Amex Platinum review: $895 annual fee, lounge access and premium travel credits

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The American Express Platinum Card® is a powerhouse for travelers who enjoy premium benefits , broad airport lounge access and valuable statement credits .

The Amex Platinum comes with a high $895 annual fee (see rates and fees ), but for frequent travelers who maximize its benefits, the value can easily outweigh the cost.

Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

* Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG's editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

Amex Platinum: The basics

The Amex Platinum offers a long list of premium travel benefits. Here's a quick look at what you'll get:

Rewards : The Amex Platinum earns transferable American Express Membership Rewards points , worth 2 cents apiece per TPG's July 2026 valuations .

Airport lounge access : Eligible cardmembers receive access to a vast network of airport lounges through the American Express Global Lounge Collection .

Travel statement credits : Multiple travel statement credits can help offset the annual fee.

Lifestyle statement credits : Additional statement credits are available for select lifestyle purchases.

Elite status perks : You'll receive complimentary elite status across various hotel and car rental programs.

Enrollment is required for select benefits.

Related: Get instant Hilton, Marriott and LHW hotel elite status with the Amex Platinum Card

Amex Platinum pros and cons

Pros Cons

Broad airport lounge access for eligible cardmembers

Earns transferable Membership Rewards points

No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees)

Wide variety of statement credits

High annual fee

Statement credits reset at various points throughout the year and take effort to maximize

Statement credits are generally locked to certain merchants

Related: Amex Platinum cardmembers can save hundreds with these new Amex Offers

Amex Platinum benefits

The Amex Platinum is loaded with valuable benefits. Here's what cardmembers need to know.

Lounge access

With the American Express Global Lounge Collection, you'll receive access to the following lounges as an eligible cardmember (enrollment may be required):

Centurion Lounges (complimentary guest access after spending $75,000 in a calendar year)

Aspire lounges

Escape lounges

Lufthansa lounges (until Oct. 1)

Plaza Premium lounges

Delta Sky Clubs (when traveling on same-day Delta flights; eligible Platinum cardmembers will receive 10 visits per eligible Platinum Card, per year to the Delta Sky Club or to Grab and Go locations when traveling on a same-day Delta-operated flight (excluding basic economy), unless they spend $75,000 or more on their card to unlock unlimited visits)

Cardmembers also receive complimentary Priority Pass Select (enrollment required). Two guests can come with you to Priority Pass lounges at no charge.

ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY Guest access policies vary across the other lounges.

The breadth of the Global Lounge Collection network makes the Amex Platinum my top choice for an airport lounge card (it's great for both primary cardmembers and authorized users ).

Statement credits

The Amex Platinum offers one of the most extensive collections of statement credits among travel rewards cards. One of the best ways to offset the card's $895 annual fee is to take advantage of the credits that align with your spending habits.

Travel and dining statement credits

Hotel credit : Receive up to $600 in hotel statement credits per calendar year (allotted as up to $300 semiannually) on prepaid American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings made through American Express Travel® when you pay with your Amex Platinum. (Hotel Collection stays require a two-night minimum.) TPG credit cards editor Olivia Mittak recently used this statement credit for a one-night stay at the Royal Palms Resort and Spa in Phoenix, an FHR property.

Resy : Receive up to $400 per calendar year in Resy statement credits (distributed as up to $100 per quarter). Simply pay with your Amex Platinum at an eligible U.S. Resy restaurant; no reservation is required.* Resy partners with multiple restaurants across the U.S., and I find this credit easy to redeem each quarter, regardless of my travel plans.

Clear+ : Receive up to $219 in statement credits per calendar year to cover your Clear+ annual membership (subject to auto-renewal).*

Airline incidental credit : Receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year for incidental fees charged by one eligible airline you select.* This year, I selected American Airlines. I used part of this statement credit for a day pass to the Admirals Club lounge at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) during a layover.

Uber : Receive up to $200 in Uber Cash per calendar year (split into monthly up to $15 credits plus an up to $20 bonus in December), valid on Uber rides and Uber Eats orders in the U.S. Note: Uber Cash will only be deposited into one Uber account when you add the Amex Platinum as a payment method and redeem with any Amex card.

