American Express has been one of the OGs of credit card industry. They started with U.S. and developed their first paper charge card in 1958, gold card in 1966 & platinum card in 1984. The same Amex Platinum Charge card is one of the premium cards that they offer in India and sits only below the most prestigious & most famous Centurion card (a.k.a The Black card).
One fundamental difference between this card and other cards from Amex or any other card issuers is that Platinum card is a charge card and not a credit card. What that means is this card has no ‘pre-set spending’ limit offering you a higher purchasing power. No ‘pre-set limit’ does not mean your spending power is unlimited. How much you can swipe this card for would depend on your financials, spend pattern, credit record and account history. The only other charge card available in the country is the Amex Gold card.
Also, for charge cards, you need to pay entire amount in full by the due date which means there is no concept of a minimum amount due with the charge cards and you can’t use charge cards for EMI purchases.
The Amex Platinum card comes with premium benefits and lifestyle perks that you should look at from a different perspective to assess the value this card can bring you. If you are interested in this card and want to understand what this card is all about then let’s delve deeper into it.
- Overview
- Design
- Fees & Charges
- Benefits
- Best way to use this card
- Card Unboxing Experience
- How to apply
- Verdict
Overview
Amex Platinum Charge card is an ultra-premium charge card that comes with privileges and benefits that are more lifestyle based. For someone who appreciates fine dining experiences, stay in elite hotels and getting exclusive experiences, this card has a lot to offer. Just looking at the reward rate on this card is not going to tell the complete picture.
[Apply through the link above to get 10000 20000 Reward points in addition to Taj e-vouchers worth 45000 + limited edition playing cards
| Type | Premium Rewards Credit Card for Travel |
| Reward Rate | 1.25% – 2.5% |
| Best for | Elite Hotel Memberships, Concierge Services, Travel Benefits |
Design
The first thing you notice on holding the card is the metal form factor of this card 🙂 This surely makes it look & feel like a real premium card that it is. Compared to plastic credit cards, this one weighs almost thrice (~15gm). It has the classic Amex card design with boundaries running across all sides and the Amex logo at the centre. Card number and rest of the details are on the back side.
Fees & Charges
Joining & Renewal Fees
| Joining Fee | Rs. 60000 + 18% GST ( = 70800) |
| Joining Fee Waiver | N/A |
| Joining Benefit | Taj e-vouchers worth 45000 (on spending 50000 in first 2 months) (Get additional |
| Renewal Fee | Rs. 60000 + 18% GST ( = 70800) |
| Renewal Fee Waiver | N/A |
| Renewal Benefit | N/A |
The fee is pretty high for sure and the joining benefit is also subjected to meeting the spend criteria of 50000 in first 2 months of card activation.
However, once in a while Amex comes with better offers for new applications under which you can get the option to receive more than 1 lakh membership reward points. But this offer is for customers who are holding an Amex card already. If you get such offer from Amex, then it could be worth it as the joining fee would get offset by the value you get from using those reward points for air travel or luxury hotel stays.
There is no official criteria for waiver on the renewal fee as such but based on how much you spend, Amex team sometimes gives generous offers that could offset the fee at least by half. I have seen many getting renewal offers like Taj vouchers or reward points worth anywhere between 30-50K for getting retained by Amex. Only thing to note is that higher the spends, higher the chances of getting a good retention offer.
Tip: Call the customer care team in the last month of card anniversary year to discuss the retention offers.
Other Charges
Supplementary Card
One can get upto 4 supplementary cards for free post which standard add-on card fee is applicable (10000 + GST). Amex even runs offers for customers to get brand vouchers worth 1500 or so on applying for supplementary cards. If you get 4 supplementary cards, that itself would help you recover 10% of joining fee (sans the GST part).
Also, supplementary cards get complimentary airport lounge access too so there is no reason to not apply for one. 🙂
Forex Payments
3.50% of the transaction value + 18% GST (which adds up to 4.13%).
For overseas transactions, the reward rate is 3X which means for every Rs. 40 spent on the card, you earn 3 reward points. If we value 1 point for Rs. 1 then effectively, you will have a net gain of ~3.3%.
Fuel Purchases
For fuel purchase, this card gives 1 reward point for every Rs. 100 spent with no limit. On top of that, you will earn 4 additional bonus reward points for every Rs. 100 spent which comes with a limit of 5000 points per calendar month (limit reached on purchase worth 1.25 lakh). Bonus points fulfillment can take up to 90 days from the date of transaction.
