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Platinum ® Travel Benefits

With your Platinum Card, every trip becomes a special experience. Discover the travel benefits of your Platinum Card and how you can easily use them.

International Airline Program

As a Platinum Cardmember, you and your Platinum Supplementary Cardmember can enjoy up to 20% off airfares on some of the world's finest airlines. Available when booking through American Express Travel Online or your Platinum Travel & Dining Concierge.

Luggage Free

Luggage Free provides a safe, worldwide, door-to-door shipping service for your luggage, golf clubs, boxes, skis, snowboards, and more. As a Platinum Cardmember, you can take advantage of exclusive benefits.

The American Express Global Lounge Collection®

The American Express Global Lounge Collection offers a peaceful retreat at the airport, with more than 1,400 Airport Lounges in over 650 cities across 140 countries and counting, including the Centurion® Lounge, Plaza Premium Lounges, Priority Pass TM Lounges and more 3 .

The Centurion® Lounge

We invite you to enjoy The Centurion Lounge, a travel experience designed for you. Platinum Cardmembers have unlimited complimentary access to all locations of The Centurion Lounge and may bring up to two (2) companions. Guest access policies may vary internationally by location and are subject to change.

View more lounges from the Global Lounge Collection

• Priority Pass Lounges
• Delta Sky Club Lounges when Flying Delta
• Escape Lounges – The Centurion Studio Partner
• Eurostar Business Premier Lounges
• Lufthansa Lounges
• Airspace Lounges
• Plaza Premium Lounges

Lounge Finder

Escape to the glamour and luxury of beautiful lounges all over the world. We made it easy for you to explore all of our lounges and lounge networks you can visit with your Platinum Card.

American Express Collections

Fine Hotels + Resorts

Enjoy guaranteed 4pm check-out to make the most of every moment, plus enjoy benefits that offer an average value of $600 at 1,500 properties worldwide.

The Hotel Collection

Delight your senses as you book with The Hotel Collection under American Express Travel. Receive a US$100 hotel credit for qualifying dining, spa and resort activities.

Hotel Loyalty Programmes

MeliáRewards Gold

MeliáRewards Gold is a loyalty scheme that rewards our guests at more than 350 hotels and 7 hotel brands worldwide with exclusive benefits.

Marriott Bonvoy™ Gold Elite Status

Experience an elevated travel lifestyle at thousands of extraordinary hotels across 30 brands.

Hilton Honors Gold Status

Enjoy exclusive benefits at any of Hilton’s 6,600+ properties worldwide, such as room upgrades, and an 80% Bonus on all Points earned.

Radisson Rewards Premium Status

Indulge in enhanced, luxury accomodation with complimentary Premium status in the Radisson Rewards program.

We're committed to smoothing your journey every step of the way, including membership to the world’s leading car rental programmes. Your Platinum benefits bring you complimentary car upgrades and valuable discounts. Enrolment is required to enjoy our partner car rental loyalty programmes.

Avis President’s Club

Experience the Avis Preferred program, and receive complimentary one car-class upgrades and greater savings in over 114 countries.

Hertz Gold Plus Rewards® Five Star

Discover convenient travel with Hertz, and enjoy an array of benefits including up to 15% discount off standard rates and a one-car-class upgrade whenever possible at participating locations.

Cruise & Tour

Cruise Benefits

Explore the world and sail off into the sunset; enjoy up to US$300 in onboard credit when you book with one of our cruise partners through Platinum Travel & Dining Concierge.

American Express Online Travel

American Express Travel is all about choice and flexibility. With a huge selection of great value flights, destinations, hotels and even car hire to choose from, your perfect holiday is just a few clicks away. You can even pay for your travel, including taxes, with your Membership Rewards® points with no booking fee.

Plus earn two Membership Rewards points for every £1 spent on hotel, car hire, and experiences booked online with American Express Travel.*

Want to become an American Express ® Platinum Card Member?

Card Terms & Conditions

Departures Online

Departures Online has been completely revamped and is ready for you to explore. The dynamic site features a wealth of inspiration, handpicked for you by the Departures editors, including curated guides to the world's top destinations as well as coverage of the most recent openings, pop-up shops and restaurants and other happenings worldwide.

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The Guide to AmEx Platinum Travel Insurance

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Table of Contents

When does the AmEx Platinum travel insurance kick in?

Amex platinum travel insurance benefits and limits, how to make an amex travel insurance claim, what if the card’s insurance benefits are insufficient, the platinum card® from american express travel insurance, recapped.

Travel insurance can provide peace of mind when you’re away from home, especially when you’ve spent significant money on your vacation. Although you can choose to buy a separate travel insurance policy, not everyone wants or needs to do so.

Many travel credit cards offer complimentary insurance for a variety of occurrences. The Platinum Card® from American Express offers travel insurance with a suite of benefits for eligible travelers, including coverage for trip interruption, rental car damage and lost luggage.

Let’s take a look at travel insurance on The Platinum Card® from American Express , its limits and the benefits it provides.

» Learn more: What is travel insurance?

So, does The Platinum Card® from American Express have travel insurance? The short answer to this is yes, but you’ll need to meet specific requirements for it to apply.

To get coverage from your card, you’ll need to use it to pay for your trip in its entirety. This is true whether you’re looking to utilize the trip insurance or the rental car insurance — you must pay for the full cost with The Platinum Card® from American Express .

