Thanks to the almost unbelievably good welcome bonuses that have been available in recent times for both consumer and business Platinum cards, I expect that many readers have a Platinum card of one type or another. Here’s a checklist of things to do to get great value from your Platinum card.
For more details about Platinum cards, see these posts:
- Platinum Forever Free (After Rebate)
- How to use your Amex Point fortune
- Amex Membership Rewards sweet spots
- Amex Transfer Partners: Which are Best?
- Amex Platinum Complete Guide
- Don’t want to pay that $695 annual fee? Here’s the strategy before you cancel.
And now, back to maximizing value from your Platinum card…
#1 Become elite
Platinum Amex cards offer a number of elite status upgrades, but you have to actively enroll in each one:
- Hilton Honors Gold Status: Hilton Gold members receive free breakfast (or food & beverage credits), room upgrades when available, and other perks at Hilton hotels. To get Gold status, go to benefit page, find the Hilton Honors Gold benefit, and click “Enroll Now”.
- 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). To get Gold status, go to benefit page, find the Marriott Bonvoy Gold benefit, and click “Enroll Now”.
- National Car Rental Executive status: Book midsize cars and select any car from the Executive Aisle for no extra charge. This can be a really valuable perk. Don’t pass this one up. Enroll here.
- Hertz President Circle status: Gauranteed one-class upgrade and the ability to pick any vehicle from the President’s Circle section. Also gives complimentary use of Hertz Valet, a terminal drive-back service at participating locations, up to four times per year. Enroll here.
- Uber VIP: Add your consumer Platinum card to your Uber account to become an Uber VIP. Read more about this in the next section.
- Neiman Marcus InCircle: Your Platinum card qualifies you to join the InCircle program. With this program, you can earn InCircle points for spend at Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Last Call, Horchow or Cusp. More details can be found on the Platinum benefits page.
#2 Enhance your travel experiences
Platinum cards offer many perks that make traveling easier, cheaper, and better…
- Global Entry: Sign up! Platinum cards offer full reimbursement of the Global Entry signup fee once every 4 years. Global Entry includes TSA Pre-Check, so you’ll speed through security on domestic flights, and speed through re-entry to the US thanks to Global Entry. Sign up for Global Entry here. Pay the $100 with your Platinum card. Reimbursement should happen automatically. If you already have Global Entry, you can use your card to pay for a friend or family member’s Global Entry instead.
- Access Delta SkyClubs (when flying Delta), Amex Centurion Lounges, Escape Lounges, and Airspace Lounges: Simply bring your Platinum card with you when you travel. Delta SkyClub access is free only for the Platinum cardholder. You can currently bring two free guests with you to the other lounges: Amex Centurion Lounges, Escape Lounges, and Airspace Lounges. Note that in Feb 2023, guest access to Centurion Lounges will be restricted. See this post for details.
- Airport Lounge Access via Priority Pass Select: This version of Priority Pass Select membership allows you and 2 guests free entrance to participating lounges, but does not include non-lounge Priority Pass benefits (neither Priority Pass participating restaurants nor Be Relax spas are included). You must sign up for Priority Pass Select to get this benefit. Go to the Amex benefit page, look for the “Global Lounge Collection,” and click “Enroll”. You will receive a membership card by mail. Present your Priority Pass card and boarding pass at the lounge entrance. NOTE: If you have another non-Amex card that offers free Priority Pass Select membership (such as the Capital One Venture X or Chase Sapphire Reserve), I recommend enrolling through that card instead so that you’ll also be eligible for free meals at participating Priority Pass restaurants and free massages at Be Relax spas.
- Uber / Uber Eats Credits and VIP Status: Add your consumer Platinum card to your Uber account in order to get $15 in Uber / Uber Eats credits per month and $35 in December. Adding your card also gives you Uber VIP status which is supposed to automatically connect you with top rated drivers in select cities. The Uber benefit is not available to Business Platinum cardholders.
- 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.
- Book hotels through Fine Hotels & Resorts or The Hotel Collection: Get elite-like perks and hotel credits by booking through Amex here. Consumer Platinum cards also offer $200 per calendar year in rebates for prepaid bookings with Fine Hotels & Resorts or The Hotel Collection. Find available hotels, by destination, here. More details about these credits can be found below.
- Fly Private: The Premium Private Jet program is available to all Platinum cardholders. Get 20% off, plus one time $500 credit towards a Wheels Up Connect membership; or 40% off, plus one time $2K towards a Wheels Up Core membership. For more details, or to enroll, click here.
#3 Earn $200 back on prepaid hotel bookings each year
This benefit is available via all consumer Platinum cards, but not Business Platinum cards. Get $200 back in statement credits each calendar year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card. Note that most prepaid bookings are fully refundable. One awesome aspect of these bookings is that you can add your hotel chain loyalty number in order to earn hotel points and receive elite benefits. That’s extremely unusual for 3rd party hotel bookings, especially when they are prepaid!
