In 2019, American Express unveiled a new design for its Platinum Charge Card and Platinum Business Charge Cards, offered to Australians for the very first time in metal – a perk previously reserved for Centurion (AKA ‘Black Card’) holders.
It’s also worth noting that this particular card, which earns Ascent Premium points, allows holders to transfer points to 12 excellent frequent flyer partners, including Qantas Frequent Flyer, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Asia Miles, Etihad Guest, and more.
With international travel well and truly back in full swing, there has never been a better time to explore everything the American Express Platinum Card has to offer.
The American Express Platinum card arrives with a host of incredible perks and a $1,450 annual fee for personal cardholders. While this fee might put hairs on the back of your neck, the Amex Platinum metal card is the king of earning. You’ll earn 2.25 points per $1 spent on all purchases, and 1 point per $1 spent with government bodies – a no-brainer at tax time. The ultimate perk? Receive 150,000 Bonus Membership Rewards® Points when you apply online by 28 January 2025, are approved, and spend $5,000 on eligible purchases on your new American Express® Platinum Card within the first 3 months. T&Cs apply. New American Express Card Members only.
Sprinkle on travel insurance and unlimited access for both primary and additional cardholders to The American Express Global Lounge Collection – which includes The Centurion® Lounges in both Sydney and Melbourne’s international terminals, as well as The Centurion® Lounges at hubs HKG, SFO, LAX – and you’ve got an extremely tasty offering.
Of course, there’s a host of additional perks to help you justify the yearly spend on the American Express Platinum metal card including:
- No pre-set spending limit
- $450 travel credit annually (must be charged at full value or more)
- Enjoy up to $400 per calendar year when you dine from a curated collection of over 2,000 hand-selected restaurants both locally and abroad. That’s up to $200 to spend in Australia, and up to $200 to spend overseas in 20 countries. A separate one-time enrolment is required for each credit. Full terms and conditions below.
- Pay with Points on Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection.
- Access over 1,400 airport lounges in over 650 cities across 140 countries, including The Centurion® Lounge, Escape Lounges – The Centurion® Studio Partner, Priority PassRM Lounges and more Membership includes access to The Centurion® Lounge, Escape Lounges – The Centurion®Studio Partner, Priority PassTM Lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, Delta Sky Club® Lounges (when flying Delta) and Virgin Australia Domestic Lounges (when flying Virgin Australia).
- Complimentary status & memberships with a number of hotel loyalty programs including Accor Plus Membership (valued at $399 per year)
- Stay informed with The Australian Premium subscription: The Australian Premium subscription gives you access to The Australian’s news coverage and analysis from here and around the world across all your devices as well as access to The Wall Street Journal. In addition, you will have access to exclusive member-only features including a weekly curated eNewsletter featuring a selection of the best reads from The Australian and global news partners including The Economist and Harvard Business Review, as well as biannual virtual events featuring some of The Australian’s most experienced political and business journalists. The complimentary digital subscription to The Australian Premium is available to American Express® Platinum, Platinum Business, Corporate Platinum and Qantas Corporate Platinum Card Members, including Additional and Employee Card Members.
- Receive a complimentary suite of benefits that offer an average total value of $700* at over 1,300 extraordinary properties worldwide when you book with Fine Hotels + Resorts. Complimentary benefits include guaranteed 4 pm late check-out, room upgrades (subject to availability), daily breakfast for two, or a complimentary amenity valued at US$100, such as food and beverage credit or a massage for two
- Enrol and enjoy credit for your monthly or yearly Amazon Prime subscription up to the benefit limit of $84 per calendar year when you pay with your American Express® Platinum Card. Discover all the perks like fast and free shipping on millions of eligible items, access to exclusive Amazon Originals as well as popular movies and TV shows on Prime Video (now with limited ads), and over 100 million songs with Amazon Music Prime. Start shuffling. Benefit ends on 31 December 2025 and a one-time enrolment is required via Amex Offers either in your Online Account or Amex App. Available for the Primary Card Member only. Terms, conditions and exclusions apply. Please visit americanexpress.com.au/platinum-amazonprime to learn more. If you are new to Amazon Prime and wish to subscribe to a monthly or annual membership, please click here. If you are an existing Amazon Prime subscriber and wish to update your primary payment method to your Platinum Card, please click here.
American Express claims the benefits of the Card including the Travel Credit and Accor Plus Membership, cover the $1,450 fee.
At the end of the day, this card is about maximising and utilising points, as well as taking advantage of the myriad perks the Amex Platinum has to offer.
