Is the Platinum Card from American Express worth it?
$695 annual fee, but ~$1,500 in advertised credits. Real-world value depends on whether you'd actually use the airline, hotel, CLEAR, and Walmart+ credits.
Annual fee
$895
Auto-offsets
$3913
$3913 credits · $0 auto-perks
Net cost
+$3018Pays you to hold
Annual credits & free nights
- redeem
$600 Hotel Credit
$600
Up to $300 semi-annually on Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection via Amex Travel
- redeem
Centurion Lounge Access
$500
Unlimited access to Centurion Lounges worldwide + 2 guests
- redeem
Priority Pass Select
$429
Priority Pass Select lounge membership (enrollment required)
- redeem
Delta Sky Club Access
$390
10 complimentary visits/yr; unlimited at $75K spend (when flying Delta)
- redeem
$300 Digital Entertainment Credit
$300
Up to $25/month for Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, Peacock, NYT, YouTube Premium, WSJ
- redeem
$300 Equinox Credit
$300
Up to $25/month toward Equinox gym membership
- redeem
$300 Lululemon Credit
$300
Up to $300/yr at lululemon
- redeem
$209 CLEAR+ Credit
$209
Up to $209/yr toward CLEAR Plus membership
- redeem
$200 Uber Cash
$200
$15/month + $20 in December for Uber rides & Uber Eats in US
- redeem
$200 Oura Ring Credit
$200
Up to $200/yr toward Oura Ring membership
- redeem
$200 Airline Fee Credit
$200
Up to $200/yr for incidental airline fees (one selected airline)
- redeem
$155 Walmart+ Credit
$155
$12.95/month toward Walmart+ membership
- redeem
$100 Waldorf/Conrad Credit
$100
$100 on-property credit at Waldorf Astoria or Conrad (2+ night stays via Amex Travel)
- redeem
Global Entry / TSA PreCheck
$30
$120 credit every 4-4.5 years
- redeem
Primary Rental Car Insurance
$0
Primary auto rental CDW coverage (US & most international)
- redeem
Hilton Gold Status
$0
Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Elite status
- redeem
Marriott Gold Status
$0
Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status
- redeem
Hertz President's Circle
$0
Complimentary Hertz President's Circle car rental status
Earning rates
| Category | Multiplier | Effective return |
|---|---|---|
| hotelsVia Amex Travel portal · forfeits hotel loyalty points | 5x | 10.00% |
| airlinesBooked directly with airlines or Amex Travel | 5x | 10.00% |
| other | 1x | 2.00% |
The honest answer
Auto-offsets exceed the annual fee — the The Platinum Card from American Express pays you to hold it before you swipe once. Almost always a hold.
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