Booking a 2-night or longer stay through The Hotel Collection gives you $100 in hotel credits to spend on qualifying dining, spa, and resort activities; plus a room upgrade when available.
Booking any Fine Hotels & Resorts stay, even a 1-night stay, will give you noon check-in (when available), Room upgrade upon arrival (when available), daily breakfast for two, guaranteed 4pm late check-out, complimentary Wi-Fi, and a special amenity unique to each property. Find participating hotels, by destination, here.
See also: Find your own Fine Hotels & Resorts deals.
#4 Earn $200 in Airline Fee Credits each calendar year
Airline fee credits are supposed to be for incidental fees: checked bags, change fees, in-flight snacks, etc. However, in practice, many small purchases (under $200 or so) charged by your selected airline receive the credit. This often includes award booking fees, for example. You must select your preferred airline before these charges hit your account in order to get reimbursed.
- Go to your card’s benefits page and click “Select a Qualifying Airline”.
- Spending up to $200 on airline incidental fees with your chosen airline each calendar year.
For details about which charges are likely to be reimbursed, please see: Amex Airline Fee Reimbursements. What still works?
#5 Earn up to $189 per calendar year in CLEAR credits
CLEAR is a service that uses your eyes or fingerprints to confirm your identity. This is used at many airport and some stadiums to help you speed through security checks. CLEAR isn’t yet available at all airports in the US, but thanks to partnerships with Delta and United, CLEAR is rapidly expanding.
At supported airports, CLEAR makes it possible to skip the sometimes very long ID check lines (just before security). Instead, of waiting to show your ID, you can go to the CLEAR aisle (where available) and simply scan your eyes or fingerprints.
Use your Platinum card to pay for CLEAR to receive up to $189 back each year. Tip: Cover 2 people for $189 by enrolling the first person through Delta or United for $119 and then add a second person for $60.
#6 Use $200 in Uber credits each calendar year
This benefit is available via all consumer Platinum cards, but not Business Platinum cards. Add your consumer Platinum card as a Payment Method to your Uber account in order to get $15 in Uber credits per month and $35 in December. You don’t have to pay with your Platinum card in order to use this benefit.
Uber Eats: Another great way to use these credits is to order food delivery through Uber eats. Enter your location in the Uber Eats website to find out if delivery is available in your area.
Those who ride Uber often, or order through Uber Eats often, will likely have no problem in getting full value from this perk. Alternatively, if someone in the household other than the primary cardholder is a frequent Uber rider or Uber Eats eater, consider adding your card to their Uber account instead of yours.
If you are new to Uber Eats, you can use our code at check-out to get $20 off your first Uber Eats order of $25 or more: eats-uberfrequentmiler
#7 Get $20 per month back in rebates on select digital entertainment services
This benefit is available via all consumer Platinum cards, but not Business Platinum cards.
Earn up to $20 per month in credits for subscriptions to Audible, Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The New York Times . Enroll here and then setup the service to charge your Platinum card monthly. Note that the maximum rebate is $20 altogether — you do not get up to $20 per service.
#8 Earn up $100 per year in rebates at Saks Fifth Avenue
This benefit is available with all consumer Platinum cards, but not Business Platinum cards. Use your card to shop at Saks Fifth Avenue, either in-store or online, and get $50 statement credit for purchases made from January through June, and another $50 statement credit from July through December.
- Go to your card’s benefits page and enroll in the “Shop Saks with Platinum” benefit.
- January – June:
- Use your consumer Platinum card to make a purchase at Saks Fifth Avenue in-store or online.
- Up to $50 should be credited to your account automatically.
- July – December:
- Use your consumer Platinum card to make a purchase at Saks Fifth Avenue in-store or online.
- Up to $50 should be credited to your account automatically.
Personally, I’ve had good luck getting nice $50-ish items twice a year from the saksfifthavenue.com sale section.
Free Shipping
ShopRunner is a service offered for free to all US Amex cardholders. Once enrolled, you get free shipping from a number of stores, including Saks.com.
- Register for ShopRunner here
- Make sure to be logged into ShopRunner before shopping at Saks in order to get free shipping.
Portal Rewards
Before shopping at Saks online, start your shopping on an online shopping portal to earn extra rewards. Cashback Monitor is a great tool for finding the best current reward opportunities.
Many portals offer signup bonuses when you first shop through the portal, as well as miscellaneous spend bonuses throughout the year. Shopping at Saks, even if you don’t want anything, can be a great way to trigger those bonuses. For example, as I write this, the Rakuten portal is offering $30 for signing up through a referral and making at least $30 in purchases (I appreciate anyone using my referral, here, thanks!). So, if you have a consumer Platinum card, you can sign up for Rakuten with a referral link, click through to Saks Fifth Avenue, and spend $30 or more. You’ll receive up to $50 back from Amex, $30 from Rakuten, plus the usual rewards offered by Rakuten for Saks purchases.
