The Platinum Card® from American Express
The Platinum Card is for frequent travelers who will actually use its perks. It earns 5X points on flights booked with airlines or AmexTravel.com, on up to $500,000 per calendar year, and 5X on prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com. Access spans Centurion Lounges, 10 Delta Sky Club visits per year and Priority Pass. The $895 fee only makes sense if you track and use the hotel, Uber, entertainment, Resy and CLEAR Plus credits.
- Best Benefits
- Rates & Fees
- Why Should You Apply?
- Lounge network of over 1,550 locations, including Centurion Lounges, 10 Delta Sky Club visits per year and Priority Pass
- Up to $600 per year in hotel credits on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection bookings
- Up to $200 airline fee credit each calendar year
- Up to $200 in Uber Cash plus up to $120 in Uber One membership credits per year
- Up to $300 digital entertainment and up to $400 Resy dining credits per year
- Up to $219 CLEAR Plus credit plus a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit
- Fine Hotels + Resorts elite-style perks on eligible stays
- Annual fee: $895, additional Platinum Cards $195 each per year
- Pay Over Time APR: 19.49% - 28.49% Variable
- Intro APR: N/A, this is a pay-in-full charge card with Pay Over Time on eligible charges
- Balance transfers: not offered on this card
- Cash advance fee: Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater
- Cash advance APR: 28.74% Variable
- Late payment fee: Up to $40
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Rates and offers verified on the issuer's website on August 27, 2026 and may change. See the issuer's pricing and terms for current details.
- You fly often enough that lounge access changes how travel feels
- Your spending already includes hotels, Uber, streaming, Resy restaurants or CLEAR Plus, so the credits pay you back
- You book flights on the card and want 5X on airfare
- You should skip it if you travel a few times a year or dislike tracking monthly and quarterly credits, the $895 fee needs active use to justify
The Platinum Card® from American Express Review
The Platinum Card charges the highest mainstream annual fee in the U.S. market, $895, and answers it with lounges and a long list of credits. The math depends entirely on your habits. This review separates the perks most people use from the ones that quietly expire.
How You Earn
Earning is travel-first: 5X on flights and prepaid hotels, 1X on everything else.
- The 5X flight rate applies on up to $500,000 per calendar year
- Prepaid hotels must be booked through AmexTravel.com
| Category | Earn rate |
|---|---|
| Flights (airlines or AmexTravel.com) | 5X |
| Prepaid hotels via AmexTravel.com | 5X |
| All other purchases | 1X |
How You Redeem
Membership Rewards points are strongest when transferred to airline and hotel partners.
- Transfer to about 20 airline and hotel partners
- Book through AmexTravel.com
- Statement credits and gift cards return less value
Benefits and Protections
This is the deepest benefits stack American Express offers on a personal card.
- Over 1,550 lounges worldwide, including Centurion Lounges
- Up to $600 hotel, $200 airline fee, $200 Uber Cash, $120 Uber One, $300 entertainment, $400 Resy, $300 lululemon, $155 Walmart+, $219 CLEAR Plus and $200 Oura credits per year, enrollment required
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
- Premium travel and purchase protections
Who This Card Is For
Frequent flyers who value comfort and already spend inside the Amex ecosystem. The credits arrive monthly, quarterly and semi-annually, so organized users win. Occasional travelers should look one tier down.
- Travelers through lounge-rich hubs
- People who prepay hotels through Amex Travel
- Credit maximizers comfortable with enrollment steps
Comparison
| Feature | The Platinum Card® | Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® Card | Citi Strata Premier® Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee | $895 | $650 | $95 |
| Welcome Offer | As high as 175,000 pts, $12,000 in 6 mo | 150,000 pts plus $250 credit, ends 09/30/26 | 60,000 pts after $4,000 in 3 mo |
| Rewards Rate | 5X flights and prepaid hotels | 6X Marriott, 3X dining and flights | 3X dining, groceries, gas, air travel |
| Intro APR | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Foreign Transaction Fee | None | None | None |
| Best For | Lounges and premium perks | Marriott loyalists | Value at a low fee |
Issuer Comparison
| Feature | The Platinum Card® | American Express® Gold Card | The Business Platinum Card® |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee | $895 | $325 | $895 |
| Welcome Offer | As high as 175,000 pts, $12,000 in 6 mo | As high as 100,000 pts, $8,000 in 6 mo | As high as 300,000 pts, $20,000 in 3 mo |
| Rewards Rate | 5X flights and prepaid hotels | 4X dining and U.S. supermarkets | 5X flights and prepaid hotels via Amex Travel |
| Key Credits | Hotel, airline, Uber, Resy, CLEAR and more | Dining, Uber, Resy, Dunkin' | Dell, ChatGPT, Adobe, Indeed, hotel, airline |
| Best For | Personal premium travel | Food-heavy personal spend | Business travel and software credits |
Reader results for this card
No reader results for this card yet. Applied recently? Add the first one, it takes a minute and needs no login.
Reader reports, not issuer data. Not a prediction of your result. Ranges only, reviewed before publishing.