The Platinum Card® from American Express has a excessive $695 annual payment (see rates and fees), nevertheless it provides an extended checklist of advantages.
As an Amex Platinum cardmember, you earn 5 factors per greenback on flights booked instantly with airways or American Specific Journey® (on as much as $500,000 of those purchases per calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback) and 5 factors per greenback on pay as you go inns and flights booked by means of American Express Travel®.
As well as, cardmembers obtain a big selection of assertion credit, resort and automobile rental elite standing, journey protections and particular provides by means of Amex Provides.
With so many advantages to maintain monitor of, some Amex Platinum cardmembers really feel like their card acts extra like a coupon ebook than a premium journey card.
In case you are uncertain whether or not to maintain your Amex Platinum, contemplate switching to one in every of these 9 rewards bank cards.
Associated: How to maximize benefits with the Amex Platinum Card
Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a worthy competitor within the luxurious rewards card house. The cardboard consists of an annual $300 travel credit when booked by means of Capital One Journey, a ten,000-mile anniversary bonus, a Precedence Cross membership, entry to Capital One Lounges and a credit score of as much as $120 for World Entry or TSA PreCheck.
It earns 10 miles per greenback spent on inns and rental automobiles and 5 miles per greenback spent on flights and trip leases when reserving by means of Capital One Journey, in addition to 2 miles per greenback spent on all different purchases. Plus, as a brand new cardmember, you may earn a welcome bonus of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases throughout the first three months of account opening.
All miles can be utilized to ebook journey and even cowl eligible journey purchases, or you may switch them to one in every of Capital One’s 15-plus airline and hotel partners. The cardboard does have an annual payment of $395, however licensed customers (quite a lot of which could be added at no further value) can get pleasure from most of the card’s advantages.
Every day E-newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Every day publication
Be a part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s specialists
$395 is not a small quantity, nevertheless it’s considerably lower than what an Amex Platinum cardmember pays annually.
To study extra, learn our full review of the Capital One Venture X.
Be taught extra: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Chase Sapphire Reserve
Vacationers love the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) as a result of it provides a wide range of advantages to cardholders, plus excessive factors bonuses on purchases made by means of Chase Travel℠.
With this card, you may obtain an annual $300 journey credit score, as much as a $120 credit score for World Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus, entry to each Chase Sapphire Lounge, a Precedence Cross membership, entry to The Edit (Chase’s rebranded luxurious resort program), major rental automobile protection and journey and purchasing buy protections.
Moreover, you may earn 3 factors per greenback spent on travel and dining (together with eligible takeout and supply providers), 5 factors per greenback spent on flights booked by means of Chase Journey, 10 factors per greenback spent on inns and automobile leases booked by means of Chase Journey and 10 factors per greenback spent on Chase Eating purchases. All different purchases earn 1 level per greenback.
Word that you simply will not earn bonus factors on journey till after the primary $300 is spent on journey yearly.
You’ll be able to transfer points to 14 airline and hotel partners or use them to ebook journey and canopy purchases by means of assertion credit. You will should pay a $550 annual payment, however meaning you may save $145 annually in comparison with paying for an Amex Platinum. Sapphire Reserve licensed customers value $75 every.
New cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus factors after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
As a cardmember of the Amex Platinum and the Sapphire Reserve, TPG bank cards author Danyal Ahmed constantly will get higher worth out of his Sapphire Reserve because of its wonderful incomes charges and versatile journey credit score.
To study extra, learn our full review of the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Reserve
Chase Sapphire Most popular Card
For individuals who need to earn Final Rewards factors with out the Chase Sapphire Reserve’s excessive annual payment, there’s the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees).
Whereas this card would not embrace lounge entry and different premium advantages, it does include major rental automobile insurance coverage, a $50 annual resort assertion credit score on bookings made by means of Chase Journey and journey and purchasing buy protections. Moreover, you may obtain a 10% points bonus on all purchases on the finish of yearly.
Journey booked by means of Chase Journey earns 5 factors per greenback. You will additionally earn 3 factors per greenback spent on eating (together with eligible takeout and supply providers), on-line grocery purchases (excluding Goal, Walmart and wholesale golf equipment) and choose streaming providers, 2 factors per greenback spent on all different journey and 1 level per greenback spent on every little thing else.