#9 Get Walmart+ for Free
This benefit is available with all consumer Platinum cards, but not Business Platinum cards. There is no need to enroll.
Use your consumer Platinum card to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and your entire charge will be refunded each month. Walmart+ offers the following perks:
- Black Friday Early access: Shop Black Friday deals 4 hours before everyone else.
- Free shipping: No order minimum. Excludes oversized and Marketplace items
- Free delivery from store: Groceries & more delivered as soon as same day. $35 order minimum.
- Rx for less: “Get select prescriptions for as little as $0. Save up to 85% on thousands more”
- Member prices on fuel: Save 5¢ per gallon on fuel at Walmart & Murphy stations.
- Scan & go: Scan items as you shop in stores and pay with your phone.
Sign up here for Walmart+ (Note: this is an affiliate link, but it’s not at all clear to me that we will earn anything from this).
#10 Get back up to $300 annually on Equinox subscriptions
This benefit is available with all consumer Platinum cards, but not Business Platinum cards. Primary cardholders and authorized users are eligible to receive up to a total of $300 in statement credits per each calendar year on Equinox membership fees (which include complimentary access to the Equinox+ app as part of the membership) or a stand-alone membership to the Equinox+ app. Enroll here.
#11 Earn 5x for airfare and prepaid hotels
Consumer Platinum cards earn 5 points per dollar for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel. The Business Platinum card earns 5X only for flights booked with American Express Travel. All Platinum cards earn 5x for prepaid hotels booked at amextravel.com. Note that some prepaid hotels are fully refundable (make sure to check before booking!).
5 points per dollar is an excellent rate of return for travel purchases! With flights, keep in mind that this is in addition to any miles earned from the airline flown. With hotels, you won’t earn hotel points with prepaid bookings except for those booked through Fine Hotels & Resorts or The Hotel Collection.
One caveat: Platinum cards offer good travel insurance, but you may get even better automatic travel insurance with other cards you own. See: Ultra-Premium Credit Card Travel Insurance.
#12 Get good value redeeming points for flights (Business Platinum only)
The Business Platinum card offers 35% points back when paying with points through American Express Travel for a flight with your selected airline. Cardholders will also receive this benefit when booking a first or business class ticket with any airline. This perk makes your Membership Rewards points worth just over 1.5 cents per point towards paid flights.
Consumer Platinum cards do not get this benefit, so using points to pay for flights results in poor value (1 cent per point).
#13 Use points primarily with transfer partners
The best use of Membership Rewards points, in my opinion, is to hold on to them until you see an opportunity to get great value by transferring to an airline transfer partner such as Aeroplan or ANA for Star Alliance flights (e.g. fly Air Canada, ANA, Turkish, United, etc.). Cathay Pacific, Virgin Atlantic, and other partners also have some excellent sweet spot award opportunities.
See these posts for ideas:
#14 Use your Amex Offers
Amex regularly comes out with awesome offers that can be loaded to your Amex card. For an overview of some of the best ones (and how to use them in non-obvious ways), see: Amex Offer Cheat Sheet.
The Platinum Perk Checklist
Here’s a nearly complete list of Platinum perks. Go through each one to make sure you’re getting the most from your 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 plus two guests are allowed free. Beginning 2/1/23, in most cases guests will be charged $50 each (details here). | 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 |
Additional Consumer Platinum Perks
| 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. | 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 (Audible, Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The New York Times ) | 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 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. | 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) |
Additional Morgan Stanley Platinum Perks
| Benefit | How to access or enroll | Available to Platinum Authorized Users? |
|---|---|---|
| First authorized user free: Add one Platinum authorized user for free. Add up to 3 more for $175. | 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 |
Additional Schwab Platinum Perks
| 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. |
Additional Business Platinum Perks
| 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. |
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Greg, if my annual fee is due January 9th, would I still be able to take advantage of the perks those first 9 days of the month and then downgrade my card? Can’t justify the AF but hoping to double dip into 2023. Thinking of airline credit, Saks, hotel credit.
Yes. In fact you have thirty more days before you can get the full annual fee back if you cancel or downgrade (fyi there is no fee free downgrade path so you’ll get back the difference in annual fees)
Thanks so much!! Going to get some good value out of it in January.
Greg, very much enjoy reading your informative posts! QQ on Hilton Honors Gold Status and Marriott Gold Status, with a situation here. I have two Biz Platinum cards, but P2 has zero. Can I use one card for my Hilton account / Marriott account, and use another card for P2’s Hilton account / Marriott account? Do Hilton / Marriott check names — if so, then it is a moot question. Thanks!
That might work but I’m not sure. OTOH, readers have reported success doing this with free Green AU cards. In other words, add P2 as an employee with a free business Green card and then have P2 sign up for Hilton and Marriott status.
The Equionx credit with platinum is $300 per year starting in 2023. Is it possible to get that credit on my Plat card and then switch to pay with P2 plat card to get the remainder of the total Equinox yearly cost?
