: “Yes. Each authorized user must sign up for Priority Pass Select.” I enabled this benefit but I don’t see how to sign up separately for the AU. Will they just mail two cards for each user or do I need to call Amex?
I called in and get the answer. You need to create a login for the AU and sign into their account to activate this benefit. You reeive the PP # immediately on the screen and you are able to create a login on the app, so it seems you can use the card electronically before you receive it physically.
I called in and got the answer.
You need to create a login for the AU and sign into their account to activate this benefit. You receive the PP # immediately on the screen and you are able to use it to create a login on the app, so it seems you can use the card electronically before you receive it physically.
I just applied for Schwab platinum and got pop-up saying I wasn’t eligible for the welcome offer. I have never had a Schwab platinum. I have not opened a new Amex account in over 5 years. I do have a 5 year old vanilla Platinum, a 7 year old blue business plus, and Bonvoy (converted from old SPG card). I also closed Gold card and Hilton card in 2018.
I was surprised I am ineligible for the signup bonus based on your info here. Any ideas?
That’s crazy. We do hear stories like that every now and then. You could try calling to apply and see if that gets you through without a warning.
Guests can I use all 5 of the guest passes at the same time. I ha be the plattnum membership
Thanks amex! As an infrequent traveler with a fam, I was irrationally attracted to the lounge benefit. No worries now.
We have a Amex Platinum card and have added an authorized user for $175…we called to add another AU and they said it would be another $175 but above it says we should get three AU’s….help please
I think it’s $175 per card up to 3 AU cards. Obviously not 3 cards for $175.
It is a flat $175 for up to three additional AU cards. I would either HUCA or just trust the I go you were given by the customer service agent was wrong and that AmEx will bill it correctly.
Thanks!!!
I added a second user long after the first and was not charged an additional fee.
Appreciate it!!!
I believe that the “Preferred Hotels & Resorts Lifetime Elite Status” benefit is an error of some sort. When I registered using the link, I only received basic membership and there is no reference to it on Amex’s Platinum Travel Benefits page.
Sorry about that. I’ll take it out of the chart. It was always only supposed to work in India, but it used to work in the U.S.
Hi Greg. I couldn’t seem to find if you mentioned Plaza Premium lounges in your excellent write-up. They are relevant because I believe that are accessible with a Consumer Platinum card but not accessible with Priority Pass (an advantage of AMEX vs. Chase). Also, I’m not positive, but I think that Plaza Premium lounges will be available to guests without paying the new AMEX Platinum guest fee.
Greg, in the referral section, you might want to note that the referral bonuses received by holders of the Charles Schwab and Morgan Stanley versions of the Platinum Card are not attractive. $100 per referral (up to $550 per year) as opposed to *YMMV* Membership Rewards points (up to 55k or 100k MR per year, depending). While the CS and MS have their unique perks, the referral bonus difference is a major shortcoming for some.
Three questions I’d really appreciate help with:
1) I added an AU to my personal platinum in September and paid the $175 then. Can I add two more now for free?
2) I have an offer for 10K points to add an AU on my Platinum. Will that work, if I already have one AU and have already paid the $175?
3) Can I add someone as an authorized user while they have a Platinum card? (My mother is about to cancel hers, but has a trip before the new card would come.)
1) Yes
2) Yes, add another one. They also don’t have to be Platinum – you can have Gold AUs, but they won’t get the Platinum AU benefits.
3) Yes
Thanks so much!
Used the link in your article for Elite status at Preferred Hotels and Resorts and followed the sign-up instructions, however when checking my status on the Preferred website, no status has been given. Is this benefit still available?
I had the same problem. Perhaps it’s no longer active? Anyone have any success with the Preferred Hotels Elite Status Benefit?
Just a caveat regarding the FHR benefits. Although Amex permits booking an FHR for only one night, in practice some properties require a two night stay to get the benefit. These same properties however do permit one night stays using their own website on the variety of dates I checked. I feel AMEX should remove the offending properties from their list.
