In today’s episode, we’ll talk about the secret to a happy points & miles marriage, chasing “The Infatuation” credits, Hilton’s 250K devaluation, and everything you need to know about the refreshed $895 Platinum cards: (Including American Express Platinum Card® and The Business American Express Platinum Card®). We thought this annual fee might be all bad news, but these cards are shockingly compelling!
The $895 Platinum Card: Shockingly Compelling
Watch here:
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Giant Mailbag
(01:30) -“I was wondering if you would be so kind and encourage my wife “Lindsey” to try and use the correct card for purchases on the next podcast.”
Card News
(06:23) – Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card fights back
(12:36) – Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
(15:37) – Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
(19:48) – Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card and Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Learn more about signing up for Chase Ink cards here.
The Bonvoyed Collection®™
(21:54) – MaxOut Deals
(24:32) – Hilton standard award nights now cost up to 250K points
(26:38) – Citi locking accounts for many Strata Elite customers, requesting tax transcripts
Awards, Points, and More
(30:35) – Hilton for Business offering Diamond status fast track after 10 nights through Dec 15
(31:22) – Now filter to Marriott properties with a club lounge
Main Event: $895 Platinum Card: Shockingly Compelling
(32:54) – Big Picture (all Platinum cards)
See our posts on the consumer cards here and the business card here
(38:15) – Consumer Platinum cards (includes American Express Platinum Card®, American Express Platinum Card® for Schwab, and American Express Platinum Card® Exclusively for Morgan Stanley)
(56:52) – The Business American Express Platinum Card®
(1:08:58) – What we predicted in March
Question of the Week
(1:16:44) – This reader earned less through their Chase Travel℠ booking than they expected when using the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. We’ll explain why the way these points are posted can be confusing and misleading.
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Music Credit – “Ocean Deep” by Annie Yoder
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It’s “Shockingly Compelling” only until the annual fee hits. By then, I’l be stocked up for life in yoga pants.
Well I have had a sudden interest in Lululemon for some reason, and I have to admit there is more there for guys than I expected. I mean it is all overpriced, but I just ordered some running shorts and workout tee to use a couple of credits, so it isn’t a total loss. I mean, it is better than Saks (and yes, I know what a “left-handed compliment” is).
The AmEx terms for the RESY statement credit says it’s available in the US. It does not mention any exception or exclusion for Puerto Rico or any other US territory, so I guess that means Puerto Rico is included in the definition of “US” seeing as it is not specifically excluded.
I believe I’ve previously used & received a reimbursementm. Will have to try it again and report back
Quick note:
On the newly updated AMEX platinum card guide, it’s missing the YouTube TV and YouTube premium benefits in the digital entertainment category credits
Thanks! this is now fixed.
I suspect Capital One is going to think long and hard about charging the Amex machine gun nest after see what happened to Private Chase.
Why should they bother? The card they offer is a completely different value proposition. Amex Plat and Sapphire Reserve are cards that stay in the sock drawer until travel time; the VX is a constant wallet card. They aren’t delivering the same kind of lounge value, but they are making a clear case for everyday spending in a way that Chase and Amex don’t. Personally, I prefer the VX. I don’t want to spend my time spending just enough on a card to get credits back and reshuffle my wallet mid-month after burning my Resy credit. To each their own.
Agree. Actually I hope they don’t change it because I like the simplicity of the current Venture X card. (And I liked the relative simplicity of the old CSR.)
I probably wouldn’t bother with the Amex Platinum either except that I fly out of ATL so Delta lounge access is nice. And I am retired and have a lot of time to fiddle with spreadsheets. But even so the number of coupons is getting ridiculous. When I recommend a card to friends it isn’t the Amex Platinum, it is more likely to be the Venture X or the Citi Premier + Double Cash combo.
Thinking about this a little more, I guess a more complete answer to why they should bother is that the coupon model has a lot of appeal to the banks because they don’t have to shoulder the full value of the credits. I have been expecting Capital One to change the Venture X for some time because it didn’t seem like the current version would be sustainable for the long term and my suspicion has been that they opened with very generous terms to get a foot in the door of the premium card market. It seemed inevitable that they would up the annual fee and probably add coupons in return.
However, it feels like the playing field has shifted now. No doubt Chase and Citi saw coupons as easy money, but Amex just swooped in and made their offerings look anemic by comparison. Plus, even those of us willing to put up with one coupon book are unlikely to be willing to deal with more than one, so Amex effectively sucks a lot of oxygen out of the coupon book market.
No doubt coupons will continue to be attractive for banks and it won’t surprise me if Capital One adds some to the Venture X in exchange for higher fees (although I hope they don’t). But I think the new Platinum card reduces the chance that they will try to make the Venture X into a Platinum clone.
NOT compelling. I don’t want to jump through hoops for credits at hotels that I don’t want to frequent. I imagine that I am not alone.
@Nick Reyes I feel now the airline rrvs have to be updated
Why?