Be aware of coverage limitations if you’re traveling using points or miles. While it’s possible to receive benefits when using your card to pay the taxes and fees on a reward redemption, coverage may not always apply.

You may still be covered for trip interruption, delay, and cancellation insurance when using points or frequent flyer miles.

However, rental car and baggage insurance only apply when you’ve used your card to pay for the full cost of whatever you’re buying — no points allowed. The exception is if you redeem American Express Membership Rewards to pay for some or all of the booking.

» Learn more: How does credit card travel insurance work?

We’ve included a breakdown of all the insurance benefits and other travel protections provided by The Platinum Card® from American Express .

Trip cancellation protection

The trip cancellation insurance you’ll receive will pay for any nonrefundable losses you incur due to a covered event.

Given the current climate, you may also be wondering: does The Platinum Card® from American Express travel insurance cover COVID? It can, depending on the reason you need to cancel. Covered events include quarantine imposed by a physician or illness for you, your family members or a traveling companion.

Other eligible events include a change in military orders, inclement weather or jury duty.

If you need to cancel your trip, AmEx will provide up to $10,000 per trip and a maximum of $20,000 every 12 months. Terms apply.

» Learn more: The guide to American Express travel insurance

Trip interruption coverage

As with trip cancellation protection, trip interruption insurance will reimburse you for nonrefundable losses by a covered event.

If your trip is interrupted, American Express will cover you for prepaid land, air and sea travel bookings you’ve missed. They’ll also pay for the cost of an economy-class ticket on the most direct route to rejoin your covered trip (or take you home).

The maximum benefit you’ll receive is $10,000 per trip and up to $20,000 every 12 months. Terms apply.

Trip delay insurance

As it sounds, trip delay insurance will reimburse you for expenses incurred when your trip doesn’t go as scheduled. In the case of The Platinum Card® from American Express , coverage kicks in after you’ve been delayed by at least six hours for a covered reason.

Covered purchases may include food, toiletries, lodging, medication and other personal use items. You’ll be reimbursed for up to $500 on a covered trip and can make two claims within a 12-month period. Terms apply.

Rental car insurance

The Platinum Card® from American Express provides secondary rental car insurance . This means it’ll kick in after other claims — like those made to your personal insurance — have been paid. To activate coverage, you’ll need to decline the insurance offered by the rental car company.

AmEx will provide up to $75,000 due to damage or theft of the rental vehicle, but be aware that the policy doesn’t provide liability insurance.

It’ll also give you up to $1,000 per person (max of $2,000) for personal property lost in the incident and up to $5,000 for accidental injury. Finally, you’ll receive up to $300,000 for accidental death or dismemberment, though the rates will vary depending on the severity of your injuries.

This rental car insurance is valid worldwide with a few notable exceptions, including Australia, Italy and New Zealand. Terms apply.

» Learn more: Credit cards that provide travel insurance

Baggage coverage

Cardholders and their families are eligible for baggage insurance provided they’ve paid for the fare using The Platinum Card® from American Express . This benefit is only for lost baggage; delayed luggage is not protected.

Coverage limits vary depending on whether you’ve checked your bag or carried it on:

Checked bags: Up to $2,000 per person.

Carry-on: Up to $3,000 per person.

Note also that checked baggage is only covered when you’re actually traveling with a common carrier. Meanwhile, carry-on luggage is also covered when traveling to and from or waiting at the terminal.

There are also specific limits for high-risk items such as jewelry and electronic equipment. For these items, you’ll receive a maximum of $1,000 per person per trip. Terms apply.

» Learn more: Baggage insurance explained

Premium Global Assist

What else does The Platinum Card® from American Express travel insurance cover? Although this last benefit isn’t technically a type of travel insurance, it’s worth including as it can offer help while you travel.

AmEx’s Premium Global Assist hotline is a 24/7 service that can assist you in various ways, such as helping you get a new passport, finding translation services and even arranging for emergency medical evacuation.

Although using Premium Global Assist is free, the services that you may end up using are not necessarily covered by AmEx.

There are exceptions to this — if you need repatriation of mortal remains, emergency medical evacuation or if a child under 16 is left without care, AmEx will provide aid at no additional cost. Terms apply.

To file a claim, you’ll need to contact your benefit administrator. The phone number and timeframe will vary according to the type of insurance you’re using:

Trip cancellation, interruption or delay insurance: Within 60 days, call 844-933-0648.

Baggage insurance: Within 30 days, call 800-228-6855 or online .

Rental car insurance: Within 30 days, call 800-338-1670 or online .

» Learn more: The guide to AmEx Platinum rental car benefits

If The Platinum Card® from American Express travel insurance doesn’t seem like it’ll be enough for your trip, or if its coverage doesn’t include features that you’d like to have, consider purchasing a separate travel insurance policy before you travel.

Several companies allow you to compare various policies for any vacation and modify inclusions as you shop.

» Learn more: How much is travel insurance?

The travel insurance offered by The Platinum Card® from American Express includes some pretty generous benefits for travelers, especially since it’s complimentary (the $695 annual fee notwithstanding). Terms apply.

If you want to take advantage of this insurance, pay for your trip using your AmEx card and double-check any other stated requirements before heading out to ensure coverage.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

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American Express Preferred Rewards Platinum Card Review (Amex Platinum Review) – Is Amex Platinum Worth It UK?

