The Amex Platinum card is a super luxury credit card. Amex recently added many new credits plus increased the annual fee to $695.
Here’s a checklist of what you need to do in order to maximize the benefits of the Amex Platinum card. You end up paying an annual fee of $695 so you may as well get the biggest bang for your buck.
Credits
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New! Free Walmart+ Membership
Get a $12.95 monthly credit to cover the full cost of a Walmart+ membership.
How do I get it?
You need to enroll to access this benefit.
You can enroll here.
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$200 annual airline incidental fee credit
The Amex Platinum card will give you a $200 credit annually, to refund incidental airline charges like baggage fees, seat upgrades, and more. Here’s a list of what transactions will be refunded and how you can use the incidental fee credit even without flying. Check it out here.
How do I get it?
You need to enroll in order to access this benefit and choose an airline. You can choose any of the following U.S. airlines:
- American
- Southwest
- United
- Delta
- JetBlue
- Alaska
- Hawaiian
- Spirit
These credits will only work on the one airline of your choice, which you can choose once per year- in January. (As a courtesy, Amex will very often allow you to change the airline even mid-year).
You can enroll here.
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$50 Saks Fifth Avenue credit
Register to receive two annual $50 credits for any purchase at Saks Fifth Avenue. You will receive one $50 credit from January till the end of June, and a second $50 credit from July till the end of December. These credits are “either use it or lose it” credits, so make sure to remember to use them before they expire.
How do I get it?
You need to enroll to access this benefit and remember to make your purchases twice a year. Once enrolled, the credits will appear on your statement automatically.
You can enroll here.
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$200 Uber credits
With the Amex Platinum card, you will receive a $15 Uber credit every month and a $35 Uber credit in December, totaling $200 annually.
How do I get it?
Simply add your Platinum card to your Uber account and the credits will appear in your account at the beginning of every month automatically. (You do not need to pay with your Platinum card to receive the credits).
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$200 credit for prepaid hotel bookings per year.
Get a $200 statement credit each calendar year on prepaid Fine Hotel and Resorts and The Hotel Collections bookings, through Amex Travel (bookings with The Hotel Collections requires a minimum two-night stay).
How do I get it?
Book your hotel stay at any hotel that is part of Fine Hotel and Resorts and The Hotel Collections through Amex Travel (bookings with The Hotel Collections requires a minimum two-night stay).
You do not need to enroll to this benefit.
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New! $179 CLEAR Credit
CLEAR will get you from check-in to boarding easily and smoothly at participating airports and stadiums. It’s actually one of the fastest ways to get through airport security. A clear ambassador will escort you straight to the front right to the TSA agent (VIP level!). Clear has a $179 yearly membership fee. With the Platinum card, you will get refunded for the full membership paid.
How do I get it?
Just apply for CLEAR online and use your Amex Platinum card to pay for the membership.
You do not need to enroll to this benefit.
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New! Get $300 credit for Equinox.
Get fit with $25 per month that you can apply towards the $39.99 monthly fee for Equinox and the fitness app. (Starting in 2023 the $300 credit will be once annually not split up per month)
How do I get it?
You need to first enroll for this benefit. Once enrolled use your Amex Platinum card as the payment method for your Equinox membership.
You can enroll here.
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New! Get $240 credit for Digital Entertainment.
With the Amex Platinum card get $20 a month on purchases at the following digital entertainment providers: Audible, Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The New York Times.
How do I get it?
You need to first enroll for this benefit. Once enrolled, use your Amex Platinum card as the payment method for your membership at one of the following providers; Audible, Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The New York Times, up to $20 a month.
You can enroll here.
Airport lounge access
The Platinum card gives you access to several airport lounge networks. Here’s a list of how to receive access to the airport lounges.
What do I need to do?
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Priority Pass Select membership (over 12,000 airport lounges)
You need to enroll here. Once you enroll, you will receive your Priority Pass Membership card in the mail within 14 days, or for immediate access, you can call Amex and get your Priority Pass account number. You can then use the Priority Pass app for entry to Priority Pass lounges.
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Delta Sky Club lounges
You do not need to enroll – just show your Platinum card and a Delta (same day) boarding pass.
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Amex Centurion lounges
You do not need to enroll – just show your Platinum card to the front desk.
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Escape lounges
You do not need to enroll- just show your Platinum card to the front desk.
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AirSpace lounges
You do not need to enroll- just show your Platinum card to the front desk.
Amex has a tool where you can easily find a lounge at your airport. (It searches for lounges from all five networks). Check it out here.
If you add an authorized user to your Platinum card on the Platinum level then they will get their own lounge membership
TSA Precheck and Global Entry
As a Platinum cardholder, you can receive up to $100 credit on your statement for either TSA Precheck or Global Entry.
What do I need to do?
You do not need to enroll to this benefit. Your account will be credited once you use your Platinum credit card to pay the fee of either Global Entry or TSA Precheck once every 4.5 /5 years.
All authorized users that you add to your Platinum card will get their own $100 credit. Not matter if they are added on the Platinum level which costs $175 for the first three then $175 per additional cardholder, or on the Gold level which is free up to 99 authorized users!
