Applying for the Amex Platinum in May 2025? Read This First
KEY POINTS
- The Amex Platinum Card is one of the most premium credit cards on the market, offering a long list of perks alongside a $695 annual fee.
- You'll likely need a good to excellent credit score to get approved.
- To offset the steep annual fee, cardholders can get more than $2,000 in value from the card in their first year.
The Platinum Card® from American Express is one of the top travel cards on the market. If you're a frequent traveler, chances are you'll get huge value out of its spending rewards and long list of perks.
But with a $695 annual fee (see rates and fees), it's not a card you want to apply for on an impulse. Here's what you need to know before you decide to pull the trigger.
On American Express' Secure Website.
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Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
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APR
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Rewards Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Earn 1X Membership Rewards® Points on other purchases. Terms and limitations apply.
1X-5X Membership Rewards® Points
Annual Fee
$695
Welcome Offer Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
80,000 Membership Rewards® Points
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This luxury travel card has some of the most prestigious perks you'll find — access to over 1,400 airport lounges, elite status with Hilton and Marriott Bonvoy (enrollment required), and spending credits worth over $1,500 in value every year. Just be ready for the hefty annual fee, which can be offset in the first year with a welcome bonus worth $800 in points. Terms apply.
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- Big welcome offer
- Substantial spending credits
- Airport lounge access
- Hotel benefits
- Flexible travel points
- Annual fee
- Limited bonus categories
- Spending credits can be complicated to manage
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- Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
- $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney+ bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
- With American Express Global Lounge Collection® eligible Card Members can enjoy access to over 1,400 airport lounges globally, including The Centurion® Lounge, Unlimited Delta Sky Club® Access when flying an eligible Delta flight, Escape Lounges, Lufthansa Lounges when flying Lufthansa Group, Plaza Premium, Priority Pass™ Select Lounges, & Additional Global Lounge Collection Partner Lounges subject to visit limitations. Lounges may have their own rules, like additional access rules and guest fees, and for Priority Pass Select, you need to enroll and there are unlimited airport lounge visits for Card Members. With Delta Sky Club Access, Card Members will receive 10 Visits to the Delta Sky Club to be used from February 1 until January 31 of the next calendar year and can unlock Unlimited Delta Sky Club Access by spending $75,000 in eligible purchases on their Card in a calendar year. To find a lounge, visit the membership section in the American Express® App or visit http://www.americanexpress.com/findalounge#/loungefinder.
- A Walmart+ membership can get you free shipping with no order minimum on eligible items shipped by Walmart. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) and receive one statement credit for up to $12.95 (plus applicable taxes. Plus Ups not eligible) each month. Free Shipping excludes most Marketplace items, freight & certain location surcharges. Paramount+ Essential plan only, separate registration required.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card® Account. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
- $200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card® Members can ride or dine in style with $15 in Uber Cash each month, plus a bonus $20 in December after adding their Card to their Uber account. Use your Uber Cash on rides and orders in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- $199 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps get you to your gate faster by using unique facial attributes to verify you are you at 50+ airports nationwide. Use the dedicated CLEAR Lane to confirm your identity without taking out your passport or ID – this can mean shorter lines, less waiting. Receive up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for your CLEAR Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the Platinum Card®.
- Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
- Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- Use Global Dining Access by Resy to access premium dining experiences. Receive Priority Notify and unlock insider access to some of the world's most sought-after restaurants with Global Dining Access by Resy. Download the Resy iOS app or log into Resy.com and add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile to take advantage of your special benefits and discover restaurants near you.
- $695 annual fee.¤
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
You'll need a good credit score to qualify
The Amex Platinum Card is designed for people with a strong credit history. While Amex doesn't specify a minimum credit score for approval, you'll probably need at least a 670 credit score to qualify -- and higher is always better.
The most well-qualified candidates will have a "very good" credit score of 740 or higher. Before you apply, take a look at your credit score -- alongside other factors like income and your history with Amex -- to determine if the card is a good fit.
You'll only get one shot at the welcome offer
American Express has a "once per lifetime" rule for welcome offers on all its cards. That means if you've previously owned the Amex Platinum Card, chances are you will not qualify for its welcome offer a second time, no matter how long ago you earned it.
When you fill out your application, Amex will let you know if you're eligible for the Amex Platinum Card's welcome offer. If you aren't, you may want to reconsider your application -- the welcome offer is a huge part of the card's up-front value. Right now, the Amex Platinum Card is offering 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points points after spending $8,000 in the first 6 months.
That's a high spending requirement, but it's also a lucrative offer. You can easily redeem 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points points for $800 in travel rewards, and even more if you take full advantage of Amex's transfer partners.
If you like the sound of a large welcome offer, but don't feel the Amex Platinum Card is quite the right fit for you, check out our list of the best credit card sign-up bonuses to review your options.
It has a long list of valuable perks
The $695 annual fee for the Amex Platinum Card is one of the highest on the market. Fortunately, the card has a long list of valuable benefits that more than make up for its yearly price tag -- if you take advantage of them. These annual benefits include:
- A $240 digital entertainment credit (includes platforms like Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, Peacock, and The New York Times)
- A $200 airline fee credit
- Up to $200 back when you book a prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection stay through Amex Travel
- $200 in Uber Cash
- Up to $199 in statement credits for CLEAR Plus
- A Walmart+ credit up to $12.95 each month
- A $100 Saks Fifth Avenue credit
- Terms apply; enrollment may be required
In all, that's nearly $1,300 in annual statement credits, almost double the card's annual fee. And once you factor in the welcome offer, the first-year value of the Amex Platinum Card totals more than $2,000.
Is the Amex Platinum Card right for you?
The Amex Platinum Card isn't ideal if, like me, you don't see yourself making use of premium travel credit card perks. Otherwise, though, it's a great fit for big spenders, frequent travelers and anyone who values a laundry list of luxury perks.
Plus, if you've never owned the card and you qualify for its sky-high welcome offer, now could be the perfect time to jump on board. Apply for the Amex Platinum Card today to get started (see rates and fees).
Our Research Expert
Ryan is a full-time personal finance writer at Motley Fool Money. He’s been covering topics like credit cards and savings since 2022, focusing on helping people who are new to the world of personal finance.
We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. Motley Fool Money does not cover all offers on the market. Motley Fool Money is 100% owned and operated by The Motley Fool. Our knowledgeable team of personal finance editors and analysts are employed by The Motley Fool and held to the same set of publishing standards and editorial integrity while maintaining professional separation from the analysts and editors on other Motley Fool brands. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.
For rates and fees for the The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here