So, effectively, you are getting 5 points per Rs. 100 spent which can be 2.5% to 5% net saving (assuming 1 point = 50 paise to Rs. 1).
Applicability of the surcharge fee depends on the fuel pump you go to as described below-
- HPCL: 0% fee for transactions less than Rs. 5000 and 1% fee otherwise
- BPCL & IOCL: 1% fee subject to a minimum of Rs. 10 + applicable taxes
- Rest: 2.5% fee subject to a minimum of Rs. 10 + applicable taxes
Rent Payments
There is no additional fee charged on rent payments but unfortunately Amex cards are not accepted at any of the portals which allow for rent payments via credit cards.
EMI Fees
Since this is a charge card, it does not support EMI payment option.
Benefits
Reward Points
The base reward rate with Platinum charge card is 1 point per Rs. 40 with only a couple of exclusions.
| Spend Category | Reward | Reward Rate (Loyalty Program Transfers @ 1 point = 50 paise) | Reward Rate (Loyalty Program Transfers @ 1 point = Rs. 1) |
| Regular Spends | 1 point per Rs. 40 | 1.25% | 2.5% |
| Fuel Purchase | 5 points per Rs. 100 | 2.5% | 5% |
| Overseas Spends | 3 points per Rs. 40 | 3.75% | 7.5% |
| Reward Points Expiry | Never | ||
| Redemption Fee | Nil | ||
| Exclusions | Insurance & Utility (electricity, water and gas bills) |
Looking at the reward rate for regular spends, one may assume that it is nowhere near to what one would expect from such a ultra-premium card (there is a work-around for that too 🙂 ). But like I said before, the reward earn rate is not the usp of this card. It is the lifestyle benefits which we will see later that make this card an enticing proposition. Still, for fuel purchases and overseas spends, the reward rate is really good!!
Tip: You can purchase Amazon gift cards using Amex Reward Multiplier and use them for insurance and utility payments. This way you will earn 5 points per Rs. 40 for spends on categories that are excluded.
Reward Multiplier & Reward Xcelerator
Most credit cards issuers have some sort of rewards portal which helps to get extra points if user does transaction via that portal. In case of Amex, one can accrue additional reward points by using the Amex Reward Multiplier option which is for all Amex cards and Reward Xcelerator which is exclusive for super premium cards like Platinum charge card.
You can get 5X points on the Reward Multiplier with Platinum charge card i.e. 5 reward points per Rs. 40 which is a great way to boost the reward earn rate. There are a lot of brands in Reward Multiplier program like Apple, Flipkart, Myntra, Croma, Tanishq to name a few. One could purchase gift cards as well on this portal too. If you purchase Amazon e-gift cards using Reward Multiplier and use Amazon Pay option wherever possible then for many of the regular spends you can get 6.25% to 12.5% reward rate!!
Thorough Reward Xcelerator you can get 10 or even 20 points per Rs. 40.
Here are the links to the detailed guides I have written on these programs – Amex Reward Multiplier Guide & Amex Reward Xcelerator Guide
Reward Redemption
There are various reward point redemption options but we know that the best one among them is to transfer points to airline or hotels loyalty programs. Since, you get complimentary membership of loyalty programs of some elite hotels (check Travel Benefits section) with this card, the value from points redemption gets boosted a lot.
Here is the exhaustive list of redemption options and the value you could get for that-
- Pay with points while shopping in store or online: 25p/point
- Purchase Insta vouchers: 25p/point
- Use points to offset any purchases made on card: 25p/point
- Travel bookings (flights & hotels) using Amex Travel portal: 30p/point
- Redeem points for luxury brand vouchers on Platinum Collection catalogue: 40p/point
- Experiences (Newly launched) Redeem points for Adventure, Stay or Dining
- Transfer points to Airlines & Hotel loyalty programmes: 50p – Rs. 1/point
Birthday Offer
One amazing thing about Platinum charge card is that on every birthday, the primary cardmember gets a Taj Experiences e-gift card worth 10000 as birthday gift. The gift card is sent a month prior to the birthday month.
As far as I know, this offer has been active since 2021 and might stay active for few more years but you never know.