There are two different programs bookable thorugh Amex Travel. One is Fine Hotels and Resorts, the other is The Hotel Collection. FHR properties only require one night, but THC properties require two. I imagine that’s probably what you’re noticing?
Many clubs allow use of the spa without a membership – do you think paying for a couple of massages would trigger the $300? That would be terrific if so.
I heard Equinox was not accepting new customers as of 1/1/23
Greg, it’s probably worth noting a particular aspect of the Business Platinum’s 35% airfare pay-with-points rebate. When booking, the member must have the full number of points when making the purchase. That is, based on 1 cent per point. The 35% rebate posts to the member’s account roughly 4 to 6 weeks later. Don’t want anyone to be surprised.
Additionally, best be a ticket you are most certain to use. It can be a pain to cancel and re-book. Also your ticket is only good for one year from date of original issue. For someone that likes to book ASAP when booking date becomes available, that can be an issue on your re-booking time frame. Otherwise a great card benefit.
P1 already has Schwab Plat card, can P2 apply for the same card using the same joint Schwab brokerage account? Thanks. Happy holidays!
Probably. I don’t know.
Yes
Great. Thanks, Lee.
[…] As far as I know, there is no change to the fee when you add authorized users on the Personal Platinum, Charles Schwab Platinum, or Morgan Stanley Platinum. Read this Frequent Miler post to learn about the different flavors of the Platinum card. […]
The renewal fee for my personal platinum posted on 1/19/22, and was surprisingly $550 and not $695. I thought starting 1/1/22 all annual fees were going to $695?
Maybe because it posted in a statement period that started December 20th 2021?
Avis Preferred Plus status should be added to your rental car options (for all Platinum Cards). Benefits:
With Avis Preferred Plus status, receive a complimentary upgrade when available every time you book1 and additional Avis Preferred points for every qualifying dollar you spend. When reserving a car with Avis, be sure to use your Platinum AWD discount code A756900 to receive discounts off your rental. Receive a free2 2-day weekend rental coupon after 2 completed qualifying rentals3 from Avis of 2 or more days each in a 6-month period. Subject to availability. Terms and limitations apply. An advance reservation is required.
FYI the Sak’s credit does not work if using the AMEX card through Paypal. Did this in order to split tender on a purchase. The credit was not applied, and denied after a chat with CSR who quoted the T&C. CSR refused to manually apply the credit. Got a lot of finger wagging in that chat….
Good to know. Thanks for sharing that.
Hi Greg.
Does the $200 hotel credit for 2021 require a stay in 2021 or can the room just be booked and paid in 2021? Will I get the 2021 credit if I book a prepaid room today for a 2022 stay?
So far I’m at 292000 MR on the Resy Platinum/referral offer with 2.5 months to go at x19!
Yes you can book a prepaid room now for 2022 in order to use your 2021 credit.
Just got the dreaded “not eligible for the welcome offer” when applying for the Amex Gold from a P2 referral. I opened a Plat personal almost one year ago and used it mostly towards grocery and gas for first six months. No other Amex cards. Geez!
BTW, I had not yet cancelled my plat though I admittedly planned to do that once I had a Gold. Only 3 other apps in the past two years.
One thing I can’t find on searches is:
Can you change the authorized user later on the Morgan Stanley Amex platinum? And if so, how often?
I have no idea. I’d be surprised if they didn’t let you change the free AU, but I don’t have any firsthand knowledge about it.
Is it possible to change from Amex Plat to Plat for MS? Or is a new application required for MS account holders? Great write up thanks!
Thanks! No, you can’t product change from one to another, but that’s a good thing. If you product change you won’t get a welcome bonus. By signing up new, you will.
Makes sense. Thanks for the quick reply!
Greg, do you know why AUs for the Biz Plat are $300 per person while you can get 3 AUs for $175 on the personal Plat? I never understood the reasoning.
This might become important in 2023 when you have to spend $75k in 2022 to get guest access for Centurion Lounges.
