Amex Platinum
The Amex Platinum from American Express has a $895 annual fee. At $2,650 a month of typical household spending it pays about −$418 a year after fees, before statement credits, $1,054 less than the Citi Double Cash, a flat 2% card.
Terms checked October 26, 2026. Net values use the spending mix of 1,229 U.S. households in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Expenditure Interview Survey. This is an estimate, not financial advice.
What does the Amex Platinum earn?
5x Flights booked direct with airlines; 1x on everything else.
Not counted in the numbers on this page:
- 5x on prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel (portal only)
- 5x on flights booked through Amex Travel (portal; direct-airline flights are counted)
How much would it pay you a year?
This is the card's rewards minus its annual fee, at three spending levels, with spending split the way the survey households split theirs. Statement credits and sign-up bonuses are left out.
| Spending a month | Amex Platinum | Citi Double Cash (2%) |
|---|---|---|
| $1,500 | −$625 | $360 |
| $2,650 (the survey median) | −$418 | $636 |
| $5,000 | $5 | $1,200 |
The mix is 30% everything else, 25% groceries, 16% phone and utilities, 13% dining, and smaller shares elsewhere. Your own split decides the real answer: add your statements to work it out on what you actually spent.
How did it do for real households?
We ran each of the 1,229 households in the 2024 survey through every card, on 12 straight months of their own spending. It was never the best of the 53 cards for any household, and never paid more than the Citi Double Cash, a flat 2% card. For the median household it paid $1,054 a year less than the flat 2% card.
The survey records spending categories but not merchants, so merchant bonuses and statement credits never count there, which favors flat cards. How we ran the household test.
What credits does it come with?
Up to $3,004 a year in credits, worth that much only if you would spend at these merchants anyway. PointMaxx counts a credit only when your statements show you'd have used it.
| Credit | Up to |
|---|---|
| Prepaid hotel credit | $300 every six months ($600 a year) |
| Uber Cash | $15 a month ($180 a year) |
| Uber One credit | $120 a year |
| Airline fee credit | $200 a year |
| CLEAR+ credit | $219 a year |
| Resy credit | $100 a quarter ($400 a year) |
| Digital entertainment credit | $25 a month ($300 a year) |
| lululemon credit | $75 a quarter ($300 a year) |
| Walmart+ credit | $13 a month ($155 a year) |
| Equinox credit | $300 a year |
| Oura Ring credit | $200 a year |
| Global Entry / TSA PreCheck credit | $120 every 4 years ($30 a year) |
Fees and sign-up bonus
- Annual fee: $895.
- Foreign transaction fee: none.
- Sign-up bonus: 175,000 points ($2,625 at 1.5¢ a point) after $12,000 of spending in 6 months. Offers change and can differ by applicant, so check the issuer's page.
Other benefits
- Global Lounge Collection: Centurion, Priority Pass, Plaza Premium, Escape and partner lounges
- Delta Sky Club visits: 10 visits/yr on eligible Delta flights
- Fine Hotels + Resorts: complimentary-benefit package on Amex Travel bookings
- Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite: enrollment required
- Hilton Honors Gold: enrollment required
- Leaders Club Sterling status: Leading Hotels of the World
- Avis / Hertz / National elite status: Avis Preferred, Hertz President's Circle, National Emerald Club Executive
- Car rental loss and damage insurance: secondary coverage up to $75,000 when you decline the CDW
Cards that pay about the same
At $2,650 a month, these pay closest to the Amex Platinum:
- Amex Delta SkyMiles Reserve: −$268 a year
- Citi AAdvantage Executive: −$234 a year
- Robinhood Platinum Card: −$211 a year
- Amex Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant: −$176 a year
See what it would have paid you
Add your statementsFree, in your browser. Your statements are never uploaded.
PointMaxx runs a year of your own card statements against 53 U.S. cards, after annual fees, caps and the credits you'd really use. No statements on hand? The quick estimate asks seven questions instead.
Sources
- americanexpress.com/us/credit-cards/card/platinum/
- thepointsguy.com/news/amex-platinum-current-offer/
- fool.com/money/credit-cards/articles/best-amex-cards-this-month-oct-2026/
- upgradedpoints.com/credit-cards/reviews/american-express-platinum-card/benefits/
- upgradedpoints.com/amex-platinum-card-makes-changes
- uscreditcardguide.com/amex-platinum-card-for-schwab/
- Household spending: BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys public-use microdata, 2024 Interview Survey.
See a wrong rate? Tell us. PointMaxx is not affiliated with or endorsed by American Express; the card's name is used only to say which card is meant.