Earn as high as a 175,000-point welcome offer on the Amex Platinum

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

The Platinum Card® from American Express has long been one of the best premium travel rewards cards, thanks to its long list of benefits, strong earning rate on flight purchases and solid welcome bonus. American Express recently announced that a major revamp of the card is in the works, though details are scant for now.

In the interim, Amex just launched a new and potentially lucrative offer on the Platinum Card: Find out your offer and see if you are eligible to earn as high as 175,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

It may be worth applying for the card now with its $695 annual fee (see rates and fees) because, according to past annual fee increases to the card, a $1,000 annual fee may soon be upon us.

Let’s review this latest Amex Platinum offer and analyze whether it’s worth applying for.

Amex Platinum welcome offer

American Express has a new approach to welcome offers for the Amex Platinum: It asks applicants to apply for the card before they know the exact welcome offer they’ll receive.

As noted above, new Amex Platinum Card applicants can earn a welcome bonus as high as 175,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership— worth up to $3,500, according to TPG’s June 2025 valuations. This is one of the highest bonuses a new cardmember can earn if they’re targeted for the top one — though note that welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for one at all.

The exact welcome bonus offer will be shown after submitting the application, though regardless of the bonus amount, the minimum spending requirement and monthly time frame will stay the same.

The silver lining here is that the personalized welcome offer shown will not affect your credit score, as Amex uses a soft credit check when you apply. If you’re happy with the welcome offer and accept, then a hard inquiry will be made on your credit report. However, you can decline to proceed if you want to wait.

This is especially important given Amex’s one-bonus-per-lifetime restriction.

Related: What is the difference between a hard and soft pull on your credit report?

Amex Platinum benefits overview

The Amex Platinum‘s $695 annual fee may trigger some sticker shock. But when you dive into its mile-long list of benefits, there’s the potential to recoup that value:

Earning rates

• 5 points per dollar on flights booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel® on up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year (then 1 point per dollar)
• 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked with Amex Travel
• 1 point per dollar on other purchases

Statement credits

• Up to a $300 statement credit toward a SoulCycle at-home bike (an Equinox+ membership is required to purchase a SoulCycle at-home bike)*
• Up to $300 Equinox credit per calendar year on Equinox or Equinox+ app memberships (subject to auto-renewal)*
• Up to $240 digital entertainment credit per calendar year, in the form of up to $20 in monthly statement credits when you pay for eligible purchases with select subscription services
• Up to $200 hotel credit per calendar year, in the form of a statement credit on prepaid Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings (requires a minimum two-night stay) with Amex Travel when you pay with your Amex Platinum*
• Up to $200 airline fee credit per calendar year*
• Up to $200 in Uber Cash per calendar year in the form of $15 in Uber credits for dining or rides in the U.S. each month, with an up to $20 bonus in December (add your Amex Platinum Card to your Uber account and redeem with any Amex card.)*
• Up to $199 annual Clear Plus credit for your Clear Plus membership (subject to auto-renewal)*
• Up to a $155 statement credit that covers the cost of one monthly Walmart+ membership when paying with the Amex Platinum (plus applicable taxes; subject to auto-renewal; Plus Ups excluded)
• A $120 application fee credit for Global Entry ($120) every four years or TSA PreCheck (up to $85) every 4½ years
• Up to $100 in credits at Saks each calendar year (up to $50 for January to June and up to $50 for July to December)*

Other perks

• Airline lounge access — including Centurion Lounge access, Priority Pass Select lounge access (excluding restaurant locations), and Delta Sky Club access when you’re flying same-day Delta flights (limited to 10 annual visits) — for eligible card members through the American Express Global Lounge Collection*
• Gold status with Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy*
• Extensive travel protections when you use your card, including trip delay insurance and trip cancellation and interruption insurance (Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company), car rental loss and damage insurance (Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.) and baggage insurance (Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.)**
• Numerous shopping protections when you use your card
• No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees)

*Enrollment required for select benefits; terms apply.
**Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.

Related: Amex Platinum review

Bottom line

The current Amex Platinum welcome offer can be worth as high as $3,500 — more than five times the card’s annual fee. Some new cardholders could be targeted for a welcome bonus as high as 175,000 bonus points, so it’s worth a try to see if you have a huge lump sum of points waiting for you.

The Amex Platinum is one of the best travel cards on the market, and applying for the card now could help pay for upgraded experiences on your trips down the road. Since Amex only allows you to earn one welcome bonus per lifetime on each card, it’s important to try and apply when there’s a high welcome bonus, so see if you’re targeted for a solid offer today.

Apply here: The Platinum Card from American Express

For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum Card, click here.