Travel Benefits
Airport Lounge Access
As this is a ultra-premium card with lifestyle benefits, the lounge access privileges with this card are also superb. With Platinum charge card, under American Express Global Lounge Collection, you get unlimited access to a plethora of lounges while flying domestic or international.
| Access Type | Via | Access Limit | Complimentary Guest Visit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic (Primary & Add-on) | Amex Platinum card | Unlimited | No |
| International (Primary & Add-on) | Priority Pass | Unlimited | Yes* |
| Delta Lounges | Amex Platinum card | Unlimited | No |
| Centurion Network (Centurion & Escape Lounges) | Amex Platinum card | Unlimited | Yes |
There are a lot of lounges under the Global Lounge Collection partner lounges, some owned by Amex and some affiliated, that you can visit using this card as detailed below-
- The Centurion Network Lounges – The Centurion Network includes Centurion Lounges and Escape Lounges (The Centurion Studio Partner). Centurion lounges are owned by Amex and are their flagship locations with best in class amenities. Most of these are outside India but you can find a Centurion lounge in Delhi and one in Mumbai.
- Priority Pass Lounges – Amex offers international lounge access via Priority Pass lounge network. There might be some Priority Pass Select lounge that admits guests where you can bring in two guests for no charge.
- For primary card owner, a digital priority pass is generated within a week of Platinum card issuance which you can start using right away using Priority Pass app. Physical Priority pass takes 4-5 to get delivered.
- You can enroll max. 1 supplementary card owner for Priority Pass by calling Amex concierge at 1800 419 1255 or using this link
- Plaza Premium Lounges – Another affiliate network of lounges where you can get access using your Platinum charge card and even bring up to 2 complimentary guests.
- Lufthansa Lounges – These lounges operated by Lufthansa airline are accessible using Platinum charge card if you are flying with Lufthansa so to enter you need to show Lufthansa Group boarding pass as well.
- Delta Sky Club Lounges Access to these lounges is also on the condition that you carry a Delta-operated flight boarding pass.
- Domestic Partner Lounges For any non-Centurion network domestic lounge in India, Amex provies lounge access through their affiliates.
Elite Tier Memberships
One amazing benefit of Platinum charge card is the complimentary memberships of some leading hotel loyalty programs around the world which includes Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, Taj Epicure & Radisson Rewards. These memberships keep renewing as long as your Platinum charge card is active.
After getting your card, you need to visit Amex Platinum benefits page to complete the enrollment.
Marriott Bonvoy
You get Gold Elite status membership of Marriott Bonvoy (otherwise you need to stay 25 nights/year to get this status) which comes with benefits like One-level room upgrades, complimentary breakfasts, early check-in, late check-out etc.
This perk alone gives you an amazing value as using the Gold Elite status & joining bonus points would help you get around Rs. 25000 worth of value assuming you avail 5 room upgrades for 10 nights stay/year.
You would have to create a Marriott Bonvoy ID before submitting the status upgrade request via Amex which gets processed within 2 days.
Taj Epicure
If you like Taj properties then you can get Taj Epicure membership benefits like 20% off on stay via 3 one-time use vouchers, 25% discount on food & beverages, 20% discount on Spa & Salon services and 20% discount on food deliveries on Qmin app.
The enrollment gets completed within 10 days and you get digital vouchers to use. The physical kit with same vouchers taken 2-3 weeks to arrive. Note that you will not get any complimentary stay nights with this membership as you get Taj Epicure Plus status with Amex Platinum card instead of Epicure Privileged or Epicure Preferred which you get on enrolling directly on IHCL website.
If we value it conservatively, then using this benefit you can get a value worth Rs. 15000 considering just the stay vouchers.
Hilton Honors
You get Hilton Honors Gold status (which is the 2nd highest status only below Hilton Honors Platinum status) with Platinum card which gives benefits like room upgrades, complimentary continental breakfast and other minor perks. Similar to other memberships, considering just the complimentary room upgrades and breakfast, if you do 5 nights at Hilton hotels, then you can extract a value of at least Rs. 15000.
You would have to create a Hilton Honors member ID before submitting the status upgrade request via Amex which gets processed in 3-4 days.
Radisson Rewards
You become a Radisson Rewards Premium Tier member (which is the 2nd highest status only below VIP status) after the upgrade via Amex Platinum card and enjoy benefits like one-level room upgrades, discounted bookings etc. Compared to other hotel loyalty programs, this one is less attractive as Radisson properties are not as enticing as Marriott or Taj.
You would have to create a Radisson Rewards member ID before submitting the status upgrade request via Amex which will get processed in 4-5 days.
