American Express has several varieties of its premium Platinum Cards®. And while they’re expensive, they’re also loaded with great perks, especially after last year’s refresh.
We often get the question, “Is there a ‘best’ Platinum Card®?” After all, while any Platinum Card® can be an excellent deal for the first year, if you’re looking for longer-term value, which one fits your needs depends on which perks you value most.
Here’s everything you need to know to make the best decision. This post has been fully updated for 2026.
Platinum Card® Benefits
The following perks apply to all Platinum cards:
| Flight & Airport Benefits | Benefit Description |
|---|---|
| 5X through American Express Travel® | Earn 5X points for prepaid hotel and airline bookings via American Express Travel® |
| $200 airline fee credit | Registration required. 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. For tips on using this benefit, please see: Amex airline fee reimbursements. What still works? |
| International Airline Program | Save money when booking select premium cabin international flights originating in the US or Canada. This benefit is also available to Platinum authorized users. |
| Airport Lounge Access: Centurion Lounges | The cardholder is allowed free entry. Guests are charged $50 per adult, or $30 per child aged 2 through 17. After $75K of eligible spend in a calendar year, the cardholder is permitted 2 complimentary guests per visit. This benefit is also available to Platinum authorized users. |
| Airport Lounge Access: Airspace Lounges, Escape Lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges | The cardholder and two guests are allowed free entry. This benefit is also available to Platinum authorized users. |
| Airport Lounge Access: Delta Sky Clubs® | The cardholder is allowed 10 Sky Club visits per year. After $75K of eligible spend in a calendar year, the cardholder is permitted unlimited visits through the end of the following calendar year. This benefit is also available to Platinum authorized users. |
| Airport Lounge Access: Priority Pass Lounges | Registration is required to obtain your Priority Pass card. Member plus 2 guests are allowed free entry. This version of Priority Pass does not cover Priority Pass restaurants. This benefit is also available to Platinum authorized users. |
| 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. This benefit is also available to Platinum authorized users. Note: This benefit will no longer be available starting on October 1, 2026. |
| CLEAR+ credit | Get up to $219 per year reimbursed for CLEAR+ subscriptions. See also: 5 ways to get CLEAR+ for less. |
| Global Entry or TSA Pre fee credit | Get reimbursed for the cost of Global Entry or TSA Pre once every 4 years. This benefit is also available to authorized users. |
| Hotel Benefits | Benefit Description |
| Fine Hotels + Resorts® | Book high-end hotels through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts and get: room upgrade, daily breakfast for 2, 4 pm late checkout, noon check-in, free wifi, and a unique property amenity. Also: Earn 5X Membership Rewards for prepaid bookings. This benefit is also available to Platinum authorized users. |
| $600 Hotel Credit | Up to $300 in statement credits, semi-annually, on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through Amex Travel™. The Hotel Collection bookings require stays of 2 nights or longer. |
| Hilton Honors™ Gold status | Enrollment required. Hilton Gold members receive food & beverage credits or free breakfast, room upgrades when available, and other perks at Hilton hotels. This benefit is also available to authorized users. |
| Marriott Bonvoy® Gold Elite status | Enrollment required. Gold members receive a welcome gift (bonus points) with each stay, room upgrades when available, 2 pm late checkout, and other perks (details here). This benefit is also available to authorized users. |
| Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) Sterling Status | Enrollment required. Enroll to get Leaders Club Sterling Status from The Leading Hotels of the World® |
| Other Travel Benefits | Benefit Description |
| Emergency Medical Transportation Assistance | Call the Premium Global Assist Hotline: 1-800-333-Amex (toll free), or 1-715-343-7977 (direct-dial collect). This benefit is also available to Platinum authorized users. |
| National Car Rental Executive status | Registration required (Enroll here). Book midsize cars and select any car from the Executive Aisle for no extra charge. This benefit is also available to Platinum authorized users. |
| Hertz Rental Car Privileges | Registration required (Details and enrollment form found here). Privileges include President's Circle Status, discounts, plus a four-hour grace period for rental car returns. This benefit is also available to Platinum authorized users. |
| Avis Preferred status | Registration required (Details and enrollment form found here). Preferred status offers priority service at the counter, discounts, and a one-car class upgrade for groups C-E (Intermediate, Standard, and Full size). This benefit is also available to Platinum authorized users. |
| Cruise Benefits | Pay for your cruise with your Platinum card and receive $100 to $300 in shipboard credit per stateroom, plus additional amenities unique to each cruise line. This benefit is also available to Platinum authorized users. |
