Amex Platinum Card vs. Amex Green Card [Detailed Comparison]

The Platinum Card^® from American Express and the American Express^® Green Card are 2 of American Express’ most well-known cards and offer a great way to earn points.

And while both of these cards share some attractive benefits such as no preset spending limit (to reduce the risk of getting declined for purchases) and no foreign transaction fees (to help you minimize costs when traveling abroad), there are huge differences in the rest of these cards’ features.

So in this guide, we’ll compare and contrast the benefits of the Amex Platinum card with the Amex Green card to see which one’s right for you. Let’s get started!

Amex Platinum Card vs. Amex Green Card — Overview

If you don’t have enough time to read through the minutia of each card’s features and benefits, check out the table below that compares both cards at a high level.

Note that some benefits for both cards require enrollment through your American Express account, so be sure to get the most out of your card!

Feature/Benefit	The Platinum Card® from American Express	American Express® Green Card
Welcome Offer	Earn 80,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first 6 months.	Earn 40,000 points after spending $3,000 within the first 6 months.
Earning Potential	5x points on flights purchased directly with the airlines or through AmexTravel.com, up to $500,000 per calendar year (then 1x) 5x points on prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com 1x points on all other purchases	3x points on eligible travel purchases 3x points at restaurants worldwide 3x points on transit 1x points on other purchases
Redemption Options	Transfer to airline and hotel partners  AmexTravel.com bookings (including Fine Hotels & Resorts bookings for 1 cent per point) Gift cards, online purchases, entertainment, statement credits, and more	Transfer to airline and hotel partners AmexTravel.com bookings Gift cards, online purchases, entertainment, statement credits, and more
Airport Lounge Access	Access to more than 1,400 airport lounges globally, including Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs (when flying with Delta), Plaza Premium Lounges, Priority Pass Lounges, and more	None
Hotel and Rental Car Program Benefits	Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status Access to Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts and The Hotel Collection National Emerald Club Executive Elite status, Hertz President’s Circle status, and Avis Preferred status	None
Statement Credits	Up to $200 in airline fee credits per year Up to $200 in hotel credits for eligible prepaid stays per year Up to $100 Global Entry or up to $85 TSA PreCheck application fee statement credit (up to every 4 years) Up to $100 in Saks Fifth Avenue credits per year Up to $300 in Equinox credits per year Up to $155 in Walmart+ credits per year Up to $240 in digital entertainment credits per year Up to $300 SoulCycle credit per at-home bike purchase Up to $189 CLEAR Plus credit per year	Up to $100 LoungeBuddy credit per year Up to $189 CLEAR Plus credit per year
Travel Benefits and Protections	Access to the Platinum Concierge Trip interruption and cancellation insurance Trip delay insurance Baggage insurance plan Secondary rental car insurance (plus the ability to purchase primary rental car insurance) Emergency transportation and evacuation coverage Access to Premium Global Assist	Trip delay insurance Baggage insurance plan Secondary rental car insurance (plus the ability to purchase primary rental car insurance) Access to Global Assist
Shopping Benefits and Protections	Purchase protection Extended warranty Return protection No foreign transaction fees (rates & fees) No preset spending limit Access to Amex Offers Access to the American Express Auto Purchasing Program	Purchase protection Extended warranty No foreign transaction fee No preset spending limit Access to Amex Offers Access to the American Express Auto Purchasing Program
Annual Fee	$695 (rates & fees)	$150
Authorized Users	Add $195 per card (rates & fees) No-fee basic Gold cards for authorized users (not the same as the American Express® Gold Card) (rates & fees)	Add the first 5 authorized users for no additional annual fee, then $35 for each additional user

Welcome Offers

One of the best reasons to apply for a new card is an enticing welcome bonus. Indeed, even if you’re totally onboard with a card’s benefits, rewards, and features, applying at the right time can ultimately mean the difference between a large or small windfall of points.

Welcome bonuses are awarded to new cardmembers after completing a minimum spending requirement within the first few months after you are approved.

We recommend you only apply for a card if you can comfortably meet the spending requirements and earn that awesome welcome bonus.

