American Express Platinum
The welcome offer, every credit and its catch, what it earns, the insurance, and whether the $895 fee pays for itself.
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Premium travel · American Express
Welcome offer
As high as 175,000 points
Annual fee
$895
As high as 175,000 Membership Rewards points after $12,000 in purchases in the first 6 months. Amex shows the exact offer after the application and before acceptance; some applicants get less or none, including anyone who has had a Platinum card before.
Additional Platinum cards: $195 eachForeign transaction fees: NoneRewards: Amex Membership Rewards
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The Atelier Take
A luxury card that pays for itself only for people who already live the life its credits describe.
Who it suits
Frequent flyers who use airport lounges, book premium hotels and would spend at several of the credit partners anyway. Best paired with a card that earns well on dining and groceries.
Who should skip it
Anyone who would have to change habits to use the credits, flies a few times a year or less, or spends mostly on dining and groceries: the Amex Gold earns 4x there for $325.
Every credit, and the catch
Eleven credits with a face value of $2,994 a year, plus a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit every four years. Most reset monthly, quarterly or twice a year, and unused amounts do not roll over.
Hotel credit
Up to $600 a year
Only prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings through Amex Travel count, and The Hotel Collection needs a two-night stay. These rates can be higher than booking the hotel directly.
Resy restaurant credit
Up to $400 a year
Only U.S. restaurants marked eligible on Resy. Each quarter’s $100 disappears if unused.
Digital entertainment credit
Up to $300 a year
Only Disney+, ESPN streaming, Hulu, The New York Times, Paramount+, Peacock, The Wall Street Journal and YouTube, paid directly. An unused month is lost.
lululemon credit
Up to $300 a year
U.S. lululemon stores (not outlets), lululemon.com and the app only.
Equinox credit
Up to $300 a year
An Equinox club membership costs far more than $300, so this mainly helps existing members or Equinox+ app subscribers.
Uber Cash
Up to $200 a year
U.S. rides and Uber Eats only, and each month’s Uber Cash expires if unused.
Airline fee credit
Up to $200 a year
Covers incidental fees such as checked bags and in-flight purchases on the one chosen airline. Airfare itself does not count.
CLEAR+ credit
Up to $219 a year
Only worth something to people who would pay for CLEAR+ anyway.
Oura Ring credit
Up to $200 a year
An Oura Ring bought at ouraring.com only; memberships and accessories are excluded.
Walmart+ credit
Up to $155 a year
The monthly plan only, not the annual one.
Uber One credit
Up to $120 a year
Uber Cash must be switched off for the membership fee, or the card is not charged and no credit posts.
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
$120 every 4 years
Up to $120 for Global Entry or up to $85 for TSA PreCheck, whichever is paid for first.
What it earns
Rewards: American Express Membership Rewards points, which transfer to airline and hotel programs.
5x
Flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel
Up to $500,000 of these purchases a year, then 1x
5x
Prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel
2x
Other eligible travel booked through Amex Travel, including cruises
1x
Everything else
Including dining, groceries and gas
TPG values Membership Rewards points at 2.0¢ each, when transferred to airline and hotel partners. On that basis 5x returns about 10¢ per dollar and 1x about 2¢. Transfers to U.S. airlines carry a small fee of $0.0006 a point, capped at $99.
Lounges, status and other benefits
Centurion Lounges
Unlimited visits for the cardholder, on any airline, arriving up to 3 hours before departure. Sidecar by The Centurion Lounge is included too, arriving within 90 minutes of departure. Guest rules are set separately by Amex.
Delta Sky Club
10 visits a year per Platinum card when flying Delta the same day; Basic Economy excluded. Visits reset on February 1.
Priority Pass
Enrollment required. Up to two guests free in Priority Pass lounges that admit guests.
Other lounges
Escape Lounges and Plaza Premium Lounges. Access to Lufthansa lounges ended on October 1, 2026.
Fine Hotels + Resorts
On eligible bookings through Amex Travel: daily breakfast for two, a $100 property credit, guaranteed 4pm checkout, and noon check-in and a room upgrade when available.
Hotel status
Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite (enrollment required), plus Leaders Club Sterling at The Leading Hotels of the World.
Car rental status
Elite status with Avis, Hertz and National, once enrolled.
Will the $895 fee pay off?
Enter what would go on this card. The result values points at TPG’s valuation, adds the credits that would actually be used and, in year one, the welcome offer, then sets the total against a no-fee card that pays 2% back on everything.
1 · Spending on this card
Example figures are filled in; replace them with real ones.
FlightsBooked with the airline or through Amex Travel
5x
Hotels prepaid through Amex Travel
5x
Other travel through Amex TravelIncluding cruises
2x
Hotels booked any other way
1x
Dining
1x
Groceries
1x
Gas
1x
Everything else
1x
2 · Credits that would be used
Tick only what would be used anyway, at full value.
3 · Assumptions
The result
Not counted: lounge access, Hilton and Marriott Gold status, car rental status and the insurance. 5x on flights applies to the first $500,000 a year. Transfers to U.S. airlines carry a fee of $0.0006 a point, capped at $99, not deducted here.
Insurance and protections
Pay with the card to be covered. Most travel cover is secondary: it pays after any other insurance. The issuer’s guide to benefits has the full terms and exclusions.
Trip delay
Up to $500 per trip after a delay of more than 6 hours, for up to 2 claims per 12 months. The round trip must be paid entirely with the card. Secondary.
Trip cancellation and interruption
Up to $10,000 per trip and $20,000 per card per 12 months, for covered reasons such as illness or severe weather. Secondary.
Car rental loss and damage
Up to $75,000 for theft or damage to a rental car, for rentals up to 30 days, when the rental company’s damage waiver is declined. Secondary.
Baggage insurance
Up to $2,000 for checked bags and $3,000 for carry-on bags, with a $3,000 total per person per trip. Secondary.
Cell phone protection
Up to $800 per claim for theft or damage, after a $50 deductible, for up to 2 claims per 12 months. The monthly phone bill must be paid with the card.
Purchase protection
Theft or accidental damage within 90 days of purchase: up to $10,000 per item and $50,000 a year.
Extended warranty
Adds up to one year to manufacturer warranties of five years or less: up to $10,000 per item and $50,000 a year.
Return protection
If a store won’t take back an eligible item within 90 days, Amex may refund up to $300 per item and $1,000 a year.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Lounge access is among the broadest of any card: Centurion, Priority Pass, Delta Sky Club and more
- 5x on airfare booked directly is hard to beat for frequent flyers
- Fine Hotels + Resorts benefits add real value on luxury stays
- Strong travel and purchase insurance, including $500 trip delay cover after 6 hours
Cons
- The $895 fee only pays off if several credits match spending already planned
- 1x on dining, groceries and everyday spending
- Credits are split monthly, quarterly or twice a year, so they take tracking
- Lufthansa lounges dropped out of the network on October 1, 2026
Card terms change often and some offers are personalized; the issuer’s page is the final word.