I expect that would work if Equinox lets you split the payment that way.
We have gone from 6 Platinum cards during COVID and will be down to one (last AF just hit on my other Platinum-will PC to gold for upgrade bonus).
For many it no longer pays to have multiple Plats (FH&R consecutive stay language) Digital credits, changes to CL on arrival and no free guest.
The CL benefit has been disappointing over the past 18-24 months (with limited hours, overcrowding, no showers, Grab and Go, can’t visit Escape/CL same day (i.e. PHX if you have a long layover or delayed flight, etc).
We did use the Plaza Premium in CUN & LHR (before VenX offered it) so that was nice as few PP options at the terminals we flew from).
Will probably play the UG/DG bonus game with our Gold2Plat (the AF are about 6 months apart)
@Greg
Also The Platinum offers access to Plaza Premium (no longer included with Priorty pass – but it is also offered with VenX).
Greg, you might mention a benefit within a benefit: with WalMart+, one receives Paramount+.
For us, between the Platinum Card, Amazon, and T-Mobile we have:
Disney+ (with Hulu and ESPN)
Paramount+
Amazon Prime
Netflix
Who needs cable TV?
How exactly did people get the cruise credits without booking through Amex?
The major problem is that they do not give you the credit outright. They divide it up as compared to other cards. For example, uber is divided into monthly and then into rides or Saks is divided into $50 per 6 months. The other issue is that the $200 airline credit is not a travel credit making it less valuable. Cards like this need to consider being more general so cardholders feel they are getting more value. Rather than streaming include mobile phone credits or rather than a specific gym include gyms in general.
We like staying in 5-star hotels, so the FHR benefits alone pay for our annual fee. We just returned from a 3-night stay in NYC. The FHR rate we got at the Peninsula was as good as any I could find. I prepaid, so got the $200 credit, and could have canceled up until the day before arrival. The breakfast benefit was $112 per night x 3 = $336.We used the $100 hotel credit for lunch on arrival day. That’s $636 in savings right there. Plus, room was upgraded, we were able to check in at 11 am, and we had a late flight so the 4 pm checkout was awesome.
In the past we have hotel-hopped daily in Las Vegas in lower rate seasons to maximize our FHR benefits. With early check-in and late checkout, we were never “homeless” between hotels. With the low seasonal rates and all the free meals and credits, it felt like they were paying us to be there!
Mary, bingo. Some people get worked up about the annual fee. Some people feel they need to justify the card with the various credits. But, in actuality, if one uses it for FHR bookings and nothing else, the card more than pays for itself. Next time you’re in NYC, try the Mandarin Oriental for park views.
Does the Amex Biz PLT 35% rebate apply to Amex Travel’s “Insider Fares”.
These appear to be approximately 10% off discounts applicable only if paid with points. For example I’m seeing a RT Business Class fare in late summer to Europe for 230.xxK points, but the “Insider Fare” is 207.xxx K. Assuming a 35% rebate that is a net 155K points, which these days, is a decent redemption.
Yes, that combo works and can be a great use of points.
Thanks!
I mean it’s still only 1.5 cpp but these days J and F redemptions are ridiculously priced.
Greg–just a point about your statement: “One awesome aspect of these bookings is that you can add your hotel chain loyalty number in order to earn hotel points and receive elite benefits. That’s extremely unusual for 3rd party hotel bookings, especially when they are prepaid!” I have been reading that this used to be true but now this may or may not be true, because some FHR reservations are coming into the hotels through Expedia, although you can contact the hotel and see if they will add your loyalty number to the reservation Researched this because I am trying to get to 60 in 2022 on Hyatt, and was about to use FHR on a Hyatt but decided against it and booked on points instead. Haven’t tested it but wanted to bring it to your attention. There is a Redditt on it https://www.reddit.com/r/amex/comments/oi4hsh/amex_platinum_fhr_hotel_loyalty_datapoints/
I have a friend that booked through Am Exp and it showed up as Expedia
If you check the terms and conditions of specific hotel loyalty programs, they will often say that to earn points on a stay, it must be booked either directly with the specific property or via the program’s own booking system. However, other program’s terms and conditions will say that to earn points on a stay, it must be booked “via an authorized channel” or something like that.
I have personally used Amex FHR to book a stay at a Waldorf Astoria and I received loyalty program points in my Hilton Honors account. While I have not used Amex FHR to book a stay at a Marriott property, I’m told that the same applies. Given that Amex issues Hilton and Marriott credit cards, this is not surprising. And, given Amex’ market presence, it would not surprise me if the same applies with them.
As for the “Expedia” booking reference on Amex FHR bookings, Amex itself does not run its own travel portal. It is run by Expedia under what’s called a “private label” arrangement. Amex is the “front end” customer-facing part of the website and Expedia is the “back end” operations part of the website.
It’s just like airline shopping portals. The airlines do not run their respective shopping portals. There’s a small group of shopping portal operators that “private label” sites for the airlines.
