American Express
American Express Platinum
American Express Platinum costs $895 annual fee and earns up to 5× on travel booked direct. It also carries $1,175 of statement credits a year, which is where a lot of its real value sits. Everything below comes from the card catalog we check against issuer terms, with the arithmetic spelled out.
Enter a typical month of spending to see what the American Express Platinum returns after its fee next to three cards it is usually compared with, then take those numbers to the full credit card rewards calculator to weigh up everything else in your wallet. No signup, and it runs in your browser.
- Annual fee
- $895 annual fee
- Best earn rate
- 5× travel booked direct
- Points value
- 2¢ a point
- Used when you transfer to a travel partner. Cash back is worth 1¢.
- Welcome bonus
- 100,000 points
- About $3,500 if you redeem at 2¢ a point, and only if you clear the spending requirement.
- Credits a year
- $1,175
- What the calculator counts, after discounts for perks most people do not use in full.
- Foreign transaction fee
- none
What the American Express Platinum earns
Hotels and rental cars through the issuer's travel site
5×
Only through the issuer's portal
Flights through the issuer's travel site
5×
Only through the issuer's portal
Flights and hotels booked direct
5×
| Category | Rate | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Hotels and rental cars through the issuer's travel site | 5× | Only through the issuer's portal |
| Flights through the issuer's travel site | 5× | Only through the issuer's portal |
| Flights and hotels booked direct | 5× |
Rates checked with the issuer in October 2026. Spending outside these categories earns 1×. Confirm current terms with the issuer before you apply.
Is the American Express Platinum right for you?
Enter a typical month. You will see what the American Express Platinum returns after its annual fee, next to three cards it is usually compared with, and the full credit card rewards calculator weighs up everything else you spend.
Estimated rewards per year, after the annual fee
American Express Gold Top for your numbers
4× dining, 4× groceries; 1× everything else. $325 annual fee.
Rewards $1,150 · Fee −$325
+$825
4× travel booked direct, 3× dining; 1× everything else. $795 annual fee.
Rewards $822 · Fee −$795
+$27
5× travel booked direct; 1× everything else. $895 annual fee.
Rewards $646 · Fee −$895
−$249
Citi AAdvantage Executive World Legend
4× travel booked direct; 1× everything else. $695 annual fee.
Rewards $305 · Fee −$695
−$390
How we estimate
- Every rate on this page comes from the card catalog. American Express Platinum pays 1× on spending outside the bonus categories listed above, and up to 5× on travel booked direct.
- We value this card's points at 2¢ each. Cash back is valued at 1¢.
- Net is a year of rewards minus the annual fee. Credits count only when you tick the box.
- Welcome bonuses are left out of the tool so the numbers read as an ordinary year.
- Rent is not in the boxes: most landlords charge a fee that cancels out the rewards, and only a few cards earn on rent at all. Add rent in the full calculator, where those rules are modelled.
- Travel-portal bookings are not in the boxes, because portal prices differ from booking direct. The portal rates are in the table above.
- Rates checked with issuers in October 2026. Terms change, so confirm with the issuer before you apply. Educational estimate, not financial advice.
One category doesn’t pick a wallet. Add the rest of your monthly spending to see which cards win across everything, fees included.
