Why the Walmart+ Membership Perk Is the Amex Platinum Card’s Best-Kept Secret

Many people apply for The Platinum Card^® from American Express for its incredible benefits, such as airport lounge access and elite status with hotel chains (upon enrollment). However, there are some lesser-known perks that can prove to be extremely valuable.

One of the Amex Platinum card’s most useful everyday benefits is the complimentary Walmart+ membership (enrollment required). Here are the 4 main benefits you can enjoy as a Walmart+ subscriber, courtesy of this popular card.

Amex Platinum Card Benefits

No card offers as many travel perks as the Amex Platinum card. The card provides the most comprehensive airport lounge access of any card, elite status with the Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy loyalty programs, rental car elite status, and top-notch travel and purchase protections, though enrollment is required.

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The 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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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 Bonus Valuation*:

$1,760

Annual Fee

$695

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 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

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.
• The American Express Global Lounge Collection^® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market. As of 03/2023.
• $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 get out and about and explore their local area with $15 in Uber Cash for US rides each month, plus a bonus $20 in December. That can be up to $200 in annual Uber savings. Simply download the Uber app and add your Platinum Card^® to your Uber account to get started. Available to Basic Card Member only. Effective 11/8/2024, an Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit.
• $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

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• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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American Express Membership Rewards

The Amex Platinum card also earns highly valuable American Express Membership Rewards points. We value American Express Membership Rewards points at 2.2 cents each, the highest valuation for any transferable points currency. 

Of course, the Amex Platinum card also has a substantial $695 annual fee (rates & fees). However, it offers several annual statement credits (enrollment required) that help offset the fee, including up to $240 digital entertainment credit, up to $200 Uber Cash credit, and up to $200 prepaid hotel credit.

However, the Walmart+ membership credit on the Amex Platinum card doesn’t get as much attention. Normally, Walmart+ costs $12.95 per month, or $98 if you purchase the annual subscription — let’s take a closer look at how you can maximize the benefits of this everyday membership.

Why a Walmart+ Membership Is So Valuable

Amazon truly changed the game when it introduced its Prime service. After all, ordering something online and having it show up directly at my door rather than visiting brick-and-mortar stores is significantly easier.

To try and match what Amazon accomplished, Walmart’s subscription service was born during the pandemic.

The Amex Platinum card’s Walmart+ credit covers the monthly cost of the standard $12.95 monthly fee. Even if you order things from Walmart only occasionally, you can have the peace of mind that this benefit is available for no additional money from your pocket.

Here’s a look at some of the best perks of a Walmart+ membership.

1. Free Shipping at Walmart

Arguably, Walmart+’s most valuable benefit is free shipping on items with no minimum purchase requirement (excluding items not shipped by Walmart, such as those from Marketplace). Walmart+ also offers free grocery delivery with a $35 order minimum.

Although there is a Walmart about 10 minutes from my home, I find Walmart+ extremely convenient as someone who works from home. I tend to make 2 or 3 grocery orders per month, and having them delivered to my front door without any delivery fees has actually been quite convenient.

2. Complimentary Paramount+ Subscription

Walmart+ goes beyond free shipping. Members also enjoy a complimentary Paramount+ Essential plan subscription, which allows you to enjoy 40,000 TV episodes, movies, and live sports. This subscription usually costs $7.99 per month or $59.99 per year, only adding to the great savings of the Amex Platinum card.

Since I have Paramount+, I no longer pay for cable or other subscription services like Netflix, Hulu, or Disney+. Although none of the primary streaming services have the same television shows or movies, I have found Paramount+ to have an excellent selection.

3. Major Gas Discounts — Including Sam’s Club Location

Walmart+ members can save 10 cents per gallon on fuel at over 13,000 stations across the country, including Walmart, Murphy, Exxon, and Mobil locations. They can also fill up at Sam’s Club gas stations, which are usually limited to Sam’s Club members only.

In the Chicagoland area where I live, Sam’s Club gas stations typically have the best prices. With gas prices as high as they have been, it’s always nice to save at the pump. Our family has 5 vehicles, so this hidden perk results in huge savings annually.

4. Free Burger King Whopper

Another interesting benefit of Walmart+ is for those who enjoy Burger King. Walmart+ members can get 25% off digital orders daily with Burger King at participating U.S. locations.

Walmart+ members can also receive a free Whopper once per quarter (every 3 months) when purchasing any amount in the BK app or at bk.com. To claim these perks, you’ll need to link your Walmart+ and BK Royal Perks accounts and visit the Offers tab on the BK app to start claiming free burgers.

Although I don’t eat at Burger King too often, this is a great way to get some free food several times a year — especially when I’m on the road.

Final Thoughts

Though Walmart and Amex might seem like an unusual pairing, you won’t want to miss out on the chance to leverage this surprisingly valuable benefit. In fact, enrolling in the Walmart+ membership is just one of the many ways you can get ongoing value from the Amex Platinum card — well over $150, conservatively speaking.