Recurring annual fee
$895 per year
Standard U.S. personal Platinum annual fee. Existing Card Members should check their own Card Member Agreement. Credits are conditional benefits, not a reduction of this recurring charge.
U.S. personal card · Fees, credits & travel terms
American Express Platinum
Facts reviewed · Review due . Issuer terms control.
- Scheduled airfare
- 5X eligible airfare
- Other eligible purchases
- 1X other eligible purchases
- Lounge access
- Program-specific entry and guest rules
The annual fee is a recurring cost. The useful question is which benefits fit trips and purchases you already plan—not how large a list of advertised credits can look. This guide separates earning, credit triggers and lounge entry rules, then shows what to verify before moving Membership Rewards points for a flight.
Key terms
Foreign transaction fee
None under the standard agreement
This is the issuer’s foreign-transaction fee treatment, not a promise about exchange rates or other charges.
Earning: the booking channel matters
Start with where the charge will be made. Under these terms, an airline-direct ticket and a hotel paid directly fall into different earning categories. Check the total booking cost and cancellation rules before choosing a channel for its points multiplier.
| Purchase | Earning | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled airfare | 5 Membership Rewards points per eligible $1 | Book directly with a passenger airline or through American Express Travel. Applies to the first $500,000 in eligible airfare purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per $1 for the rest of that year. |
| Prepaid hotels | 5 points per eligible $1 | Prepaid reservations must be booked through American Express Travel. Paying a hotel directly is not the published 5X prepaid-hotel category. |
| Prepaid vacation rentals | 5 points per eligible $1 | Prepaid vacation rentals must be booked through AmexTravel.com. This is a separate booking-channel condition, not 5X for every rental. |
| Other eligible purchases | 1 point per eligible $1 | Fees, interest and cash equivalents are not eligible purchases. The published travel multiplier does not apply to all spending. |
Before relying on 5X
The travel categories have exclusions
Charter/private-jet flights, flights in packages, ticketing/change/cancellation fees, property fees and hotel groups/events do not qualify for additional points. Direct supplier changes to covered prepaid bookings can remove additional-point eligibility. Category/promotion bonuses do not stack; a portion redeemed with Membership Rewards does not earn the additional points.
Travel credits: the window and the trigger
A statement-credit cap is not the same as money you will use. Check the eligible purchase, payment method and benefit period against a cost you already expect. A prepaid stay, a separately billed airline fee and an app balance have different triggers; none should be counted as automatic value.
Hotel Credit
Up to $300 January–June and $300 July–December
Up to $600 per calendar year per Card Account, for new prepaid “Pay Now” Amex Travel bookings at participating Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection properties. The Hotel Collection requires two consecutive nights. Charges must process by June 30 or December 31 at 11:59 PM CT for the relevant period; property/cancellation fees do not count, and refunds or changes can reverse a credit. Check the property and rate terms.
Airline Fee Credit
Up to $200 per calendar year per Card Account
Enroll and select one qualifying airline before the charge; existing selection can be changed once in January. Only eligible incidentals separately charged by that airline qualify. Tickets, upgrades, mileage purchases/transfer fees, gift cards and award tickets are excluded; merchant coding matters. This is not an airfare credit.
Uber Cash
$15 each month, plus $20 in December
Basic Card Member only. Add the eligible card directly to the Uber-family app, turn Uber Cash on and select an Amex card for redemption. U.S. eligible rides/orders only. Amex-issued monthly Uber Cash expires at 11:59 PM Hawaii Standard Time on the last day of the month, without rollover; third-party wallet setup does not qualify.
Uber One Credit
Up to $120 per calendar year per Card Account
Eligible U.S. monthly or annual membership fees must be directly charged to the eligible card, with Uber Cash off. Free trials and discounted/Uber Cash-paid portions do not qualify. Territory and app terms apply; the membership auto-renews unless cancelled.
CLEAR+ Credit
Up to $219 per calendar year per Card Account
Pay an annual CLEAR+ membership with the eligible card and enroll in CLEAR+. Membership auto-renews unless cancelled. Availability and program eligibility apply; no approval or airport-access outcome is assured.
