One of the vital in style premium bank cards is The Platinum Card® from American Specific. Whereas it has a excessive annual price (see charges and costs), it could possibly provide a ton of worth for the correct of traveler.
It prices $195 for every further Platinum cardmember you add to your account (see charges and costs). Nonetheless, these further cardmembers could also be asking an essential query: Ought to I keep as a licensed person or get a Platinum Card of my very own?
This is some steering that will help you make that call.
Overview of Amex Platinum charges
The Amex Platinum has an annual price of $695 (see charges and costs). If you happen to’re a licensed person, you may pay an extra $195 in annual charges.
You will need to weigh the associated fee distinction between holding your personal Amex Platinum and being a licensed person on another person’s account. Consequently, you could wish to crunch the numbers to see which makes essentially the most sense.
When it’s best to get your personal Amex Platinum
There are a number of arguments in favor of getting your personal Amex Platinum. Not surprisingly, they begin with the welcome provide.
You will not earn your personal welcome provide if you’re added as a licensed person. Nevertheless, in case you apply (and are accepted) for the Platinum Card as the first cardmember, you may earn 80,000 Membership Rewards factors after spending $8,000 on eligible purchases inside the first six months of card membership. This bonus is price $1,600 based mostly on TPG’s January 2025 valuations, due to the array of beneficial methods to make use of Amex factors.
(Professional tip: Be sure you examine the CardMatch device to see in case you’re focused for an excellent larger welcome provide, although these are topic to vary at any time.)
The welcome provide is a one-time perk just for the primary yr. Past that, there are just a few essential advantages on the Amex Platinum which can be granted as soon as per account. If you happen to can maximize any of the next, you can be candidate for getting your personal Platinum Card:
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- Month-to-month Uber Money:* Rise up to $15 in month-to-month Uber Money (plus a $20 bonus in December), if you add your Amex Platinum as a fee methodology to your Uber account. The credit score can be utilized for Uber rides and Uber Eats orders within the U.S. Even in case you’re an occasional Uber buyer, this may end up in as much as $200 in complete worth annually. As soon as your Amex Platinum is added to your Uber account, you may redeem Uber Money with any Amex card at fee.
- Digital leisure credit score:* The Amex Platinum offers you as much as $20 in assertion credit every month if you use the cardboard for subscriptions to pick digital leisure suppliers, together with Disney+ and The New York Occasions. If you happen to max out these credit, you may take pleasure in as much as $240 in worth per calendar yr.
- Clear Plus assertion credit score:* Rise up to $199 in annual assertion credit if you cost the price of a Clear Plus membership to your Amex Platinum.
- Lodge assertion credit score: As an Amex Platinum cardmember, you may entry luxurious resort perks by way of Fantastic Resorts + Resorts and The Lodge Assortment (the latter of which requires a two-night minimal keep). While you make a pay as you go reservation with a taking part property in both of those applications, you may take pleasure in as much as $200 in assertion credit per calendar yr.
- Airline assertion credit score:* The Amex Platinum additionally comes with as much as $200 in annual assertion credit for incidental charges charged to your card with an airline you designate per calendar yr. This may cowl baggage charges, seat assignments, or visitor passes to go to an airline lounge.
*Enrollment required; phrases apply for these advantages.
Whereas your spending as a licensed person can set off these perks for the first Platinum Card account, you aren’t getting your personal set as an extra Platinum cardmember. If you happen to’re often utilizing these perks, it may be price getting your personal Platinum card.
Put a concrete greenback quantity to those advantages based mostly by yourself utilization over the subsequent 12 months. If that quantity is larger than $500, you are a good candidate for getting your personal Platinum Card.
Between the welcome provide and these assertion credit — together with some that help you double up in yr one — now could also be a good time to turn out to be a main cardmember on the Amex Platinum.
Associated: 10 issues to do if you get the Amex Platinum
When you have to be a licensed person
Being a licensed person can nonetheless make sense in some conditions.
Most clearly, in case you’re below the age of 18, your solely actual choice is to be an extra Platinum cardmember. And even if you flip 18, the Amex Platinum has some fairly strict necessities to get accepted. Current highschool graduates with restricted credit score histories will seemingly should be approved customers for a number of years (and construct up their very own credit score rating) earlier than contemplating getting the Amex Platinum in their very own proper.
Past that, staying (or turning into) a licensed person seemingly makes essentially the most sense for many who extremely worth the perks that reach to further Platinum cardmembers — however do not care in regards to the above advantages. In spite of everything, entry to the American Specific World Lounge Assortment, the assertion credit score for World Entry or TSA PreCheck, and complimentary Gold standing with Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors all lengthen to approved customers. And for frequent lounge guests or common Marriott and Hilton company, paying $195 a yr can nonetheless be a cut price. Enrollment required; phrases apply for choose advantages.
If you happen to’re nonetheless on the fence, crunch the numbers by placing greenback quantities to those advantages. For instance, how a lot would you pay to enter an Amex Centurion Lounge? Friends of the first Platinum cardmember are $50 (until they unlock visitor privileges by spending $75,000 on the cardboard in a calendar yr), so in case you agree with that worth, you may greater than cowl the $195 approved person annual price with 4 (or extra) visits.
Associated: Is the Amex Platinum definitely worth the annual price?
When neither choice is sensible
After all, for some prospects, neither one in every of these is sensible. Perhaps you beforehand had the Amex Platinum and thus aren’t eligible for a welcome provide. Maybe you solely entry an airport lounge just a few instances a yr or use the resort elite standing perks occasionally.
Once more, crunch the numbers based mostly on the real-world worth you get from annually’s included advantages. If the worth is below $195, you are higher off canceling your approved person card.
Backside line
The Platinum Card from American Specific costs $195 for approved customers, and whereas some could think about eradicating further Platinum playing cards from their accounts, others could wish to think about when it is sensible to turn out to be a main cardmember.
Begin by wanting on the welcome provide, particularly in case you’re focused for an elevated provide. Then, determine the worth of these further perks you’d unlock with your personal Amex Platinum Card — maintaining in thoughts that some are based mostly on a calendar yr. It doesn’t matter what you select, be sure you’re getting sufficient worth to justify the associated fee.
To be taught extra in regards to the card, learn our full evaluation of the Amex Platinum.
Apply right here: Amex Platinum
For charges and costs of the Amex Platinum, click on right here.
