Amex Platinum Benefits for Active-Duty Military: No $895 Annual Fee

The Platinum Card^® from American Express normally carries an $895 annual fee (rates & fees), but eligible active-duty U.S. military members can get their annual fee reduced to $0 under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) or Military Lending Act (MLA).

Even with this fee benefit, cardholders still receive the full suite of perks, including airport lounge access, annual statement credits, hotel elite status, and travel protections (some require enrollment).

Amex Platinum Military Benefits at a Glance

In total, the Amex Platinum card offers benefits totaling more than $3,500 in annual value. The top-line ones are covered below, but know that some benefits require prior enrollment:

• Complimentary access to more than 1,550 lounges through the American Express Global Lounge Collection
• Up to $600 annual prepaid hotel credit for Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts reservations or The Hotel Collection (the latter requires a 2-night minimum stay)
• 5x points on all flights booked on AmexTravel.com and booked directly with airlines (up to $500,000 per year), and prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com
• Up to $200 airline fee credit for one qualifying airline per year
• Marriott Bonvoy Gold, Hilton Honors Gold, and other hotel and rental car statuses
• 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.

Overview

If you decide to apply, we advise reviewing the Amex Platinum card’s credit score requirements before you apply and let them pull your credit.

How the MLA and SCRA Work

MLA and SCRA in Brief

The Military Lending Act provides benefits that apply to credit accounts opened by a service member (or another covered borrower) during that service member’s active-duty military service. The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act covers eligible products opened by a service member prior to their active-duty military service (Source: American Express).

The MLA provides coverage for debt like installment loans, consumer credit, and payday loans (Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau). On the other hand, the SCRA includes transactions such as home mortgages, debts, auto leases, and life insurance (Source: SCRA).

Who Qualifies for the American Express Military Annual Fee Benefit?

American Express offers eligible cardmembers an annual fee of $0 (rates & fees) under the MLA for cards obtained during active duty (Source: American Express).

You typically qualify if you are:

• Active-duty members of the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Space Force under a call or order not specified as 30 days or less
• Reserve and National Guard members under that same term serving on qualifying active-duty orders (Source: Cornell Law)
• Commissioned officers of the U.S. Public Health Service or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• Certain U.S. citizens serving with allied military forces during a war or military action
• Eligible spouses and dependent children of qualifying service members (Source: U.S. House)

You typically do NOT qualify if you are:

• Veterans who are no longer serving on active duty
• Retired military members who have separated from active service
• National Guard or Reserve members who are not serving on qualifying active-duty orders
• National Guard members activated for 30 days or fewer who do not meet SCRA or MLA requirements
• Service members, after leaving active duty, once their eligibility period under the SCRA or MLA has ended
• Applicants whose military status cannot be verified through the Department of Defense database and who cannot provide qualifying documentation

You can contact American Express directly at 800-253-1720 with any questions about qualifications. You can also call the number on the back of your card if you’re an existing cardmember.

Why We Like the Amex Platinum for Active-Duty Military

The Amex Platinum card offers several benefits that a military traveler can use. It offers perks that make travel more comfortable, including complimentary access to airport lounges worldwide, hotel elite status, and car rental privileges. The card also offers good value for active-duty service members through a generous welcome offer, an annual fee reduction benefit, and statement credits for airline incidentals.

The Amex Platinum card is one of the best credit cards for military members. Here’s a review of the benefits offered by the Amex Platinum card and an estimate of the value, where possible, that you receive by having the card.

Amex Platinum Card Military Fee Benefit

Usually, the Amex Platinum card charges an annual fee of $895 (rates & fees). The benefits of the Amex Platinum card easily outweigh the annual fee, but it is still quite a bit higher than those of most other travel rewards cards.

Fortunately, eligible military service members can have the annual fee on the Amex Platinum card reduced to $0. This benefit means you can use the card’s perks, including airport lounge access and hotel elite status, without paying its hefty fee.

Amex Platinum Card for Military Spouses

Though the annual fee of the Amex Platinum card is rather high for most people, it is also $0 for spouses and domestic partners of service members (rates & fees). This includes both adding your spouse as an additional cardmember on your account and also covers your spouse getting their own Amex Platinum card.

Amex Platinum Card for Reservists, National Guard, and Additional Active-Duty Service Members

Reserve service members of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Coast Guard under a call or order not specified as 30 days or less, and their spouses and dependents, also qualify for the fee reduction.

Under the SCRA (cards acquired prior to active duty), American Express extends fee-reduction benefits to active-duty commissioned officers of the Public Health Service and U.S. citizens serving with U.S. allied forces in war or military action.

Commissioned officers with the Public Health Service or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration may also qualify to have an existing Amex Platinum card fee reduced under the SCRA.

Hot Tip:

Before applying for any card, visit the MLA website to ensure your and your spouse’s information is up to date and your active-duty status is displayed correctly.

Earning Potential: Welcome Bonus Offer (Value Varies)

Welcome offers vary, but you can count on at least 1 cent per Membership Rewards point when redeeming those bonus points for travel. For example, this translates to at least $600 in travel if the welcome offer is 60,000 points or $1,000 if the offer is 100,000 points.

You may receive additional value by transferring your Membership Rewards to Amex airline partners, but you should earn at least 1 cent per point in redemptions.

