Lots of people are shocked after I inform them my favourite card is The Platinum Card® from American Categorical. I like it as a result of it provides unimaginable assertion credit and comes with so many advantages.
Whereas the $695 annual charge (see charges and costs) is not low-cost, savvy shoppers can simply get greater than that in worth.
I journey for work and pleasure. As a managing editor at The Factors Man, I am on the street nearly each different week. I’m at all times searching for new methods to reinforce my journey.
Whereas I’ve greater than two dozen playing cards, the Platinum Card is my go-to. I first obtained it 20 years in the past, however the card has really been round for 40 years now, and the advantages have solely gotten stronger over these 4 a long time.
Learn extra: Amex Platinum Card evaluation
American Categorical Platinum fundamentals
Whereas the Platinum Card stays one of the vital fascinating playing cards available on the market for brand new candidates, I’ve moved on from the joys of flashing the shiny metallic card to appreciating the unimaginable array of advantages that simply justify the annual charge each yr.
Listed here are a few of my favourite perks on the cardboard (phrases apply for the advantages mentioned under):
- The present welcome supply of 80,000 Membership Rewards® factors after you spend $8,000 on purchases in your new card in your first six months of card membership — although you should definitely examine the CardMatch device to see should you’re focused for an excellent greater supply, which is topic to alter at any time.
- Complimentary resort elite standing at choose resort manufacturers, equivalent to Hilton Honors™ Gold standing (enrollment required).
- Choose one qualifying airline after which obtain as much as $200 in assertion credit that calendar yr when incidental charges are charged by that airline to your Platinum Account.
- As much as $200 in assertion credit every year for pay as you go American Categorical Nice Lodges + Resorts® (FHR) or The Resort Assortment bookings via American Categorical Journey™ once you pay with the Platinum Card (minimal two-night keep required for The Resort Assortment).
- As much as $200 in Uber Money yearly ($15 monthly plus a $20 bonus in December) legitimate for rides with Uber and orders with Uber Eats within the U.S. when the Platinum Card is added to your Uber account.
- As much as $240 in Digital Leisure Credit score — as much as $20 in assertion credit every month — after you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card at taking part companions (enrollment required).
- Entry to focused Amex Affords.
And do not forget entry to the great world of Membership Rewards factors.
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However there’s extra to the cardboard than simply factors, provides and assertion credit. Amex really makes my journey higher with lounge entry on the airport, assertion credit that offset the price of entry to some precedence screening packages (equivalent to Clear Plus® and PreCheck) and even what seems like VIP remedy whereas at a whole lot of inns by way of among the FHR advantages.
Learn extra: Is the Amex Platinum definitely worth the annual charge?
Complete worth from my Amex Platinum this yr
I estimate that in 2024, I’ve gotten greater than $1,700 in worth from my Platinum Card — and that is with out getting a giant welcome supply this yr. Simply going by assertion credit alone, I’ve gotten over $950 in worth … with much more coming in once you issue within the worth from some lounge visits and extra.
This is how this breaks down:
- I booked two nights on the W Taipei, a Nice Lodges + Resorts property, via Amex Journey. Since I used my Platinum Card to prepay for my Nice Lodges + Resorts keep, I acquired a $200 assertion credit score due to my annual $200 Resort Credit score. With my Nice Lodges + Resorts advantages, I used to be upgraded to a set (after I arrived), loved complimentary breakfast each morning throughout my keep and acquired a $100 credit score to make use of in direction of eligible fees throughout my keep.
- For my Airline Price Credit score, I chosen Delta Air Strains as my airline of selection, and have acquired $50 in credit score for my incidental charges. That leaves one other $150 in credit score to get again this yr on eligible incidental charges with Delta.
- In June, I used $50 from my assertion credit score at Saks Fifth Avenue (the place I can obtain $50 again from January to June and $50 again from July to December; enrollment required) to replenish on some gadgets I wanted for the summer time. I am going to use the second half of the yr’s $50 credit score within the coming months.
- I’ve additionally scored some nice assertion credit by activating and incomes focused Amex Affords in my account. In complete, I’ve gotten $1,607.50 in credit by commonly utilizing my Amex Platinum Card through the years. This yr alone, I’ve acquired assertion credit of $100 for an Alaska Airways flight, $50 at Concept, $40 for a Delta flight and $25 for a Max subscription … to call a couple of. (Amex Affords are personalised and fluctuate by cardmember; enrollment required.)