This card’s annual payment is an inexpensive $95. New candidates can earn 60,000 bonus factors after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening
To study extra, learn our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Citi Strata Premier Card
The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (see rates and fees) earns versatile ThankYou points that can be utilized to ebook journey by means of CitiTravel.com, store on-line, purchase reward playing cards and transferred to travel partners for airline or resort redemptions.
Yearly, you may obtain a $100 credit score towards a single resort keep of $500 or extra (excluding taxes and charges) that is booked by means of CitiTravel.com. This profit alone covers the $95 annual payment.
You will earn 10 factors per greenback on inns, automobile leases and points of interest booked on CitiTravel.com, 3 factors per greenback spent at eating places, supermarkets, fuel stations and electrical automobile charging stations, in addition to 3 factors per greenback spent on air journey and different resort reservations. All different purchases earn 1 level per greenback.
New cardholders will earn 60,000 bonus factors after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
To study extra, learn our full review of the Citi Strata Premier.
Apply right here: Citi Strata Premier Card
American Specific Gold Card
If you wish to preserve incomes Membership Rewards factors, the American Express® Gold Card will be the proper card for you. With the Amex Gold, you may earn 4 factors per greenback eating at eating places worldwide (on as much as $50,000 in purchases per calendar 12 months; then 1 level per greenback), 4 factors per greenback on groceries at U.S. supermarkets (on as much as $25,000 in purchases per calendar 12 months; then 1 level per greenback), 3 factors per greenback on flights booked instantly with the airline or with amextravel.com and a pair of factors per greenback on pay as you go inns booked with amextravel.com and 1 level per greenback on different eligible purchases.
Amex Gold cardmembers additionally obtain as much as $120 in Uber Cash per calendar 12 months (as much as $10 a month), as much as $120 in dining statement credits (as much as $10 monthly) per calendar 12 months, as much as $100 in assertion credit with U.S. Resy eating places (as much as $50 in assertion credit semi-annually) per calendar 12 months and as much as $84 in month-to-month assertion credit (as much as $7 monthly in assertion credit) per calendar 12 months with U.S. Dunkin’ Donuts places. Enrollment is required for choose advantages; phrases apply.
When absolutely utilized, these credit present sufficient worth to greater than cowl the cardboard’s $325 annual payment (see rates and fees). Uber Money will solely be deposited into one Uber account whenever you add an Amex Card as a fee technique and pay with any eligible Amex card.
Plus, cardmembers have entry to the identical Resort Assortment* advantages as these with the Amex Platinum. Enrollment is required.
New candidates for the Amex Gold can earn 60,000 bonus factors after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of cardmembership.
To study extra, learn our full review of the American Express Gold Card.
*Eligible prices differ by property. Minimal two-night keep required.
Apply right here: American Express Gold Card
Financial institution of America Premium Rewards bank card
The Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card is a good possibility for vacationers who’re loyal to Financial institution of America. It earns 2 factors per greenback spent on journey and eating purchases, plus 1.5 factors per greenback spent on every little thing else.
Cardholders who’re additionally a member of the Bank of America Preferred Rewards® program can earn as much as a 75% bonus on all of their rewards, relying on the scale of their account balances. That interprets to as much as 3.5 factors per greenback spent on journey and as much as 2.63 factors per greenback spent on every little thing else.
Whereas Financial institution of America would not have any switch companions, you may redeem your factors for money again, as a press release credit score, for reward playing cards and for journey purchases by means of the Financial institution of America Journey Heart with out blackout dates.
You will additionally obtain as much as $100 for World Entry or TSA PreCheck utility charges each 4 years and as much as $100 in airline incidental payment assertion credit annually, the latter of which offsets the cardboard’s $95 annual payment.
New cardholders can earn 60,000 on-line bonus factors after making $4,000 in purchases throughout the first 90 days of account opening.
To study extra, learn our full review of the Bank of America Premium Rewards.
Apply right here: Bank of America Premium Rewards credit card
Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card
Hilton loyalists love the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card as a result of it routinely grants Hilton Diamond elite standing and provides an array of different advantages. Cardmembers obtain a wide range of assertion credit, tailor-made towards each common journey and Hilton stays.
