The Platinum Card From American Express Review 2025: Is It Worth It?
Best for travellers who want added premium perks.
The Platinum Card® from American Express offers an impressive combination of travel benefits, exclusive offers and insurance coverage, but it comes with a high annual fee
The glitzy Platinum Card from American Express carries a high price tag, but its top-tier travel perks offer significant value.
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The Platinum Card from American Express full review
The Platinum Card from American Express is a premium metal card that earns Membership Rewards points and unlocks an extensive suite of travel, dining, and lifestyle benefits. Cardholders earn accelerated points on dining, food delivery, and travel purchases.
Unlike a traditional credit card, this is a charge card, which means you’re generally expected to pay your balance in full each month.
Benefits of The Platinum Card from American Express
As a Platinum Cardmember, you get access to a wide range of premium perks:
Airport lounge access: Complimentary entry to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, with 1,400+ lounges in 140+ countries, including Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass, and Plaza Premium.
Annual credits: $200 Annual Travel Credit (for Amex Travel bookings); $200 Annual Dining Credit (curated list of Canadian restaurants); Up to $240 in Instacart statement credits (through Dec. 31, 2027); $100 NEXUS application/renewal credit (every 4 years).
Fine Hotels + Resorts® program: Complimentary benefits at 1,600+ luxury properties (average value ~$550 USD per stay), including late checkout, daily breakfast for two, and room upgrades (when available).
Hotel elite status: Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite and Hilton Honors Gold status.
Pearson Airport perks: Priority security lane, complimentary valet at Terminal 1, and a 15% discount on parking.
Comprehensive insurance: Coverage includes emergency medical (up to $5M for under 65), trip cancellation/interruption, flight delay, lost baggage, and car rental theft/damage.
Platinum Concierge & lifestyle perks: 24/7 personalized service, Global Dining Collection access, Amex Experiences™, and Front Of The Line® presale tickets.
Drawbacks of The Platinum Card from American Express
High annual fee: At $799, the fee is only worth it if you use the card’s premium perks regularly.
Pearson-specific perks: Benefits like priority security are limited to Toronto Pearson International Airport.
Age limits on insurance: No emergency medical coverage for cardmembers aged 65 and over.
Who should get The Platinum Card from American Express?
This card is ideal for:
Frequent travellers who will make use of unlimited lounge access, hotel benefits, and global concierge service.
High spenders on dining and travel, who benefit from the 2x earn rate in those categories.
Luxury travellers who value premium perks like late hotel checkout, complimentary breakfast, and room upgrades.
If you don’t travel often, or want rewards you can use more broadly without paying a steep fee, you may be better served by a lower-cost travel rewards card.
Is The Platinum Card from American Express worth it?
Candidly — if you have to ask, it’s probably not worth it.
With a $799 annual fee, this card only makes sense if you’ll use its perks to the fullest: cashing in on the welcome bonus, relaxing in lounges, and taking advantage of hotel upgrades and credits. If you already know the value of lounge access — or have paid out of pocket for it — you’ll be more likely to justify the cost.
At a minimum, you’ll want to recoup your costs. According to NerdWallet analysis, one Membership Rewards point can be worth up to 11.52¢. That means you’d need about 6,935 points to cover the $799 annual fee. Since the Platinum Card earns 2 points per $1 on dining and travel purchases, you’d have to spend roughly $3,467 in those categories just to break even.
Put simply: if you don’t travel often, the $799 fee means paying for perks you won’t use — but for frequent jet-setters, the Platinum Card more than pays for itself.
American Express customer ratings
High in customer satisfaction: American Express ranks second (and well above industry average) in customer satisfaction with credit card issuers, according to J.D. Power’s 2024 Canada Credit Card Satisfaction Study, a survey of 11,430 cardholders in Canada.
Low Trustpilot rating: 1.4 out of a possible 5 stars, based on over 4,400 reviews, at the time of this writing.
Low Better Business Bureau rating: 1.1 out of a possible 5 stars, according to more than 500 customer reviews on the Better Business Bureau website, at the time of this writing. American Express is not accredited by the BBB itself.
Amex Platinum Card eligibility
Who qualifies for The Platinum Card from American Express?
You must be a Canadian resident and at least the age of majority for your province or territory to be eligible for The Platinum Card from American Express. You also must meet credit score and income requirements.
American Express doesn’t publicly disclose annual income requirements for its Platinum Card. You must provide your annual income during the application process, which may be a factor during card approval.
Approximate credit score needed for approval
Canadian credit card issuers rarely disclose required credit scores, which makes it hard to know your chances of approval when comparing credit cards. What we do know is that higher scores have better chances of approval — that’s true no matter what type of credit you’re applying for.
Want to learn more? Our guide can help you figure out what credit score is typically needed for a credit card.
The Platinum Card from American Express rewards
New Platinum® Cardmembers can earn up to 100,000 Membership Rewards® points — worth up to $1,000 in travel — by meeting a few spending milestones:
70,000 points after spending $10,000 in the first 3 months.
30,000 points with any purchase between months 15 and 17 of Cardmembership.
2x points on eligible dining and food delivery purchases in Canada.
2x points on eligible travel purchases.
1x point on all other purchases.
Plus, earn 1 bonus point on eligible hotel or car rental bookings made through Amex Travel Online.
You could unlock up to $1,800 in value in with the American Express Platinum Card, depending on how you redeem your points and perks:
$1,000 for the welcome bonus (Amex’s estimate): Up to 100,000 Membership Rewards points, valued at 1¢ each when redeemed through Amex Travel.