March 4, 2020 By Ben @ Thrifty Points 11 Comments

An Overview of the Amex Platinum Card

This is my updated review of the American Express Preferred Rewards Platinum card (Amex Platinum card UK review).  The chances are you’ve stumbled across this page because you’re asking yourself does the £575 pa cost of holding the card really make sense? In this review I’ll delve into the key benefits of the card, run some (hopefully) easy-to-follow cost analysis and answer the question on everyone’s lips – Is Amex Platinum worth it UK?

Let's break this post down...

American Express Platinum Review

Let’s start with the boring stuff. The UK American Express Preferred Rewards Platinum card is issued directly by American Express and is a charge card, not a credit card. For those that don’t know, a charge card needs to be paid in full at the end of each month!

You can hold up to 2 charge cards and 2 credit cards which have been issued by American Express at any one time, although this doesn’t include Amex cards which are provided by the likes of BA, Lloyds, TSB or Barclays. I’d recommend checking your credit rating before applying for a new card. Generally you should have a rating in excess of 700+. Click here  for a free Equifax credit report and score. It’s free for the first 30 days and then £14.95 per month afterwards (make sure you cancel in the first 30 days!).

As you may be aware the Platinum Card recently changed from the bog standard plastic version to the new metal version – setting it aside from the vast majority of other cards in the UK market!

Unlike the A mex Gold card , which is free for the first 12 months, the UK American Express Platinum card comes with an annual fee of £575. This fee is refundable on a pro-rata basis should you wish to cancel. It’s this hefty annual fee that makes this one of the hardest cards to get your head around. So, is the Amex Platinum worth it? …read on to find out why, for some   people, we believe the answer is yes…

The Sign-Up Bonus for the Amex Platinum Card UK

The American Express Preferred Rewards Platinum card offers 30,000 bonus Membership Rewards points when you spend £4,000 in your first 3 months. You can increase your sign-up bonus to 35,000 points by using this referral link and scrolling down to the correct card (as seen highlighted in red below).

Membership Rewards points can be directly converted to Avios and similar points from a number of other partners. If converted to Avios this would be enough for a return flight to Athens from the UK. Alternatively see how I used my American Express Rewards points and the BA 2-4-1 voucher to fly two people First Class to Sao Paulo for free – review here  (Tip: the free First-Class flight review is the most popular page on our website by far and may be worth bookmarking for a later date :)).

You can increase to 35,000, the total number of sign-up bonus Membership Rewards points by using this link .  For those who have read my post about the value of American Express Membership Rewards points ( click here to read ) if converted to Avios, you’ll know that I value the points at roughly £0.01 per point. As such by using this link you’re making in the region of £50. Worth considering and as you’ll see below may go a long way towards offsetting the cost of the card!

What Are the Other Benefits of the Amex Platinum Card?

When you sign up to the Amex Platinum card you and a supplementary cardholder will receive a Priority Pass Card . Priority Pass offers a VIP experience at over 1000 airport lounges with complimentary drinks, refreshments and pre-flight bites (including alcohol!). This could be worth between £50-£250 depending on your travel habits. See how I arrive at this figure below. Have a look at the Plaza Premium Lounge – London Heathrow Terminal 2.

During your time as an Amex Platinum cardholder you’ll receive the following status in various hotel schemes:

• Gold in Hilton Honours
• Gold in Club Carlson
• Jade in Shangri-La Golden Circle
• Gold in Starwood Preferred Guest
• Gold in Melia Rewards  

Travel insurance for you and the rest of the family. Just check the terms and conditions because some elements require you to pay by an American Express card. Also included is free hire-car insurance with no requirement to use the card.

Earn one Membership Rewards point for virtually every £1 spent on the card . These again can be converted to Avios, which if applied to the 35,000 sign-up bonus will help you reach those further-away destinations.

Further benefits of the American Express Platinum card include:

• Free Eurostar Lounge Access when travelling in any class
• Lounge access when flying with Delta
• Room upgrade on arrival (when available)
• Free breakfast for two people
• Noon check-in (when available)
• Guaranteed 4pm check-out
• Note that prices are fixed and as such may be more expensive than booking direct. Always check!
• Complimentary membership to Hertz Gold Plus Rewards
• A £10 Addison Lee taxi credit each month
• $200 cashback on every onefinestay house rental (no limit on the number you can redeem)

Anything Else I Should Know About the Amex Platinum Card?

American Express no longer has a minimum income requirement for the card.

Recent changes to American Express rules now mean that to qualify for the sign up bonus you cannot have held a personal Membership Rewards American Express credit card in the last 24 months – this would include the Green, Gold and Platinum Card.  If you’ve only had the Nectar, Costco, Starwood, British Airways you can still obtain the sign up bonus – learn more about the sign up bonus restrictions and our suggested strategy here .

Finally just a reminder that the American Express Preferred Rewards Platinum card is  not  a credit card and  should  be repaid in full at the end of each month.

Is Amex Platinum UK Worth the £575 pa? – American Express Platinum versus Other Credit Cards

With a whopping £575 annual fee, one would hope that the Amex Platinum benefits far outweigh the cost of the card. One of the main questions I’m regularly asked – Is Amex Platinum worth it UK? To compare the American Express Platinum card against some of its competitors, I thought it would be useful to calculate the monetary value of the various benefits offered by the card.

Now this is not an easy task and is dependent on the individual’s personal circumstances, however hopefully this will provide some indication to allow you to calculate whether the American Express Platinum benefits are truly worth it for the £575 annual fee.

