Credit Card Offers Amex Platinum Card Benefits, Offers & Discussion

Enjoy a world of travel benefits and 150,000 bonus Amex Membership Rewards Premium Ascent points...​

Learn more and apply for this card:

American Express® Platinum Card

The American Express (Amex) Platinum charge card is one of the best publicly-available cards in Australia for travel benefits.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

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What are the main benefits of this card?

1. Signup bonus: 150,000 Amex Membership Rewards Points (worth 75,000 Qantas Points, Velocity Points, Avios or Asia Miles, among other options) when you apply by 28 January 2025 and spend at least $5,000 within 3 months
2. Earn 2.25 Amex Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on everyday purchases, uncapped. You can transfer these points to 12 airline & 2 hotel programs, including Qantas Frequent Flyer.
3. Enjoy unlimited access to many airport lounges, including Virgin Australia and Priority Pass lounges
4. Gift Priority Pass membership to one additional cardholder
5. Receive complimentary elite status with hotel loyalty programs including Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, Radisson Rewards & Accor Live Limitless
6. Complimentary international travel insurance
7. Receive a $450 annual travel credit, plus airfare discounts, $400 worth of annual dining credits, subscriptions to The Australian & Wall Street Journal, plus many more exclusive benefits!

Why we like the American Express Platinum Card

Packed full of travel perks, the American Express Platinum Card is one of the best publicly-available cards in Australia for frequent flyers.

With a $1,450 annual fee, this metal card is not for everyone. But the return on investment for the high annual fee is strong, as it comes with a lot of useful benefits! This includes an annual travel credit, dining credits and unlimited access to Virgin Australia, Delta, Lufthansa, Priority Pass, Plaza Premium and Amex Centurion airport lounges.

There are also some great hotel perks including a free annual hotel night, Accor Plus membership, Fine Hotels + Resorts benefits and complimentary elite status with Hilton, Marriott and Radisson.

For points collectors, this is one of the most lucrative cards available in Australia. You’ll earn 2.25 Amex Membership Rewards Ascent Premium points per $1 spent on eligible transactions. Points transfer to most frequent flyer programs at a 2:1 rate, although there are some exceptions (e.g. it's 3:1 to KrisFlyer and Emirates).

You can convert your Amex points to around 12 airlines including Qantas, Virgin Australia, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates and Etihad! Plus, you can transfer points to two hotel loyalty programs for even more redemption possibilities.

To sweeten the deal, new cardholders who apply by 28 January 2025 can also earn 150,000 bonus Amex Membership Rewards points when spending at least $5,000 on the card within 3 months of approval. See our card guide for the full details:

American Express® Platinum Card

The American Express (Amex) Platinum charge card is one of the best publicly-available cards in Australia for travel benefits.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

AFF members are welcome to discuss this card in this thread.

 

[sjf]

Has anyone else had trouble obtaining an application form for the companion Platinum Reserve credit card? I've called on four separate occasions and despite their reassurances that they are sending it out, nothing is coming through to my mailbox. I have received other posted letters from Amex in the meantime which makes it even stranger.

Called twice and had the same reassurances, after it didn't arrive the second time I used the paper form that is linked a few pages back and had the card the following week.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

puchu i had same prob but I got them to email me a form which they originally said they could not do.

 

[andye]

They ended up emailing me a form too (after 4th request)

 

[Daver6]

Has anyone else had trouble obtaining an application form for the companion Platinum Reserve credit card? I've called on four separate occasions and despite their reassurances that they are sending it out, nothing is coming through to my mailbox. I have received other posted letters from Amex in the meantime which makes it even stranger.

I've got a PDF copy of the application form. PM me with your email address and I'm happy to forward it to you. I'm on the road at the moment so might take me a day or two to respond.

Since I've got this card, I've found dealing with their new account team to be extremely painful. I submitted about 4 requests for a second card in my name.

 

[albyd]

After a number of requests, they were going to email mine. I managed to get a product transfer from Velocity Platinum to the Reserve and managed to avoid a credit file inquiry this one time. I only use my Reserve for the flight and the Amex offers. Earn structure is the same as the Charge so one less statement to worry about. Great extra benefit to Charge.

 

[VicBitter]

Has anyone else had trouble obtaining an application form for the companion Platinum Reserve credit card? I've called on four separate occasions and despite their reassurances that they are sending it out, nothing is coming through to my mailbox. I have received other posted letters from Amex in the meantime which makes it even stranger.

Was a very simple process for me... only needed one call, the email with application arrived in my inbox whilst still on the phone, filled it out, faxed it back and card arrived 4-5 days later.

