Link: Learn more about The Platinum Card® from American Express
The Platinum Card® from American Express is one of the most popular premium cards on the market. The card recently underwent a refresh, which I’d argue was overwhelmingly positive, and I think many people are finding this card to be more compelling than in the past. Along those lines, in this post I’d like to cover the details of the huge welcome offer available on the card.
In this post:
Amex Platinum Card welcome offer with lots of points
The Amex Platinum Card has a welcome offer, with a twist. The welcome offer is marketed as being 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. Amex notes how the welcome offers vary, and applicants may not be eligible for that welcome offer.
The way this works, you can apply for the card, and then find out your offer amount. Then you can decide whether you want to accept the offer or not. That’s an unconventional approach for a welcome offer. At least Amex has the “apply with confidence” feature, so there won’t be a hard pull unless you accept the offer.
Personally, I value Membership Rewards points at 1.7 cents each, meaning that to me, 175,000 points are worth a staggering $2,975. Of course that assumes you’re eligible for this offer, which not everyone will be. There are lots of great uses for Amex points, as they can be transferred to all kinds of useful airline and hotel partners.
Who is eligible for the Amex Platinum Card offer?
In line with Amex’s “once in a lifetime” rule, the welcome offer on the Amex Platinum Card isn’t available to those who currently have the card, or those who have had the card (or previous versions of the card) in the past. On top of that, Amex’s general card restrictions apply. There are a few additional things to note:
- You are eligible for the welcome offer on this card if you’ve had any other Amex card, so you can apply for this card even if you have other Amex cards
- While Amex typically has a limit of letting someone have at most five Amex credit cards (including personal and business cards), that doesn’t include this product, since it’s not a traditional credit card
- There’s a mystery to Amex card approvals, as you may sometimes receive a pop-up when applying for cards, indicating that you’re not eligible for the offer
Why the Amex Platinum Card could be worth it
The Amex Platinum Card has a $895 annual fee (Rates & Fees). While this isn’t the most rewarding card in terms of the return on spending, it does have a huge number of valuable perks, and it should be easy to justify the annual fee. Here are just some of them (Enrollment is required for select benefits):
- Comprehensive airport lounge access, including Amex Centurion Lounge access, Delta Sky Club® access, a Priority Pass™ Select membership, and more; in all cases, there are some terms and restrictions associated with access
- Elite status with travel brands, including Hilton Honors™ Gold Status, Marriott Bonvoy® Gold status, and elite status with multiple rental car companies
- Up to thousands of dollars worth of credits, including for airline fees, hotels, Equinox, SoulCycle, CLEAR, Saks, and much more
- Access to all kinds of special programs, from Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts®, to the Amex International Airline Program, and more
I think two new perks on the card are particularly worth calling out:
- The card now offers up to $400 per year in credits at Resy restaurants, in the form of a $100 credit per quarter; I’d consider this to nearly be good as cash
- The card now offers up to $600 per year in hotel credits, in the form of a $300 credit semi-annually; this can be used even for one night stays at Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts® properties, so I think that’s quite easy to maximize
Read a full review of the Amex Platinum Card here.
Bottom line
The Amex Platinum Card has just undergone a major refresh, and has a welcome offer as high as 175,000 points upon completing minimum spending. The structure of this offer is a little unusual, since the offer is “as high as” that amount, and when you fill out your application, you’ll see exactly what offer you’re eligible for.
If you are eligible for such a big welcome offer, this card is absolutely worth picking up. It offers all kinds of great perks that can help offset the annual fee, ranging from lounge access, to credits, to elite status, and more. If you’re eligible for this card, this would be a great time to apply.
Do you plan on picking up the Amex Platinum Card with this welcome offer?
The following links will direct you to the rates and fees for mentioned American Express Cards. These include: The Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees).
I got offered a 50k points with a $2k spend as an upgrade from my Amex Gold. Yawn.
This is the wrong timing. The beginning of the year is a better time. Most of the benefits are monthly or calendar year. With a couple of months left in the year it would not make sense.
I received a fixed 175k point offer for 8k spend in 6 months. Have till mid October to accept
This card certainly has lost me at of its value over the years. They're probably losing accounts. I'm cancelling mine since the benefits aren't what they used to be.
Are there other variables, besides previously holding this card, that factor into the SUB? If you've never had the card, if approved do you get the 175k, or do they adjust the offer based on other factors. Thinking of applying for the card, but not quite there yet.
Was able to get the 175k offer. Am going to dump the business platinum anyways when the fee comes back up in June so will double dip on the FHR benefits till then. So with 2 300$ hotel credits and 400 in resy credits, it makes sense. Being a united flyer, the delta lounge access doesn’t add any value for me.
I have read that Amex "lifetime" actually means "seven years." Of course that is said with all the authority of the Internet so your mileage may vary.
Here’s an interesting data point that suggests the “once per lifetime” rule is not applying to the re-launched Platinum Card:
I received a 100,000 points sign up bonus on the Platinum Card in 2018. I canceled the card in 2023, as its benefits too closely overlapped with the Skymiles Reserve Card, and I could no longer justify both annual fees.
I checked the preapproval link this week, as the relaunched Platinum Card offers a stronger...
Here’s an interesting data point that suggests the “once per lifetime” rule is not applying to the re-launched Platinum Card:
I received a 100,000 points sign up bonus on the Platinum Card in 2018. I canceled the card in 2023, as its benefits too closely overlapped with the Skymiles Reserve Card, and I could no longer justify both annual fees.
I checked the preapproval link this week, as the relaunched Platinum Card offers a stronger value proposition to me now, and I received a sign-up bonus offer for 80,000 points after spending $8,000 in the 6 months. Obviously, this is a fraction of the highest Public offer available, but it’s still better than nothing— which I thought would be the case for me getting the card again.
Same here. I currently hold the MS Plat and received a SUB for it when I got it. Was also offered the same 80,000 for $8k spend on the refreshed Plat and applied- approved without any pop up