Elite Status
With the Platinum card, you get to travel like an elite by getting some complimentary elite statuses with the following hotel chains and car rental agencies.
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Marriott Gold Status
Enjoy complimentary upgrades (when available), lounge access, late check-in and checkout with complimentary Marriott Gold status.
What do I need to do?
You need to enroll in order to access this benefit. You can enroll by entering your Marriott Bonvoy number.
Go to the benefits page to enroll here.
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Hilton Gold Status
Enjoy complimentary room upgrades (when available), lounge access, late check-in and checkout with complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status.
What do I need to do?
You need to enroll in order to access this benefit. You can enroll by entering your Hilton Honors number.
Go to the benefits page to enroll here.
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National Emerald Club Executive Status
Book an economy car and have the privilege to choose any car from the Emerald Club Executive line (mostly SUVs) when renting with National!
What do I need to do?
You need to enroll in order to access this benefit. You will be asked to log in to National through a special link provided by Amex. Once you’re logged in, you will automatically be upgraded.
Go to the benefits page to enroll here
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Uber VIP
With the UBER VIP benefit, you have the option to be connected only to drivers who have a minimum rating of “4.8 stars”, and drive “higher quality cars”. Uber VIP is offered exclusively for American Express Consumer Platinum and Centurion Cardholders and is currently available only in Atlanta, Dallas, Harrisburg, Houston, Nashville, New Jersey, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh.
What do I need to do?
Simply add your Platinum card as a payment method within the Uber app and your benefit should appear automatically.
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Hertz
New! Get complimentary upgraded to Hertz President Circle. Plus get an extra 4 hours to return your car (For the 4-hour grace period you need to use the Amex Platinum CDP )
What do I need to do?
Email hertzstatusmatch@hertz.com. Or register here.
Pro tip: You can take these elite status levels to the next step by matching your status with additional hotel chains or car rentals. For example, once you have National Emerald Club Executive status, you can ask Hertz to match your status by upgrading you to Hertz 5 Star Status. Or you can show it to Avis and they may upgrade you to Avis Preferred Plus. Basically, the Platinum card is the key to help you get elite status at many hotel chains and car rentals. You can read a bunch of status match opportunities here.
If you add an authorized user to your Platinum card on the Platinum level then they will also get the upgraded statuses.
Protections when traveling
With the Amex Platinum card, you gain travel protections, so make sure to always use your Platinum card when you purchase airfare, rent a car etc.
- No foreign transaction fees
Shop abroad with no foreign transaction fee.
- Trip Cancellation Insurance
Coverage for canceled or interrupted travel due to an unforeseen medical emergency etc. Max $10,000 per person per trip, max $20,000 per year.
- Auto Rental Collision Insurance
Secondary worldwide coverage on rentals up to 30 days (excluding Australia, Italy, and New Zealand). Max $75,000. You can purchase an Amex premium plan that will offer primary coverage up to 42 days. Max $100,000.
- Lost Luggage Reimbursement
Get up to $2,000 per person for lost or damaged luggage. Max $10,000 per trip for NY residents.
- Trip Delay Reimbursement
If your flight is delayed for 6+ hours, you can claim up to $500 per trip to cover expenses like meals, lodging, toiletries, medication, and other personal use items. Max 2 claims per year.
Protections when shopping
The Amex Platinum card provides superior benefits when it comes to protecting your purchases from unfortunate mess-ups and more. Here are the details, but don’t forget that in order to get these protections, the items need to be bought using your Platinum card.
- Return Protection
Not happy with a purchase? Get a refund on purchases that have passed the store return policy – up to 90 days from date of purchase. Max $300 per claim, max $1,000 per year.
- Extended Warranty Protection
Get one additional year to your original manufacturer’s warranty time. (Will only cover if the original warranty is for 5 years or less). Max $10,000 per claim, $50,000 per year.
- Purchase Protection
Get refunded if your purchase is damaged, lost, or stolen, up to 90 days from the date of purchase. Max $10,000 per claim, $50,000 per year. This is one of the only cards that offers protection for lost items.
I hope this post will help you maximize the benefits of the Amex Platinum card. By now, you’re probably thinking- all this for just a $695 fee? That’s pennies!
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Some tips:
FreeWalmart+ Membership: Walmart+ includes Paramount+ streaming service, Pluto TV and 10 cents off each gallon at Exxon, Mobil, Walmart & Murphy stations (scan pump on Walmart app).
$200 annual airline fee credit: I heard that you can use it to buy united cash and use that towards flights (i haven’t tested yet).
$50 Saks FifthAvenue credit: As it’s really hard to buy anything good at Saks for $50 you can order something for like $40 (+$10 shipping) and return it for a gift card and stack them up (not sure if they expire).
$200Uber credits: can be used for UberEats at many different stores (Pick up orders as well)
$240 Digital Entertainment: I think the best benefit from this is the Disney+ trio bundle that comes with Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ no ads for $20 (full credit)
Points: Amex points only have a good value (>1c) when transferred to airline partners. E.G. Air France sells one-stop tickets to many cities in Europe for 15,000 points. (I used in on a $800 ticket making each point worth over 5 cents each!, about 4 points compared to the cheapest flight that was available)