I’m assuming that it was based on their customer assumptions. “If a business wants to give an employee these perks, they’ll be willing to pay $300 per employee.” “If a person wants to give these perks to family members, maybe they’ll pay $175 for 3 people.”
I guess that could be true. It seems like the most tangible benefits for AU cards are the various lounge programs that AUs have access to. You would think that most businesses would have several employees vs a person who wants to give access to their 2-3 family members. I would also think AMEX would prefer to have more business AUs since they probably spend more money than personal AUs.
If you’ve already used the $100 dell credit for the business platinum, does that mean another $100 will now automatically come off?
Yes it should.
[…] try to sell you an inferior offer that pays them a sales commission, this blog will not, here is a complete guide of the card. What do I think about the changes? I think they are awful. Oh, I had never heard of Equinox […]
Any way to apply for the Resy Platinum card without a SSN? I have a few Amex cards, all of which were applied for by phone and identified by my foreign passport…
No idea. Sorry.
Task for bloggers…
1) How to get amazon gift card from audible subscription through gifting .
2) How to maximize these credits in case of 2/3 cards per family. (Combining those equinox credit on multiple cards ?)
3) Even CLEAR benefit can we pay ahead for multiple year ?
Nice to-do list, thanks!
🙂
IS THERE AN AMEX ULTRA PREMIUM CARD COMING OUT SOON?
The Centurion card (invite only) has been around for years.
Can I use United-Clear pricing and then add a family member to it? Total comes out to 119+60 = 179 which will be covered by Platinum
Yes, I’m sure that would work.
I’ve got two corporate platinum amex cards. I can justify the fee for only one of them. What’s an option for a product change with amex that will still earn membership rewards and allows for free employee cards?
There really isn’t a good product change option from the Business Platinum. I’d probably cancel one of them.
Blue Business Plus?
Corporate cards are different from consumer and business cards. I have no idea whether there’s a good product change option from a corporate platinum card. I recommend calling the number on the back of your card.
If you really meant Business Platinum, then the product change options are the Business Gold or Business Green cards (both have annual fees but both allow for free employee cards I believe).
Quote:
A Delta SkyClub membership alone costs $545 for 12 months. You can give friends the same access when flying Delta by adding them as authorized users. How much would your friends pay you for this benefit?
The implicit suggestion here is not wise. Why would you give others access to your credit line? And if they are really your very good friend that you trust with your credit worthiness, why would you charge them?
Not good advice, IMO
Amex makes it easy to setup authorized users with limited or no credit.
That’s a good trick
Saw that Amex updated Sky miles program.
New terms says: SkyMiles Program
This benefit will end on 8/31/21.
End of partnership with Amex?
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/credit-cards/card-application/apply/supplementary/terms/platinum-card/36182-9-0
Weird. I think this is an error. It also says that Delta Private Jets 20% Discount on Commercial Flights ends 8/31/21. My guess is that that’s the only thing ending then. Of course, I could be wrong!
From this article if I’m interpreting correctly, for “Amex Platinum” cards, lifetime welcome bonus for regular Amex Platinum is different category from the Morgan Stanley Platinum card?
I.E If i apply approved for 75K welcome bonus through regular Amex Platinum today, a year from now I can switch/apply to Morgan Stanley Platinum card and get 60K MR Welcome bonus?
Yes that’s right, except that you should go for the 100K Platinum offer today, not the 75K offer! 🙂
THANK YOU and can’t thank you enough. Just got the 100k offer in mail and activated my platinum card.
for the consumer Amex plat, can the AU with a gold card activate the paypal and home improvement store credits with their purchases?
Yes. I’m sure that works with the Paypal credits. I’m not 100% sure about home improvement credits, though.
Greg, wonderful Amex Platinum guide with easy to understand tables and colors.
Please update the car rental section with the complimentary Avis Preferred Plus Status.
Consider expanding the table with some other hidden benefits;
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/hidden-benefits-american-express-platinum-card/
Great suggestions, thanks!