| Miscellaneous Other Benefits | Benefit Description |
| Cell Phone Protection | No need to enroll. Pay your cell phone bill with your Platinum card. Max $800 per claim, $50 deductible. This benefit is also available to Platinum authorized users. |
Consumer Platinum Card® Benefits
The following perks apply to all consumer Platinum cards (including the regular Amex Platinum, Morgan Stanley Platinum, and Schwab Platinum):
| Benefit | Benefit Description |
|---|---|
| 5X on flights | Earn 5x on flights booked directly with airlines (with Business Platinum cards, you must book through Amex Travel to earn 5x) |
| $400 Resy Dining Credit | Enrollment required. Earn up to $100 back each quarter after making eligible purchases directly with Resy or for dining purchases at any U.S. Resy restaurant. |
| $120 Uber One Membership Credit | Earn up to $120 in statement credits each calendar year with an auto-renewing Uber One membership in the U.S. |
| $200 in Uber / Uber Eats Credits | Get $15 in Uber credits per month ($35 in December) simply by adding your Platinum card number to your Uber account as a payment method. This benefit also includes Uber VIP status. Important: when requesting a ride, select Uber Cash for payment to use your credits. |
| $300 Digital Entertainment Credit | Enrollment required. Earn up to $25 back each month after paying for select digital subscriptions: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Paramount+, Peacock, The Wall Street Journal, YouTube Premium and/or YouTube TV. |
| Free Walmart+ Subscription | Get the full cost back, including taxes, for a Walmart+ monthly subscription. In addition to its standard benefits, Walmart+. |
| $300 lululemon Credit | Enrollment required. Earn up to $75 back each quarter in statement credits for eligible purchases at Lululemon stores or Lululemon.com in the U.S. Enrollment required. |
| $300 Equinox Credit | Enrollment required. Earn up to $300 in statement credits per year for a digital or club membership at Equinox. |
| $300 SoulCycle Credit | Must join Equinox first. Charge the full price of a SoulCycle at-home bike and get $300 back in statement credits. |
| $200 Oura Credit | Enrollment required. Earn up to $200 back each calendar year in statement credits when purchasing an Oura Ring through Ouraring.com |
| Active Military Fee Waiver | Amex will waive consumer card fees (including annual fees) for US active military personnel. Call the number on the back of your card and tell them you are serving on active duty military and have heard that AMEX offers to handle your account in accordance with the Military Lending Act (MLA). |
Business American Express Platinum Card® Benefits
The following perks apply only to Business Platinum cards:
| Benefit | Benefit Description |
|---|---|
| 2X Membership Rewards® | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on eligible purchases in key business categories, as well as on eligible purchases of $5,000 or more. Details: Earn 2X on up to two million dollars of eligible purchases per calendar year, made in any of the following categories: (1) U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers, (2) U.S. electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, (3) at U.S. shipping providers, or (4) eligible purchases of $5,000 or more. |
| 35% Airline Bonus | Get 35% points back after using Pay with Points for flights booked through Amex Travel with your selected airline, up to 1,000,000 points back per calendar year. |
| Redeem points for 1 cent per point | Requires an American Express business checking account. |
| $120 Wireless Credits | Enrollment required. Earn up to $10 back per month when you use your card to pay for wireless telephone service. |
| $200 Hilton Credits | Enrollment required. Earn up to $50 back per quarter when you use your card directly with a Hilton property. |
| $1,150 in Dell Credits | Enrollment required. Earn up to $150 in credits each calendar year for all purchases at Dell.com, plus an additional $1,000 back when spending $5,000 in a calendar year. |
| $300 ChatGPT Business® Credit | Enrollment required. Earn up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year on U.S. purchases of ChatGPT Business. Subject to auto-renewal. |
| $360 Indeed Credit | Enrollment required. Earn up to $90 back per quarter for purchases with Indeed |
| $250 Adobe Credit | Enrollment required. Earn up to $250 back per year on $600+ of U.S. purchases with Adobe |
| $1,200 Flight Credit | After spending $250,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year, unlock up to $1,200 in statement credits for use in the next calendar year on flights booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| $2,400 One AP® Statement Credit | After spending $250,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year, unlock up to $2,400 in statement credits for use in the next calendar year on monthly fees for American Express One AP®, American Express’ digital accounts payable product that automates supplier payments on one platform. |
Consumer Card Variations
In addition to the standard American Express Platinum Cards®, two co-branded variations are currently available. Each one offers a couple of unique features that can be very useful depending on your situation.