 

[mlob]

Hi all. Currently holding Amex Plat charge card. Reserve (free companion ). Edge card. We recently closed a Velocity Plat card. Amex recently contacted us to take up a Platinum Business card. Within the literature that got sent out to us on the product was the ability to pay with this card even if the amex wasn't accepted. The method is called Access Line. Must say this I found interesting. Anyone here have experience with this card?

 

[Mr_Orange]

Hi all. Currently holding Amex Plat charge card. Reserve (free companion ). Edge card. We recently closed a Velocity Plat card. Amex recently contacted us to take up a Platinum Business card. Within the literature that got sent out to us on the product was the ability to pay with this card even if the amex wasn't accepted. The method is called Access Line. Must say this I found interesting. Anyone here have experience with this card?

https://www.americanexpress.com/au/...domestic-international-payments-for-business/

 

[albyd]

Looks much like rewardpay same cost and includes international payments. I think it's only open to Business was card holders.
Would be good if can also open it up to individuals especially to use with our explorer cards

 

[foggy]

https://www.americanexpress.com/au/...domestic-international-payments-for-business/

seems to charge alot of fees.. 2.4% + transaction fee + FX ?

ofx has no fees and just skims off the FX rate. Can anyone educate me as to how this makes service makes sense?

 

[puchu]

I've got a PDF copy of the application form. PM me with your email address and I'm happy to forward it to you. I'm on the road at the moment so might take me a day or two to respond.

Since I've got this card, I've found dealing with their new account team to be extremely painful. I submitted about 4 requests for a second card in my name.

Thanks for form mate, and cheers to everyone for confirming that it isn't just me having a struggle!

 

[daft009]

seems to charge alot of fees.. 2.4% + transaction fee + FX ?

ofx has no fees and just skims off the FX rate. Can anyone educate me as to how this makes service makes sense?

doesn't make sense to me.

I use AFEX (similar to OFX but better rates) via rewardpay for my business.
I also use my explorer linked to ascent (don't have an amex business card, don't see the value as a points earning card as they all have a yearly points cap!).

I can justify the 2.4% rewardpay charge as we do have the compulsory yearly trip overseas to meet suppliers. Earning 2KF/$1 and uncapped via the explorer!

 

[albyd]

Amex Platinum's 300k cap only applies to the bonus categories.
I agree about the explorer that has become my main spend card.

 

[daft009]

So an explorer linked to Ascent is still an overall winner?

 

[albyd]

In my thinking it is. Rewardpay/Amex's offering are very expensive. Getting a tax benefit for the fee as part of a business operating expense (I'm not a tax accountant, best get professional advice on this) helps to make it more attractive - particularly if you're earning 2ppd in Ascent/Premium.

 

[M@rcoPolo]

So an explorer linked to Ascent is still an overall winner?

The "dream team" would be a Charge Platinum with complimentary Explorer replacing the current complimentary Reserve!

Is anyone from Amex reading this??

 

[daft009]

In my thinking it is. Rewardpay/Amex's offering are very expensive. Getting a tax benefit for the fee as part of a business operating expense (I'm not a tax accountant, best get professional advice on this) helps to make it more attractive - particularly if you're earning 2ppd in Ascent/Premium.

well my logic (which hopefully I am right but haven't been doing this like some experts here) is:

$40,000 earns me 80,000 KF points using the explorer linked to Ascent.
That $40k if I pay via rewardpay costs $960 in fees
80k KF points is enough for a 1way flight to Germany in premium economy + $90 . To purchase the same flight its ~$2700 1way.
If we claim something back in our tax then its a bonus
so I am still $1600-1700 in front

if doing economy then not worth it as it balances out pretty much.
business would be even better value.

 

[albyd]

I received a letter tonight from Amex re the Platinum Reserve card. Thought I'd post about it in this thread as most Reserve holders have the Platinum Charge.
Amex have removed the 150k points cap for bonus categories. Might mean some changes are coming for the Platinum Charge.

 

[foggy]

thanks to daver for the pdf application form, i was finally contacted about the application after 4 business days. I was told I needed to cancel 2 credit cards in order to apply for the reserve because I have edge/explorer/DJ and their policy was for 1 charge and 2 credit. I told them I would think about it but realistically I need to find a way for them to waive the fee for either the DJ or edge or explorer since I can't get the reserve.
Was hoping to get 4 credit cards with them.. oh well.. quite sad that my application was flagged..

 

[AnnaB]

I had a friend contacting me today regarding the Amex Velocity Platinum free flight. She was a tad bit upset to put it politely. She got a list from Amex regarding the flights and from Perth they only had flights to Karratha, Port Hedland, Broome and Newman. No mention of Sydney or Adelaide. Told her to ring up and they did confirm that those were also on the list of available flights, they were just not advertised on the printed list.
Wonder why they dont tell the customers all the info, but only parts of it.