Is the American Express Platinum Worth $895? My Honest Review After a Year

I used to think the American Express Platinum Card was kind of ridiculous. Almost $900 a year for a credit card? No thanks.

But after spending a full year with the card and actually using the perks, I’ve completely changed my mind. 

Between dinners at top restaurants, luxury hotel stays in New Zealand and Asia that cost us next to nothing, and credits I was already using anyway, I ended up getting over $2,000 in value from this card in one year.

In this post, I’ll break down:

• What I actually used (and what I didn’t)
  
• How much real-world value I got
  
• Who this card is perfect for and who it isn’t for

By the end, you’ll know whether the Amex Platinum makes sense for you  and if it deserves a spot in your wallet too.

Who the Amex Platinum Is and Isn’t For

If you’re not sure whether the Amex Platinum makes sense for your life, this quick breakdown should help.

Think of it like this:

✅ Great Fit	❌ Not a Fit
Frequent travelers who want lounge access, hotel perks, and premium airport comfort	Occasional travelers who won’t use the perks often
Willing to track and use monthly/annual credits	Anyone who wants a simple, low-maintenance card
Already spending on travel/Uber/CLEAR/etc. (credits feel natural)	People who would spend extra just to “justify” the credits
Open to having more than one travel rewards card	Someone looking for one easy, all-in-one card

💳 Not Sure If This Is the Right Card for You?
Travel cards aren’t one-size-fits-all. I’ve put together a list of the top cards I personally use.
👉 See My Favorite Travel Credit Cards

Pros of the American Express Platinum

Large Welcome Bonus (Up to 175,000 Points)

Getting up to 175,000 points with a single card is HUGE. That is enough for multiple flights in business class.

I frequently use Membership Rewards to book my flights. In fact, I am currently looking at a flight from Taiwan (TPE) to San Francisco (SFO) for just 65,500 points and $102.93 in taxes and fees by transferring to Air France/KLM Flying Blue.

The cash price of this flight? $2,800.

So yes, even if you don’t get the full 175,000 points, this is still a valuable welcome bonus. 

🎁 The Platinum’s Bonus Is Huge — But How Does It Compare?
Up to 175,000 points is one of the best offers out there. Want to see how it stacks up against other top bonuses I recommend?
👉 Compare Credit Card Bonuses Here

Earn 5x Points on Flights Booked Directly With the Airline

If you are frequently purchasing flights then this is a great benefit for you because you will earn 5x points per dollar spent. 

I rarely buy flights because I am normally using points and miles to get my flights but if I do, I 100% put it on this card to get the most out of my flights.

Premium Airport Lounge Access Worldwide

With this card you get access to over 1,550 airport lounges around the world. You have access to AmEx’s Centurion Lounges, 10 complimentary Delta Sky Club visits that you can use when flying on an eligible Delta flight, and you get Priority Pass Select membership.

If you’re a frequent traveler, this will change the game for you. Having a quiet place to relax outside of the hustle and bustle of the airport terminal is so worth it. Plus, most lounges also have food and beverages so you’re saving money there too.

The Centurion lounges are also some of the top credit card lounges out there. Though I will say my personal favorites are the Capital One and Chase Sapphire lounges. 

✈️ Want Lounge Access?
With Centurion, Delta, and Priority Pass lounges, this card covers a lot
👉 Compare it to other cards with lounge access

How I Made the Amex Platinum Pay for Itself (and Then Some)

I know $895 is a lot for a credit card. I held off on getting the Amex Platinum for years because I couldn’t imagine it ever being worth that much.

But after a year of using it, I’ve more than made the annual fee back not just in perks, but in actual trips, meals, and things I would’ve paid for anyway. Here’s how I did it.

The Resy Credit Funds Our Date Night Once a Quarter

One of the first perks I used was the $400 Resy credit, which gave us $100 back each quarter when booking through Resy.

We used it for dinner at Jargon in Asheville, a restaurant we’d never tried before. It ended up being such a memorable evening — amazing food, cozy atmosphere, phenomenal wine and cocktails — and now it’s one of our new favorite restaurants in Asheville. The fact that it was basically free thanks to the credit just made it that much better.