The Platinum Card from American Express Exclusively for Morgan Stanley
To obtain the Platinum Card from American Express for Morgan Stanley, you must have an active Morgan Stanley account. A couple of years ago, Morgan Stanley discontinued the Access Investing account, which was previously the low-cost entry point. However, this year we received great news for those interested in this version of the Platinum card: customers with a free E*Trade account can now qualify.
The Morgan Stanley Platinum is worth considering for added perks compared to the typical consumer Platinum card, including:
- First authorized user free: Add one Platinum authorized user at no extra cost.
- Invest with rewards: Liquidate Membership Rewards points for 1 cent each when deposited to your Morgan Stanley brokerage account.
- $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.
- $895 Annual Engagement Bonus: You can qualify for this bonus by opening a Morgan Stanley Platinum CashPlus Account before opening the Platinum card account. Note that the Platinum CashPlus account requires a $5,000 monthly deposit and an average daily balance of $25,000 to avoid its $55 monthly fee.
American Express Platinum Card for Schwab
The Schwab Platinum card adds the following benefits:
- $100 to $1,000 statement credit: Receive a statement credit each year based on your qualifying Schwab holdings:
- $250,000: $100 statement credit
- $1,000,000: $200 statement credit
- $10,000,000: $1,000 statement credit
- Invest with Rewards: Cash out Membership Rewards points for 1.1 cents each when deposited to your eligible Schwab account. Note that there is an annual limit of 1,000,000 points that can be invested at 1.1 cents each.
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).
Fee Differences
Each consumer Platinum card carries an $895 annual fee, and you can add Platinum authorized users (AUs) for $195 each. There are also no annual-fee “Companion Platinum” authorized-user cards, which do not include benefits like airport lounge access.
The Business Platinum card charges an $895 annual fee, and each Business Platinum employee card costs another $400. There are also no annual-fee Employee Business Expense Cards, but those do not offer benefits like airport lounge access.
The following table shows the total amount paid depending on the number of Platinum cards you have with each account.
| Number of Platinum Cards | Consumer Platinum | Morgan Stanley | Business Platinum |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (Primary Only) | $895 | $895 | $895 |
| 2 (Primary + 1 AU) | $1,090 | $895 | $1,295 |
| 3 (Primary + 2 AUs) | $1285 | $1,090 | $1,695 |
| 4 (Primary + 3 AUs) | $1,480 | $1,285 | $2,095 |
With the exception of Global Entry credits, authorized user cards do not qualify for their own statement credits (even Platinum-level authorized user cards), but spend on those cards does count towards the primary user’s credits.
Meaningful Differences
Some of the differences between the cards shown above are hardly worth mentioning. For example, the Morgan Stanley card lets you cash out points at 1 cent per point, and the Business Platinum card offers the same when you also have a Business Checking account. We don’t recommend that unless you really need the cash. You should be able to get far more value for your points.
