Is the Amex Platinum 100K, 125K, or 150K Welcome Offer Worth It? [Current Public Offer Is as High as 175K]

If you’re considering applying for the Platinum Card^® from American Express, there’s one thing you should know before submitting an application: Not all welcome offers are the same.

Depending on how and when you apply, you may see bonus offers that offer varying amounts of Membership Rewards points — a difference that can be worth hundreds or thousands of dollars in travel.

In this guide, we’ll show you where to find the best bonus offers, explain why Amex may show different welcome offers to different applicants, and the smartest ways to use your points for travel.

Targeted offers are discussed in the article below. Please note that these offers are not available to all applicants. Any information related to targeted offers has been collected independently and not reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Amex Platinum Card Overview

Here are the quick facts of the Amex Platinum card to know before applying:

• Annual fee: $895 (rates & fees)
• Current public welcome offer: Apply and find out if you're eligible for as high as 175,000 points after spending $12,000 in eligible purchases in the first 6 months. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
• Rewards: Earn 5x Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines or through AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per calendar year) and on prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com
• Key perks: Complimentary access to more than 1,500 airport lounges in the American Express Global Lounge Collection, including Centurion Lounges and 10 annual visits to Delta Sky Clubs when flying same-day with Delta
• Annual credits: More than $1,500 in statement credits, including prepaid hotel credits, airline incidental fees, CLEAR+, digital entertainment services, and more (enrollment required for select benefits)
• Best for: Frequent travelers who book flights and hotels often and want to maximize premium travel perks, airport lounge access, and statement credits

Depending on your personal information, you may see one of several different welcome offers for the Amex Platinum card when you apply.

Once you apply directly through American Express, the issuer evaluates your credit score, income, and other factors. In addition to telling you whether you’re approved for the Amex Platinum card, the issuer also presents the welcome offer you’re eligible for.

Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer. If you decide not to move forward with the application, no credit inquiry is made. This is considered a soft pull on your credit report.

If you’re approved and like your welcome offer, all that’s left to do is accept it and open your Amex Platinum card account. At this stage, your credit score may be affected.

Is the Amex Platinum 100K, 125K, or 150K Welcome Offer Still Available?

Keep in mind that welcome offers come with a spending requirement. Ensure you can meet any minimum spending requirement before applying for any offer.

Step 1: Check Amex’s Website Directly (Try This First)

We recommend checking the American Express website directly as a first step.

The current public offer for the Amex Platinum card is:

• Apply and find out if you're eligible for as high as 175,000 points after spending $12,000 in eligible purchases in the first 6 months. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

However, our team has noticed that American Express has offered a targeted and elevated welcome offer to select applicants. Here’s an example of a targeted 175,000-point welcome offer we found in our research when applying directly through American Express:

As with all targeted offers, these offers aren’t available to everyone, but here’s an example of a 150,000-point targeted offer we found by applying directly through American Express:

Our team members have also seen offers for 125,000 Membership Rewards points, as you can see below in this example from April 2025:

Step 2: CardMatch Tool

If you strike out on the American Express website, your next step should be CardMatch.

CardMatch is a web-based form that allows you to see your best credit card offers from partner banks in seconds. The site completes a soft credit check to see if you’re eligible for any elevated offers. Since it’s not a hard pull, this doesn’t count against your credit.

Remember that the CardMatch tool only shows you offers from affiliated banks, so you don’t see every credit card offer available. It currently has affiliations with the following banks:

• American Express
• Bank of America
• Capital One
• Chase
• First Premier Bank

Targeted Email Offers

If you’re lucky, you might find an elevated offer for the Amex Platinum card in your mailbox. Just ensure you have opted in to receive new card and credit offers in your Amex account’s general marketing email preferences.

You can do this by going to the tabs “Account Services > Alerts and Communications > Marketing Email Preferences > Offers” in your online account.

Reasons You May Not Get a Targeted Bonus Offer

Bad, poor, or limited credit: First, ensure your credit score is as high as possible. You should use your current credit responsibly and pay your bill in full and on time each month.