Sign-up Bonus – As I mentioned earlier, you’ll receive a bonus of 30,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend £2,000 in the first 3 months on the Amex Platinum card. This can be increased to 35,000 membership rewards points if you use this link and scrolling down to the correct card.

Now the value of these points will vary depending on what you decide to spend them on. For example if you are to convert to Amazon vouchers you’ll get approximately 0.5p for every reward point you earned with the American Express Platinum card. If you’ve read my post covering the value of an Avios point ( found here ) you’ll know that if transferred to Avios, I expect the value to be in the region of 1p per reward point (1 to 1 conversion rate). As such the sign-up bonus offered on the Amex Platinum credit card could be worth anywhere between £175 and £350 depending on how they’re redeemed (far more than the standard BA Amex card ).

American Express Platinum Travel Insurance – The card offers family travel Insurance. If you’re a single traveller then this reward may not be worth a significant amount however I’ve just run a quick search and the cheapest annual family insurance on similar terms is £223. Not a bad benefit if you have a large family.

Full Car-Hire Insurance – The American Express Platinum card UK offers free car-hire insurance, which for me has relatively limited value as I usually rent cars through work and as such they cover the cost of the insurance. However if you’re inclined to rent a car on every holiday you go on, this could be worth a considerable amount. I’ve had a search online and you can purchase a similar policy for somewhere in the region of £40.

Lounge Access with the Amex Platinum Rewards Card – Now one of my personal favourites is the TWO Priority Passes you get with the card. The perceived value of these will vary depending on how much you travel. For independent flyers who only travel once or twice a year, this is likely to have limited, if any, value. Alternatively if you’re a family of 4, who fly three times a year and like to use lounges, then the Priority Pass cards could be worth anywhere up to £180 (based on 4 guests, 3 times a year at £20 per person per visit). A similar calculation can be undertaken for the Eurostar lounge access.

Finally with the American Express Platinum card you will also gain status with the various hotel schemes listed above. Whilst these of course have a value, it’s slightly more difficult to attribute.  For the purpose of this exercise we’ll say they are nice to have but provide limited value to offset against the £575 cost of the Amex Platinum UK card.

So what have we learned? You’re likely to get better value from the card if you have a family as opposed to being an independent traveller. In this example the family of 4 may benefit somewhere in the region of £793, far outweighing the cost of the American Express Platinum credit card UK. However an individual who rarely flies and would use the points to purchase an item at Amazon may only get £175 of value from the card. As such it would be a bad move for this individual to sign up.

How Do the Amex Platinum UK Benefits Compare with Other Credit Cards?

For the purpose of this exercise, I’m going to compare the Amex Platinum credit card with the American Express Gold card and the British Airways American Express Premium card. Both are cards that I rate highly. Full reviews can be found here – Amex Gold Review / BA Amex Premium Review .

Now you’ll earn significantly more points with the Amex Platinum Rewards card than both comparison cards, and at 1p per Avios this difference is worth between £50 and £200. The difference is even greater if you use this referral link and scrolling down to the correct card to boost the sign-up bonus from 30,000 to 35,000 points. That said, the American Express Gold card ( full review here ) is free for the first year and a ‘mere’ £140 pa thereafter (although I wouldn’t recommend paying for the card). With the Amex Gold card you’ll also receive 2 free lounge passes. Great if you rarely fly, however as seen earlier, the 2 passes of the Platinum American Express can be huge if you’re travelling with a large family.

Now the BA Amex Premium card has one very important benefit and that’s the 2-4-1 voucher. I recently used this to redeem two First-Class flights to Sao Paulo, saving me somewhere in the region of 140,000 Avios. At 1p per Avios, that’s a staggering saving of £1,400 which in my mind put this card way ahead of the American Express Platinum card for couples who already have a significant number of Avios points to use. You can read my full review of the BA Premium Card here or alternatively bookmark our guide to obtaining a free First-Class flight for you and a companion – found here .

Ways to Spend Your Amex Platinum UK Rewards?

In this scenario, we’re going to look at the various ways you can spend both the 30,000 ( 35,000 using this link and scrolling down to the correct card) sign-up bonus and the additional points you’ve accumulated by spending money on the Amex Platinum card.

You could use the 35,000 Membership Rewards points against the balance of your American Express Platinum credit card at a rate of 0.4p per point. This would be a worst-case scenario in my eyes.

If you shop online via the American Express website, you have the option to use reward points. You should note however that merchant rewards generally equate to less than 0.4p and as such you’d be better off putting it on your American Express Platinum credit card and using the points to pay it off. In addition you’ll earn further points on the card spend J!

You can use the points to shop directly on Amazon.co.uk  at a rate of 0.45p or alternatively if you are to purchase an Amazon gift card you’ll receive a rate of 0.5p (as mentioned above). Similarly other retailer gift cards can be redeemed at 0.5p.

Your Membership Rewards points can be used for hotel stays and generally work out relatively favourably at between 0.5p and 1p per stay. Hotel operators include Hilton, Starwood (providing access to the Marriott offering), Club Carlson and Melia.

Finally, and my recommended method, is to convert the points you’ve earned from the Amex Gold card to air miles. You can see how I  value Avios points here , however I estimate the value to be in the region of 0.8p to 1.3p per point.