- I’ve maximized my Uber profit this yr as effectively. I’ve already used eight of the 12 month-to-month Uber Money deposits for rides within the U.S. — and shouldn’t have any drawback doing so within the the rest of the yr.
- I additionally subscribe to The New York Instances and Hulu, each of that are eligible suppliers for the Platinum Card’s digital leisure credit score. After I pay for these subscriptions with my Platinum Card, I can obtain as much as $20 in assertion credit every month.
- I have been utilizing the advantages that include a month-to-month Walmart+ membership (topic to automated renewal), like free supply ($35 order min, restrictions apply) and video streaming with Paramount+ (Paramount+ Important plan solely, separate registration required). With my card, I obtain one assertion credit score for as much as $12.95 (plus relevant taxes; Plus Ups not eligible) every month. That can add as much as one other $103.60 in credit score thus far this yr.
Then there are the American Categorical Membership Rewards factors I am incomes after I use the cardboard. Eventually depend, I’ve already banked 98,213 factors this yr.
You should use Membership Rewards factors in a wide range of methods, equivalent to to guide journey, get retail present playing cards, store at amazon.com, get assertion credit and extra. Nevertheless, I have a tendency to make use of factors by transferring them to taking part companions. That approach, I get a worth from my factors that is rather more according to TPG’s October 2024 valuation of about 2 cents per level based mostly by myself journey patterns.
For instance, I made a implausible redemption this yr after I transferred 50,000 Membership Rewards factors to Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership and booked a one-way, business-class flight from Munich Airport (MUC) to New York’s John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK) utilizing simply 50,000 Virgin factors. That ticket would sometimes price a couple of thousand {dollars} if paid with money, which exhibits simply how impactful these factors are in my travels.
American Categorical has 17 airline and three resort companions, opening up a wide range of candy spots to guide journey.
I am additionally racking up a ton of factors when reserving paid airfare by placing most of my airline spending on my Platinum Card. Tickets booked straight via Amex Journey (or straight via an airline) earn a whopping 5 Membership Rewards factors for every eligible greenback you spend (on as much as $500,000 on these purchases every calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback). This yr, I’ve earned an unimaginable 38,745 factors on airfare purchases alone.
Learn extra: Greatest methods to make use of Amex Membership Rewards factors
The way it made my journey even higher
The Platinum Card additionally helps me journey higher and extra comfortably. I might conservatively estimate that I loved at the least $569 in worth with the next perks:
- The Platinum Card offers me entry to among the prime airport lounges on the earth. This contains Centurion Lounges (just like the fabulous new ones in Atlanta and Washington, D.C.) in addition to Precedence Move Choose (enrollment required), Delta Sky Golf equipment (when flying with Delta. Restricted to 10 annual visits starting February 1, 2025.), Plaza Premium Lounges, Escape Lounges and Lufthansa Lounges (when flying with Lufthansa). I’ve been to 19 lounges this yr due to the advantages of the Platinum Card, permitting me to keep away from shopping for costly meals and drinks within the airport terminal. Primarily based on the price of meals in an airport, every meal I might’ve had within the lounge would’ve possible price me at the least $20 price of meals throughout every go to, which involves $380 thus far this yr — and the yr’s not over. And that is me being very conservative — a lounge go to is basically price far more than that in sanity!
- Earlier this yr, I renewed my Clear® Plus membership (topic to automated renewal), which makes use of distinctive facial attributes to digitally confirm its members in order that I can transfer quicker via safety at choose airports nationwide. I charged the $189 (now $199) charge to my Platinum Card and acquired an announcement credit score.
Past that, I regularly use International Eating Entry by Resy, which helped me rating hard-to-get reservations at eating places like Pebble Bar, Dante NYC and The Polo Bar lately. These are all extremely popular eating places in New York Metropolis proper now.
Backside line
Yearly, my American Categorical Platinum Card offers an unimaginable quantity of worth. I conservatively estimate that I get a number of thousand {dollars} in annual worth due to the cardboard’s array of credit, factors and focused provides — and that is even with out receiving the welcome supply out there for eligible new card members.
However the Platinum Card is a lot greater than that. With journey advantages like airport lounge entry, credit for providers that assist me get via airport safety within the U.S. and entry to unique reservations via International Eating Entry by Resy, my time on the street is rather more productive with the Platinum Card … and extra enjoyable as effectively.
Apply right here: The Platinum Card from American Categorical
For charges and costs of The Platinum Card from American Categorical, click on right here.
