Why My Husband and I Both Have Our Own Amex Platinum Cards

My husband and I each have a Platinum Card^® from American Express, and we have no intention of canceling either of them.

For many people, having a card that has an annual fee of $895 (rates & fees) would be crazy. But what about having 2 of the same card with an $895 annual fee in the same household? That’s totally bananas, right?

If you’re keeping track, that means we spend $1,790 in annual fees to have 2 of the same card. While that might seem unnecessary at first, I’ll show you how I get over $2,000 in value on each card from just 7 benefits.

How I Value Amex Platinum Card Benefits

The Amex Platinum card is loaded with benefits that justify its $895 annual fee.

Just taking into account 7 of my favorite perks, I get over $2,000 in value. This doesn’t include benefits such as airport lounge access, hotel and car rental elite benefits, and travel insurance (some require prior enrollment). While I value these perks, I don’t use them in my calculations when deciding whether to keep or cancel the Amex Platinum card.

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Platinum Card^® from American Express

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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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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

You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

As High As 175,000 Points. Find Out Your Offer.

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $3,850

Annual Fee

$895

APR

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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 card application.

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 1,550 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

• $895 annual fee (rates and fees)
• Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)

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Card Highlights

• You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
• Get more for your travels with 5X Membership Rewards^® points on all flights and prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel^®, including Fine Hotels + Resorts^® and The Hotel Collection bookings. You earn 5X points on flights purchased directly from airlines or through American Express Travel^® on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
• More Value! With over 1,550 airport lounges - more than any other credit card company on the market* - enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection^®, over $850 of annual value, with access to Centurion Lounges, 10 complimentary Delta Sky Club^® visits when flying on an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations), Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required), and other select partner lounges. * As of 07/2025.
• More Value! $200 Uber Cash + $120 Uber One Credit: With the Platinum Card^® you can receive $15 in Uber Cash each month plus a bonus $20 in December when you add your Platinum Card^® to your Uber account to use on rides and orders in the U.S when you select an Amex Card for your transaction. Plus, when you use the Platinum Card^® to pay for an auto-renewing Uber One membership, you can get up to $120 in statement credits each calendar year. Terms apply.
• More Value! $300 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $25 in statement credits each month after you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card^® at participating partners. Enrollment required.
• More Value! $600 Hotel Credit: Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection* bookings through American Express Travel^® using the Platinum Card^®. *The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• New! $400 Resy Credit + Platinum Nights by Resy: When you use the Platinum Card^® to pay at U.S. Resy restaurants and to make other eligible purchases through Resy, you can get up to $100 in statement credits each quarter with the $400 Resy Credit benefit. Plus, with Platinum Nights by Resy, you can get special access to reservations on select nights at participating in demand Resy restaurants with the Platinum Card^®. Simply add your eligible Card to your Resy profile to book and discover Platinum Nights reservations near you, enrollment required.
• More Value! $209 CLEAR^® Plus Credit: CLEAR^® Plus helps get you to your gate faster by using unique facial attributes to verify you are you at 50+ airports nationwide. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR Plus Membership* with up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR Plus with the Platinum Card^®. *Excluding any applicable taxes and fees. Subject to auto-renewal.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to the Platinum Card^® Account*. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
• Start your vacation sooner, and keep it going longer. When you book Fine Hotels + Resorts^® through American Express Travel^®, enjoy noon check-in upon arrival, when available, and guaranteed 4PM check-out.
• New! $300 lululemon Credit: Enjoy up to $75 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card^® for eligible purchases at U.S. lululemon retail stores (excluding outlets) and lululemon.com. That’s up to $300 in statement credits each calendar year. Enrollment required.
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Receive a statement credit* for one monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) after you pay for Walmart+ each month with the Platinum Card^®.*Up to $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Ups not eligible.
• $100 Saks Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue or saks.com on the Platinum Card^®. That’s up to $50 in statement credits from January through June and up to $50 in statement credits from July through December. No minimum purchase required. Enrollment required.
• Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
• $895 annual fee.
• Terms Apply.

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• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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For example, I enjoy Centurion Lounges but can’t bring my daughter in without paying for her, so they are useless to me when I am traveling with my family. Since it’s hard to quantify the value I get from that benefit, I just look at it as icing on the cake of an already valuable card.

When I’m deciding whether or not to keep a card, I try to be conservative in my valuations. Yet even if I assigned everything 50% of its face value, I’d still be looking at over $1,000 in benefits on each card from these 7 benefits alone.

That math tells me the Amex Platinum card is staying in both my wallet and my husband’s wallet for the long run.

1. Prepaid Hotel Credit (Up to $600)

The up-to-$600 hotel credit on the Amex Platinum card is the single biggest credit and one of the main reasons my husband and I each have our own card.