I’m getting the dreaded “You’re not eligible for the welcome bonus … would you like to proceed” message for both Plat Business and Schwab even though I have never had those cards, I just had a regular consumer Plat in the past. Is there any known workaround? I thought these were considered different products and welcome bonuses would be available.
They are different products. There are two types of pop-ups: one explicitly says that you’re not eligible because you’ve had this product before. The other is a more vague one that doesn’t say why you’re not eligible. I suspect you got the latter. The only known work-around is to regularly put more spend on your existing Amex cards. That seems to help in getting people past those pop-ups.
My Amex personal Platinum (for Morgan Stanley) has a benefit called Amex Auto Purchasing Program which claims to save an average of over $3000 off MSRP. Anyone had any experience with this? Is it like the Costco program where you have to let them know in advance so they have time to add to the prices?
I am pretty good at bargaining for a good price, but I just came across this and I am looking for a new car in the next few months.
I imagine it can’t hurt to give it a try, but was hoping I could get some feedback on whether it’s worth bothering or not.
Do AU get lounge access(w/o free guest) even without the primary being present?
Platinum AU: Yes. Lounge benefit is same as primary cardholder.
Gold or Green AU: No.
Hi Greg, my wife has the Platinum card for MS and one feature is a free AU Platinum card so she applied for one for me. Now AMEX wants my SSN and personal details. Does that mean they will do a credit pull on me even though she is the responsible party?
No, they won’t do a hard credit pull. I don’t know of any downside to giving them that info.
[…] Amex Platinum Complete Guide […]
Greg, you don’t mention travel Insurance coverage. I thought this was one of the best features of the card, assuming it is still available. Is it extended to all Schwab and Morgan Stanley versions as well and what about the AUs on those cards for this benefit?
And, do you know if applying for the free AU Platinum card on the Morgan Stanley card would result in a ha5rd pull of that AU and/or a 5/24 slot?
No, adding an AU won’t do a hard pull. It might show up on on your credit report but won’t hurt 5/24 if you call and say you’re not responsible for paying the bill
Thanks for your opinion, Greg. I thought it a good idea to get this card not just because it is free but even though my wife live and I travel together 99.8% of the time I believe it may allow extra flexibility in transferring MR points to the AU’s airline or hotel accounts. And, possibly if we travel with others we could get 6 people total into a lounge with 2 cards.
Greg, I do appreciate your experience and fast responses. Though I do read a few other blogs, none comes close to the in depth coverage like yours. Thanks, and keep up the good work in this new year!
Emergency Medical Transportation is listed there. And yes that’s available to other flavors of Platinum and to AUs. As to other insurance coverage, Amex cards are pretty far below Chase Sapphire Reserve & Ritz for their coverage.
Thank you Greg !! always a pleasure. Thanks, applied today for the AU card. It seems like all it gets is the Global Entry and Lounges as free extras or insurance if I travel alone.
[…] other Amex cards!) offers excellent return and purchase protection (against damage / loss / theft). See this post for more about the Platinum card and see this post for more on purchase […]
As I think about the current 100K Amex point offer, I’m looking at the benefits, and no where that I’m seeing is it showing the $200 airline credit. Is it gone from these enhanced offers? Though, I didn’t see it via my offers when I’m logged in either. Or is it so standard that they don’t mention it?
Never mind. It’s not in the benefits section on the website, but is mentioned in the details benefits terms.
[…] Gold status, Centurion lounge access, Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta, and more. See our Amex Platinum Complete Guide for […]
Quick question regarding authorized users. If I add an authorized user with a Gold card, will that still earn 10x at groceries and gas station for the next 6 months, or does that only work if the authorized user has a Platinum card? Thanks!
Yes spend on the free Gold authorized user cards will earn the 10X for the primary cardholder.
Thanks! Just got approved for the 100K offer. Saw it in incognito in both Chrome and Edge, but not Firefox. One more question. Will the authorized user’s Gold card prevent them from applying for their own Platinum card and receiving the sign up offer?