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
One application-fee credit every four years
Up to $120 for Global Entry or $85 for TSA PreCheck through a TSA official enrollment provider—not both. The first eligible application charged determines the credit. Approval is not required for the fee credit; NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST and Privium are excluded.
Hotel status and a booking-program benefit are different things. Check whether the stay is booked through the required channel and whether an enrollment is active. A listed hotel brand or a status label does not establish that a particular room, rate or benefit is available for your stay.
Hotel programs and status
Booking and enrollment conditions differ
Fine Hotels + Resorts must be booked through Amex Travel; its stated benefits include 4 PM checkout, subject to the applicable booking/property terms. Hilton Honors Gold and Leaders Club Sterling require enrollment; this guide does not establish individual status or property availability. The Hotel Collection’s two-night condition does not establish a universal FHR stay rule.
Selected non-travel credits and terms
The non-travel credits below are a selected sample, not a reason to start new purchases or subscriptions. Check direct billing and enrollment before counting an existing expense. Amex’s full terms include other benefits and exclusions that may matter to your account.
Resy Credit
Up to $100 per quarter
Enrollment required; up to $400 per calendar year per Card Account. Eligible direct U.S. Resy purchases/Resy Pay and qualifying direct Tock purchases under current terms. Eligible merchant status at purchase matters; gift cards, delivery/catering and third-party processing can be excluded.
Digital Entertainment Credit
Up to $25 per month
Enrollment required; up to $300 per calendar year per Card Account. Direct eligible U.S. purchases with Disney+, ESPN streaming services, Hulu, The New York Times, Paramount+, Peacock, The Wall Street Journal and YouTube. Third-party billing, bundles and gift cards can fall outside partner terms.
lululemon Credit
Up to $75 per quarter
Enrollment required; up to $300 per calendar year per Card Account at eligible direct U.S. stores, lululemon.com or its app. Outlets, Studio, Like New, gift cards and other excluded channels do not qualify.
Lounge access: check the program and the guest
Check the airport, lounge program, ticket and guest plan together. Lounge networks have different entry rules. A connection may change the permitted entry window. A guest may have a separate charge even when the Card Member qualifies.
Centurion Lounges
Member admission and guests are different
Eligible Platinum members must show the valid card and a same-day confirmed departing boarding pass with matching name/seat or zone, within three hours of departure or five hours of a connecting flight during a layover; capacity applies. Standard U.S. guest fees are $50 age 18+ or $30 age 2–17; under two requires the stated proof. Guests must be on the same flight.
Centurion guest qualification
Up to two complimentary guests after eligible spending qualification
At least $75,000 in eligible calendar-year Platinum Account purchases can unlock guest access at U.S. and select international locations. Once effective it lasts through the qualification year, following calendar year and January 31 after that. Processing can take up to 12 weeks; timing, capacity and local guest rules still apply. This is a condition, not a spending recommendation.
Delta Sky Club
10 Visits per eligible Platinum Card Member
Visits issue at opening and each February 1, and expire January 31. One Visit covers clubs/airports for up to 24 hours from first entry/use. Requires an eligible same-day Delta-operated flight or Delta-marketed WestJet flight with a 006 ticket; Delta Main Basic/Basic Economy is excluded. Card, ID, matching boarding pass, departure/layover and capacity rules apply.
Delta guests and spending qualification
$50 per eligible guest per Visit under the stated guest rule
Allocated Visits cannot be used for guests. Up to two guests or immediate family may accompany the member under the policy; children under two are free. Guests need eligible flights and cannot hold Basic Economy tickets. At least $75,000 eligible calendar-year Account purchases can unlock unlimited member Visits once effective, potentially after up to 12 weeks, through the qualification year, next year and January 31 after that. Fare and other entry restrictions remain.
Priority Pass
Enrollment required; up to two accompanying guests where admitted
Enroll before relying on membership. Use the physical or digital membership card and airline boarding pass at participating lounges. Companion Platinum is not eligible. Some venues limit or do not admit guests; guests beyond two incur the applicable Standard-program fee. Lounge-specific rules and capacity control, not a universal access promise.
