PlatinumCard® from American Express has long been one of the best quality travel reward cards thanks to its longer benefits list, good income from flight purchases and reliable welcome bonuses. American Express recently announced that major reforms to the card are underway, although there are few details available at the moment.
During this time, AMEX has just launched a new and potentially profitable offer on the Platinum card: Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for up to 175,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 in the first six months of a card membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
It may be worth applying for the card for an annual fee of $695 (see Fees and Fees) because our annual fee will likely be on us soon based on the increase in past annual fees.
Let’s review the latest Amex platinum quotes and analyze whether it’s worth applying.
amex Platinum Welcome Discount
American Express offers a new welcome offer for Amex Platinum: It requires applicants to apply for the card before they know the exact welcome offer they will receive.
As mentioned above, based on TPG’s June 2025 valuation, new Amex Platinum card applicants spent $8,000 in the first six months of Kaka membership, earning 175,000 bonus points worth up to $3,500. This is one of the highest bonuses that new card members can earn as the highest bonus, although note that welcome bonuses vary, and you may not qualify for one at all.
After submitting an application, the exact welcome bonus offer will be displayed, although the minimum spending requirements and monthly timeframe will remain the same regardless of the bonus amount.
The silver lining here is that the personalized welcome offer displayed will not affect your credit score, as AMEX applies to use a soft credit check. If you are satisfied with the welcome quotes and acceptance, then a hard inquiry will be conducted in your credit report. However, if you want to wait, you can refuse to proceed.
This is especially important given the millennium limit of AMEX.
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Related: What is the difference between hard and soft extraction in credit reports?
Amex Platinum Benefits Overview
Amex Platinum’s $695 annual fee may cause some sticker shock. However, when you dig deep into its long-term benefits list, it is possible to reclaim this value:
Income rate
- Flights booked directly with airlines or through American ExpressTraver® are up to $500,000 per dollar per year for purchases (then 1 per dollar)
- Prepaid hotels booked at 5 p.m. per dollar
- 1 cent per dollar for other purchases
Declare credits
- Up to $300 declared credit can be provided to Soulcycle At Home Bike (Spring Equinox + membership is required to purchase Soulcycle At Home Bike)*
- Equinox or Equinox + App membership for up to $300 per calendar year (if automatically renewed)*
- Digital entertainment credits up to $240 per calendar year, up to $20 per month’s digital notes
- Hotel credit of up to $200 per calendar year, in the form of prepayment of Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts or hotel collection bookings (requires at least two nights of stay) and use Amex Travel* when you pay with Amex Platinum
- Airline fee credit limit of up to $200 per calendar year*
- Uber cash of up to $200 per calendar year, with a monthly Uber score of $15 for dining or rides in the U.S. and a maximum bonus of $20 for December (Add your Amex Platinum card to your Uber account and redeem it with any Amex card.)*
- Your Clear Membership (if automatically renewed) Annual Clear Plus Credits up to $199*
- Up to $155 in a stated credit line of credit, which covers monthly Walmart+ membership fees when paying with Amex Platinum (plus applicable taxes; on auto-renewal; plus UPS);
- Global admission fee $120 per four years for application fee ($120) or TSA Precheck every 4.5 years for (up to $85)
- SAKS up to $100 credits per calendar year (up to $50 from January to June, $50 from July to December)*
Other privileges
*Registration required for select benefits; terms apply.
**Qualifications and income levels vary from card to card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit AmericaneXpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
Related: Amex Platinum Review
Bottom line
The current Amex Platinum welcome offer is worth up to $3,500, more than five times the card’s annual fee. Some new cardholders may be rewarded with a target of up to 175,000 bonus points, so it’s worth a try if you have a huge amount of points waiting for you.
Amex Platinum is one of the best travel cards on the market, and applying for this card now can help you pay for upgraded travel experience. Since AMEX only allows you to get a lifetime welcome reward for each person on each card, it is important to try the app when you get a high welcome bonus, so check if you have a targeted offer today.
Apply here: Platinum Card for American Express
For rates and fees for Amex Platinum cards, click here.