The cardboard additionally consists of an annual free evening reward. Further free evening rewards could be earned whenever you spend $30,000 and $60,000 in a calendar 12 months. These advantages simply outweigh this card’s $550 annual payment. Enrollment is required for choose advantages; phrases apply.
The knowledge for the Hilton Aspire Card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
You will earn 14 factors per greenback spent on eligible purchases at inns and resorts within the Hilton portfolio, 7 factors per greenback spent on flights booked instantly with the airline or American Specific Journey and automobile leases booked with choose automobile rental firms, 7 factors per greenback spent on eating at U.S. eating places (together with takeout and supply) and three factors per greenback spent on different eligible purchases.
New cardmembers can earn 150,000 bonus factors after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership.
Be taught extra: Hilton Honors American Express Aspire
Marriott Bonvoy Sensible American Specific Card
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card is the premier card for Marriott Bonvoy members. It consists of as much as $300 in annual assertion credit per calendar 12 months (as much as $25 monthly) on eligible eating purchases made with the cardboard at eating places worldwide, plus automatic Platinum Elite status and a free night award yearly after your renewal month (price as much as 85,000 factors). Sure inns have resort charges.
You will additionally obtain as much as $100 in property credit whenever you ebook at the least two nights at a Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis. If that wasn’t sufficient, cardmembers get a Precedence Cross membership and as much as $120 for World Entry or TSA PreCheck. Enrollment is required; phrases apply.
With this card, you may earn 6 factors per greenback spent on eligible purchases at inns collaborating within the Marriott Bonvoy program, 3 factors per greenback spent on eating at eating places worldwide and on flights booked instantly with the airline, and a pair of factors per greenback spent on every little thing else.
An annual payment of $650 (see rates and fees) applies, however the yearly assertion credit, automated elite standing and free evening certificates are price at the least that a lot. Plus, it is nonetheless extra reasonably priced than the Amex Platinum, even when not by a lot.
New cardmembers can earn 100,000 bonus factors after spending $6,000 in purchases throughout the first six months of card membership and an additional 50,000 bonus factors after spending an extra $2,000 in purchases throughout the first six months.
To study extra, learn our full review of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant.
Apply right here: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Specific Card
If Delta is your favourite Amex switch associate, then the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card ought to be one in every of your frontrunners. As a cardmember, you may earn 3 miles per greenback spent on eligible Delta purchases and 1 mile per greenback spent on different eligible purchases.
Plus, new candidates can earn 70,000 miles after spending $5,000 within the first six months of card membership. This card regularly provides elevated welcome offers, so preserve a watch out for one.
Though this card has a steep $650 annual payment (see rates and fees), cardmembers obtain all types of advantages, together with entry to Delta Sky Club lounges when touring on a same-day, Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flight. Entry is restricted to fifteen free annual visits, with limitless annual visits after spending $75,000 in a calendar 12 months.
Plus, these with out elite standing might be added to the improve checklist after Medallion members when flying with Delta, whereas these with standing will obtain precedence upgrades over different Medallion members. You will additionally obtain numerous way of life and journey assertion credit to assist offset the annual payment.
It is also doable to speed up incomes elite standing with this card, as you may earn one Medallion Qualification Greenback for every $10 spent with the cardboard in a calendar 12 months. You will additionally earn a head begin of two,500 MQDs every Medallion Qualification Yr to get nearer to standing with the cardboard.
To study extra, learn our full review of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve.
Apply right here: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
Backside line
Whereas the Amex Platinum nonetheless holds worth for a lot of cardmembers, others might really feel inclined to eliminate the cardboard in favor of one other available on the market. Fortuitously, there are a number of nice options to think about.
Every card comes with its personal pluses and minuses, although in lots of circumstances, every provides related (if not higher) advantages because the Amex Platinum for a decrease annual value. No matter the place your loyalties lie, there is a card that can fit your spending habits and journey objectives.
Associated: Is the Amex Platinum worth the annual fee?
For charges and charges of the Amex Platinum Card, click on here.
For charges and charges of the Amex Gold Card, click on here.
For charges and charges of the Marriott Bonvoy Sensible Amex, click on here.
For charges and charges of the Amex Delta Reserve card, click on here.
Trending Merchandise