Membership Rewards: tie a transfer to a trip
Membership Rewards points are issuer points until you redeem or transfer them. An airline-program award is a separate booking, not the same as seeing a cash flight for sale. Find the exact itinerary for every traveler, check its cash charges and rules, and only then decide whether a transfer is appropriate. A ratio does not establish award space or a universal point value.
Account linking before transfer
Use an eligible partner account in the required name
Link the Membership Rewards account to the Basic Card Member’s or an Additional Card Member’s partner account. An Additional Card must have been issued to that member for at least 90 days before linking that person’s partner account. Partner-program rules apply.
Transfer finality and U.S. airline fee
Completed partner transfers cannot be reversed
Transfers to a U.S. airline frequent-flyer program have an excise-tax offset fee of $0.0006 per point, capped at $99. This fee is not a universal points valuation. Check account eligibility, current partner terms and the exact award before transferring.
Travel protections: covered circumstances
Start with the covered trip and payment definition, not the headline limit. The reason for a disruption, how the trip was paid for and which other benefits apply can determine whether a claim is eligible. The official guides below—not this summary—control coverage and claim review.
Trip Delay Insurance
More than six hours for a listed covered loss
Requires a qualifying round-trip Common Carrier Covered Trip with its full-charge/payment conditions (including allowed points/certificate combinations). Up to $500 per Covered Trip, limited to two claims per Eligible Card per 12 consecutive months. Secondary coverage; covered causes and exclusions apply, not every delay.
Trip Cancellation and Interruption
Qualifying round-trip Common Carrier trip, full-charge payment and listed covered reasons
Cancellation and interruption each have separately stated limits of $10,000 per Covered Trip and $20,000 per Eligible Card per 12 consecutive months. Secondary coverage for qualifying expenses, not every cancellation. Exclusions include pre-existing conditions, war, one-way travel without a return destination and supplier insolvency.
Baggage Insurance Plan
Entire Fare and covered-baggage-trip conditions apply
Secondary coverage. While traveling on a Common Carrier, up to $2,000 checked baggage or $3,000 carried-on per Covered Person, with a $3,000 all-baggage aggregate per person per trip and a $1,000 High Risk Item limit. New York State Card Members have separate $2,000-per-bag and $10,000 trip-aggregate limits. Non-Amex loyalty redemptions do not satisfy the stated activation rule; exclusions apply.
Car Rental Loss and Damage
Secondary damage/theft coverage, not liability insurance
Reserve and pay the Entire Rental with the Eligible Card, decline the guide’s specified counter coverages and meet the renter/agreement conditions. Up to $75,000 per Rental Agreement for up to 30 consecutive days. Australia, Italy, New Zealand, comprehensively OFAC-sanctioned countries, excluded vehicles and peer-to-peer/vehicle-sharing rentals are excluded.
Premium Global Assist
Assistance and coordination—not medical-cost insurance
Eligibility and distance terms apply. Third-party provider costs may be yours. Emergency medical transportation is potentially no-cost only when Premium Global Assist approves and arranges it under its medical and eligibility rules. Unauthorized/unarranged transport and medical expenses are not reimbursed.
Additional Platinum and Companion are different
Compare the card type as well as the annual price. An additional card does not automatically give its holder every Platinum benefit. Check the account-specific agreement and each benefit’s eligibility rules to see what an additional cardholder can use.
Additional Platinum
$195 per card per year under the standard public agreement
Eligible for the Global Lounge Collection and FHR subject to their rules. Certain Basic accounts opened before August 17, 2023 and not notified of the fee change may retain older Additional-card pricing; check the account-specific agreement rather than assume the standard fee.
Agreement & fees — Standard Platinum agreement and fees (opens in a new tab)Additional-card fees — Additional Platinum account-fee terms (opens in a new tab)Card eligibility — Additional Platinum versus Companion benefit structure — Global Lounge Collection eligibility — official terms (opens in a new tab)Credit terms — Platinum credit and benefit terms (opens in a new tab)
Companion Platinum
$0 per card per year under the standard public agreement
Companion spending earns the account’s published rewards, but the Companion Card does not provide Global Lounge Collection or FHR eligibility. No assumption that every additional person receives the same benefits.