FHR Program
If none of the memberships suit your travel plans, there is something called Fine Hotels & Resorts program which covers a wide range of luxury properties within and outside India. Stay bookings done under this program will come with benefits like room upgrades, experience credit, daily breakfast for two, guaranteed 4pm late check-out and more.
The experience credit can be used for Spa or Salon services, airport transfers etc.
The Hotel Collection Program
This program is similar to FHR program and comes with similar benefits. You can do booking here for a stay of minimum of 2 nights and get usual benefits and also up to $100 experience credit which gets adjusted against hotel bill.
ITC One Offer
With Platinum card, there is a running offer with ITC hotels. If you buy two nights you can get the third night complimentary at participating ITC Hotels.
International Airline Program
For Platinum card members, Amex provides exclusive deals on international airlines and you can book the same by calling Platinum concierge at 1800 419 1255 or using Amex Travel portal or dropping an email to onlinetravelindia@aexp.com. Participating Airlines are –
- Emirates
- Air France
- Etihad Airways
- Japan Airlines
- KLM
- Qatar Airways
- Singapore Airlines
- United Airlines
- Virgin Atlantic
- Lufthansa
- Air Canada
- Swiss Air
- Air Brussels
- Delta Airlines
- Air India
You can expect preferential fares with discounts up to 10% to 25% through Amex but it would depend on the sector and the season you book for.
Car Rental
In case you occasionally hire premium or luxury cars (self or chauffeur driven), you can milk this benefit as you get Hertz Gold Plus Rewards membership who are operational in 8,000 locations across 147 countries. It comes with benefits like One car class upgrade, up to 15% discount on fare, etc.
Personally, I haven’t used this service yet but it is good to know that they have a wide network and global presence.
Dining Benefits
Dining Re-Imagined Program
There are certain generic offers for dining enthusiasts which can be discovered on Amex website. Some of those are exclusive just for the Platinum Charge card owners.
In addition to that, there is a specific program called Dining Re-Imagined under which you get great discounts on dining bills. You can also get up to 25% off at fine dine restaurants of hotels like Shangri-La, Le Meridien etc. Booking has to be done by calling Platinum concierge at 1800 419 1255.
Food Delivery Offers
If dining is not your cup of tea, then same sort of discounts at similar restaurants (The Lodhi, The Leela, Shangri-La) can be availed for food delivery too. Also, you can get 25% discount on Qmin app.
Eazydiner Prime Membership
The best thing though, in my opinion, is the complementary Eazydiner prime membership (plus joining bonus of 2000 EazyPoints) you get with this card. Using it you can enjoy assured 25% to 50% discount at premium restaurants and bars. You even earn 2X EazyPoints and redeem them for meals faster.
For enrollment, you will have to call Platinum concierge at 1800-180-1255.
Other Benefits
Golf Benefits
With Platinum charge card, you can have access to 30+ golf courses in India and 50+ international golf courses to play golf or take lessons from the professionals.
| Access Type | Access Limit |
|---|---|
| Golf Games (Primary & Add-on card) | 4 per month |
| Golf Lessons (Primary & Add-on card) | 2 per month |
You will be required to create an account to be able to make bookings. Post the account creation (takes 5-6 days) you can begin to make bookings using the Amex Experiences App or calling the Platinum concierge at 1800-180-1255. There are some conditions regarding advance booking and usage restrictions that you can check here.
Exclusive Amex Invites
For Platinum card members, Amex from time to time sends exclusive invitations to VIP-only events and unforgettable experiences. What I know is they get you access to pre-sale tickets and secure seats for events like Concerts, Fashion Weeks, Grammy Awards, Wimbledon, Formula 1 Races and so much more. I will write more about this after getting hands on experience of this.
On-going Platinum Card Offers
Amex has a dedicated page for the ongoing offers on the Platinum card and another one for all its cards in general. You can check out this to get a sense of what sort of offers you can make use of.
Amex ‘Do Anything’ Concierge
As this card is for those who want to get the most of their time and value convenience, Amex offers ‘Do Anything’ Platinum Concierge service which can help to do last minute reservations, send flowers to someone, get a medical appointment and much more.
You can also use Platinum Travel Service to take care of creating complex itineraries and holiday packages.
For situations like travelling overseas you can get Visa assistance or Lost baggage. In the event of loss or theft of important documents, or incase of an inability to obtain cash when travelling overseas, get up to $1000 as emergency cash advance delivered to you.
