We all know what you are pondering: Why pay hefty annual charges on two playing cards that earn the identical sort of factors? Nicely, for us (and plenty of others), it is totally worthwhile.
Certainly, the mixed $1,000-plus price ticket on The Platinum Card® from American Specific and American Specific® Gold Card could be confronting. Nonetheless, the incomes charges and perks on these playing cards differ considerably.
If you wish to speed up your earnings, maximize card advantages and shield your purchases, it may well make sense to carry each the Platinum and Gold playing cards. Listed below are 4 the reason why.
Earn two welcome bonuses
Through the first 12 months that you’ve a card, the welcome bonus is among the most useful advantages, if not essentially the most invaluable. Between these two playing cards, you possibly can earn as much as 275,000 bonus Membership Rewards factors:
- Amex Platinum: Discover out your provide and see in case you are eligible for as excessive as 175,000 bonus factors after spending $8,000 on purchases throughout the first six months of card membership. (Welcome gives range and also you will not be eligible for a proposal.)
- Amex Gold: Discover out your provide and see in case you are eligible for as excessive as 100,000 bonus factors after spending $6,000 on purchases throughout the first six months of card membership. (Welcome gives range and also you will not be eligible for a proposal.)
TPG’s July 2025 valuations peg American Specific Membership Rewards factors at 2 cents apiece, that means these mixed welcome bonuses are price as much as $5,500.
There are a few utility restrictions to concentrate on:
- You may solely earn a welcome provide on every card as soon as per lifetime.
- It is best to use for the Gold first after which the Platinum; in case you do it the opposite manner round, you may seemingly be ineligible to earn the Gold’s welcome provide.
Associated: An entire information to Amex’s one-bonus-per-lifetime restrictions
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Speed up your earnings
You could possibly earn 1000’s of additional factors annually through the use of the proper card for every buy. A normal information is to make use of the:
Let’s dive into the numbers.
Utilizing the Platinum to ebook flights, you may earn 5 factors per greenback spent instantly with airways or with American Specific Journey®*, in comparison with 3 factors per greenback on the Amex Gold.
For pay as you go accommodations booked by means of Amex Journey, Platinum is once more the best way to go, incomes 5 factors per greenback spent as a substitute of simply 2 factors per greenback with the Amex Gold.
Then, you may wish to use the Amex Gold in your grocery and eating purchases. You may earn 4 factors per greenback spent at eating places worldwide** and at U.S. supermarkets***. With the Platinum, you’d solely earn 1 level per greenback spent in these classes.
* On as much as $500,000 of those purchases yearly, then 1 level per greenback
** On as much as $50,000 in purchases per calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback
*** On as much as $25,000 on purchases per calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback
Associated: earn over 300,000 factors in a 12 months
Maximize assertion credit
Each playing cards present annual assertion credit that may put lots of or 1000’s of {dollars} again in your pocket.
The Amex Gold’s $325 annual charge (see charges and charges) is greater than offset by as much as $424 in assertion credit, that are primarily centered on eating, together with an:
- As much as $50 biannual Resy credit score: At Resy-affiliated U.S. eating places
- As much as $10 month-to-month eating credit score: At choose retailers like 5 Guys and Grubhub
- As much as $10 month-to-month Uber Money^: For Uber rides or Uber Eats orders within the U.S.
- As much as $7 month-to-month Dunkin’ credit score: At U.S. Dunkin’ places
Enrollment is required.
^Uber Money will solely be deposited into one Uber account whenever you add the eligible Amex card as a cost methodology and redeem with any Amex card.
In the meantime, the Amex Platinum’s excessive $695 annual charge (see charges and charges) could be greater than offset by assertion credit, so long as you maximize all of them. The bulk are travel- and lifestyle-focused, with a few of our favorites being an:
- As much as $209 annual Clear Plus credit score: To cowl your annual membership (topic to auto-renewal)
- As much as $200 annual airline charge credit score: Along with your most popular airline
- As much as $200 annual resort credit score: To offset pay as you go bookings with Amex High-quality Resorts + Resorts or The Resort Assortment (minimal two-night keep)
- As much as $20 month-to-month digital leisure credit score: Together with Disney+ and Peacock subscriptions
- As much as $15 month-to-month Uber Money^: For Uber rides or Uber Eats orders within the U.S.; bonus $20 in December (for a complete of $35 that month)
Enrollment is required.
Associated: American Specific Gold vs. American Specific Platinum: Which one is best for you?
Shield your purchases and journey
Each the American Specific Platinum and Gold playing cards provide prolonged guarantee and buy safety advantages.
Nonetheless, the Amex Platinum card gives extra complete safety advantages, particularly for frequent vacationers, whereas the Amex Gold card supplies extra restricted protection.
The buying and journey protections that the Amex Platinum gives (however the Amex Gold does not) embody:
- Cellphone safety
- Emergency medical transportation (if coordinated by the profit administrator)
- Journey cancellation and interruption insurance coverage*
- Journey delay insurance coverage*
- Larger protection for automotive rental loss and injury, and baggage and journey delay insurance coverage
*Eligibility and profit stage varies by card. Phrases, circumstances and limitations apply. Go to americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for particulars. Insurance policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance coverage Firm, an AIG Firm.
When it does not make sense
Holding each the Amex Platinum and Gold playing cards will not be cost-effective for everybody. Take into account the next:
- Lounge entry: Should you hardly ever use airport lounges or do not spend sufficient on the Platinum to unlock visitor entry, chances are you’ll not get sufficient worth from the cardboard.
- Grocery purchases: Should you primarily store at big-box retailers like Walmart or Goal, or by means of grocery supply providers that do not code as “supermarkets”, you won’t earn bonus factors in these classes.
- Assertion credit: Assess whether or not you already spend on providers (like Grubhub and Uber) that you will obtain assertion credit for; if not, chances are you’ll find yourself spending unnecessarily to “save” cash.
Backside line
The Amex Gold card’s decrease annual charge and bonus factors on eating and groceries might go well with many customers, whereas the Platinum card’s larger charge is price it for many who can maximize its journey perks.
Combining each playing cards can enhance your Amex factors steadiness, elevate your travels and offset your spending on life-style purchases.
To study extra, learn our full critiques of the Amex Platinum and Amex Gold playing cards.
Apply right here: Amex Gold
Apply right here: Amex Platinum
For charges and charges of the Amex Platinum Card, please click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Amex Gold Card, please click on right here.