@Greg The Frequent Miler @Nick Reyes just saw this
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/reviewed/2021/09/30/how-get-6-months-uber-eats-pass-free-through-hulu/5931411001/
so anyway my eats pass was expiring tomorrow, and I logged into the free hulu I get from sprint/tmobile and went to the hulu/uber eats site and was able to get an additional 6 months of eats pass free
How do you get free hulu from Sprint/T-mobile?
Every hotel that I’ve tried to book in Atlanta, Miami, and Ft. Lauderdale are showing flexible cancelation? I would assume this prevents you from using the $200 back in statement credits each year for prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection. Has anyone else noticed this?
Flexible cancellation is a good thing! Amex lets you book these hotels as prepaid (in order to earn 5X plus the $200 back in statement credits), but you can still cancel and get your money back.
I don’t see this anywhere (maybe I missed it) but this post doesn’t mention that the annual fee is also increasing from $550 to $695. The new perks don’t seem worth the price difference to me. Looks like it may be a net negative to a lot of folks.
You’re right. We wrote a lot about the new annual fee in other posts, but this one is only about getting the most out of the card’s perks. See my review of the $695 card here: https://frequentmiler.com/the-amex-platinum-coupon-book-review-on-my-mind/
The Hertz link is broken.
Thanks. I see that Hertz changed the URL to: https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/misc/index.jsp?targetPage=american_express_platinum_members.jsp
Updating the post now.
Under #5 it shows in the “Clear” ad that you have use Business Platinum card!
Yet all other reference is to just Platinum card! Please clarify, thanks
Sorry that was me being lazy because I had that image readily accessible. The benefit is available to all Platinum cards both personal and business
These new perks are all totally worthless to most Platinum cardholders. The digital entertainment and hotel rebates sound good, but after exploring what’s offered forget it! I’m looking at a two night hotel booking on AmEx Travel that’s actually much cheaper when booking directly with the hotel or through other travel sites – same room, same amenities, same everything and with Am Ex travel it’s $325 more for the two nights. Oh…and if you want to call them with their Best Rate Guarantee, forget it- Fine Hotels and Resort program excluded. Am Ex is well on their way to winning the Bonvoyed Award for 2021.
what a bunch of horrible perks. Absent fantastic retention offers, my Plats are all getting canceled.
Hi. Does the Saks credit work at the saksoff5th locations and online?
Not officially, no.
Question about the new bonus available on newly minted Platinum holders for 15X at restaurants and small shops through the Resy offer for 6 months. The Platinum comes with free gold cards for authorized users and I’m wondering if an authorized gold card user charges a restaurant on their card will you get the GOLD card bonus for restaurants or the 15X bonus of the Platinum
Unfortunately, no. The Gold cards you get as authorized users of Platinum cards aren’t anything like the Gold card you get if you apply directly for that card. The Gold authorized user cards of Platinum cards earn at the same rate as the primary Platinum card.
So then you “would” get the 15X bonus of the Resy offer charging at a restaurant with an authorized user gold card
Sorry, yes I misread the question. I thought you were asking if you’d get both. You’ll get the 15x.
Thanks…..I’ll get all the members of my family to help with the 15X at restaurants without me being there….
Additional question on CLEAR. If you go through United and get one for $119 and the second for $60 and you pay with your Platinum card will that trigger the $179 credit?
Yep
Question about the National/Hertz perks – could you enroll/book a car but pay with a CSP to get the primary rental insurance benefits and still get the Plat status benefits on your booking? Or would you have to pay for the rental with the Plat to get the status benefits?
Great question. With Hertz, I don’t know. With National, you get National Executive status which gives you the perks. Those perks are available regardless of how you pay for the rental.
#5 Earn up to $179 per calendar year in CLEAR credits.
Does purchasing a CLEAR gift card ($179) trigger the amex $170 Clear credit?
Great question. Probably not. When clicking to buy a CLEAR gift card you are taken to a different site: egifter. If the charge isn’t processed by CLEAR itself, it won’t get reimbursed.
Any one not getting AM EX credits? No Paypal credit on Platinum or no dining credit for Hilton AM EX.
Yep. For whatever reason Amex credits seem to be on pause. I bet they’ll start again within a week or two.
Hey gang, got Amex platinum in late January. Tried to choose airline on February 8. Can’t find place to choose airline under benefits. I wonder if this might be another example of Amex having software issues. Or….is it too late to choose an airline and if so what now?
Have you tried calling or online chat with Amex to set your preferred airline? I think that should work
can you link 2 amex plat cards to the same uber eats account so one would get $30 / mth ($60 in Dec)?
Yep. $70 in December
Update: Sorry if this is old news, according to the T&C it applies to Green Card, American Express® Gold Card, Platinum Card® or Centurion Card®.
