This Card Could Save You Nearly $2,000 on Travel in a Year

Published on June 27, 2025

Ryan Wilcox

By: Ryan Wilcox

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The Platinum Card® from American Express comes with a steep annual fee -- $695 (see rates and fees), to be exact. But if you travel regularly and take advantage of the card's built-in value, you could come out ahead by almost $2,000 in your first year, just in travel rewards.

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The Platinum Card® from American Express

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The Platinum Card® from American Express
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Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
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Rewards Circle with letter I in it. 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 Circle with letter I in it. 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.

  • 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
    • 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.

Welcome offer and earning rates

Apply and find out if you are 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.

Points are worth at least $0.01 each, and potentially even more if you take full advantage of Amex's transfer partners.

On top of the welcome bonus, you earn 5X points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year. Amex's Membership Rewards points are extremely versatile and flexible, making them some of the most valuable travel rewards out there.

Annual credits

Even if you don't use rewards points, the Amex Platinum Card's annual statement credits can make it easy to recoup the $695 fee. Its annual travel-related benefits include:

  • A $200 airline fee credit (baggage, seat selection, etc.)
  • $200 in Uber Cash ($15/month plus an additional $20 in December)
  • A $200 hotel credit on prepaid stays booked through Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection
  • $189 CLEAR® Plus credit to speed through airport security
  • $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit (every four to four and a half years)
  • Terms apply; enrollment may be required

That's $889 in travel in your first year, without even factoring in any points earned. If you use just some of these, you're well on the way to breaking even -- and if you use all of them, you're already there.

Ready to start saving? Apply for the Amex Platinum Card today to take advantage of its top-tier travel perks.

Lounge access, elite status, and more

Beyond rewards and credits, the Amex Platinum Card gives you access to airport lounges around the world, including Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, and Delta Sky Clubs when flying Delta. Frequent lounge access can easily save $30 to $60 per visit on food, drinks, and comfort. Terms apply.

You'll also get Gold status with Hilton and Marriott, which can get you late checkout, room upgrades, and free breakfast at select properties -- easily worth a hundred dollars or more per stay. Terms apply; enrollment may be required.

Plus, you'll enjoy benefits like:

  • Trip delay and cancellation insurance
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Dedicated concierge service
  • Terms apply

Is the Amex Platinum Card worth it?

If you snag this card's maximum welcome bonus and take advantage of all its travel credits, you could earn more than $2,600 in tangible travel value in your first year.

Accounting for the $695 annual fee, that's still almost $2,000 in travel -- and that's before factoring in things like lounge access and hotel status.

Apply and find out if you are 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.

Apply for the Amex Platinum Card now to learn your welcome bonus eligibility and start unlocking these premium travel benefits.

Our Research Expert

Ryan Wilcox
Ryan Wilcox

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.