Agreement & fees — Standard Platinum agreement and fees (opens in a new tab)Card eligibility — Additional Platinum versus Companion benefit structure — Global Lounge Collection eligibility — official terms (opens in a new tab)Credit terms — Platinum credit and benefit terms (opens in a new tab)5X earning — 5X earning terms (opens in a new tab)
Research against the travel you actually plan
Build the comparison around planned travel and existing spending. Keep unused credits, inconvenient locations and duplicate subscriptions out of your personal accounting. If points are part of the question, compare a realistic cash ticket with a bookable award for the same trip rather than rely on a publisher’s blanket valuation.
Which eligible costs would occur anyway?
Match planned purchases to the exact merchant, period, enrollment and payment conditions. Do not add advertised caps together.
Which lounge would admit your party on this ticket?
Check the airport, operating/marketing flight, fare type, timing, capacity and guest policy before relying on access.
Can your points book the trip you would choose?
Confirm route, date, cabin, traveler count, award availability, total cash charges and ticket rules before a transfer.
Frequently asked questions
What is the U.S. personal Platinum annual fee?
The standard public U.S. personal Platinum agreement states $895 per year. Existing Card Members should check their account-specific agreement. Conditional credits do not reduce this recurring charge.
Does Platinum earn 5X on every travel purchase?
No. Scheduled airfare purchased directly from a passenger airline or through Amex Travel earns 5 points per eligible $1 on the first $500,000 per calendar year, then 1 point per $1. Prepaid hotels through Amex Travel and prepaid vacation rentals through AmexTravel.com have their own 5X booking rules. Other eligible purchases earn 1 point per $1; exclusions apply.
Is Platinum lounge access unlimited, including guests?
There is no single unlimited-access rule across all programs. Centurion admission has timing and guest conditions. Delta ordinarily provides 10 Visits per eligible member in its February 1–January 31 cycle, excludes Basic Economy and has paid guest rules; eligible-spending qualification can change the member Visit limit. Priority Pass requires enrollment and follows venue guest limits. Capacity and current program rules apply.
Can unused credit amounts all be combined at year-end?
No. Benefits have different periods and purchase triggers. The Hotel Credit uses January–June and July–December buckets, Uber Cash expires monthly without rollover, and the airline incidental credit uses a calendar-year cap after airline selection. Enrollment, eligible charges and processing dates matter.
Can a Membership Rewards partner transfer be reversed?
A completed partner transfer cannot be reversed. Check the required linked-account name, any Additional Card 90-day linking requirement, current program terms and the exact bookable award before transferring. U.S. airline frequent-flyer transfers have an excise-tax offset fee of $0.0006 per point, capped at $99.
Does having Platinum guarantee that a disrupted trip is covered?
No. The covered-trip and payment definitions, listed covered reasons, limits, exclusions and other applicable insurance or benefits control. Read the current official benefit guide for the particular protection; this summary does not promise approval or reimbursement.
Official terms and your next task
- Standard Platinum agreement and fees (opens in a new tab)
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- 5X earning terms (opens in a new tab)
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- Amex Platinum product terms (opens in a new tab)
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- Platinum credit and benefit terms (opens in a new tab)
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- Expedited-travel application credit terms (opens in a new tab)
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- Platinum hotel and benefit overview (opens in a new tab)
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- Amex lounge entry and guest terms (opens in a new tab)
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- Centurion guest and admission policy (opens in a new tab)
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- Delta Sky Club benefit terms (opens in a new tab)
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- Membership Rewards transfer terms (opens in a new tab)
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- Trip Delay Insurance guide (opens in a new tab)
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- Trip Cancellation and Interruption guide (opens in a new tab)
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- Baggage Insurance Plan guide (opens in a new tab)
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- Car Rental Loss and Damage guide (opens in a new tab)
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- Premium Global Assist terms (opens in a new tab)
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- Additional Platinum account-fee terms (opens in a new tab)
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- Additional Platinum versus Companion benefit structure — Global Lounge Collection eligibility — official terms (opens in a new tab)
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