The Amex Platinum Offered Me a 175,000-Point Bonus. Is It Worth It?
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A few days ago while working on another piece, I stumbled onto Amex's webpage for The Platinum Card® from American Express. The welcome offer I came across was a jaw-dropper: You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. (American Express is a Motley Fool Money advertiser.)
As someone who's written about credit cards for years, I can say that this is one of the biggest welcome bonuses I've ever seen. Offers like this don't come around often, and they usually disappear quickly, too.
If you've never owned the Amex Platinum Card before, this might be your shot to lock in a lucrative points haul. Keep reading to learn how much this bonus is really worth and how to know if you qualify.
On American Express' Secure Website.
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Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
APR
See Pay Over Time APR
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®. 1X Membership Rewards® Points on other purchases. Terms apply.
1X-5X Membership Rewards® Points
Annual Fee
$695
Welcome Offer You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
As High As 175,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.
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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 offer. 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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- You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- 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.
- Enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection, with over $500 of annual value if you visit Centurion Lounges and each of our partner lounges including Delta Sky Club® lounges when flying an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations) , select Lufthansa lounges when flying Lufthansa, Plaza Premium lounges and Escape Lounges, and enroll in Priority Pass Select. See terms.
- 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 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. 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.
- Terms Apply.
What are 175,000 points really worth?
Amex Membership Rewards® points can be redeemed in several ways, but you'll often get the best value when you:
- Book travel through Amex Travel ($0.01 per point)
- Transfer points to Amex's airline and hotel partners, where values can exceed $0.01 per point
If you're a frequent traveler -- or even just have one big trip planned -- this bonus could go a long way toward covering it. You'll just want to make sure you can hit the spending requirement of $8,000 in the first 6 months.
Ready to hit the jackpot in travel rewards? Apply for the Amex Platinum Card for as high as 175,000 bonus points today.
Is the Amex Platinum Card worth the annual fee?
Even without its current bonus, the Amex Platinum Card can provide serious value for frequent travelers and big spenders. Some of the most valuable perks include:
- 5X points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year
- 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®
- $200 in Uber Cash per year (U.S. rides or Uber Eats; card must be added to Uber app
- $200 airline fee credit each year (select airline; enrollment required)
- $200 hotel credit per year on prepaid stays at Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection (two-night minimum)
- Terms apply; enrollment may be required
In all, the Amex Platinum Card offers thousands of dollars in annual perks, more than enough to make up for the $695 annual fee (see rates and fees). It's one of the best travel cards out there, bar none.
Make sure you qualify for the bonus
Amex only allows you to earn a welcome offer once per lifetime, per card. That means if you currently have, or have ever had, the Amex Platinum Card, you almost certainly won't qualify for the current bonus of as high as 175,000 points.
Also, American Express uses targeted offers, which means not everyone will qualify for the same welcome bonus. You'll want to check your offer before applying.
Want to check your eligibility? See if you prequalify for the Amex Platinum Card today, with no impact to your credit score.
Apply to rack up the rewards today
This welcome bonus makes the Amex Platinum Card one of the best travel card offers out there right now -- if you qualify and can meet the $8,000 spending requirement in the first 6 months. Combine that with premium benefits, and it's a strong value for people who travel often and enjoy luxury perks.
If you've never had this card and have been considering it, now is absolutely the time to apply.
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.
Editorial Note: This content is not provided by American Express. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express.
For rates and fees for the The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here