Here are the differences that we find meaningful:
- Annual Fees for two: If you want or need 2 Platinum cards, the Morgan Stanley Platinum card is the cheapest option since it offers the first authorized user card for free.
- Annual Fees for a family: If you want or need multiple Platinum cards, the consumer cards are much cheaper than the business cards since the former charges just $195 per year for authorized user cards, whereas the Business Platinum card charges $400 per employee Platinum card.
- $200 Uber credit annually (consumer cards only): If you ride Uber regularly or use Uber Eats, this can be almost as good as cash. For others, it may be nearly worthless.
- $300 Digital Entertainment credit annually (consumer cards only): If you already subscribe to any of the covered services (such as Disney+, YouTube TV, or Hulu), this could be almost as good as cash.
- $150 Dell credit annually, plus an additional $1k credit after $5k in annual Dell purchases (business card only). This is a very specialized benefit, but obviously valuable if you use it.
- $120 Wireless Credits annually (business card only): This will be an easy credit to use for most people, but some won’t like only earning 1x on their phone bills when there are so many options out there for a category bonus. It is also worth noting that some service providers require paying with a debit card to get an autopay discount, though in those cases, it is sometimes possible to set a debit card as the autopay payment method and then simply make manual payments with a credit card(s) before the autopay charges, or alternate debit and credit card payments from month to month.
- 35% Pay with Points rebate (business card only): With a 35% rebate, points are worth about 1.5 cents each, but only toward your selected airline. In the past, this rebate applied to any airline in business or first class, but that changed last year, and it now only applies to the airline you choose for incidental credits. That’s good, but hardly a show stopper.
- Cash out points for 1.1 cents each (Schwab Platinum only): The Schwab Platinum is the only card that lets you cash out points at more than 1 cent per point, up to 1M in points per year.
- $100 to $1,000 statement credit (Schwab Platinum only): If you already have a lot of money invested with Schwab, or can easily move your investments there, this is a nice perk that effectively lowers the annual fee.
- $895 Annual Engagement Bonus (Morgan Stanley Platinum only): If you qualify for Morgan Stanley’s annual $895 Engagement Bonus (see this post for details), then the Morgan Stanley Platinum card is essentially fee-free for you and one authorized user!
- Earn Membership Rewards when referring friends: The generic consumer Platinum card and the Business Platinum card offer Membership Rewards points as a bonus (ranging from 5,000 to 45,000 points). The Schwab and Morgan Stanley Platinum cards, though, only offer cash rewards (typically $100 per referral). Since we value Membership Rewards points at more than 1 cent each, I’d much prefer to earn 10K Membership Rewards or more per referral than $100.
Which Platinum Card® is best?
It depends. Your first decision point should be consumer vs. business. Either way, you get benefits like up to $600 in hotel credits and up to $200 in airline incidental credits, so your decision should come down to these key differences:
- A business card is best if you highly value the 35% Pay with Points rebate, the Dell credits, and the $120 in wireless credits.
- A consumer card is best if you highly value the $400 in Resy credits, $200 in Uber credits, $300 in entertainment credits, $300 in lululemon credits, and the ability to earn 5X directly with airlines and/or if you are already paying for services like Walmart+ and Disney+.
Which consumer 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 the annual $895 Engagement Bonus (which makes the card free for you and one authorized user).
- 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, or $1,000 for $10M invested).
- The generic consumer Platinum Card® is best if you value earning Membership Rewards points when referring friends.
If you are serving on active duty in the military, remember that Amex will waive the fees of consumer cards upon request. Call the number on the back of your card and inform them that you are serving on active duty in the military and have heard that American Express offers to handle your account in accordance with the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.