Uber One : Receive up to $120 in statement credits per calendar year toward an Uber One membership to fully cover an auto-renewing $96 annual or $9.99 monthly membership

Global Entry/TSA PreCheck : Receive a $120 statement credit for Global Entry or up to an $85 statement credit for TSA PreCheck every four years (depending on which application fee is charged to your card first).

ST. REGIS BALI RESORT/MARRIOTT Fitness and lifestyle statement credits

Digital entertainment : Receive up to $300 per calendar year in statement credits for digital entertainment (disbursed as up to $25 monthly statement credits).*

Oura : Receive up to a $200 Oura statement credit per calendar year (valid only for hardware purchases).* I used this statement credit to buy one for my sister as a birthday gift this year.

Equinox : Receive up to $300 in Equinox statement credits per calendar year to use on Equinox gym and Equinox+ app memberships (subject to auto-renewal).*

SoulCycle : Receive up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year toward the purchase of a SoulCycle bike (up to 15 bikes per calendar year); must be enrolled in an Equinox+ membership to be eligible for this benefit.*

Shopping statement credits

Lululemon : Receive up to a $300 Lululemon statement credit per calendar year at U.S. stores (excluding outlets) and online (allocated as up to $75 per quarter).*

Walmart+ : Receive up to a $155 Walmart+ statement credit per calendar year (up to $12.95 monthly, plus applicable taxes) that covers the cost of a monthly membership when paying with the Amex Platinum (on one membership, subject to auto-renewal); Plus Ups excluded.* TPG partnerships and newsletter editor Emily Thompson has enjoyed getting her groceries delivered from Walmart with her Walmart+ membership.

DANYAL AHMED/THE POINTS GUY Travel and lifestyle benefits

Complimentary Gold status with Hilton Honors *

Complimentary Gold status with Marriott Bonvoy *

Complimentary Sterling status with Leading Hotels of the World*

Complimentary car rental status : This perk includes complimentary Hertz Gold+ Rewards President's Circle, Avis Preferred Plus and National Emerald Club Executive status.*

Travel and purchase protections

Trip delay insurance **

Trip cancellation/interruption insurance **

Extended warranty protection ***

Purchase protection ***

* Enrollment is required for select benefits.

**Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

***Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

Related: Amex Platinum tightens digital entertainment credit eligibility for Peacock subscriptions

How to earn and use Membership Rewards points

Earning Membership Rewards points

With the Amex Platinum , you'll earn:

5 points per dollar spent on airfare purchased directly with the airlines or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 of airfare purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar spent)

5 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with Amex Travel

1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases

JORDI SALAS/GETTY IMAGES The Amex Platinum excels at earning points on airfare and prepaid hotel bookings. However, the card may not be your best overall earner, considering that most purchases net you just 1 point per dollar spent. That's why many cardmembers pair it with another Membership Rewards-earning card for categories like dining, groceries and gas.

If you have an Amex Platinum, you're also eligible for targeted Amex Offers that could boost earning rates at various merchants, such as Amazon.

Redeeming Membership Rewards points

Membership Rewards points are among the most valuable and flexible loyalty currencies. The best way to maximize your points is to transfer them to one of Amex's loyalty program partners .

You can also redeem your Membership Rewards points to book travel directly through American Express Travel. However, you'll get only 1 cent per point in value when redeeming points directly for airfare through Amex Travel, and less than 1 cent per point when redeeming for hotel rooms.

Alternatively, you can use your points for statement credits and gift cards, but these methods also provide less value than transferring your points to partners.

We always recommend transferring rewards to partners over other options.

Related: Best ways to use Amex Membership Rewards points, from business-class flights to Europe to budget-friendly hotel stays

Transferring Membership Rewards points

According to TPG's July 2026 valuations, Membership Rewards points are worth 2 cents each, largely thanks to the program's airline and hotel transfer partners . Those include at least one helpful option in each major airline alliance: SkyTeam , Star Alliance and Oneworld .

Notable Membership Rewards partners include Air Canada Aeroplan , British Airways Club , Delta SkyMiles and Marriott Bonvoy , giving cardmembers plenty of options whether they prefer premium flights, hotel stays or everyday travel.