As highlighted above there are a number of ways you can spend the points you’ve earned with the Amex Platinum UK credit card, with the sign-up bonus of 35,000 worth anywhere between £140 and £350.

Thrifty Point’s Tips to Maximise the Platinum American Express

Whilst I don’t advocate churning cards purely for points, I would highlight that the £575 pa charge for the American Express Platinum card is refundable on a pro-rata basis. As such, once you’ve spent the qualifying amount of £4,000 and have banked the rewards points you’ll be able to recoup a significant proportion of the fee for the Platinum American Express card.

FAQs – American Express Platinum Credit Card UK

How to get the amex platinum card.

Historically the American Platinum card was only available to those with bank balances which could feed a third-world country for a year. Nowadays the prestigious card is not based on salary and available to anyone over the age of 18 with no history of bad debt and a permanent UK home address (according to the American Express website ).

Is the American Express Platinum Card Worth It?

As we’ve seen in the examples above, for a family of 4 the £575 charge for the American Express Platinum card would be more than offset by the various benefits. However if you’re an independent traveller you may be better off with the free American Express Gold Card – full review here .

What Happens if I Already Have the American Express Gold?

For those who already have the American Express Gold card and are thinking to upgrade to the Amex Platinum there are two options. Either cancel the card and wait 24 months to receive the 35,000 reward points sign-up bonus. Or switch your Gold card to the American Express Platinum card and you’ll receive a sign-up bonus of 20,000 reward points.

What’s Amex Platinum Eurostar Lounge access like?

Unlike the Priority Pass, which entitles the cardholder to also invite a guest, the Amex Platinum Eurostar lounge access is unfortunately only for the cardholder.   Only on one occasion out of the last 6 return journeys have I been travelling by myself and in that instance I was running late on one of the journeys.  If you travel on the Eurostar regularly for work then this benefit may have some good value however for me who predominantly travels with Eurostar for leisure it’s been challenging to use!

American Express UK Platinum Credit Card Summary

The sign-up bonus of 30,000 points (35,000 points if you use this specific sign up link and scrolling down to the correct card) for the Amex Platinum credit card is the most generous in the market at the current time.

Is Amex Platinum worth it UK? The £575 annual fee is one of the most expensive in the market, however as we’ve seen from our cost analysis if you are a frequent traveller who would use the various other perks of the card, there is definitely value to be had here. Note you can always cancel for a pro-rata fee refund at any time, useful if you receive your sign-up bonus and find you aren’t making the most of your various other perks. Alternatively if the maths just don’t add up why not try the (free for the first 12 months) American Express Gold Card – reviewed here .

I hope you’ve found the Amex Platinum card review useful and as always please do comment if you have any queries. Please do share this post if you think friends would be interested.

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Reader Interactions

James Hockney

June 2, 2018 at 16:36

Great article! Does the supplementary cardholder receive the same rewards points bonus? Or would they need to make a seperate application?

May 24, 2019 at 04:51

Yes, Great article. any answer to: Does the supplementary cardholder receive the same rewards points bonus? The links to the increase of reward points (from 30,000 to 35,000) does not seem to be working?

Ben @ Thrifty Points

May 26, 2019 at 14:27

Thanks for reaching out and great to hear you’ve found the article interesting. Unfortunately the supplementary cardholder will not receive a bonus but you will receive 5,000 MR points for the first approved card. The supplementary card however will earn the same number of MR points on spending which will be credited to your account. Has for the heads up on the link – now amended.

June 1, 2019 at 08:25

Me again, sorry. Is there a charge for the supplementary card? Ts & Cs say 175GBP?

June 1, 2019 at 08:33

The first supplementary platinum card and first 4 supplementary gold cards are complimentary. There is a charge of £175 per American Express platinum card after that. I’ll make sure I update the article to reflect 👍

June 1, 2019 at 08:34

The first supplementary platinum card and first 4 supplementary gold cards are complimentary. There is a charge of £175 per American Express platinum card after that. I’ll make sure I update the article to reflect

July 29, 2019 at 21:52

Shame we dont get uber credits in the UK, AL is twice the price of uber almost

February 28, 2020 at 15:48

The bonus points condition of no Amex card for 24 months, does that only apply to UK Amex cards? If I have a foreign Amex card and I move to the UK and apply for this Plat card, can I still get the bonus?

June 21, 2021 at 21:44

Hi all, has anyone been able to make use of the Platinum travel discount on selected flights? If so, any feedback. We are evaluating whether this card is for us and have a large US trip coming up next year. If the 20% touted discount is indeed available, it is absolutely worth us going for it. Any guidance appreciated!

March 14, 2023 at 22:40

are the points transferable to Virgin flying club?

March 15, 2023 at 16:56

apparently they are. Is this a dead blog? I also think the restaurant benefit is £300 now.

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Massive amex uk retention offer.

Amex just offered me 50,000 Membership rewards points to keep my Platinum card.

I’ve always been a huge advocate of the benefits of owning an Amex Platinum Card.

Between the travel insurance, concierge service and special offers I always easily make my annual £585 fee back.

However there’s no doubting the fact that the utility of the travel insurance and concierge has been severely limited by the UK lockdown.

My $900 shopping spree whilst staying in L.A. thanks to Amex platinum insurance

How do you get an Amex Platinum UK retention bonus?

I called thinking that I might cancel the card and then re-apply in a few months time, when things are a little more normal.