Benefits You Get for a $0 Annual Fee as an Active-Duty Service Member

• $0 annual fee for active-duty military members, spouses, domestic partners, and child dependents, providing a savings of $895 per card
• $0 fee for Additional Platinum cardholders, providing a savings of the standard fee of $195 (rates & fees)
• No late and returned payment fees, over-limit fees, and statement copy request fees for active-duty military members
• Complimentary airport lounge access to more than 1,550 locations worldwide
• Up to $200 airline incidental fee credits with your preferred airline, enrolled in advance
• Access to Amex’s Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection, and up to $600 in prepaid hotel credit for Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection prepaid reservations, with the latter program requiring a 2-night minimum stay
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application credit every 4 years and up to $219 in CLEAR+ credit (subject to auto-renewal)
• Hotel and rental car elite status
• Travel insurance and shopping protections, including car rental loss and damage insurance, extended warranty, purchase protection, and cell phone protection
• Annual statement credits, including up to $200 in Uber Cash annually, up to $400 in Resy credit, given out as up to $100 every quarter for U.S. Resy restaurants (enrollment required), up to $300 in digital entertainment credit, up to $300 in lululemon credit, and up to $155 in Walmart+ credit

Some benefits will require enrollment. This is not a complete list of additional card benefits, and descriptions have been abbreviated. Full terms and conditions may be found in the Amex Platinum card guide to benefits.

» Related: TSA Benefits for Military Service Members [Free TSA PreCheck]

How To Get the Amex Platinum Military Fee Benefit

American Express makes it easy for active-duty military members. Any MLA relief for which you are eligible is automatically applied to your account at account opening.

Start your application as usual and enter your personal details. Or log in to complete this section automatically if you already have an American Express account. When you reach the section with details about your income, choose the line labeled Military from the drop-down box.

American Express will then attempt to match your Social Security number against the DOD database and automatically apply the benefits. If this does not happen automatically for any reason, you can request benefits after card approval.

If MLA benefits are not applied, contact American Express at 800-253-1720 for assistance.

How To Apply for Benefits on an Existing Card

Applying to receive SCRA or MLA benefits, which include waiving the annual fee on your current Amex Platinum card, is simple. Just log in to your Amex Platinum card account online and select the Account Services tab at the top of the page. On the next page, choose the line labeled Payment and Credit Options.

At the bottom of the next page, you’ll see a header that says Servicemember Information, with options to apply for both SCRA and MLA benefits. Choose the benefit you’re applying for: SCRA or MLA.

If you’re applying for SCRA benefits, the next page will ask whether you’re applying to add them to your account or remove them from your account.

On the following screens, you’ll provide your personal details, then indicate whether you’re a Reservist or a National Guard member.

American Express will then ask whether you know the date you entered active duty, and the system will then ask whether there are other accounts, including those for a spouse, that should be reviewed for eligibility.

On the following pages, you can add notes and upload any requested documentation to support your application.

Additionally, you can request benefits via the following methods:

• Phone: Call 800-253-1720 from the U.S. or call 336-393-1111 (collect) from outside of the U.S.
• Fax: Fax the required documents to 623-444-3000 and include your American Express account numbers.
• Mail: Mail documents with your account numbers to American Express, Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, P.O. Box 981535, El Paso, TX 79998-1535.

American Express will verify your information and then process the benefit, which can take several weeks.

You can also check your eligibility before you apply for the card.

What Happens to the Card When You Leave Active Duty?

The benefits of the SCRA and MLA only apply to those serving on active duty. American Express will send you a notification letter at least 45 days before the date relief ends on your account. This gives you time to provide additional documentation, thus extending the benefits, should you still be on active duty.

Once you become ineligible, American Express begins charging you any applicable fees that were not previously charged to your account.

Everything Else You Need To Know

No set credit score guarantees approval for the Amex Platinum card. Additionally, your credit score is just 1 factor in the approval decision. American Express also considers factors like your income, years of credit history, history with American Express, and the amount of credit already extended to you.

That said, most applicants with a good-to-excellent credit score usually have high approval odds.

You earn the welcome bonus offer on the Amex Platinum card after meeting minimum spending requirements within the specified period after card approval. You can find a list of ideas for meeting these minimum spending requirements in our article on the topic.

Many Amex Platinum card benefits, such as Priority Pass membership, car rental privileges, and hotel elite status, require registration. Register online by signing in to your Amex Platinum card account and accessing the benefits section.

Hot Tip:

American Express issues over 60 cards for which active-duty military members do not have to pay the annual fee.

Why Military Members Get Special Protections

Over time, the financial strain experienced by military households became increasingly apparent. In response, the government enacted legislation to reduce hardship and curb predatory lending practices that disproportionately affected service members.

The SCRA and MLA extend across a wide range of financial activities, including automobile leases, credit cards, payday lending, home loans, and housing-related rights, for active-duty members and their spouses, domestic partners, and dependent children.

Although credit card companies are required to comply with these federal protections, some exceed the minimum standards set by law.

Additional Recommended Amex Cards for Active Military

Here are a few of the additional American Express cards we recommend for active-duty military:

• The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express: Best for business owners and luxury travel benefits
• American Express^® Gold Card: Best for earning points on everyday purchases, including purchases at U.S. supermarkets and restaurants worldwide
• Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve American Express Card: Best for frequent Delta Air Lines flyers
• Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Best for luxury Hilton Honors benefits
• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card: Best for luxury Marriott Bonvoy benefits

Bottom Line:

The best cards for active military are those with high annual fees, as they offer the most valuable benefits. With the annual fee reduced to $0 for qualifying military members, these cards provide the best value.

Final Thoughts

Active-duty military members may be eligible for a $0 annual fee on the Amex Platinum card while still accessing the full travel and lifestyle benefits. Review the eligibility criteria above to make sure you qualify for this annual fee benefit.