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY This year, I transferred 39,000 Membership Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and redeemed them for my first business-class flight from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to London's Heathrow Airport (LHR), paying $581 in taxes and fees for the one-way ticket in May.

I've also transferred Membership Rewards points to top off my Hilton Honors point balance for redemptions.

I've also transferred Membership Rewards points to Hilton Honors to top off my balance for hotel stays. Since Amex points transfer to Hilton at a 1:2 ratio, I was able to turn 20,000 Amex points into 40,000 Hilton points. This helped me redeem 100,000 Hilton points for two nights at the Graduate by Hilton Chapel Hill during a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Tar Heels basketball game weekend in February.

Those are exactly the kinds of high-value redemptions that make Membership Rewards one of my favorite transferable points currencies.

Related: Travel to Europe using points and miles: How to redeem your rewards for flights

Where the Amex Platinum could fall short

I'm a big fan of the Amex Platinum , but it's not for everyone. Here are some reasons the card may fall short for others.

You don't want to pay a high annual fee

The Amex Platinum's $895 annual fee is a primary detractor. If you don't want to pay nearly $1,000 for a card, this one won't be a good fit.

You don't want to keep track of statement credits

Along these lines, you'll want to maximize as many statement credits as possible to get the most value back on that $895 annual fee. If you find it overwhelming to track statement credits quarterly , semiannually and annually , you may want to find a simpler option.

D3SIGN/GETTY IMAGES You want a card with more bonus categories

The Amex Platinum isn't a great earner, since it only has a pair of bonus categories. If you want to earn more on everyday spending, consider another card.

Amex Platinum vs. Amex Green

The American Express® Green Card is the Amex Platinum's more affordable travel card sibling. The Amex Green charges a $150 annual fee and earns 3 points per dollar spent on restaurants worldwide (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.), travel and transit and 1 point per dollar spent on everything else.

If simple earnings matter more to you than elevated perks and statement credits, the Amex Green may be a better choice for you.

The information for the American Express Green Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Related: Is the Amex Platinum worth the annual fee?

When to apply for the Amex Platinum

The current bonus on the Amex Platinum is its standard welcome offer : New cardmembers can find out their offer and may be eligible for as high as 175,000 bonus points after spending $12,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.

This bonus is worth up to $3,500, per TPG's valuations — more than three times the card's $895 annual fee.

With this welcome bonus, you could redeem points for a stay at the Waldorf Astoria Rabat-Sale. DOHA ZOUAKI/WALDORF ASTORIA RABAT-SALE When it comes to eligibility, you may not qualify for the Amex Platinum bonus if you have previously had or held this card or another variant .

Related: American Express Platinum: Valuable benefits and an offer as high as 175,000 bonus points

Other cards to consider instead of the Amex Platinum

If you aren't interested in the Amex Platinum , consider these other options:

If you prefer earning Chase Ultimate Rewards points : The Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees ) comes with a slightly lower $795 annual fee. It offers a flexible travel credit, its own luxury hotel credit and a dining credit and earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points. To learn more, read our full review of the Chase Sapphire Reserve .

If you want a premium card for a lower annual fee : The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card packs a punch for a more affordable $395 annual fee . It also offers unlimited 2 miles per dollar spent on everyday purchases outside its bonus categories, making it a stronger choice than the Amex Platinum for non-bonus spending. To learn more, read our full review of the Venture X .

If you want access to more bonus categories : The American Express® Gold Card charges a $325 annual fee (see rates and fees ) and earns bonus points in a variety of popular categories. To learn more, read our full review of the Amex Gold .

For additional options, check out our picks for the best lounge access cards .

Related: 7 cards that can replace your Amex Platinum

Bottom line

The Amex Platinum remains one of the best premium travel rewards cards on the market.

Between its unmatched lounge access, extensive statement credits, elite status benefits and valuable Membership Rewards points, it delivers exceptional value for frequent travelers.

Its $895 annual fee is undeniably high, and while it isn't the strongest card for everyday spending outside of airfare and prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel, its travel perks and statement credits can more than offset the cost for the right cardmember.

If you'll regularly take advantage of those benefits, the Amex Platinum continues to set the standard for luxury travel cards.

Apply here: American Express Platinum Card

For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum, click here .

For rates and fees of the Amex Gold, click here .

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.