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 125k (or 150k) points with the Amex Platinum. The current public offer is 80,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)

The Value of a Welcome Offer

In general, the general consensus is that the minimum your welcome bonus would be worth is 1 cent per point — that’s because you can redeem Amex Membership Rewards points for flights through AmexTravel.com at a fixed value of 1 cent apiece.

However, you can transfer your points to Amex’s transfer partners and potentially receive far more value. On average, we think Amex points are worth about 2.2 cents each. So 45,000 points could be worth $990 in travel while 80,000 points could get you $1,760 in travel.

Earning Potential

Earning Category	Amex Platinum Card	Amex Green Card
Airfare Purchased Directly With the Airline or Through AmexTravel.com	5x points (up to $500,000 per year, then 1x)	3x points
Prepaid Hotels Purchased Through AmexTravel.com	5x points	3x points
Other Travel Purchases	1x points	3x points
Restaurants Worldwide	1x points	3x points
Transit	1x points	3x points
Other Purchases	1x points	1x points

You’ll actually notice that the Amex Platinum card only outperforms the Amex Green card on airfare purchased directly with the airline or through AmexTravel.com, as well as prepaid hotels purchased through AmexTravel.com.

So if you book lots of flights and hotels, the Amex Platinum card might be the best bet for you. Just remember that going through AmexTravel.com ensures you get rewarded as much as possible — but if you plan on doing a lot of your travel bookings outside of AmexTravel.com, the Amex Green card might end up earning you more points in the long run.

Additionally, if you frequently eat out, the Amex Green card could be a great addition to your wallet since it earns 3x points on restaurants worldwide.

Bottom Line:

If you’re most interested in maximizing your rewards on travel purchases, the Amex Platinum card will offer industry-leading returns as long as you stick to booking travel through the AmexTravel.com portal.

Redemption Options

Both the Amex Platinum card and Amex Green card earn coveted Membership Rewards points, which allow for a wide variety of redemption options.

Both cards have the ability to transfer points to airlines and hotels, including Delta SkyMiles, Marriott Bonvoy, British Airways, Air Canada Aeroplan, Hilton Honors, and more.

However, there are a few subtle distinctions in how much value you can get from specific redemptions through each of these cards.

Redemption Option	Amex Platinum Card	Amex Green Card
Transfer to Airline and Hotel Partners	Yes	Yes
Flights Booked Through AmexTravel.com	Yes (1 cent per point)	Yes (1 cent per point)
Hotels Booked Through Fine Hotels & Resorts	Yes (1 cent per point)	N/A
Hotels Booked Through The Hotel Collection	Yes (0.7 cents per point)	N/A
Other AmexTravel.com Bookings (Hotels, Car Rentals, etc.)	Yes (0.7 cents per point)	Yes (0.7 cents per point)
Amazon.com Purchases	Yes	Yes
Gift Cards	Yes	Yes
Online Shopping	Yes	Yes
Statement Credits	Yes	Yes

Even though you earn the same type of Membership Rewards points, the Amex Platinum card allows you to redeem your points for stays at Fine Hotels & Resorts properties for 1 cent per point and The Hotel Collection for 0.7 cents per point. So if you plan on using your points for stays through these hotels, you’ll want to make sure you have the Amex Platinum card. You’ll also get other benefits when booking with hotels that are a part of either of the programs, like late checkout, complimentary room upgrades, property credits, and more.

On the other side of the coin, if you plan on using airline and hotel partners only, the Amex Green card might suffice. 

It’s important to call out that the best way to use Amex points, generally speaking, is to transfer them to hotel and airline partners.

For example, if you want to book a flight from New York (JFK) to Paris (CDG) on Air France business class, you can redeem as few as 55,000 Amex points for a one-way ticket by transferring them to Air France-KLM Flying Blue, as opposed to paying hundreds of thousands of points to book the same flight through AmexTravel.com. 

Hot Tip:

If you want to know more ways how to maximize the value of your Amex points, read our in-depth guide on the best ways to use your Membership Rewards points for luxury travel.

