Amex Platinum Card’s Welcome Bonus History: 2021 to Today

The Platinum Card^® from American Express is often one of the first cards that comes to mind for luxury travel perks. Even though it offers a ton of compelling perks, the $695 annual fee (rates & fees) is a serious price to pay.

That’s why the introductory welcome offer, which is eligible for new applicants, provides the unique opportunity to earn a giant haul of points upon meeting the minimum spending requirements. Better yet, the Amex Platinum card is known for offering some of the best welcome bonus offers available.

In this guide, we’ll talk about the Amex Platinum card’s welcome offer history over the past few years.

When To Apply for the Amex Platinum Card

The Amex Platinum card has the following welcome offer: Earn 80,000 points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchase in your first 6 months.

This welcome offer is worth up to $1,760 for travel since we value Membership Rewards points at 2.2 cents apiece.

BEST LOUNGE ACCESS

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

The Platinum Card^® from American Express

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The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs 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.

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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 eligible purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

80,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $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

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 (enrollment required), 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

Cons

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

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Card Highlights

• Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
• 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 through American Express Travel using 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.
• With American Express Global Lounge Collection^® you can enjoy access to over 1,400 airport lounges globally, including The Centurion^® Lounge, Unlimited Delta Sky Club^® Access when flying an eligible Delta flight, Escape Lounges, Lufthansa Lounges when flying Lufthansa Group, Plaza Premium, Priority Pass™ Select Lounges, & Additional Global Lounge Collection Partner Lounges subject to visit limitations. Lounges may have their own rules, like additional access rules and guest fees, and for Priority Pass Select, you need to enroll and there are unlimited airport lounge visits for Card Members. With Delta Sky Club Access, Card Members will receive 10 Visits to the Delta Sky Club to be used from February 1 until January 31 of the next calendar year and can unlock Unlimited Delta Sky Club Access by spending $75,000 in eligible purchases on their Card in a calendar year. To find a lounge, visit the membership section in the American Express^® App or visit http://www.americanexpress.com/findalounge#/loungefinder.
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Save on eligible delivery fees, shipping, and more with a Walmart+ membership. Use your Platinum Card^® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes back on one membership (excluding Plus Ups) each month.
• $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: Platinum Card^® Members can ride or dine in style with $15 in Uber Cash each month, plus a bonus $20 in December after adding their Card to their Uber account. Use your Uber Cash on rides and orders in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
• $199 CLEAR^® Plus Credit: CLEAR^® Plus helps to get you to your gate faster at 50+ airports nationwide and get up to $199 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card. CLEARLanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues.
• Receive either a $120 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.
• 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.
• Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

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

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

But is this the best-ever offer for this premium rewards card? Here is the Amex Platinum card’s offer history for publicly available bonuses:

Targeted Welcome Bonus Offers on Amex Platinum Card

You can be targeted for even higher payouts than the Amex Platinum card’s publicly available welcome offer. These strategies include using the CardMatch tool, checking targeted emails, or receiving snail mail offers.

The team at Upgraded Points has found welcome bonus offers of up to 175,000 bonus points:

• How To Find the Amex Platinum 100K Welcome Bonus Offer
• Score the Elevated 125K Amex Platinum Card Welcome Bonus Offer
• Snag the Amex Platinum Card 150K Welcome Bonus Offer
• Earn 175K Points With New Amex Platinum Card Bonus

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

Amex Platinum Card Benefits

Carrying the Amex Platinum card in your wallet allows you to earn Membership Rewards points, which are highly valuable for booking flights or hotels for maximum value. With popular transfer partners such as Air Canada Aeroplan, Delta SkyMiles, and Hilton Honors, travelers can redeem Amex points in various ways.

Ultimately, the Amex Platinum card’s ongoing benefits make its $695 annual fee worthwhile. You don’t have to use every single perk to recoup value quickly, and some do require enrollment.

• 5x points for flights booked directly with airlines or AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per calendar year) and on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com.
• Enjoy access to over 1,400 airport lounges globally, including The Centurion Lounge, Delta Sky Club Access when flying an eligible Delta flight, Escape Lounges, Lufthansa Lounges when flying Lufthansa Group, Plaza Premium, Priority Pass Select Lounges, & Additional Global Lounge Collection Partner Lounges subject to visit limitations.
  • Lounges may have their own rules, like additional access rules and guest fees, and for Priority Pass Select, you need to enroll and there are unlimited airport lounge visits for Card Members.
  • With Delta Sky Club Access, Card Members will receive 10 Visits to the Delta Sky Club to be used from February 1 until January 31 of the next calendar year and can unlock Unlimited Delta Sky Club Access by spending $75,000 in eligible purchases on their Card in a calendar year.
• Hotel and rental car elite status and benefits with Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, National Car Rental, Hertz, and Avis upon enrollment.
• Up to $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back each month on eligible purchases made with your card on one or more of the following: Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
• Up to $300 Equinox Credit: Upon enrollment, get up to $300 back each year on eligible Equinox memberships when you pay with your card.
• Up to $200 Airline Incidental Fee Credit: Upon enrollment, get up to $200 back annually in inflight expenses on your selected airline.
• Up to $200 Uber Cash Credit: Add your Amex Platinum card to your Uber app and receive up to $15 in Uber cash every month and $35 for December on rides or eats orders in the U.S. annually.
• Up to $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings through AmexTravel.com when you pay with your card. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum 2-night stay.
• Up to $199 CLEAR Plus Credit: Use your card and get up to $199 back yearly for a CLEAR Plus membership, subject to auto-renewal.
• Up to $155 Walmart+ Credit: Receive a $12.95 monthly credit toward a Walmart+ membership.
• Up to $120 Global Entry (every 4 years) or TSA PreCheck (every 4.5 years) Credit, as of October 1, 2024
• Up to $100 for Saks Fifth Avenue: Upon enrollment, you can receive up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or online.

Final Thoughts

Since the refresh of the Amex Platinum card in 2021, plenty of generous welcome bonus offers have been available to the general public. You’ll want to maximize your opportunity to apply, so we hope this guide makes your decision of when to apply much easier.