Additional details about each of the Platinum cards follow (click the card names for more information):
| Card Offer and Details |
|---|
![](http://cdn.nextinsure.com/imaging/opt/19ca7b53-f41c-4639-ba3b-c44c7c44ba6f.png?w=300" alt="The Business Platinum Card® from American Express" />) ⓘ $4163 1st Yr Value Estimate$200 airline incidental fee credit for select airline only valued at $140, $200 Hilton credit ($50 per quarter) valued at $150, $120 wireless credit ($10 per month) valued at $90, $150 Dell credit valued at $37.5, $600 Fine Hotels + Resorts® credit valued at $300 Click to learn about first year value estimates As high as 300K points ⓘAffiliateThis is an affiliate offer. Frequent Miler may earn a commission if you are approved for this offer You may be eligible for as high as 300,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $20k in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees)$895 Annual Fee Recent better offer: 250K after $20K spend - no "as high as language" (expired 2/10/25) 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. Click here for our complete card review Earning rate: Earn 5X flights & prepaid hotels booked at AmexTravel.com ✦ 2X points per dollar (on up to $2 million of those purchases per year) for each eligible purchase of $5000 or more, US construction/hardware stores, US software & cloud system providers, US electronic goods, and US shipping ✦ 1X elsewhere ✦ Terms apply. Card Info: Amex Pay Over Time Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Big spend bonus: Spend $250k+ on eligible purchases in a calendar year, get up to $1,200 in statement credits to use in the next calendar year on flights booked on AmexTravel.com, and up to $2,400 in statement credits for use in the next calendar year on monthly fees for American Express One AP®. Noteworthy perks: Select one qualifying airline and receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year for qualifying charges ✦ Up to $600 prepaid hotel credit semi-annually (Up to $300 Jan - June and July - Dec) valid on Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings ✦ Up to $1,150 a year in statement credits for Dell purchases ($150 + $1,000 when spending $5,000 in a calendar year) ✦ Up to $200 in Hilton credits (Up to $50 per quarter) ✦ Up to $120 in wireless services credits per year (Up to $10 per month) ✦ Earn up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year on U.S. purchases of ChatGPT Business. Enrollment required. Subject to auto-renewal ✦ Up to $120 Global Entry fee or up to $85 for TSA PreCheck credit every 4 years ✦ Global Lounge Access benefits: Priority Pass™ membership (Lounges only) with 2 guests, Centurion Lounge access. Also, Delta Sky Club® access (when flying an eligible Delta flight): 10 visits per year February 1 until January 31 of the next calendar year (after 10 visits have been used, additional visits can be purchased for $50 each or earn unlimited visits after spending $75K/calendar year on the card). Access limited to eligible card members ✦ Rental car elite status ✦ Marriott Bonvoy® Gold Elite Status ✦ Hilton Honors™ Gold status ✦ Leading Hotels of the World Sterling status ✦ Up to $219 CLEAR+ fee reimbursement annually ✦ 35% Airline Bonus: Get 35% points back after you Pay With Points for flights with your selected airline ✦ $250 statement credit when spending $600+ on U.S. purchases with Adobe per calendar year ✦ Enrollment required for select benefits See also: Amex Platinum Guide |
 ⓘ $2605 1st Yr Value Estimate$200 airline incidental fee credit for select airline only valued at $140, $200 Uber credit ($15 per month, $35/December) valued at $100, $600 Fine Hotels + Resorts® credit valued at $300, $300 Digital Entertainment Credit ($25 per month) valued at $150, $300 Lululemon credit ($75 per quarter) valued at $150, 400 Resy credit ($100 per quarter) valued at $85, $120 Uber One credit ($10 per month) valued at $48 Click to learn about first year value estimates As high as 175K points ⓘAffiliateThis is an affiliate offer. Frequent Miler may earn a commission if you are approved for this offer As high as 175K points after $12K spend in the first 6 months. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Terms apply. Rates & Fees$895 Annual Fee Recent better offer: Up to 175K points after $8K spend in the first 6 months. (Expired 2/4/26) 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 (limit $500,000 in purchases each calendar year) ✦ 5X points for prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel ✦ 1X everywhere else Card Info: Amex Pay Over Time Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Noteworthy perks: Up to $200 a year in statement credits for incidental fees at one qualifying airline per calendar year ✦ Up to $600 prepaid hotel credits semi-annually ($300 Jan - June and July - Dec) valid on Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings ✦ Up to $100 per calendar quarter in statement credits on eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants ✦ Up to $25 per month rebate for Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Paramount+, Peacock, The Wall Street Journal, YouTube Premium and/or YouTube TV ✦ Up to $120 Global Entry fee or up to $85 for TSA Precheck credit every 4 years ✦ $15 monthly Uber or Uber Eats credit (extra $20 in December, use it or lose it each month) ✦ Up to $120 in statement credits each calendar year towards an auto-renewing US Uber One membership ✦ Up to $300 in annual credits for eligible US purchases at lululemon stores or lululemon.com (up to $75 quarterly) ✦ Up to $219 CLEAR+ fee credit per calendar year ✦ Up to $12.95 (+tax) credit for Walmart+ monthly membership subscription when you pay with Platinum card. Plus Ups not eligible ✦ Up to $200 back each calendar year in statement credits when purchasing an Oura Ring through Ouraring.com ✦ Global Lounge Access benefits: Priority Pass™ membership (Lounges only) with 2 guests, Centurion Lounge access. Also, Delta Sky Club® access (when flying an eligible Delta flight): 10 visits per year February 1 until January 31 of the next calendar year (after 10 visits have been used, additional visits can be purchased for $50 each or earn unlimited visits after spending $75K/calendar year on the card). Access limited to eligible card members ✦ Rental car elite status ✦ Marriott Bonvoy® Gold Elite Status ✦ Hilton Honors™ Gold status ✦ Leading Hotels of the World Sterling Status ✦ Enrollment required for some benefits. Terms Apply. See also: Amex Platinum Guide |
 ⓘ $1132 1st Yr Value Estimate$200 airline incidental fee credit for select airline only valued at $140, $200 Uber credit ($15 per month, $35/December) valued at $100, $600 Fine Hotels + Resorts® credit valued at $300, $300 Digital Entertainment Credit ($25 per month) valued at $150, $300 Lululemon credit ($75 per quarter) valued at $150, $120 Uber One credit ($10 per month) valued at $48, 400 Resy credit ($100 per quarter) valued at $85 Click to learn about first year value estimates 80K Points Non-AffiliateThis is NOT an affiliate offer. We always present the best offer even when it means less revenue for Frequent Miler 80K after $12K spend within first 6 months. Terms apply.$895 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: 150K after $8k spend in the first 6 months. (Expired 11/12/25) 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. You do need to have a Morgan Stanley or an E*Trade account to apply. Earning rate: 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (limit $500,000 in purchases each calendar year) ✦ 5X prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel ✦ 1X everywhere else Card Info: Amex Pay Over Time Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Big spend bonus: $500 after $100K cardmember year spend Noteworthy perks: This card includes all of the great perks that come with the American Express Platinum Card, plus: 1 Free Authorized User ✦ Redeem points for 1 cent each into your Morgage Stanley account ✦ $895 Annual Engagement Bonus for Platinum CashPlus accounts See also: Amex Platinum Guide |
 ⓘ $1132 1st Yr Value Estimate$200 airline incidental fee credit for select airline only valued at $140, $200 Uber credit ($15 per month, $35/December) valued at $100, $600 Fine Hotels + Resorts® credit valued at $300, $300 Digital Entertainment Credit ($25 per month) valued at $150, 400 Resy credit ($100 per quarter) valued at $85, $120 Uber One credit ($10 per month) valued at $48, $300 Lululemon credit ($75 per quarter) valued at $150 Click to learn about first year value estimates 80K points Non-AffiliateThis is NOT an affiliate offer. We always present the best offer even when it means less revenue for Frequent Miler 80K after $12K spend in first 6 months. Terms apply. $895 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: 150K after $12K spend in first 6 months. (Expired 7/9/26) Earning rate: 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (limit $500,000 in purchases each calendar year) ✦ 5X prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel Card Info: Amex Pay Over Time Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. 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 |
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For those who have a hard time justifying the Platinum just on statement credits alone, an overlooked benefit is Amex Travel’s “insider fares” or whatever they’re called now. Just on one flight, I saved over $93 relative to the “public” fare. Anyone who regularly books cash tickets might see pretty robust savings. Keep it in mind.