My call was initially answered in the Philippines but as soon as I said the word “cancel” I was put on hold and transferred to a very well spoken lady in Brighton.

She began by assuring me that the team in Brighton was always available to speak to Platinum cardmembers .

She went on to explain that there were plenty of offers available at the moment, like the £175 back at Deliveroo/Selfridges/Harvey Nicks but she understood that the value of the card had diminished.

Without any prompting she offered me 50,000 Membership Rewards points, without any conditions attached.

©Flick digital.

I had been tempted to part ways with Amex…

Will I get the same retention offer?

There’s no guarantee but another person I’ve spoken to actually just got 60,000 offered to him (but he didn’t get the 20,000 back in May last year).

As always, the offer will vary depending on your personal history with Amex.

Feel free to comment below and share what, if anything, you’re offered.

JarvisMarcos

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Earn 175K Points With New Amex Platinum Card Bonus [Current Public Offer is 80k]

Brett Holzhauer

Content Contributor

16 Published Articles

Countries Visited: 22 U.S. States Visited: 29

Stella Shon

News Managing Editor

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Option 1: Check On Amex Directly  (Try This First)

Option 2. targeted email offers, benefits of the amex platinum card, 1. klm business class from toronto to london in october, 2. 3 nights at the oceana santa monica hotel, final thoughts.

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

Welcome bonuses are the best way to earn mass amounts of points in a short amount of time. The key to it is to have upcoming purchases you were planning on anyway, so you aren’t forcing yourself to spend money. Or, in my case, I do my best to recruit friends and family to use my card for me.

In any case, The Platinum Card ® from American Express is currently offering one of its best new welcome bonuses for new cardholders.

• The current public offer is:  Earn 80,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first 6 months.

Here’s the scoop on how you can score an elevated 175,000-point welcome bonus offer, where to find it, and how you can potentially redeem this hoard of points.

Targeted offers are discussed in the article below. Please note that these offers are not available to all applicants. Any information related to targeted offers has been collected independently and has not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Amex Platinum Card Welcome Bonus Offer

One of the tricks of the points and miles game is to find offers that may not be directly served to you on the card issuer’s homepage. Sometimes you can find offers that may be slightly higher than others.

However, our writers have seen targeted offers for a solid 175,000-point welcome offer. And the card also comes with an annual fee of $695 ( rates & fees ).

At our valuation , that is a $3,850 value for travel in the first couple of months of holding the card. This doesn’t even take into account the laundry list of benefits the card offers.

First and foremost,  you should   try applying directly on American Express’ website  to find the best possible offers on the Amex Platinum card. By checking directly with American Express first, you may be targeted for a generous welcome offer inviting you to apply.

Another way you can find elevated welcome offers is via targeted emails or mailers. If you want to receive these targeted offers, opt-in to receive  New Card and Credit Offers  in your Amex account’s  General Marketing Email Preferences .

There’s no telling when this offer may go away, so if you’re in the market for a high end card , you may want to jump on this welcome bonus.

The Amex Platinum Card is in a class of its own. It offers a significant amount of benefits for someone looking to have a luxurious touch to their travel experience. But if you can take advantage of enough of the perks (some require prior enrollment), you can potentially make up for the hard expense.

• 5x points for flights booked directly with airlines or  AmexTravel.com  (up to $500,000 per calendar year) and on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com.
• Access to 1,400+ lounges Worldwide :  Receive access to Centurion Lounges ( U.S.  and  international locations ),  Priority Pass  upon enrollment,  Escape Lounges – The Centurion Studio Partner ,  Plaza Premium Lounges , select  Virgin Clubhouses , select  Lufthansa Lounges  when flying with Lufthansa Group the same day, and  Delta Sky Clubs  when flying with Delta the same day.
• Hotel and rental car elite status and benefits  upon enrollment
• $189 CLEAR Plus Credit :  Use your card and get up to $189 back per year on your CLEAR Plus membership (subject to auto-renewal).
• Up to $300 Equinox Credit:  Upon enrollment, get up to $300 back each year on eligible Equinox memberships when you pay with your card.
• Up to $240 Digital Entertainment Credit :  Get up to $20 back each month on eligible purchases made with your card on one or more of the following: Disney+,  The Disney Bundle , ESPN+,  Hulu , The New York Times,  Peacock , and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
• Up to $200 Hotel Credit:  Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid  Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection  bookings through  AmexTravel.com  when you pay with your card.  The Hotel Collection requires a minimum 2-night stay.
• Up to $155 Walmart+ Credit : Receive a $12.95 monthly credit toward a Walmart+ membership.
• Global Dining Access by Resy

Maximizing Your Membership Rewards Points

Membership Rewards points are extremely valuable as you can transfer them to a wide array of airline and hotel loyalty programs to book award travel. By transferring your Amex points , you can take advantage of booking your hotel or airfare directly with the airline and take advantage of any status you may have.

Here are 2 examples, among many, that you can redeem those points for valuable travel.

If your inner traveler is pulling you to Europe, you can hop over the pond to London from Toronto in style — KLM business class round-trip will run you 110,000 Flying Blue miles .

Once the points have transferred to your account, you can book the flight by visiting the KLM website. You will be prompted to enter your Flying Blue information. From there, you can redeem your points for the flight itinerary.

Yes, the flight comes with a $752 tax, but the cash price for this flight is over $3,000.