🎁 So Many Perks
The Platinum comes with more credits and benefits than most cards on the market and Resy is just one example.
👉 Compare perks across all of my fav cards

Hotel Credits That Covered (Almost) Entire Stays

We’re planning a trip to Malaysia, and I used the $300 Fine Hotels + Resorts credit to book two nights at EQ Kuala Lumpur. The normal cost would’ve been $463.30, but after the credit, I only paid $163.30. On top of that, we’re getting a $150 property credit to use for food or spa so it’s essentially free.

We also booked the SO/ Auckland for another part of the trip. That hotel was $441.60, but with the hotel credit and a $100 property credit, we’re only out $41.60. 

Not bad for luxury hotels.

A New Favorite Wardrobe Staple with the Lululemon Credit

I’m not usually a huge Luluelmon person so I didn’t expect to care about the $300 Lululemon credit, but it’s now one of my favorite perks. 

In one quarter, I used the credit to grab a gift card. In the next quarter, I stacked that with the $75 credit for that quarter (so $150 total) and bought a pair of Lululemon trousers that I am obsessed with. They’re super comfy, fit so well, and are incredibly versatile.

💳 This Card Has Perks for Way More Than Travel
The Lululemon credit is just one example of how the Platinum covers way more than flights and hotels.
👉 Compare It to My Other Favorite Cards

And That’s Not Even Everything…

Some of the other credits I regularly use include:

• $200 in Uber Cash
  
• $200 Airline Fee Credit
  
• $300 Digital Entertainment Credit (which we use for streaming)

I track all of these in a simple spreadsheet so nothing goes to waste and honestly, it feels great when we hit the $895 mark in value and know everything else we use is just a bonus at that point.

Strong Airline Transfer Partners

You can transfer to 17 airline partners with American Express and get so much more value out of your points than just using them in the travel portal.

I have booked countless flights with American Express Membership rewards. 

I personally use AirCanada Aeroplan, Air France KLM, Avianca Lifemiles, and Virgin Atlantic the most.

Ability to Earn Membership Rewards

One way that a lot of people earn more points and miles is by using a cashback tool such as Rakuten.

With Rakuten you have the option to earn cashback in the form of Membership Rewards. In order to do this you have to have a credit card that earns Membership Rewards which means the American Express Platinum, American Express Gold, or the American Express Green Card.

If you don’t have a Rakuten account already, here are 5,000 points for free
👉 Ooh! Gimme

Cons of the American Express Platinum

I have personally found that the pros outweigh the cons of this card but there are quite a few cons to consider and you may ultimately decide that this isn’t the card for you. 

High $895 Annual Fee

Even though I do think the benefits offset this annual fee, it’s still a bit of a shock when an $895 fee hits your account. 

I personally like to budget for it so I know which month it’ll hit and it doesn’t blow my spending out of the water.

If you’re looking for a low annual fee card, this isn’t the one for you. I would recommend one of these other travel rewards credit cards.

💰 $895 Isn’t for Everyone
If that fee feels steep, you’re not alone. That’s why I’ve put together a list of my favorite cards — including a few with lower annual fees that still deliver big rewards.
👉 Compare My Top Travel Credit Cards

No Free Lounge Access for Guests

This is a huge con of the American Express Platinum although it may be becoming an industry trend as the Capital One Venture X has also cracked down on guests.

If you want to bring a guest into the Centurion Lounge you have to pay $50 per adult guest and $30 per child guest.

We have a Centurion Lounge in our home airport and we don’t use it because I am frequently traveling with my husband and we both don’t have the credit card and we don’t want to pay the $50 fee.

Because of this, lounge access is my least used benefit for the American Express Platinum. I personally use the Capital One Venture X lounge access more (because both my husband and I have this card) and the Chase Sapphire Reserve lounge access (because you can bring guests in).

