The Platinum Card® from American Express is widely regarded as one of the top rewards credit cards available due to its excellent combination of rewards, perks, and credits. It comes as no surprise that many frequent travelers are eager to add this card to their wallet, but it’s important to ensure that you’re getting the best welcome bonus possible. In this article, we will outline the steps you can take to find the Amex Platinum card welcome bonus of either 125,000 points or even 150,000 points.
Before we begin, it’s important to note that targeted offers are discussed in this article. These offers are not available to all applicants, and the card issuer has not reviewed or provided any information relating to targeted offers.
The welcome bonus offers for the Amex Platinum card can vary depending on your personal information, and you may come across several different available offers. The current public offer is to earn 80,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first 6 months. However, just because the current offer is below 100,000 points doesn’t mean that you can’t find a better offer elsewhere. We typically value Membership Rewards points at approximately 2.2 cents per point. This means that a 100,000-point bonus offer is worth around $2,200, a 125,000-point bonus is worth around $2,750, and a 150,000-point bonus is worth $3,300.
Option 1: Check Amex’s Website Directly (Try This First)
As a first step, we recommend checking the American Express website directly if you’re looking to add the Amex Platinum card to your wallet. The current public welcome offer for the Amex Platinum is to earn 80,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first 6 months. However, American Express has been known to provide elevated welcome offers to select targeted applicants. These offers are not available to all applicants, but they can provide higher bonus points. Examples of targeted offers directly from American Express have been captured on September 21, 2023, and June 8, 2023, but please note that they may not be available for all applicants and are subject to change.
Option 2: Check on CardMatch
If you don’t find any suitable offers on the American Express website, the next option to consider is checking through the CardMatch tool. This tool completes a soft credit check to determine if you’re eligible for any elevated offers. Since it’s not a hard pull, it won’t impact your credit score.
Option 3: Targeted Email Offers
Another avenue to explore is looking for targeted email offers. However, it’s important to ensure that you have opted-in to receive New Card and Credit Offers in your Amex account’s General Marketing Email Preferences.
In addition to a generous welcome offer, the Amex Platinum card offers several enticing benefits, including access to over 1,400 lounges worldwide, hotel and rental car elite status and benefits, statement credits for various expenses such as CLEAR Plus membership, Equinox memberships, digital entertainment purchases, and hotel bookings through Amex Travel. The card also provides access to Global Dining Access by Resy and the Wheels Up premium private jet program.
By maximizing your Membership Rewards points, you can make the most of your rewards. For example, with 180,000 points from a 150,000-point welcome offer, you can fly round-trip to Europe 6 times or enjoy an Emirates first-class experience from New York to Milan. Another option is to use ANA’s round-the-world ticket pricing to fly around the world in business class with as few as 120,000 miles. These are just a few examples of the incredible possibilities that can be unlocked with Amex Membership Rewards points.
In conclusion, if you’re considering the Amex Platinum card, now is a great time to do so. Despite the steep annual fee, taking advantage of elevated welcome bonus offers, increased earnings, and a range of statement credits can make this card a fantastic deal.