You already have an American Express card: You may be less likely to get a targeted offer like this if you already have an American Express credit card.

How to Use 100K to 150K Amex Points for Maximum Value

Thanks to Amex’s robust transfer partners, there are endless ways to redeem your points for travel. These are some of the most lucrative redemptions that show how far 100,000 Membership Rewards points (and more) can go:

• Book Singapore Airlines business class for 60,000 points or Lufthansa business class for 70,000 points between the U.S. and Germany
• Book Cathay Pacific business class for 80,000 points between the West Coast and Hong Kong
• Book ANA Business class round-trip for 105,000 to 120,000 miles between the U.S. and Japan

Amex Platinum Card 100K Upgrade Offer

Another route to getting 100,000 points or more on the Amex Platinum card is via an upgrade offer. For those currently holding the American Express^® Gold Card, Amex has been known to send out targeted offers to entice those cardholders to upgrade to the Amex Platinum card. In the past, these targeted offers have included a wide variety of points, including 25,000, 40,000, 60,000, and even 100,000 points.

A full overview of all Amex cards is available for those still exploring their options.

However, if you’ve never had the Amex Platinum card before, we highly recommend applying for the card outright your first time, as these welcome offers can reach upward of 175,000 points. Plus, those who get the bonus on the Amex Platinum card are still eligible for upgrade offers on their Amex Gold card at a later date, whereas those who take an upgrade offer to the Amex Platinum card can’t apply and receive the bonus on the card later on.

Highest-Ever Amex Platinum Card Welcome Offer

Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.

The highest welcome offer we’ve ever seen for the Amex Platinum card is 175,000 points. While other bonuses are excellent, we highly recommend taking advantage if you find an offer as high as 175,000 points.

We value 175,000 Amex points at $3,850, making it one of the best credit card welcome offers you can receive.

Track Amex Welcome Offer Progress

You can track your progress on your welcome offer by using the trackers in the Amex mobile app, chatting with an Amex representative on the American Express website, or calling the number on the back of your card (Source: American Express).

Another option is to head to the membership tab for your Amex Platinum card, click the button that says “View All Benefits,” and then scroll down to the option that says “Centurion Lounge Complimentary Guest Access.” This tracker tracks your progress toward receiving Centurion Lounge guest access by spending $75,000 on the card in a calendar year, but you could also use it to track your progress toward the welcome offer.

What Is the Amex Once-Per-Lifetime Rule?

Put simply, the Amex once-per-lifetime rule prevents you from receiving the welcome offer on a card if you have received it on a card in its family in the past.

For instance, if you had the Amex Platinum card 5 years ago and have since canceled it, it is unlikely that you would receive the welcome offer again. Alternatively, you would not be able to receive the welcome offer on another version of the Amex Platinum card, like the American Express Platinum Card^® for Schwab or The Platinum Card^® from American Express Exclusively for Morgan Stanley (Source: American Express).

Note that this does not apply to cards outside the card family, like The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, the Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve American Express Card, etc. Additionally, if the terms of the welcome offer you are applying for do not include the “once-per-lifetime” language, you may still be eligible to receive it even if you have had the card before.

How Do I Know if I Qualify for an Amex Welcome Offer?

If you’ve forgotten whether you’ve had a card or aren’t sure you’re eligible for the welcome offer on a card, American Express informs you during the application process.

Those ineligible for any reason receive a pop-up after clicking to submit their application. If you receive the pop-up that states that you are not eligible to receive the welcome offer on the card you are applying for, don’t fret, as your application has not been fully submitted yet.

From there, Amex offers the option to cancel or proceed with your application without the welcome offer. If you decide to cancel your application, no credit inquiry is made, and there’s no impact on your credit score (Source: American Express).

This feature is available on every American Express card, so you’ll always know whether you are eligible for the welcome offer before submitting your application.

Final Thoughts

The Amex Platinum card is currently available with available welcome offers that are based on your application profile, and bonus offers could be as high as 175,000 points. When applying, make sure to follow the exact steps above to confirm your eligibility for a welcome offer.