The service quality of Platinum concierge team can be a hit or miss depending on type of request but it is good to have this option. When they come through for you and get you results, you will for sure cherish having this facility at your disposal. Just place a request with Platinum concierge at 1800 419 1255 no matter how complex the need is. I would suggest to use it and form your own opinion as personal experiences may vary.
Platinum Protection
There are some insurance cover benefits you can avail in case of a mishap like-
- Air Accident Cover The primary card is insured with the sum of Rs 5 Cr.
- Purchase Protection Things purchased with PLatinum card get a cover of Rs. 5 lakh in case of loss or damage due to fire, burglary or some natural calamity.
- Overseas Medical Insurance Primary card members get complimentary Overseas Medical Insurance of $50000 for the first seven days of the trip. You need to register your trips by contacting ICICI LOMBARD by sending the SMS ‘OMI’ to 575758 or email at delhitravel@icicilombard.com
- Emergency Medical Assistance For trips less than 90 days, you can get Emergency funds for medical expenses of up to $8000 & Emergency hotel expenses of up to 5 nights at $200 per person per night
Companion Card
With Platinum charge card, you have an option to get a complimentary ‘companion card’. What that means is that you can choose to have any other Amex credit card issued as a life time free card as long as you hold the Platinum charge card.
If you already hold an Amex credit card, then you can get that ‘converted’ as the companion card to the Platinum charge card so you won’t have to pay the annual fee for companion card.
Best option is to go for Amex Platinum Travel Credit Card which has great travel benefits and complements the Platinum charge card.
Best way to use this card
- Use for fuel purchases and overseas spends
- Utilize the complimentary room upgrades via elite hotel memberships
- Enjoy access to premium airport lounges like Centurion lounge
- Book golf games and lessons
- Purchase e-vouchers via Reward multiplier to boost reward earn rate
- AMEX offers (communicated via email or website)
- Redeem points for Platinum collection or other travel partners
Card Unboxing Experience
I recently posted about the unboxing experience and the application process that I went through. You can read about that here.
How to apply
Amex lets you hold maximum of 1 Charge Card & 2 Credit cards at any point in time.
The best way to apply is online by visiting the Amex website. Using the link given below, you can get additional bonus points (make sure to spend Rs. 5000 in the first 90 days of card membership to get referral bonus points).
[Apply through the link above to get 10000 20000 Reward points in addition to Taj e-vouchers worth 45000 + limited edition playing cards
Verdict
It is a card not for the masses but for those with a certain lifestyle and liking for luxury experiences. With all said and done, it is still not an easy decision when the card fee is almost 70000. So let’s look at some numbers to make it easy to realize how much value you get in exchange of the card fee by considering just the primary benefits with moderate usage where applicable.
| BENEFIT | DESCRIPTION | VALUE (in Rs.) |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome benefit 45K Taj e-Voucher | Taking 90% of voucher face value as direct gift cards purchases are cheaper | 40500 |
| Birthday benefit 10K Taj e-Voucher | Taking 90% of voucher face value as direct gift cards purchases are cheaper | 9000 |
| Elite Hotel Memberships (10 nights stay / year) | Assuming stay of 10 nights/year with room upgrades, complimentary breakfast and discounted rates | 20000 |
| Airport Lounge Access | Assuming 4 visits in a year with each visit worth Rs. 1000 | 1000*4 = 4000 |
| Eazydiner Prime Membership | Assuming 4 dining bills paid by availing only Rs. 500 discount using Prime membership | 500*4 = 2000 |
| Supplementary Cards | Assuming 4 supplementary cards approved with 1500 Amazon voucher | 1500*4 = 6000 |
| Total | 81500 |
The ‘Value’ in above table is not a universal value. What is worth 1000 to someone may be worth 100 to someone else. That is why I have taken very conservative value in the above analysis and only considered those benefits that are less vague and whose value can be easily visualized. So, if you look at the final figure of 81500, you are still ahead by ~10000 compared to the card fee that you would pay.
For someone who sees value in the benefits and features of this card, the Total value they can get from this card can easily be double of the card fee or even more than that 🙂
Those who can make the most of this card know who they are & what their lifestyle is like. For others who are still not convinced, I atleast hope this review has been informative and an interesting read for you if not anything else. 🙂
If you don’t need such an ultra-premium card, you can opt for the Amex Platinum Travel Credit Card using this link or the Amex Membership Rewards Credit Card which is being issued as “First Year Free” for a limited period.
What are your thoughts about the American Express Platinum Charge Card? Feel free to share your views in the comment section below.
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