Airport Lounge Access

One of the most valuable benefits that a travel card can have is access to airport lounges. So much so that we’ve devoted an entire section to discussing this.

Amex Platinum Card

The Amex Platinum card is probably the single best card available for airport lounge access. With it, you can access over 1,400 airport lounges around the world through the American Express Global Lounge Collection.

This includes:

• Centurion Lounges (in the U.S. as well as internationally)
• Delta Sky Clubs (when traveling on a same-day Delta ticket)
• Escape Lounges — The Centurion Studio Partner
• Select Lufthansa Lounges (when traveling on a same-day Lufthansa Group ticket)
• Plaza Premium Lounges
• Priority Pass Select lounges (enrollment required)
• Select Virgin Clubhouses

Amex Green Card

Unfortunately, the Amex Green card doesn’t confer the same lounge access as the Amex Platinum card.

However, you can utilize the Amex Green card’s annual LoungeBuddy credit of up to $100 to help gain access to airport lounges within its network, which includes almost 300 locations. The credit should cover 2 to 3 lounge visits a year.

Hotel and Rental Car Program Elite Status and Benefits

Another area where the Amex Platinum card clearly outshines the Amex Green card is benefits at hotels and rental car companies.

In this section, we’ll walk you through all of these benefits from A to Z.

Hotel Program Benefits

The Amex Platinum card offers automatic elite status upon enrollment with Marriott Bonvoy (Gold Elite) and Hilton Honors (Gold).

These benefits allow you to enjoy perks like quicker accrual of hotel points, room upgrades, late checkout, and even continental breakfast (with Hilton Honors Gold only).

In addition, you will have the ability to book stays at properties that are a part of Fine Hotels & Resorts and The Hotel Collection.

Here are the benefits you get when booking a Fine Hotels & Resorts stay:

• Room upgrade (subject to availability)
• Complimentary breakfast for 2 guests per room daily
• Early check-in (subject to availability)
• Guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout
• A special amenity, valued at a minimum of $100, once per stay
• Free Wi-Fi

And when you book a stay at The Hotel Collection, you will receive a room upgrade (when available) and a $100 property credit once per stay.

The Amex Green card does not offer any hotel benefits.

Rental Car Program Benefits

When you’re on the road and renting a car, the Amex Platinum card offers you elite status upon enrollment with multiple car rental programs, including:

• National Emerald Club Executive Elite status
• Avis Preferred Plus status
• Hertz President’s Circle status

With these status levels, you can enjoy perks like complimentary upgrades to more premium vehicles, guaranteed reservations, bonus points earning, and more.

The Amex Green card does not partner with any rental car companies for status or privileges.

Statement Credits

The Amex Platinum card is an amazing card for benefits, and some benefits return actual dollars to your wallet in the form of statement credits. Here’s what you can expect to get in statement credits with the Amex Platinum card in comparison with the Amex Green card:

Statement Credits	Amex Platinum Card	Amex Green Card
Airline Fee Credits	Up to $200 per year	$0
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit	Up to $100 Global Entry or up to $85 TSA PreCheck application fee statement credit every 4 years	$0
Saks Fifth Avenue Shopping Credits	Up to $100 per year	$0
CLEAR Plus Credit	Up to $189 per year	Up to $189 per year
Equinox Credit	Up to $300 per year	$0
Prepaid Hotel Credit on Eligible Stays	Up to $200 per year	$0
Walmart+ Credit	Up to $155 per year	$0
Digital Entertainment Credit	Up to $240 per year	$0
SoulCycle Credit	Up to $300 per at-home bike purchase	$0
LoungeBuddy Credit	$0	Up to $100 per year

When you maximize all of these benefits, you can easily offset the annual fee on the Amex Platinum card multiple times.

Travel Benefits and Protections

Another key area where the Amex Platinum card offers tremendous value over the Amex Green card is in the travel protection arena.

Access to the Platinum Concierge

One of the most useful features of the Amex Platinum card is the ability to access the Platinum Concierge, which can help you make restaurant reservations in foreign countries, get connected to reputable tour providers, arrange to send flowers or gifts to loved ones, and so much more.