Just got my new card today. I may have missed it, but didn’t see you mention Eats Pass in this post. Uber VIP seems to be different from Eats Pass. After adding my Plat to Uber Eats, the promo at the top of the screen that offered a free month trial of Eats Pass switched to “Free Eats Pass with your Amex Card – Enjoy for 12 months.” You have to opt in to start it, but that’s really cool. Normally it’s 10 bucks a month, gets you free delivery on everything and 5% off. When you click it, it goes to the 1 month banner, but below in the fine print it has this:
Uber Eats Pass Offer for select American Express Cards
American Express has partnered with Uber to extend an offer that allows select American Express Consumer Card Members to receive a complimentary subscription to Eats Pass for up to 12 months. Eligible Card Members must enroll to take advantage of the offer.
EATS PASS
Eats Pass is an Uber Eats monthly subscription that is currently $9.99/month. The Amex offer allows an eligible cardholder to receive a complimentary subscription to Eats Pass for up to 12 consecutive months.
Eats Pass subscribers get $0 delivery fee and 5% off orders with a subtotal over $15*. These benefits apply to all eligible restaurants on Uber Eats in the United States.
Offer valid thru 12/31/2021 on U.S. subscription. Pass will auto-bill starting 12 months from initial enrollment into the complimentary Eats Pass at then-current monthly rate. Offer terms and Eats Pass terms apply.
*Purchase subject to applicable tax and service fee.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
After adding your eligible card and enrolling, you’ll receive the Amex offer as long as your card remains eligible and is an active payment method on your Uber account. If your eligible card is added to multiple Uber accounts, the account that you added the card to first will receive the offer.
If you already have an eligible card on your Uber account, you should see popups in-app to enroll in the Amex offer. To add an eligible card to your Uber account, go to the “Wallet” section of the Uber app and select “Add Payment Method.” Ensure you have the latest version of the Uber Eats App downloaded to enroll in the Amex offer.
If you already have an Eats Pass or an Uber Pass, you can still receive the offer. Existing Eats Pass users can receive a complimentary subscription to Eats Pass for up to 12 months. Existing Uber Pass users have the option to downgrade to Eats Pass to sign up for the offer. Please note, you cannot hold the Uber Pass and Eats Pass subscriptions simultaneously as the discounts overlap.
The Basic Card Member is eligible to receive this offer. Only one user can receive the Amex offer.
You can modify which user receives the Eats Pass offer as long as a user has not already enrolled in the offer with the eligible American Express Card.
1. Delete the eligible card that you do not wish to use for the offer as a payment method on the Uber account(s).*
2. Add the eligible card that you wish to use for the offer as a payment method on the Uber account. If the eligible card is already on this account, skip this step.
3. Complete steps 1 and 2 before enrolling in the offer. The offer cannot switch accounts after enrollment.
*You can always re-add your eligible card on the additional account(s) after completing these steps if you wish to use this eligible card as a payment method in those additional account(s).
[…] Your Platinum card arrived. Here’s what to do next… […]
[…] It was a crazy week last week with all the Amex Platinum offers, including a beyond shitty one offered by affiliate channels that you can tell pretty easy which blogger has your best interest in mind or looking after their own pockets. Anyway, if some of you got the card this is a good post: Your Platinum Card Arrived. Here’s What To Do Next… […]
Couple questions:
1) Is there any way to verify that grocery purchases are being coded as 10X? I looked in the recent transactions and see a SW purchase showing 5x but not seeing 10x on some grocery purchases.
2) How long after a cell phone payment does the credit post? I see a travel credit post for a SW purchase on the 15th but nothing for an ATT payment on the 14th.
1) Yes, after your purchase goes from pending to actual, click through to Membership Rewards and look at your points summary. If you earned 10X you should see some points labelled as “bonus earn” and they should be 9X of your purchase. e.g. if you spend $100 in groceries, you’ll earn 100 regular points and 900 “bonus earn” points.
2) It varies from a couple of days to longer. I wouldn’t worry unless it’s been more than a week since the spend.
Have you actually seen the 10X online for any of your grocery/gas purchases? I have some grocery purchases going back 5 days and it shows 1X only. In the summary totals, the bonus earnings shows zero. There is a footnote in the individual purchases (where it shows 1X earned) saying points shown may not include all promotional offers.
Yes. Please see this post for details: https://frequentmiler.com/yes-your-new-platinum-card-is-earning-10x-where-appropriate/
Your GE link isn’t working
GE?
Sorry. Global Entry
Fixed. Thanks!
Greg, are people still getting the $100 Dell credit via Amex offers on personal Platinum? I couldn’t find it on the new Platinum card.
I wouldn’t expect new Platinum cards to get that offer. I think that was only for those who had the card at the time it came out
Hi, thanks to the heads up last week, I got an amex for my wife. Just see the offer again so wondering if I should get it as well… (it will be a stretch to get that kind of spending in 6 months but not impossible). Just trying to see if Greg or Nick are tempted to get 2 for their household and what your thoughts are?