Nope. Having an AU card never interferes with getting a signup bonus for a card
Thanks. Good to hear! Thinking of getting a separate Platinum for P2 but just need to figure out if we will be able to meet both spending requirements within 6 months (plus my spending requirement from Marriott Bonvoy Boundless). Even if we can, I know we will leave a lot of points on the table because there is no way we are maxing out even one $15,000 grocery/gas spend in six months, not to mention two.
Thanks for the Guide.
I have an upgrade offer to Platinum card on my Gold card for a week. Yesterday, I decided to apply directly to Platinum and get 100k welcome points. Card was approved and received. However, I still see the upgrade offer on Gold card. Interesting, can I accept the upgrade offer and get two welcome bonuses? I can meet both minimum spending requirements in 3 months, but I don’t want my Gold upgrade offer make me ineligible for 100k signed in offer or the over way around.
Good question. If I were you I’d wait to earn the welcome bonus on the new account before accepting an upgrade on the Gold card. Just in case.
Hi, Greg. You right, it is safer to get the new bonus first. thank you.
Ameriprise platinums were converted as of 3/26/20 according to DOC 1/30/20 article? I think pay over time was defaulted for everyone as of this month too? Not sure if it is yet in force though
Good points. I’ll update
I had the now defunct Ameriprise Amex Platinum card some years ago. Was it considered a separate product, so I can be approved for the normal Amex Platinum card?
Yes that was a separate product. As long as your card wasn’t open when they converted them to generic Platinum cards you’re good to go.
[…] can be booked with Choice points. You can find participating properties here. Those with Amex Membership Rewards points can transfer to Choice Privileges 1 to 1. This is usually a poor use of […]
[…] Amex Platinum and Business Platinum cards offer free Gold status to primary cardholders and authorized users. You must enroll in this benefit. See: Your Platinum card arrived. Here’s what to do next… […]
[…] Amex Platinum cards come in several different “flavors”. One of the best is arguably the Morgan Stanley Platinum Card because it offers one authorized user card for free (See: Which is the Best Amex Platinum Card?). The authorized user gets many of the same perks as the primary cardholder (see our Platinum guide for a list of perks, along with which ones apply to authorized users). […]
[…] access, elite status in a number of programs, and other miscellaneous travel related benefits (see our complete guide for details). As long as your authorized users aren’t traveling, those perks aren’t worth […]
[…] Platinum Card, and the Ameriprise Platinum Card (no longer available to new applicants). See also: Amex Platinum Complete Guide and Green card refresh: new 3x categories, benefits, and […]
[…] See also: Amex Platinum Complete Guide […]
[…] gift” in appreciation of my Card Membership. This was probably thanks to my having a Platinum Card. I’ve heard of others getting gifts like this, but this was a first for […]
[…] great perks, but you can find even more perks, including SkyClub access, on the identically priced Amex Platinum card (not to be confused with the Delta Platinum card). And, unlike the Delta Reserve card, the […]
[…] Card (no longer available to new applicants) both offer automatic Marriott Gold status. Similarly Amex Platinum cards offer free Gold status (you must […]
[…] Please see: Amex Platinum Complete Guide. […]
At approximately 7 PM on Monday 12/2/2019, I opened a MS Access Investing account and immediately funded it with a check deposit. Tuesday 12/3 morning, I received notice that the MS Access Investing account was formally opened and invested. That same morning at approximately 10 AM Tuesday, I applied for the MS AMEX Platinum and received a 7-10 day review. The next day (Wednesday 12/4) at approximately 12:30 PM, I received notice that the MS AMEX Platinum was approved.
I believe there is a significant typo in the National Car section. It says ‘Book midsize cars and select any car from the Executive Aisle for no extra charge’. This should say ‘Emerald Aisle’ not executive aisle. Executive cars are separate category. When you go to the National Link it enrolls you in the Emerald Aisle program.
The advantage of National Executive status is that you get to pick from the Executive aisle which has better cards than the regular Emerald aisle. All members can pick from the Emerald aisle.