All you need to do is call the number on the back of your card, say “Concierge,” and you’ll be connected to a concierge who can assist you.

The Amex Green card doesn’t offer access to the Platinum Concierge.

Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance

Both the Amex Platinum card and Amex Green card offer secondary rental car insurance with the ability to purchase primary rental car insurance, starting from $12.25 to $24.95 per rental.

The key difference here is that the Amex Platinum card offers up to $75,000 in coverage, while the Amex Green card offers up to $50,000 in coverage.

Trip Interruption and Cancellation Insurance

The Amex Platinum card is one of the few cards that offers trip interruption and cancellation insurance — if your trip is disrupted for covered reasons, you can get reimbursed for up to $10,000 per trip and up to $20,000 every rolling 12 months.

The Amex Green card does not offer trip interruption or cancellation coverage.

Trip Delay Reimbursement

If your trip is delayed for covered reasons, you may file a claim for reimbursement of certain expenses incurred during your delay — the Amex Platinum card gets you up to $500 per trip if your covered delay is 6 or more hours.

The Amex Green card doesn’t offer trip delay reimbursement.

Baggage Insurance Plan

The Amex Platinum card boasts up to $3,000 in combined coverage for both carry-on baggage and checked baggage, with a limit of $2,000 for checked baggage.

Meanwhile, the Amex Green card’s baggage insurance plan covers up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage and up to $500 for checked baggage.

For New York State residents, there is an aggregate maximum limit of $10,000 for all covered persons per covered trip.

Concierge and Travel Assistance

When you hold the Amex Platinum card, you have access to Premium Global Assist — meanwhile, the Amex Green card confers access to Global Assist.

Both Global Assist and Premium Global Assist include:

• Credit card cancellation
• Emergency cash wire transfer that can be charged to your card
• Embassy and consulate referral
• Emergency legal and medical referral
• Emergency transportation
• Lost passport replacement
• Medical prescription replacement assistance
• Missing luggage assistance
• Translation services
• Urgent message relay to family and friends

Premium Global Assist also includes emergency medical evacuation services for the cardholder and covered family members, as well as repatriation of mortal remains, unaccompanied minors/visitors to bedside, and travel assistance post-evacuation.

Shopping Benefits

Purchase Protection

Both the Amex Platinum card and the Amex Green card offer purchase protection, which will come in handy if an item you purchased gets damaged, stolen, or lost shortly after you bought it.

In the case of the Amex Platinum card, you be reimbursed up to $10,000 per covered purchase and up to $50,000 in total reimbursements per calendar year if the occurrence happens 90 days or sooner after the date of purchase.

The Amex Green card also covers incidents that occur up to 90 days after purchase, but you can only get up to $1,000 per item in reimbursements and up to $50,000 per calendar year in reimbursements.

Extended Warranty

The Amex Platinum card entitles you to extended warranty protection, which covers up to 2 additional years in addition to the manufacturer’s warranty of up to 5 years, for eligible purchased items. This coverage is limited to $10,000 per occurrence and up to $50,000 per calendar year.

The Amex Green card covers you for up to 1 additional year in addition to the original manufacturer’s warranty of up to 5 years. The coverage amount is also limited to $10,000 per occurrence and up to $50,000 per calendar year.

Return Protection

If you make a purchase, aren’t satisfied with it, and attempt to return your purchase with the original merchant, only to get denied a return, the Amex Platinum card could help you get coverage for this rare event.

Currently, the Amex Platinum card’s return protection policy includes up to $300 per item and up to $1,000 per calendar year in return protection coverage.

The Amex Green card doesn’t carry any return protection.

Cell Phone Protection

If you’re prone to damaging or getting your phone stolen, the Amex Platinum card comes with complimentary cell phone protection, which kicks in as long as you charge your monthly cellular bill to the Amex Platinum card.

Currently, the Amex Platinum card allows you to get up to $800 in reimbursements per claim with a $50 deductible per claim and up to 2 approved claims every rolling 12 months.

Therefore, you can get up to $1,500 in cell phone protection reimbursements every year!

The Amex Green card doesn’t offer this benefit.