Personally, I’m not going to have my wife sign up because we’re already pushing things with Amex between this offer and the +3 referral offer. If an offer like this is still around in 2021, I’ll probably change my mind then.
Thanks Greg!
I’ve done most of these things before the card arrived!
How long does it take for the card to arrive after application?
Mine was delivered next business day by UPS express, even though I didn’t request it.
I applied later in the evening, maybe 8pm, and it shipped the following day via next-day UPS. So if you apply before the end of the work day, it will probably arrive the following day but if wait until later it will probably arrive in 2 days. Note: I did not get my AU cards yet (almost a week), but the primary came ASAP.
Confirming this. Signed up Sunday, mailed Monday, received Tuesday. Came via FedEx.
Great article and I’m happy I didn’t start my “to do list” on post it notes last night, this is much easier to follow along with.
My wife signed up and got the Amex Platinum. Can I use my Hilton and Marriot accounts to get the upgraded status on though? That’s where my points are at.
So I did this and it appeared to work. Instantaneous for Hilton. Marriott said 24-72 hours. However, I now wonder if I should have. How long is this good for? Is it 1 year from date of activating? If so, seems like I would have been better waiting until I had a use case for the benefits?
Glad that worked. Status is good for as long as your account is open.
@Greg
I would add sign up for Rakuten – to earn additional MR on Saks orders.
Saks often has higher earning rates.
Shoprunner gets you free S&H and returns for Saks.
Login in Shoprunner click thru to Saks (log in to Saks) to get free shipping. Then in a new tab click thru Rakuten to enable CB and free shipping.
This is an easy way to meet the initial purchase at Rakuten and ATM new accounts earn $40/4000 MR for referring/referral.
I wish I had read this message 20 minutes ago!!!!
@LarryInNYC
The Rakuten referral promo sign up runs thru either 12.25 or 12.31 and then you have 90 days to make a $40> purchase to earn the bonus. S
So you could delay purchase till Saks credit reset in January
I actually have Rakuten so it’s only the extra points I’m missing out on. Maybe do the next one using P2 and adding a Rakuten bonus there.
Thanks! I updated the post
[…] 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… […]
[…] Note: Not all benefits are listed. For more complete coverage of perks, including which ones work for authorized user cards, please see: Your Platinum card arrived. Here’s what to do next… […]
Did people get the $200 airline credits reset after Merc Benz platinum -> vanilla platinum.
I don’t know.
I’m not getting the 100K offer through card match. I had a friend who got the 100K send me a referral and no luck there either. I have the gold card and got 50K points through a referral. I read a rumor that having the gold card hurts my chances of getting a 100K offer. I also read there are some shenanigans for getting the 100K by using someone else’s link but it’s a bad idea because if Amex finds out you lose the card, probably the fee you paid, and get no points at all.
Do I have any options to get a legitimate 100K offer? The only thing I haven’t done is ask Amex nicely.
That’s normal. Most people don’t get targeted for 100K. That said, it is worth calling Amex to ask if you’re targeted.
I have both the personal and business gold and I have gotten 100K offers on both Platinum cards. Not exercising either as I can’t justify the spend over my gold existing benefits. I take cards out for 2 years minimum as I think this 1 year and cancel hurts you with AmEx. Just my opinion.
Might be worth mentioning that in a very few days Business Plat members will get some sort of one-year entry-level membership with WeWork.
Someone posted today (I think on one of the Facebook Plat groups) that this is coming very soon.
Thanks, good idea. Yes, I think it starts in February.
Took a tour of the closest WeWork this week. Rep knew a little about the new Amex perk starting in February.
It’s apparently valid 9 am – 6 pm only. But it allows you to go to any WeWork worldwide any time free.
The low-end Hot Desk membership ($290 a month here) has no hour restriction, and you have a “home location” so that you have to pay $25 to “stray.”
And the Amex does not give “credits” for use of conference room, etc. She did not know whether this Amex thing was a one-year trial only, or a permanent perk for the card.
These seemed to be the biggest differences she knew of.
She’s going to email me the exact details when she gets them in writing.
Thanks, this is very helpful. I’m pretty sure this was described as a first year only benefit, but we should know the official terms soon
The Neiman benefits are pretty worthless. An extra one cent per dollar after you spend $10,000. Much better off to use gift cards thru a shopping portal as the portal always has 10% or more. So using the AMEX at Neimans is a laugher.
National Car Rental Executive status link doesn’t seem to work…not a viable option anymore?
Thanks for pointing that out. I took out those links and linked only to the better promo (which ends soon) for Executive Elite status.
[…] week, I listed many great Amex Platinum perks and how to maximize value from them (see: Your Platinum card arrived. Here’s what to do next…). And, separately, I analyzed “Which is the best Amex Platinum card?” With any […]
A few other little known perks of the Platinum card..
iPrefer Membership:
Enjoy complimentary iPrefer Elite Tier Membership and get instant benefits at more than 600 hotels in over 85 countries.
