The American Express Platinum Card® is one of the most popular premium cards on the market, and it currently has an incredible welcome offer that’s as high as 175,000 bonus points, making it the ideal time to apply. In this post, I’d like to go over all the details of the current Amex Platinum bonus, including who is eligible, and why you might want to apply.
While the Amex Platinum has a steep annual fee, it also has compelling perks that will make it worthwhile for many, ranging from lounge access to credits. If you’re eligible for the current bonus, then picking up the card and giving it a try is a no brainer, in my opinion.
Link: Learn more about the American Express Platinum Card®
Best Amex Platinum Card welcome offer details
The Amex Platinum Card welcome offer is potentially very lucrative, with a twist. The Amex Platinum bonus is marketed as being as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $12,000 within the first six months. However, 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 Amex Platinum welcome offer or not. That’s an unconventional approach for a welcome offer, though I appreciate that Amex has the “apply with confidence” feature, so there won’t be a hard pull unless you accept the offer.
Based on my latest miles & points valuations, I consider Membership Rewards points to be worth 1.7 cents each. That means I value 175,000 points at a staggering $2,975, making it among the best welcome offers out there. Of course that assumes you’re eligible for this Amex Platinum bonus, which not everyone will be.
The spending requirement is significant, though you do have six months to complete it, so averaging $2,000 per month in spending might not be that hard for many people. There are lots of creative ways to reach minimum spending requirements, including things like paying quarterly taxes by credit card, if eligible.
This is potentially one of the best welcome offers that we’ve ever seen on the card, and publicly available welcome offers don’t get much better than this. In some cases people may be targeted for even bigger offers, but it’s rare. To maximize your odds of getting a targeted offer, make sure you’re opted in to getting marketing communications (by email and mail) from Amex.
There are lots of great uses for Amex points, as they can be transferred to roughly 20 airline and hotel partners, and those are the best ways to get outsized value. These partners range from Air France-KLM Flying Blue, to Emirates Skywards, to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer. Just to give a couple of Amex redemption examples:
- You could transfer 35,000 points to Flying Club to book a one-way Virgin Atlantic business class award from Boston (BOS) to London (LHR), with $697 in taxes & fees; that same flight would cost thousands of dollars if paying cash
- You could transfer 70,000 points to British Airways Club to book a one-way Qatar Airways business class award from Miami (MIA) to Doha (DOH), with $235.55 in taxes & fees; that same flight would cost thousands of dollars if paying cash
Who is eligible for the Amex Platinum Card bonus?
In line with Amex’s “once in a lifetime” rule, the Amex Platinum Card bonus 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 Amex Platinum welcome offer if you’ve had any other Amex card
- 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 the Amex Platinum, 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, even if you otherwise think you should be
- Sometimes people will be eligible for offers with “no lifetime language,” meaning they can earn a welcome offer on a card even if they’ve had it in the past; however, that’s something you’d have to be targeted for
- There’s not a particular credit score that’s needed to get approved for the Amex Platinum, though I’d hope to have a score in the “good” to “excellent” range, ideally 700+ points; however, people with lower scores have been approved, and people with higher scores have been denied
Why the Amex Platinum Card could be worth it
The Amex Platinum Card has a $895 annual fee (Rates & Fees). The primary reason you’ll want to get the card is because of the extensive perks that it offers, ranging from airport lounge access, to elite status, to credits.
The way I view it, the credits can help offset the annual fee, and then the lounge access and other benefits are the icing on the cake. Here are just some of the benefits (Enrollment is required for select benefits):
- Comprehensive airport lounge access, including Amex Centurion Lounge access, Delta Sky Club access (when traveling on Delta flights, except for basic economy tickets, valid for up to 10 visits per calendar year, unless you spend $75,000 in a calendar year, to unlock unlimited visits), and Priority Pass Select lounges (excluding restaurants), a Priority Pass™ membership (excluding restaurants), and more for eligible card members
- Elite status with travel brands, including Hilton Honors™ Gold status, Marriott Bonvoy® Gold status, Leaders Club Sterling status, and elite status with multiple rental car companies
- Up to thousands of dollars worth of credits, including for airline fees, hotels, and much more; my favorites are the Resy credit and the lodging credit, both of which can potentially be worth close to face value
- Access to all kinds of special programs, from Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts®, to the Platinum Member Airfare program, and more
Just to give a sense of the immense value, below is a basic rundown of the Amex Platinum credits, which should for many people help offset the annual fee (Enrollment is required for select benefits).
| Amex Platinum credit | Annual value | How it’s issued | How it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lodging | Up to $600 | $300 semi-annual statement credit (Jan-Jun and Jul-Dec) | Prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts, The Hotel Collection, and Airbnb Luxe bookings (two night minimum stay for Airbnb Luxe and THC, and two night minimum stay required to use this statement credit for FHR properties beginning Jan 1, 2027) |
| Resy | Up to $400 | $100 per quarter | U.S. restaurants that take reservations through Resy, or purchases made directly on the Resy site or app |
| Digital entertainment | Up to $300 | $25 per month | Select digital entertainment subscriptions |
| Lululemon | Up to $300 | $75 per quarter | Purchases at lululemon.com and Lululemon in the U.S., excluding outlets |
| CLEAR+ | Up to $219 | $219 per year | For CLEAR+ airport security membership, automatic renewal applies |
| Airline fee | Up to $200 | $200 per year | For incidental charges with a designated airline of choice |
| Oura Ring | Up to $200 | $200 per year | For an Oura Ring purchase, hardware only |
| Uber Cash | Up to $200 per calendar year | $15 per month, added as Uber Cash, $35 in December (not a statement credit) | Uber rides and Uber Eats in the U.S. |
| Walmart+ | Up to $155 | Up to $12.95 monthly | Walmart+ membership (up to $12.95), including taxes, and subject to auto renewal |
| Uber One | Up to $120 | Can be used annually or monthly | Covers monthly or annual Uber One membership, subject to auto renewal |
| Global Entry or TSA PreCheck | Up to $120 | Up to $120 every four years | Covers Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership |
As you can see, the focus here is almost entirely on credits, lounge access, etc. When it comes to actual return on spending, the Amex Platinum isn’t very rewarding, with limited exceptions:
- The Amex Platinum does offer 5x points on flights booked directly with airlines or with Amex Travel, up to $500K per year (and then 1x points)
- The Amex Platinum offers 5x points on prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel, with no cap
- The Amex Platinum offers 1x points on all other eligible purchases, and there are no foreign transaction fees (Rates & Fees)
So this is my go-to card for airfare spending, but other than that, this isn’t a card I spend much on.
Read a full review of the Amex Platinum Card here.
Amex Platinum Card bonus & eligibility FAQs
Bottom line
The Amex Platinum Card welcome offer is huge, and is as high as 175,000 bonus 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 (without an impact on your credit score).
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: American Express Platinum Card® (Rates & Fees).
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