Some typos:
> The Schwab Platinum is the only card that lets you cash out points at better than 1 cent per point value on up to $1M in points per year
It’s 1 million points ($11k), not $1 million.
> If you qualify for Morgan Stanley’s annual $695 Engagement Bonus
Should say $895.
Did I read correctly that authorized users get their own Global Entey credits? So if I have a Morgan Stanley Amex and my AU has another MS Platinum, does that person also get her own Global Entry credits? Thanks.
Hello, I am NOT the “Thomas” below. I would definitely appreciate an answer to my question. I am not trolling. Thank you.
The benefit is available to (i) Consumer Platinum Card® Members, and Business Platinum Card® Members, and (ii) Centurion® Card Members. The benefit is also available to all Additional Card Members on Consumer and Business Platinum Accounts, and all Additional Card Members on Consumer and Business Centurion Accounts. Basic Card Members are eligible to receive a statement credit every 4 years for either up to $85 for the TSA PreCheck® application fee (when applying through a TSA official enrollment provider) or $120 for the Global Entry application fee, in each case when charged to the Basic Card or any eligible Additional Cards on the eligible Card Account. Basic Card Members will receive a statement credit for the first program (either Global Entry or TSA PreCheck) to which they or their eligible Additional Cards apply and pay for with their eligible Card regardless of whether they are approved for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. However, eligible Card Members can earn no more than one credit for up to $85 for TSA PreCheck or $120 credit for Global Entry (but not both programs), depending upon the program the Card Member first applies for, for an application fee charged to an eligible Card.
Sounds like only one credit shared between basic and additional card members. Others can correct me if I am wrong.
Is there a reason you make the same posts over and over? Pretty sure most readers have a memory better than a goldfish to need to reread the same thing constantly.
While we have many long-term repeat readers (thank you!), most readers are new to Frequent Miler. We have a core set of posts that we keep up to date and republish annually. That way, new readers can find it and long term readers have a way to know that the content has been updated.
Hey there “Tom,” (or Justin or Samantha or whatever else you’re going by these days in the comments).
Appreciate the attempt to troll, but this post gets republished once per year, every year, with updated info and analysis, not “over and over” like you say. You’ll find other readers in the comments appreciate our attempts to make sure that our info is accurate and updated, especially the ~20% or so who weren’t reading the blog last year.
I’m not exactly sure why you go to such great lengths to continually change names in order to troll us. If that floats your boat, I guess go ahead and do it. But we really have a great community of readers and commenters here, and you may find that substantive engagement is actually more fulfilling in the long run.
I’m pretty sure that is his real name.
Ha! Appreciate your wisdom, Tricky Dick!
Its sad that Thomas isn’t smart enough to understand some posts and topics are worth revisiting. Thomas is a perfect example of someone with tiktok brain rot.
I have the Morgan Stanley version. The annual engagement bonus sound great but:
– it’s taxable, so $895 becomes $670 if someone has a marginal tax rate of 25% and $626 with a marginal tax rate of 30%
– the $25k Platinum Cash Plus balance does not earn interest, so there’s an opportunity cost of $500 relative to MS’s Max Rate Checking (on a $30k average balance, it’s $600)
As a practical matter, the annual engagement bonus is of little net value.