Lounges Are Overcrowded

Another reason we don’t use the lounge access that much is because the lounges can be overcrowded and wait times can be long so for us, it hasn’t been worth it.

You can add yourself to the waitlist via the American Express app so that is something to potentially help with the wait time.

Perks Can be Annoying to Track

If you’re someone who wants a simple way to offset the annual fee, this isn’t the card for you. You’re probably better off with a card like the Venture X which is incredibly easy to offset the $395 annual fee.

The perks are a bit annoying to track. I personally check at the beginning of each month to see what benefits I need to use and what is expiring. I have a spreadsheet that I use to track the perks and I try and use the semi annual or quarterly perks as early on in their timeframe as possible.

For some, that is a deal breaker. For me, I personally don’t mind it. I track all of our finances anyways so I see this as just an extension of that. Plus, I do get a little thrill when we’ve already hit $895 worth of benefits and the rest are just free money. 

📅 Tracking perks may not be for you
If tracking perks sounds like too much work, you’re not alone. The Platinum offers incredible value, but some of my other favorite cards are a lot easier to manage.
👉 Compare it to my favorite travel credit cards

How to Decide if The Amex Platinum is Worth it For You

Like I said, I didn’t think this card would be worth it and after close to a year of having it, I’ve changed my mind because I’ve been able to get so much value out of it.

Step 1: Evaluate which benefits you will actually use

I would first consider the annual fee and all the benefits that come with it and then add up what you would actually use and see if that is more than the cost of the annual fee.

So for me, I easily get $2,000 worth of benefits by using the following perks:

• $400 Resy Credits 
• $600 Hotel Credit
• $200 Uber Cash
• $200 Airline Fee Credit
• $300 Digital Entertainment Credit
• $300 Lululemon Credit

With those benefits alone I am getting $1,105 in free value ($2000-the annual fee of $895)

Step 2: Consider the earning rate on flights

If you spend a ton of money on flights, this card will provide you with so much value. You will earn 5x membership points per dollar spent. So let’s say you spend $12,000 on flights in a year. You will earn 60,000 points which is enough for a business class flight to Europe.

I personally rarely purchase flights since I usually use points and miles to fly so this isn’t a huge benefit for me.

That being said, whatever flights I do purchase, I put on this credit card.

Step 3: Consider the premium travel benefits and decide if those are worth it to you

Besides all of the perks and credits you can get with this card, you also get things like (non exhaustive list):

• Car rental privileges 
• Car rental loss and damage insurance
• Trip delay insurance
• Marriott Bonvoy® Gold Elite Status
• Hilton Honors™ Gold Status
• Upgrades, free breakfast, and $100 credit when booking with Fine Hotels + Resorts

If you’re a frequent traveler, these benefits may be incredible valuable to you.

✈️ This Is One of My Favorite Cards But It’s Not the Only One
I’ve rounded up the travel cards I personally use and recommend, including the Amex Platinum. If it fits your style, awesome. If not, there may be something even better for how you travel.
👉 See My Favorite Travel Credit Cards

My Take: It Deserves a Spot in Your Wallet But it Shouldn’t be the Only Card You Use

I now love the Amex Platinum. It has some really great premium travel perks, and after using it for a full year, I can confidently say it earned a permanent place in my wallet.

Between the welcome bonus, the Resy and hotel credits, and all the smaller perks I was already using, I ended up getting over $2,000 in value without changing much about how I spend.

That said, I don’t think this should be your only card.

The Platinum earns 5x on flights booked directly with airlines, but only 1x on most other spending. To really maximize your points, you’ll want to pair it with another card or two.

Here’s the setup I personally use:

• Amex Gold – 4x on dining + groceries
  
• Amex Platinum – 5x on flights + travel perks
  
• Capital One Venture or Venture X – 2x on everything else

Just a heads up: make sure you open the Amex Gold before the Platinum if you want to be eligible for both welcome offers.

But if you’re ready to make travel easier, more comfortable, and more rewarding?

👉 Apply for the Amex Platinum here and see for yourself why it deserves a spot in your wallet too.