There’s nothing better than a few nights in the shadow of the Santa Monica Pier (my old stomping grounds as a kid). While 3 nights can seem like a less-than-exciting redemption for your Amex points, keep in mind the Oceana Santa Monica hotel can run upwards of $1,000 per night.

The good news is that the three nights will run you roughly 157,000 Amex points, and you will get 315,000 Hilton points as they transfer at a 1:2 ratio. To book this, simply transfer your Amex points directly to your Hilton Honors account.

The Amex Platinum card can be a staple for someone who wants a lifestyle card but doesn’t want to sacrifice the ability to earn valuable rewards.

Sound personal finance decisions should always come before splurging on luxurious travel. But if you can afford it, earn the welcome bonus without overspending, and take advantage of the majority of the benefits, it may be worth applying for.

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card ® from American Express, click here .

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About Brett Holzhauer

Brett is a personal finance and travel junkie. Based out of Fort Lauderdale, he’s had over 100 credit cards and earned millions of credit card rewards. He learned the tricks of the trade from his mom, and has taken many steps forward. He wasn’t exposed to much travel as a kid, but now has a goal of reaching 100 countries in his life. In 2019, he sold all of his possessions to become a digital nomad, and he says it was one of the best decisions he ever made. He plans to do it again at some point in his life.

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UP's Bonus Valuation

This bonus value is an estimated valuation calculated by UP after analyzing redemption options, transfer partners, award availability and how much UP would pay to buy these points.

Is the Amex Business Platinum worth the annual fee?

"This card has an annual fee of nearly $700" tends to cause many people to drop their jaws. The general reaction — from most people — is that there's simply no way paying a high premium annual fee is worth it.

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express has an annual fee of $695 (see rates and fees ), yet the card claims to offer more than double that in annual credits and perks.

Does that mean you should add the Amex Business Platinum Card to your wallet? It depends.

Here's a look at what you get from the Amex Business Platinum Card each year so you can decide whether or not this credit card is a good fit for you.

Related: Full review of the American Express Business Platinum Card

Welcome bonus

For a limited time, new applicants can earn an elevated 150,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 on purchases within the first three months of card membership. According to TPG's latest valuations , American Express Membership Rewards points are worth 2 cents apiece, making this bonus worth $3,000.

Related: How to redeem American Express Membership Rewards for maximum value

Lounge access

Those who hold the Amex Business Platinum (as well as The Platinum Card® from American Express ) have access to a wide range of lounges. They include:

• American Express Centurion lounges
• Delta Sky Club lounges (when flying on a same-day Delta flight; limited to 10 annual visits from Feb. 1, 2025)
• Priority Pass Select lounges (but not Priority Pass restaurants )
• Escape Lounges — The Centurion Studio Partner
• Airspace lounges
• Plaza Premium lounges
• Lufthansa lounges (varying access depending on what airline and cabin you're flying)
• Other Global Lounge Collection partner lounges

You can consult the Global Lounge Collection website's search function to find lounges accessible on your next trip.

Related: Guide to lounge access with the Amex Platinum and Business Platinum

When visiting these lounges, you can enjoy benefits like complimentary snacks, food, drinks (sometimes including free alcohol) and free Wi-Fi. Certain lounges will have better benefits, such as full meals, showers, children's play areas and more.

Hotel elite status

Cardmembers can register for automatic elite status with Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy . This benefit provides Gold status in both programs.

Hilton Gold status is a very valuable hotel status that provides benefits like bonus points on paid stays, complimentary bottled water, a fifth night free on award stays, room upgrades (though not to suites) and free continental breakfast or food and beverage credits. You should also receive a welcome gift at check-in, typically a snack or bonus points.

Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status is very valuable as well and provides benefits like late checkout, room upgrades (though not to suites), bonus points on paid stays, enhanced internet and a welcome gift of bonus points at check-in.

Car rental elite status

Cardmembers can enroll for complimentary elite status with Avis Preferred Plus , Hertz Gold Plus Rewards President's Circle and National Emerald Club Executive . Enrollment in advance is required for these benefits.

Rental car elite status provides benefits like car upgrades, a free second driver and my favorite benefit: skipping the line and going straight to your car at the start of your rental. One of the best benefits of car rental elite status in any program is the ability to status match with other rental car programs , helping you gain status in numerous programs simultaneously.

Related: Here's everything you need to know about rental car elite status

Pay with Points rebate

When paying with points for a flight through Amex Travel , Business Platinum cardmembers can get 35% of their points back. This applies to two types of bookings: flights in any cabin with your preselected preferred airline or flights with any airline if the reservation is for business class or first class.

Cardmembers can enjoy up to one million points refunded through this benefit every year. Achieving this maximum rebate would require spending 2,857,143 points within a calendar year using the Pay with Points feature to book qualifying flights.

Related: Why I love the Amex Business Platinum's Pay With Points perk

Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection

Amex Business Platinum and Amex Platinum cardmembers can book stays with Fine Hotels + Resorts (FHR) and The Hotel Collection (THC).

FHR stays include benefits like daily breakfast for two, late checkout, complimentary Wi-Fi and room upgrades (if available at check-in). Each stay will also include a unique property amenity worth $100, typically coming in the form of dining credits or spa credits.

THC stays include room upgrades (if available at check-in) and a $100 property credit (with bookings of two consecutive nights or more) to spend on qualifying dining, spa and resort activities.