No Preset Spending Limit

Another feature we love about these 2 cards is no preset spending limit, which essentially means both of these cards do not have a traditional credit limit or credit ceiling.

Instead, based on your spending habits and the other information that Amex has surrounding your ability to pay your balances, your spending limit may adjust from month to month.

This can reduce the likelihood that your purchase will get declined at the register.

No Foreign Transaction Fees

Both the Amex Platinum card and Amex Green card have no foreign transaction fees.

Amex Offers

Amex Offers is one of the best ways you can get additional rewards or savings at specific merchants. You can take advantage of amazing offers like earning +5 bonus points per dollar or 20% back on specific purchases, such as Marriott bookings or eating out at restaurants.

Both the Amex Platinum card and Amex Green card enjoy access to Amex Offers.

American Express Auto Purchasing Program

Amex has partnered with TrueCar to offer an online platform where you can shop used and new vehicles with an Upfront Price Offer so you know the real price you’ll pay before visiting the dealership.

Also, these dealers will allow you to put at least $2,000 towards the car on your Amex card, and potentially up to the full purchase price (admittedly, this is pretty rare in practice).

Both the Amex Platinum card and Amex Green card offer this benefit.

Annual Fees and Adding Additional Users

Annual Fees

The Amex Platinum card is an ultra-premium travel rewards card with a ton of benefits, so it only makes sense that it has an ultra-premium price tag to go along with it.

Specifically, the Amex Platinum card has a $695 annual fee, while the Amex Green card has a $150 annual fee.

Adding Additional Users

Both of these cards allow you to add additional cards.

With the Amex Platinum card, you can add an authorized user for $195 per card. These cards will still confer travel benefits to the authorized users, like lounge access and the ability to book stays at Fine Hotels & Resorts and The Hotel Collection.

If you want to add an authorized user card without an additional annual fee, you can add basic Gold cards, though these won’t come with the same travel benefits as the primary Amex Platinum card.

With the Amex Green card, you can add up to 5 authorized users for no additional charge, then $35 per each additional authorized user thereafter.

As always, the primary cardholder is liable for all charges made by authorized users.

Final Thoughts

The Amex Platinum card and Amex Green card share a surprising number of similarities. Both of them offer the ability to earn Membership Rewards points, which can be transferred to airline and hotel partners for luxury travel.

In addition, both of these cards have no preset spending limit, no foreign transaction fees, and other benefits like purchase protection and extended warranty.

However, the Amex Platinum card blows away the Amex Green card when it comes to travel and lifestyle benefits thanks to its lounge access perks, numerous statement credits, automatic hotel elite status, and even rental car privileges!

If you’re looking for a high-end card with robust travel benefits, the Amex Platinum card will suit you best. But if just want a card that earns Membership Rewards points without requiring you to pony up for a large annual fee, the Amex Green card can serve you well.

For the car rental loss and damage insurance benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, car rental loss and damage insurance can provide coverage up to $75,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the commercial car rental company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
 
For the trip cancellation and interruption insurance benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, the maximum benefit amount for trip cancellation and interruption insurance is $10,000 per covered trip and $20,000 per eligible card per 12 consecutive month period. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

For the trip delay insurance benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, up to $500 per covered trip that is delayed for more than 6 hours; and 2 claims per eligible card per 12 consecutive month period. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

For the baggage insurance plan benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, baggage insurance plan coverage can be in effect for covered persons for eligible lost, damaged, or stolen baggage during their travel on a common carrier vehicle (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus) when the Entire Fare for a ticket for the trip (one-way or round-trip) is charged to an eligible card. Coverage can be provided for up to $2,000 for checked baggage and up to a combined maximum of $3,000 for checked and carry-on baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the common carrier. The coverage is also subject to a $3,000 aggregate limit per covered trip. For New York State residents, there is a $2,000 per bag/suitcase limit for each covered person with a $10,000 aggregate maximum for all covered persons per covered trip. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit  americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the Premium Global Assist Hotline benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. If approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline, emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost. In any other circumstance, card members may be responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.