We each get up to $300 in statement credits from January to June and another $300 from July to December for bookings made through AmexTravel.com for Fine Hotels + Resorts (1-night minimum) or The Hotel Collection (2-night minimum).

I find that the sweet spot for this benefit is short 1- or 2-night stays. This summer, I booked 2 nights at the Steigenberger Frankfurter Hotel in Germany. We paid for 1 night with my card and the next night with my husband’s card so we could get the Fine Hotels + Resorts credit for both nights. If we had booked both nights with 1 card, we would’ve only been able to use 1 credit.

More recently, I booked 1 night the St. Regis Bangkok through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts for $354.61. After getting $300 back as a statement credit, I will essentially pay just over $50 for the night, including free breakfast and a $100 food and beverage credit, which will cover dinner.

2. lululemon Credit (Up to $300)

The up-to-$300 lululemon credit (enrollment required) was one of my favorite added perks from the recent refresh of the Amex Platinum card. I already shop at lululemon, so getting up to $75 back each quarter is as good as cash for me.

However, since my husband and I each have a card, that means I can get up to $150 back each quarter when I shop at lululemon (woo hoo!)

While lululemon is known for leggings and workout wear, I actually really love it for my travel wardrobe. My very favorite travel pants are from lululemon, as is one of my favorite wool-blend tops for layering and the purse I use when traveling.

3. Saks Fifth Avenue Credit (Up to $100)

The Amex Platinum card’s Saks credit (enrollment required) isn’t as exciting to me as the lululemon credit, but I am always able to use it to enjoy a nice little splurge. This credit is for up to $100 at Saks Fifth Avenue — you get up to $50 from January to June and another $50 from July to December.

While there are plenty of items to buy at Saks for under $50, having 2 cards means I can get up to $100 in credits each 6 months. It makes for a fun twice-a-year splurge.

4. Resy Credit (Up to $400)

The up-to-$400 Resy credit (enrollment required) was a pleasant surprise for me. I knew about Resy before this credit was added, but I never paid much attention since I live in the suburbs and don’t go out to eat often when I am at home.

However, the fact that the Amex Platinum card comes with up to $100 back each quarter at Resy restaurants piqued my interest. I looked up restaurants where I live and was surprised to find a decent selection nearby. You don’t have to book through Resy to take advantage of this benefit — just swipe your card to pay at a restaurant that’s listed on the Resy website or app.

Having 2 of these up to $100 credits means my family can go out for dinner at least twice a quarter for absolutely nothing out of pocket. My mom has the Amex Platinum card too, so we’re planning a shopping day together — lunch at a Resy restaurant along with shopping at lululemon and Saks Fifth Avenue.

5. Airline Fee Credit (Up to $200)

The up-to-$200 Amex Platinum card airline fee credit (enrollment required) can be used for things like checked bags or seat selection on my selected airline. I pick United Airlines each year even though I rarely fly United.

That’s because I can use the credit to make a better seat selection when I do fly (since I don’t have United status) or to fund my United Travel Bank (which essentially turns this into United credit) each year. Having 2 cards means I can fund our United Travel Banks twice as fast.

6. Uber Cash and Uber One Membership (Up to $320)

The Amex Platinum card comes with up to $200 in Uber Cash each year ($15 monthly with a $20 bonus in December). You’ll need to add your card to your Uber account to use on rides and orders in the US. and select an Amex card for the transaction.

You can also receive up to $120 to pay for an auto-renewing Uber One membership each calendar year with the Amex Platinum card. Terms apply.

When I am traveling, this is easy to use. When I am home, I don’t use ride-sharing services, but I am able to use this credit for U.S. Uber Eats orders. I love that the Uber One membership that was recently added lets me save on delivery charges, so my Uber Cash goes even further.

I have both of our credits go into a single Uber account, so instead of just $15 each month, we get up to $30 per month.

7. CLEAR^® Plus Credit (Up to $209)

I have a love-hate relationship with CLEAR Plus. I find that, more often than not, it doesn’t save a lot of time, but when it does, it’s significant.

So I do find it valuable but am not sure how much I would pay for it in cash on my own. That’s why I love that my husband and I each have a CLEAR Plus membership through the Amex Platinum card. We just pay for the membership fee each year with our card and each get up to $209 in statement credits.

Final Thoughts

While it may seem silly for my husband and me to each have our own Amex Platinum card, we get more than enough value from both of them that it’s worth it to us to keep them. At face value, we’re each getting well over $2,000 in perks and benefits from just our favorite perks.

Plus, that number doesn’t take into account the value of earning Membership Rewards points, which are incredibly valuable for booking international business-class flights.