The Amex Platinum Card – How To Use the Complimentary $189 CLEAR Plus Credit [2023]

Travel rewards credit cards that offer a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit have become relatively commonplace in the world of points and miles. The Platinum Card^® from American Express, which seeks to stand out from its competitors as the most premium travel and lifestyle card, has a unique credit for travelers — complimentary CLEAR access.

You may be wondering, though, “What exactly is CLEAR, and how useful it is?” This guide will answer all of your questions and more, including how you use your Amex Platinum card to get signed up.

With that, let’s jump in!

Overview of the Amex Platinum Card

BEST LOUNGE ACCESS

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

The Platinum Card^® from American Express

U.P. Rating

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

Learn More(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

The Platinum Card^® from American Express

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

Welcome Offer

Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

80,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,760

Annual Fee

$695

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card^® from American Express.

Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far) — enjoy access to over 1,400 worldwide lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
• 5x points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year)
• 5x points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com
• Annual and monthly statement credits upon enrollment (airline credit, Uber Cash credit, Saks Fifth Avenue credit, streaming credit, prepaid hotel credit on eligible stays, Walmart+ credit, CLEAR credit, and Equinox credit)
• TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit
• Access to American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts
• Access to Amex International Airline Program
• No foreign transaction fees (rates and fees)

Cons

• $695 annual fee (rates and fees)
• Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)

Card Highlights

• Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card^®, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
• Earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
• $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card^®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card^® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card^®. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Up Benefits are excluded.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card^®.
• $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Terms Apply.
• $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 back in statement credits per calendar year on an Equinox membership, or an Equinox club membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you pay with your Platinum Card^®. Enrollment required. Visit https://platinum.equinox.com/ to enroll.
• $189 CLEAR^® Plus Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR Plus at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card^®. Learn more.
• $100 Global Entry Credit: Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck^® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card^®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
• Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card^®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
• $300 SoulCycle At-Home Bike Credit: Get a $300 statement credit for the purchase of a SoulCycle at-home bike with your Platinum Card^®. An Equinox+ subscription is required to purchase a SoulCycle at-home bike and access SoulCycle content. Must charge full price of bike in one transaction. Shipping available in the contiguous U.S. only. Enrollment Required.
• Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card^® to your Resy profile.
• $695 annual fee.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: See Pay Over Time APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

• Credit Card Reviews
• Credit Cards
• Travel Rewards Credit Cards
• Best Sign Up Bonuses

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

More Reads

• Amex Platinum 150k Welcome Bonus Offer
• Benefits of The Amex Platinum
• How to Use 100,000 Amex Platinum Points
• Amex Platinum Card Requirements
• American Express Platinum Military Benefits
• Amex Platinum and Business Platinum Lounge Access
• Amex Platinum Benefits for Authorized Users
• Amex Platinum vs Delta Platinum
• Amex Platinum vs Chase Sapphire Reserve
• Capital One Venture X vs Amex Platinum
• Amex Platinum vs Delta Reserve

Key Benefits of Amex Platinum Card

As mentioned, the Amex Platinum card is regarded as one of the best rewards cards on the market — and for good reason. Put simply, the card is jam-packed with perks and benefits that offer a lot of value to cardholders.

For starters, the card offers a bevy of statement credits and benefits that offset its annual fee. Plus, frequent travelers will love that the card is best in class when it comes to airport lounge access, gaining you entry to over 1,400+ airport lounges worldwide. This is in addition to complimentary elite status with Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, and multiple rental car programs upon enrollment.

Further, the Amex Platinum card offers great travel and purchase protections, access to American Express transfer partners, and access to the very best Amex Offers to help you save cash and earn more points.

Hot Tip: A statement credit for an annual complimentary CLEAR Plus membership is also a benefit of The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express.

What Is CLEAR?

CLEAR is a program that utilizes biometrics to provide a faster security experience at various airports and stadiums throughout the U.S. This is done through accelerated screening for members, often just needing to scan your eye and then your boarding pass when going through airport security lines.

After performing your CLEAR scans, which usually takes less than 2 minutes, you’ll be led right to the front of the security line by one of the CLEAR staff members.

How the CLEAR Plus Statement Credit Works

CLEAR sounds like a welcome benefit for frequent travelers, right? After all, who doesn’t want an expedited security experience? Previously, the cost of an annual CLEAR Plus membership would set you back $189, or $15.75 per month. Now, an annual CLEAR Plus membership is complimentary for Amex Platinum card and Amex Business Platinum cardholders.

However, you can’t simply flash your card at a CLEAR checkpoint, you’ll need to enroll first. With that, here is how you can get signed up to start taking advantage of CLEAR.

Step 1: Log in to your account on the American Express website, then click on the Rewards & Benefits tab.

Step 2: On the next page, click on Benefits on the top right navigation panel.

Step 3: Once on the benefits page, scroll down until you see the CLEAR Plus benefit listed. Then select Apply Now.

Step 4: Afterwards, you’ll be directed to the CLEAR homepage where you’ll want to select GET CLEAR from the top right navigation bar or middle of the screen.

Step 5: This will prompt you to enter your account details, including your name, email address, zip code, and date of birth.

Step 6: Finally, you’ll confirm that you’re getting the annual standard membership, enter your payment details (make certain you use your Amex Platinum card or Amex Business Platinum card as your payment method), agree to the terms and conditions, and click GET CLEAR.

Once you’ve done that, you’re all set! The $189 fee should be charged to your card, but you’ll receive the statement credit within 2 to 4 weeks, though it often posts much quicker than that.

From there, you’re free to start using CLEAR at all available locations, though keep in mind that on your first visit to a CLEAR station you will need to finalize your account setup by scanning your eyes and fingertips — but afterward, you’ll be able to breeze right through!

Where Is CLEAR Available?

Our map above details every airport that offers a CLEAR checkpoint. Keep in mind that there are also quite a few stadiums that offer CLEAR access as well, which you can view in our complete guide to CLEAR.

Do I Need CLEAR if I Have TSA PreCheck?

If you’re an Amex Platinum card or Amex Business Platinum cardholder, you likely already have TSA PreCheck, so you might be wondering, “Why do I need CLEAR if I already have PreCheck?” Well, these are actually 2 very different services!

TSA PreCheck gets you expedited security screening so that you can keep your laptop and liquids in your bag, keep your shoes on, and of course, the lines are much shorter than standard security.

However, with TSA PreCheck, you still have to wait in line in order for your identity to be verified. This is where CLEAR Plus comes in handy.

With CLEAR Plus, your identity is verified in a matter of seconds, and you’re then escorted by a CLEAR team member directly to the front of the TSA PreCheck line. Given that, there is no faster way to get through airport security than a combination of both CLEAR and TSA PreCheck.

Also, consider that at very busy airports the TSA PreCheck line can be quite long, and at other airports, they might not have the TSA PreCheck line open at all. In both cases, having CLEAR Plus (assuming it is offered at the airport) gives you another way to get yourself through security much faster.

Final Thoughts

Adding an annual CLEAR Plus membership to both versions of the Amex Platinum card was a great way to differentiate the card from other premium rewards cards, and deliver more value to cardholders.

As you can see, a CLEAR Plus membership is a welcome addition to those who value an expedited security experience at both airports and stadiums, and combined there are over 50 locations where you can use your CLEAR benefits.