In comparing the Morgan Stanley and Schwab cards, if you have the $1M in assets to park, I think Schwab is a better choice.
MS is going to charge a AUM fee (I can’t find the actual %, but most investment firms are at least 1%), so you will be paying $10,000 to MS in order to get a “free” Platinum and 1 AU. That is a loss of $9450 annually.
With Schwab, you are not tied into the AUM relationship. A Plat + 3AUs will cost $525 annually ($350 AF if you have $1M, + $175 AU fee). And if redeemed as a pure cash back card, you end up getting 1.25% instead of 1% with MS.
I’d take a $525 fee over a $9450 fee any day.
Great point!
Treesha
TOAD TD Ameritrade I was thinking of leaving . Gave me a $1,000 cash and 3 or 4% rate on Margin and upped my interest rate on cash in my account . Maybe TO LITTLE TO LATE but pays to ASK !!!!
Good Luck .
CHEERs
Also no mention of IAP program?
Thank you! Both of those are oversights and will be plugged in ASAP
Great summary. maybe add 5x MR on airfare direct from airlines in your chart? it only says 5x on hotel and airfare booked direct at amextravel.com right now
Finally updated the post with both of these. Thanks again.
The Morgan Stanley card is tempting. Do you know of any bonuses/promos to shift assets to MS?
No, I don’t, but that’s not something I actively track.
I’m visiting Greece, and the Amex Plat Uber credit is listed in the Uber app as “not available in this region.” Uber is usable, just not the credit. Sigh.
Only works in US
I seem to recall that AMEX views a “lifetime” as 7 years, so that after 7 years, you would be eligible for another “once per lifetime card”. Any data points on this?
That is the conventional wisdom. I haven’t heard any recent data points to confirm this though.
Great article AS ALWAYS.
I just learned that as of 03May, the Morgan Stanley Platinum no longer includes the Boingo benefit. If you had not already signed up for it (I had not), you are out of luck.
I keep reading about all of the great Amex offers, but I never have anything interesting. Is there a trick to start getting some?
Thanks for the reminder about Boingo. It’s gone from all of the Platinum cards so we removed it from the perks list.
Amex Offers: the only option I know of for increasing the likelihood of getting the interesting offers is to have more Amex cards. Some of the best offers only appear on business cards.
Excellent excellent excellent guide, guys. Badly needed for beginners and a reference for miles enthusiasts. This should’ve been made years ago, but I’m glad this extensive article has been written and released here.
This guide should be published in a PDF file for future reference. Excellent job, guys. Bravo!
Can a biz plat be PC’d to a Blue biz plus?
No it can’t. The Biz Plat is a charge card and the Blue Biz Plus is a credit card. They won’t let you product change between types.
Keep or Cancel – not sure if I’m remembering correctly, but haven’t there been recentish reports of clawbacks for people who cancel cards in the first year or even at first year renewal? Or do you consider that so rare as to not factor into the keep-or-cancel decision?
Yes, that’s correct, but I believe that those reports come from people who cancel before the next annual fee is charged. As long as you wait until the annual fee appears on your bill, it should be OK.
If this fee appears on my account, do I have to pay it? Isn’t it?
No, you don’t have to pay it if you cancel before the bill is due
Thanks for the guide.
Question – if I’m flying Delta but then have a same day connection on a different airline (AA), will I still be able to use the Delta lounge during the layover? Thanks.
You can use it on departure or arrival so yes.
Does the free Gold Card that you can get an AU if you have a platinum card earn 4x at Grocery Stores on the 1st $25k?
Sadly, it doesn’t. It earns at the same rate as the Platinum.
The Platinum card doesn’t earn 4x at grocery stores, therefore the AU card wouldn’t earn 4x either. Amex Gold is a completely different product with its own $250 AF.
What do you think the odds are of a green card refresh as Dr of Credit has noted as a rumor?
DoC usually has good info about Amex changes so I think it’s likely
First.
The index looks very nice. Like a professional.