(You simply sign up for the account using the platinum Amex code, and you become a lifetime elite member. I can confirm it works for the all variations of Platinum card, from all countries, although technically it is a perk exclusive to the Personal Platinum American Express of India or the Global Business Platinum American Express)
Fiesta Rewards Platinum Level:
Enjoy Fiesta Rewards Platinum Status for one year thanks to your Amex Platinum membership.
(You simply sign up for the account using the platinum Amex promotion code, and you become a platinum level member for one year. I can confirm it works for the all variations of Platinum card, from all countries, although technically it is a perk exclusive to the Personal Platinum American Express of Mexico)
I am in the process of checking through the terms of the other versions of the Platinum Amex cards from other countries to see what other “exclusive” benefits they offer that can also be used here in the USA with our version of the card. Anyone already know of any other “secret perks” from the Platinums of the rest of the world?
Very interesting info, thanks!
No problem. Let me know if you want me to post the actual promo codes for you.
Michael, I apparently didn’t see your offer to lookup the promo codes last year. I found the website for iPrefer and added it to the table in this post. I didn’t see an obvious way to get Fiesta Rewards Platinum though so the promo code would be great!
http://www.fiestarewards.com/inscripcion
Code
AMEXPLATINUM
English version didn’t work, so opened a new browser with incognito (defaulted to Spanish) and worked. Got a platinum electronic card instantly.
Thanks!
For European or Asian Platinum holders, looks like you can get these options.
https://www.americanexpress.com/my/benefits/the-platinum-card/shangri-la-golden-circle-jade-membership.html
https://www.americanexpress.com/my/benefits/the-platinum-card/club-carlson-gold-elite.html
Did a bit of research online and seems that it does not work for USA though
Thanks!
I just signed up for the I Prefer status; the code that prefilled from the link was ‘amexin’. It granted me insider status, which is not top tier (top is ‘elite’ status). Is that what I should expect, or should it be the ‘elite’ tier? I don’t know of any other code, as mentioned by Michael H above.
The only diff between the 2 are welcome amenity (might be nice), and point earning (negligible in the grand scheme). I suppose that walking to the front desk and upgrade is more likely for an ‘elite’ than an ‘insider’ though.
what if you already have an iprefer account?
Create a new one
I did try messaging them with the contact form and got them to apply it to my existing account, fyi!
Great!
Sign up for ShopRunner under amex offers (free 2-day shipping at 100s of stores)
While there look st all the offers available to you and sign up for those you might use
-David
Warning to current Hilton upper elites:
I was a Hilton Diamond when I got my Amex Platinum. After I received the Amex Platinum, I went to the Hilton site and registered my Platinum card.
Hilton immediately downgraded me to Hilton Gold. Upon my complaint, Hilton provided no reason, and said the downgrade was irreversable.
Thanks a bunch!
What is “YMMV” stand for? My ignorance shows.
Your Mileage May Vary.
Here’s another one I think I learned from Milestomemories… If you sign up with Hertz (to become Hertz Gold, no big deal in itself), then you get into some rate scheme / regime where the first four hours of a, say, second day are free. I.e., for a noon Monday to 4pm Tuesday rental, it’s one day, not two days. Helped me out a couple of times already.
(Btw, and this is obviously a YMMV thing, but whereas in the past I used to perceive that Hertz was more expensive than National, nowadays Hertz tends to be much cheaper … than National, and even than National’s budget wings [Alamo, Enterprise])
Yep, thanks for the reminder about that one!
Ameriprise platinum Does NOT enforce membership in my experience, no point bonus but no charge authorized user(s) up to first 3 free then $175
After harvesting most of the other AMEX plat cards this one is great when you don’t need the points and just want the perks in my opinion
The first year there is no charge for primary or first 3 authorized users.
After the first year, its 550 primary and 175 for first 3 authorized users.
But either way, glad you said something. I’m gonna pick this up just for the two travel credits and the uber credits before the renewal. Can’t beat free.
Can you break out which benefits are for Primary cardholders only and which apply to Authorized Users?
Yep! You’ll find that info here: https://frequentmiler.com/amex-platinum-checklist/
Is there a way around to getting the Amex Plat Charles S. card w/o having any kind of account with them?
I do not believe so. The Schwab, Morgan Stanley and Ameritrade Platinum’s require you to have an account with them. Usually its a brokerage account.
Do you mean the Ameriprise Platinum? Because that definitely doesn’t require you to have an account with them.
Yes sorry I meant Ameriprise. They state “Your ability to have this Card product is contingent on a relationship between you and Ameriprise Financial, Inc.” But maybe you’ve had a different experience.
-Max
All three applications (Schwab, Morgan Stanley, and Ameriprise app) say they are only for investment customers. Ameriprise does not enforce that. Morgan Stanley definitely does. I’m not sure whether Schwab enforces it, but I believe you can open a Schwab investment account for free so you might as well do that first.