Note — Membership Rewards points are typically worth 0.6¢–11.5¢ each, depending on redemption, based on NerdWallet's valuation. At our baseline of 0.8–1¢, the welcome bonus = $800–$1,000, while airline transfers could yield even higher value.
$200 annual travel credit: Redeemable on bookings through Amex Travel Online or Platinum Card Travel Service.
$200 annual dining credit: Use at select Canadian restaurants.
Up to $240 Instacart credits: Available within 12 months (through Dec. 31, 2027).
$100 NEXUS credit: Statement credit for application or renewal fees (every 4 years; counted here in year one).
Fine Hotels + Resorts perks (~$550 USD average): Benefits like late checkout, daily breakfast, and upgrades at 1,600+ luxury properties.
Unlimited lounge access: Entry to 1,400+ lounges worldwide through the Amex Global Lounge Collection (hard to quantify, but frequent flyers can save hundreds annually).
That puts the total potential card value at about $1,800. Even at NerdWallet’s conservative point valuation, that’s well above the $799 annual fee, leaving a strong net positive for travellers who maximize the perks.
Amex Membership Rewards point value breakdown
The value of an American Express Membership Rewards point varies on the redemption method you choose, but you can expect to get around 0.6 to 11.5 cents per point.
11.52 cents per point for hotel redemptions.
1.74 cents per point for business class air fare redemptions.
1.42 cents per point for economy class air fare redemptions.
1 cent per point for statement credits.
0.76 cents per point for gift cards.
0.65 cents per point for merchandise.
How to apply for The Platinum Card from American Express
Click the Apply Now button on The Platinum Card from American Express page on the American Express CA website.
Review the card’s terms and conditions. Select Agree and Begin to continue.
Enter your personal details, including your full name, date of birth, phone number, email address and residential address.
Enter your financial details, including your annual personal income, household income and employment details.
Choose a four-digit PIN.
Review the information you’ve supplied and submit your application.
The Platinum Card from American Express vs. American Express Gold Rewards Card
Rewards breakdown
Rewards breakdown
NerdWallet's take
NerdWallet's take
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Card details
Rewards breakdown
Rewards breakdownNerdWallet's take
NerdWallet's takeCard details
Card detailsReasons you might want a different card
The Platinum Card may not be right for you if:
You don’t want to pay a $799 annual fee.
You don’t travel enough to make use of the card’s perks.
You rarely spend on dining or food delivery, where the card earns bonus points.
If that sounds like you, a lower-fee rewards card or a cash-back card may deliver better everyday value without the steep annual cost.
The Platinum Card from American Express facts
American Express Platinum Card | |
|---|---|
Card type | |
Interest rates | |
Regular/purchase APR | 21.99% on Flexible Payment Option balances. |
Cash advance APR | N/A. |
Penalty APR | Interest rate of 30% applies to each delinquent Due in Full charge. The Preferred rate of 21.99% applies to your Flexible Payment Option balance. If you have 2 separate Missed Payments in a 12 month period, the Flexible Payment Option rate for your account will be 25.99%. If you have 3 or more separate Missed Payments in a 12 month period, the Flexible Payment Option rate will be 28.99%. These rates are effective from the day the Flexible Payment Option is first available on your account. |
Fees | |
Annual fee | $799. |
Balance transfer | N/A. |
Cash advance | 3% of the amount advanced. |
Foreign transaction | 2.5% of transaction amount. |
Rewards | |
Reward earn rates | Earn 2 points for every $1 in card purchases on eligible dining and food delivery in Canada, 2 points for every $1 in card purchases on eligible travel, and 1 point for every $1 in all other card purchases. |
Intro offer | Up to 100,000 points. |
Rewards and benefits | American Express Membership Rewards points can be redeemed for travel experiences, merchandise, gift cards, statement credits towards eligible purchases and more. You can also transfer your points to American Express partner loyalty programs, including Aeroplan, Delta SkyMiles, Marriott Bonvoy and more. |
Other perks |
|
Insurance coverage | |
Extended warranty | Up to one additional year. |
Purchase protection | 120 days. |
Travel accident | Up to $500,000. |
Emergency medical | Up to $5 million per insured person per trip. |
Flight delay | Up to $1,000 for necessary accommodations, restaurant expenses and sundries. |
Baggage delay | Up to $1,000 for essential clothing and sundry items. |
Trip cancellation | Up to $5,000 per trip for all insured persons combined. |
Trip interruption | Up to $6,000 per trip for all insured persons combined. |
Lost or stolen baggage | Up to $1,000 of coverage per trip for all insured persons. |
Hotel burglary | Up to $1,000 of coverage for personal items (excluding cash). |
Rental car theft/damage | For up to 48 days. |
Methodology
BACK TO TOPFrequently asked questions
Is the American Express Platinum Card the same as The Platinum Card from American Express?
Is the American Express Platinum Card the same as The Platinum Card from American Express?
Yes, the American Express Platinum Card (aka Amex Platinum) and The Platinum Card from American Express are the same thing. The names are used interchangeably.
Is it hard to qualify for The Platinum Card from American Express?
Is it hard to qualify for The Platinum Card from American Express?
There’s no publicly-available minimum income requirement for The Platinum Card from American Express. Household income is, however, a required input when filling out your application. A combination of strong income and good credit will improve your chances of approval.
Does the Amex Platinum have a limit?
Does the Amex Platinum have a limit?
The Platinum Card from American Express has no preset spending limit because it’s a charge card, rather than a credit card that allows you to carry a balance from month to month. A no-limit card can be a helpful feature when you’re making purchases, but it can also make overspending a lot easier.
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Shannon Terrell