Here are a few thought starters for great uses for your 150,000 Amex Membership Rewards points to get the creative juices following:
- East Coast Australia to Perth in Business Class one-way on the Qantas A330 for 41,500 Qantas points
- Sydney to Fiji in Business Class one-way on Fiji Airways’ new A350 for 41,500 Qantas points
- Sydney to Christchurch in First Class one-way with Emirates (booked through Qantas) for 64,500 points
*To be eligible for this card you must:
- Be over 18 years old
- Have no history of bad credit
- Have not applied for multiple credit cards recently
- Be an Australian resident
You could receive 150,000 Bonus Membership Rewards® Points when you apply online by 28 January 2025, are approved, and spend $5,000 on eligible purchases on your new American Express® Platinum Card within the first 3 months. T&Cs apply. New American Express Card Members only For more information on the American Express Platinum card, and to receive 200,000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points, head to the American Express website.
As an added bonus, the new Amex Experiences App gives Platinum Card Members access to information about their benefits, travel offers, events and recommended merchants all from the palm of their hand. Through the app, Platinum Card Members are notified when Amex pre-sales and event ticketing go live, can access information on their hotel and subscription benefits as well as view and book restaurants where their Dining Credit is available (Platinum Charge Card Members only). Available at Google Play and on the App Store.
If the $1,450 annual fee is a bit steep for you, check out the American Express Qantas Ultimate Card which currently offers a great sign-on bonus too at a more affordable annual cost.
Watch the Boss Hunting team put the Platinum Card to work in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, as part of our ongoing Platinum Card Challenge series.
Platinum Global Dining Credit Terms and Conditions:
Maximum amount back is $200 on spend at participating local restaurants (Local Dining Credit) and AUD$200 on spend at participating abroad restaurants (Abroad Dining Credit) per redemption period: Each redemption period resets on 1 January until the offer end date of 31 December 2025. The redemption periods are: 1 January – 31 December 2025, 05 July – 31 December 2022, 1 January – 31 December 2023, 1 January – 31 December 2024. Spend can be in one or more transactions. You cannot carry any unused offer value from one redemption period into the next. Primary Card Member Only: The Benefit is only available to Primary American Express Australia Platinum Card Members using their Platinum Personal Charge Card. Transactions made with an Additional Card is not eligible for this Benefit. Save this Benefit First: A one-time enrolment is required. You must first save the Benefit to your Platinum Card before making your payment to qualify for the Benefit. Benefit limited to the Card to which the offer is saved and only spend on this Card counts towards the Benefit. If you use another card to make a payment at any time, you will not be eligible for the Benefit on that card. If you switch to a new Card product that is not eligible for this Benefit, enrolment will be removed from your Card Account. If a Card you hold is ineligible, you will not be able to see the Benefit, nor will you be able to save the Benefit to the Card. If you are no longer eligible for this Benefit due to a change in Account status, including but not limited to fraudulent flags, suspension or cancellation, it will be removed from your Account. Eligible Transactions: Benefit only available for dine-in services made in-person at a participating restaurant, full list can be found here. Participating restaurant list subject to change without notice, please check before you dine as you won’t be eligible to receive a credit if the restaurant isn’t on the list at the time of your transaction. Excluded Transactions: Benefit excludes purchases of gift cards and vouchers, transactions made towards deposits charged upfront by the venue, booking, cancellation, and no-show charges, takeaway or dine-at-home services. If you spend in a currency other than Australian Dollars a Currency Conversion Fee of 3% applies and this fee does not count towards the Benefit. For more information regarding charges made in foreign currencies refer to your Card Member Agreement. Direct Payments Only: If you pay using payment processors such as QR payment or restaurant in-app purchases, you may not be eligible for the Benefit. Please request to pay at the restaurant’s designated checkout register. Award of Credits: Credit(s) should appear on your billing statement within 30 days from the date of payment but may take longer. Credit(s) are not redeemable for cash or any other payment form. Credit may be reversed if your qualifying purchase is refunded or cancelled. Expiry or Withdrawal of Benefit: The Benefit will expire on 31 December 2025. American Express can withdraw the Benefit at any time by giving you 60 days’ notice. Your use of participating restaurants: Your purchase of goods and/or services from the participating brands is governed by their respective terms and conditions (including privacy policies). American Express is not responsible in any way for the goods and/or services of the participating brands. Inquiries or complaints related to the participating brands’ goods and/or services should be directed to their customer service. Our General Offer Terms: Our General Offer Terms also apply to the Benefit and contain important additional terms.
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