Is the Amex Platinum 125K Welcome Bonus Offer Still Available? [Current Public Offer Is as High as 175K]

If you are a frequent traveler and are looking for a premium card to help make your travels a bit more luxurious, the Platinum Card^® from American Express is an excellent choice.

Right now, the Amex Platinum card is offering the following welcome offer to eligible new applicants:

• 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.

Our team at Upgraded Points has previously been targeted for introductory offers of 125,000 points. Here are the details you should know about this welcome offer.

Targeted offers are discussed in the article below. 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 Welcome Bonus Offer

For starters, we recommend you check first directly on the American Express website. As mentioned above, the current public offer for the Amex Platinum card is:

• 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.

While you can potentially earn as high as 175,000 bonus points, the exact number of points will be disclosed after you submit that application and you get approved for the account. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

The good news about this variable welcome offer is that your credit score won’t be impacted if you decide not to finish the application. If you choose to accept the card (and your version of the welcome offer), your credit score may be impacted. Here’s an example of a targeted 175,000-point welcome bonus offer we’ve found in our research when applying directly through American Express:

This is an example of a targeted 125,000-point welcome bonus offer we’ve found in our research when applying directly through American Express in April 2025:

While it’s not the top welcome bonus offer, knowing what’s currently available can help you make a more informed decision as an applicant.

The value of these 125,000 points will vary depending on how you use them. If you’re like us and are looking to redeem Membership Rewards points for travel, we value Amex points at 2.2 cents each. Based on our estimations, this 125,000-point welcome offer is worth $2,750.

Maximizing 125,000 Amex Membership Rewards Points

If you decide to move forward with this welcome offer, there are countless ways to maximize the value of 125,000 Membership Rewards points. Here are a couple of ideas to get your creative travel juices flowing!

Fly Round-Trip to Europe in Business Class

These points are some of our favorites because you can easily transfer your Amex Membership Rewards points to partners like Air Canada Aeroplan at a 1:1 rate and unlock some great redemptions.

For example, you could fly to Switzerland and beyond SWISS business class for just 60,000 points each way.

That means you could fly round-trip to Europe in lie-flat seats and still have plenty of points left over. These seats sell for over $9,000, so you would get a huge amount of value out of your points.

Stay 5 Nights in the Hilton

Hawaii is a popular destination for good reason. If you want to minimize your hotel costs, you can leverage American Express’ fantastic transfer partnership with Hilton Honors.

You can transfer your points to Hilton Honors at a 1:2 rate. In other words, 125,000 Membership Rewards points could become 250,000 Hilton points!

It gets better. The Amex Platinum card provides complimentary Hilton Gold elite status, upon enrollment. With this status level, you’ll get your fifth consecutive night free on award stays. Take, for example, a hotel stay at the Grand Naniloa Hotel Hilo – a DoubleTree by Hilton on the Big Island.

A standard guest room costs 55,000 Hilton Honors points per night, so you can book a 5-night stay by transferring just 110,000 Amex Membership Rewards points to Hilton Honors.

Benefits of the Amex Platinum Card

The welcome bonus offer is certainly great, but there is a reason that many travelers keep the Amex Platinum card in their wallet year after year.

This card earns 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. Other benefits and statement credits include:

• Access to Centurion Lounges (in the U.S. and abroad), Escape Lounges – The Centurion Studio Partner, Plaza Premium Lounges, Airspace Lounge, Priority Pass lounges (upon enrollment), select Virgin Clubhouses, select Lufthansa lounges when flying with Lufthansa Group the same day, and 10 visits a year to Delta Sky Clubs when flying with Delta the same day (with ability to unlock unlimited visits)
• Up to $200 airline incidental fee credit
• Up to $200 Uber Cash credit ($15 per month and $35 in December)
• Up to $300 digital entertainment credit ($25 per month)
• Up to $600 prepaid hotel credit (up to $300 semi-annually) on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings, which requires a 2-night minimum stay, through AmexTravel.com
• Up to $155 Walmart+ credit 
• Up to $300 Equinox credit 
• Up to $209 CLEAR+ credit

Some of these benefits require enrollment, so be sure to maximize them all to also help justify the $895 annual fee (rates & fees).

The Amex Platinum card is one of many cards that earn Membership Rewards points, each with a different annual fee and earning structure.

Final Thoughts

The Amex Platinum card is one of our favorite cards for a long list of reasons. If you happen to stumble across a big welcome offer while applying, this would be a great chance to boost your points balance.