Related: A comparison of luxury hotel programs from credit card issuers: Amex, Chase and Capital One

Bonus points for airfare and hotels

Business Platinum cardmembers can earn 5 points per dollar on airfare and prepaid hotel bookings made through Amex Travel . This earning rate includes bookings with Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection , as well.

Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee reimbursement

Cardmembers can receive statement credits to reimburse their application fees for Global Entry ($100) or TSA PreCheck (up to $85). This benefit is available every four years for Global Entry or every 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck.

Related: Global Entry vs. TSA PreCheck: Which is better?

These programs allow approved travelers to move through airport security checkpoints faster, using PreCheck lanes at designated airports . Global Entry users have an additional benefit: being able to use designated lanes when entering the U.S. to move through passport control faster.

Annual Clear Plus membership rebate

Clear Plus is not a government security program but also helps approved users speed through security checkpoints at airports and select stadiums using biometrics.

Business Platinum cardmembers can receive reimbursement in statement credits of up to $189 per year for Clear Plus membership fees. No advance enrollment is required for this benefit; pay with your Business Platinum card to automatically receive a statement credit (subject to auto-renewal).

Related: 7 ways to get free or discounted TSA PreCheck, Global Entry and Clear

Up to $200 in annual airline credits

Traveling can sometimes come with costly fees that show up in the form of paying for checked bags or upgrading to a better seat on your flight.

Business Platinum cardmembers can choose one of the following airlines as their preferred airline: Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines, Southwest Airlines or United Airlines. Choosing a preferred airline in advance is required before using this benefit, which can cover change and cancellation fees, seat selection fees, upgrade fees, checked bag fees and more.

I use this $200 annual credit on United and stock up on Travelbank credit, which essentially takes $200 off the cost of my ticket.

Related: How to use the Amex Platinum $200 airline fee credit

Annual spending credits

Business Platinum cardmembers can take advantage of lots of credits: up to $150 per year with Adobe, up to $120 per year on cellphone plans, up to $360 per year with Indeed and up to $400 per year with Dell .

The Adobe credits apply to prepaid business plans for Creative Cloud for teams or Acrobat Pro DC with e-sign for teams. The wireless services benefit is available as up to $10 per month in statement credits for wireless phone service plans paid for with your Business Platinum card. You can receive up to $90 of statement credits per quarter with Indeed. The Dell benefit provides up to $200 in statement credits semi-annually.

Enrollment is required in advance for some of these benefits. Maximizing these benefits provides $1,030 in statement credits each year. The Adobe, Dell and Indeed credits will end Dec. 31, 2024.

Related: 9 things to do when you get the Amex Business Platinum Card

Other cardmember perks

Cardmembers can take advantage of several other benefits.

The first is that the Amex Business Platinum has no preset spending limit. Whereas traditional cards come with a predetermined limit of how much you can spend on your card, cards like the Business Platinum and Platinum Card from Amex don't have these preset limits.

Instead, how much you can spend on the card changes; your payment history, banking relationship, creditworthiness and other factors determine this. This can be a great feature for businesses that spend a lot on their cards and can then pay it off quickly.

Speaking of paying bills quickly, the Business Platinum card is designed for cardmembers to pay the entire bill in full each month. If you aren't able to pay the full amount, you may be able to carry a balance on some purchases by enrolling in the Pay Over Time feature.

Not all purchases will be eligible for Pay Over Time, and not paying your entire balance in full each month will likely result in paying interest . You also may be able to earn bonus points through offers to enroll in Pay Over Time — and you can earn those bonus points for enrolling even if you never carry a balance.

Paying your monthly cellphone bill with your Business Platinum card will also provide cellphone protection to cover your phone against loss or damage. There is a maximum of $800 liability per claim, and each claim is subject to a $50 deductible. There's also a limit of two claims per eligible account in a 12-month period.

Covered phones are restricted to cellphone lines listed on a mobile phone plan paid with the eligible card during the most recent billing period.* Combining this benefit with the monthly wireless credits covered above is a great way to invoke insurance benefits plus a discount on your monthly cellphone bill.

* Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

Related: Your complete guide to shopping protections on American Express cards

Another benefit available to cardmembers is preferred access , which can mean tickets to exclusive events, going to the front of the line for ticket sales on other events and even getting access to hard-to-find dining reservations with Resy .

When making purchases, cardmembers will earn American Express Membership Rewards points , which TPG values at 2 cents per point. Cardmembers will earn 5 points per dollar on prepaid flights and hotels booked through Amex Travel .

Additionally, cardmembers earn 1.5 points per dollar on purchases of $5,000 or more or purchases in the following categories within the U.S.: construction material and hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, software and cloud system providers and shipping providers.

Earning 1.5 points per dollar is limited to $2 million of purchases, then 1 point per dollar. All other purchases also earn 1 point per dollar.

Bottom line

There are numerous benefits included with the Amex Business Platinum card. Some are annual credits and others offer statement credits monthly or quarterly. Other benefits don't have a tangible price tag, and how you value those benefits will vary from one person to another.

Suppose you can use benefits like lounge access, statement credits and other travel perks. In that case, you'll easily be able to offset or overcome the Business Platinum card's annual fee each year — making it "worth it" in your situation. However, for those who struggle to use the card's credits or have many of its benefits through other credits in their wallets, it may be difficult to justify paying the $695 annual fee.

Apply here: The Business Platinum Card from American Express

For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum, please click here .

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.