Link: Learn more about the American Express Platinum Card®
The American Express Platinum Card® is one of the most popular premium cards on the market. While the card has a high annual fee, it also has compelling perks that will make it worthwhile for many. In this post, I’d like to cover the details of the huge welcome offer currently available on the card.
Best Amex Platinum Card welcome offer details
The Amex Platinum Card has a potentially lucrative welcome offer, with a twist. The welcome offer 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 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, making this risk-free.
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, 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
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, 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 recently added perks on the card are particularly worth calling out:
Read a full review of the Amex Platinum Card here.
Amex Platinum Card welcome offer FAQs
The highest welcome offer on the Amex Platinum Card is currently for up to 175,000 bonus Membership Rewards points upon completing minimum spending, though different people are eligible for different offers.
The Amex Platinum Card generally follows a “once in a lifetime” rule for the welcome offer, so you’re typically only going to be eligible if you haven’t earned a welcome offer on the card in the past. That being said, during the application process you should receive a warning if you’re not eligible for a welcome offer, before there’s a hard pull.
If you get a lower offer than the maximum for the Amex Platinum Card, you can either choose not to follow through with the application (with no impact on your credit score), and maybe try again in the future, in hopes of getting something better. Alternatively, you can apply anyway. Not all people will be eligible for the best offer, and there’s still lots of merit to getting the card with a lower offer.
The Amex Platinum Card welcome offer is only available to those who directly apply for the card under an eligible offer. If you product change from another Amex card, you’re generally not eligible for the bonus.
If you’re an authorized user on someone else’s Amex Platinum Card, you’re still eligible for the welcome offer on the card if you apply under your own account.
Bottom line
The Amex Platinum Card has a huge welcome offer 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.
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).