That’s a great point. For those without a Platinum Cash Plus account, it doesn’t seem worthwhile to get one for this perk (as you stated). However, if you already have the account, for whatever reason, the MS Plat card is a great deal despite having to pay taxes on the engagement bonus
I’ve had both the plain Plat and the Biz Plat for years. Thinking about cancelling the personal one and getting the Schwab. I do have money invested there, and the $100 rebate would be nice. Probably wouldn’t cash out the MR with them, but the sign-up bonus is attractive, IF they gave it to me. Is this a reasonable plan?
You are unlikely to get the SUB, although it isn’t impossible. My wife got the 80k SUB about a year ago while she still had a vanilla platinum open. Unfortunately I haven’t been as lucky and will likely apply without the SUB when my next annual fee comes due.
The opportunities for referral bonus on the Schwab are less ($100 referral bonus versus for Schwab card holders) but we have already referred each other as much as possible and we don’t have any obvious chances for referring friends. So we are happy with $200 off the annual fee.
Yep it’s a good plan. As Jimmy points out, the Schwab referral bonuses aren’t as good but it’s otherwise a good choice.
It would be helpful to mention that the Morgan Stanley annual fee credit generates annual 1099 taxable income equal to the credit so on a net basis the credit does not offset the annual fee.
Good idea
My wife just got an offer upon logging into her online account. 250000 points with 15$ k of spend on Amex Business platinum.. She already had an Amex business platinum card that was just at renewal. This has happened to us several times over the past 2 years. Strange strategy and no brainer.
[…] My AAdventures AAttempting to fly AA to London […]
CPP (Cruise Privileges Program) only valid if you book the cruise through amex travel
Not true. Many posts on cruise blogs that people get it via their travel agent. That’s how I got it.
Hi Mari
Are you saying Amex does not enforce CPP strictly i..e you can book through travel agent and pay with Amex and still get the credit. If that is the case, it is a case of YMMV
Thanks
Raghu
I did this with an Avoya TA. They were part of AMEX travel consortium but that may no longer be the case. At any rate I booked an Oceania cruise, one of the lines listed for CPP. My TA is an Oceania Cruise Connoisseur level agent with great contacts at Oceania.
Even so I had to push about getting the CPP. Lots of discussion of this on CruiseCritic, a forum for cruisers.
According to some people, if you get prepaid gratuities you cannot get CPP.
Truthfully, I only used my Platinum to pay for this cruise because we got multiple Amex offers for Oceania, earning huge number of MR and some cash rebates. Otherwise it is better to pay with my Amex Green (3x MR).
This was 1st time I got CPP. Often get prepaid gratuities or pay with another card.
Probably worth mentioning 1 cent per point cash out options for Business Platinum with business checking and Morgan Stanley has this option too I believe.
Added. Thank you.
Just for the sake of completeness since you have mentioned the Morgan Stanley appreciation bonus (which has hefty requirements),
there is a $1000 annual appreciation bonus for folks with a Schwab Platinum and with 10 million invested
.
Updated. Thank you
I suppose if I had 10 million invested I probably wouldn’t have to worry too much about a rebate bonus
But this is good to know. Working on it but a ways to go. Thanks.
The Plaza Premium lounge access should include two guests similar to the Escape, Airspace, and Priority Pass lounges:
“Card Members receive complimentary access to any global location of Plaza Premium Lounges… Card Members may bring up to two (2) companions into Plaza Premium Lounges as complimentary guests.”
Thanks. Fixed.
I might be confused but isn’t it now each au card costs its own fee and not 3 for 175 as stated in this article?
Yes, thanks. Fixed
Are you guys going to post any real articles this week or next? Just wondering, since timmy and Stephen appear to be holding the site together these days. I don’t need cc pimps and would prefer worthwhile information. Enjoy the trip.
Thank you Stephen and Timmy for keeping the site together.
Stephanie, I like CC pimps and I prefer useless information. That’s why I’m an FM reader. I don’t want FM to change a single thing. Sounds like you’re unhappy. Sounds like other blogs would be a better fit for you. But, don’t go away mad . . . just go away. Just curious, are you a Millennial?
so you’re THAT Stephanie