Find your best wallet for all your spending →{"focus":"","inputs":[{"key":"dining","prefill":"dining","noun":"dining"},{"key":"groceries","prefill":"groceries","noun":"groceries"},{"key":"gas","prefill":"gas","noun":"gas"},{"key":"transit","prefill":"transit","noun":"transit"},{"key":"streaming","prefill":"streaming","noun":"streaming"},{"key":"drugstores","prefill":"drugstores","noun":"drugstores"},{"key":"travel","prefill":"airfare","noun":"travel"},{"key":"other","prefill":"other","noun":"everyday spending"}],"path":"/credit-card-rewards-calculator","picks":[{"key":"american-express-platinum","name":"American Express Platinum","fee":895,"cpp":0.02,"base":1,"earn":[{"inputs":["travel"],"rate":5}],"credits":1175},{"key":"american-express-gold","name":"American Express Gold","fee":325,"cpp":0.02,"base":1,"earn":[{"inputs":["dining"],"rate":4},{"inputs":["groceries"],"rate":4},{"inputs":["travel"],"rate":3}],"credits":84},{"key":"chase-sapphire-reserve","name":"Chase Sapphire Reserve","fee":795,"cpp":0.020499999999999997,"base":1,"earn":[{"inputs":["dining"],"rate":3},{"inputs":["travel"],"rate":4}],"credits":670},{"key":"citi-aadvantage-executive-world-legend","name":"Citi AAdvantage Executive World Legend","fee":695,"cpp":0.01,"base":1,"earn":[{"inputs":["travel"],"rate":4}],"credits":1100}]}What comes with it
Welcome bonus
100,000 points to 175,000 points
About $3,500 if you redeem at 2¢ a point, and only if you clear the spending requirement.
Points and partners
Amex Membership Rewards
Transferable to airline and hotel partners.
Airlines
Aer Lingus, Air Canada (Aeroplan), Air France-KLM, ANA, Avianca, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Delta, Emirates, Etihad, Hawaiian Airlines, Iberia, JetBlue (1.25:1), Qantas, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic
Hotels
Choice Privileges, Hilton (1:2), Marriott Bonvoy
Credits and perks
| Credit | Sticker value | Counted |
|---|---|---|
| lululemon credit | $300 | $300 |
| Equinox credit | $300 | $300 |
| Oura Ring credit | $200 | $200 |
| Walmart+ membership credit | $155 | $155 |
| Uber One membership credit | $120 | $120 |
| Priority Pass (Global Lounge Collection) Counted at $100 because most people do not use the full $469. Priority Pass costs up to $469 a year on its own, but most people visit a few lounges a year and many already hold another card with it, so it counts as $100 and only once per wallet. | $469 | $100 |
Sticker value is the full face amount. Counted is what the calculator credits, which is lower where most people do not use the perk in full.
Where this data came from
Checked americanexpress.com 2026-10-05. $895 annual fee. 5x on flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel, capped at $500,000 a year, and 5x on prepaid hotels through Amex Travel, which is uncapped; 1x other. New benefit not modeled: ten complimentary Delta Sky Club visits on eligible Delta flights, included in the Global Lounge Collection. The Uber credit is now paid as Uber Cash at $15 a month plus a $20 December bonus.
FAQ
The American Express Platinum charges $895 a year. Earning back $895 means about $932 a month on travel booked direct, where it earns 8¢ more per dollar than the base rate. Credits and the welcome bonus can cover the rest.
5× on travel booked direct, and 1× on spending outside its bonus categories.
It depends on your mix, not the card. Earning back $895 means about $932 a month on travel booked direct, where it earns 8¢ more per dollar than the base rate. Credits and the welcome bonus can cover the rest. It also carries $1,175 of credits we can count, but only count them if you would spend that money anyway. Run your own numbers in the calculator above to see where it lands against the rest of the catalog.
The listed welcome offer is 100,000 points, and offers at these cards change often, so confirm the current terms and the spending requirement with the issuer before you apply. At 2¢ a point that is about $3,500, before you count the annual fee and whether you would clear the spending requirement for it.
Yes. It earns Amex Membership Rewards, which you can transfer to the partners below. Airlines: Aer Lingus, Air Canada (Aeroplan), Air France-KLM, ANA, Avianca, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Delta, Emirates, Etihad, Hawaiian Airlines, Iberia, JetBlue (1.25:1), Qantas, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic. Hotels: Choice Privileges, Hilton (1:2), Marriott Bonvoy. Transfers are what make a 2¢ valuation reachable; using the points for cash back is worth far less.
No. The American Express Platinum charges no foreign transaction fee, so spending abroad earns at the same rate as at home, minus what the merchant adds.