Is the Amex Platinum Worth $895? Here's How I Used It

The American Express Platinum Card costs $895 a year. That's a lot for a credit card.

But here's the thing: I just used mine to design two perfect trips—a San Francisco staycation and a New York vacation—and the benefits covered way more than the annual fee.

Let me show you the actual math.

The Benefits (What You Actually Get)

The Platinum card has $3,176 in annual benefits. No joke. Here's the breakdown:

Monthly Credits:

• $15 Uber rides + $20 bonus in December = $200/year
• $25 entertainment (Hulu, Disney+, NYT, etc.) = $300/year

Quarterly Credits:

• $75 Lululemon = $300/year
• $100 Resy restaurant dining = $400/year

Semi-Annual Credits:

• $300 hotel credit (FHR or Hotel Collection) = $600/year
• $50 Saks Fifth Avenue = $100/year

Annual Credits:

• $200 Airline Fees
• $300 Equinox membership
• $209 CLEAR Plus
• $200 Oura Ring
• $167 Walmart+ subscription
• $120 Uber One membership

Plus: Centurion Lounge access, Priority Pass, Hilton Gold status, Marriott Gold status.

That's $3,176 in benefits for an $895 fee.

How I Actually Used It

Theory is nice. Here's what I actually did:

San Francisco Staycation

I designed a perfect SF day using the Platinum benefits:

Morning: Shopping

• Lululemon in the Marina → Used my $75 quarterly credit
• Saks in Union Square → Used my $50 semi-annual credit

Lunch: Resy Restaurant

• Alto Vino in Nob Hill → Used my $100 quarterly Resy credit

Afternoon: Spa

• Massage at Equinox Spa → Covered by my $300 annual Equinox credit

Total value captured: ~$525
Out of pocket: Maybe $50 for extras

New York Vacation

Flights:

• United Airlines → Used $200 airline credit on United Travel Bank to book flights
• CLEAR Plus → Skipped the line at security
• Centurion Lounge → Free access with card

Getting Around:

• Uber rides all week → $15/month Uber credit + Uber One benefits

Hotel:

• Conrad Downtown via Fine Hotels & Resorts → $300 credit applied
• Hilton Gold status → Room upgrade, late checkout, free breakfast

Shopping:

• Lululemon and Saks Fifth Avenue → More shopping with the next round of credits

Dinner:

• Kazumi Omakase → Used $100 Resy credit

Total value captured: $700+

My Verdict

Is the Amex Platinum worth $895?

For me: Yes.

I used it to design trips that felt way more expensive than they were. The staycation felt like a luxury day I couldn't normally justify. The New York trip had perks I'd never pay for myself (lounge access, hotel upgrades, fancy dinners).

But here's the catch: you have to use the benefits.

Get the card if:

• You travel 3-4+ times a year
• You're organized (or use a tracker)
• You actually want the credits (Equinox, Lululemon, dining out)
• You value lounge access and hotel status

Skip it if:

• You rarely travel
• You won't remember to use monthly credits
• You don't care about the lifestyle benefits
• You'd rather have simple cash back

The Tracking Problem

The hardest part? Remembering to use everything. There are monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual credits. It's a lot.

That's why I built Credit Card Coups. It tracks all your benefits, shows what resets when, and calculates your actual ROI.

Track your Amex Platinum →

Bottom Line

The Amex Platinum is worth $895 if you design your life around the benefits. I'm not "optimizing" for the sake of it—I'm using the card to do things I actually want to do (nice dinners, spa days, better travel).

If that sounds good, check out the full benefit list and see if it fits your life.

If you just want simple rewards, get a cash back card and call it a day.

---

Track your benefits and see your actual ROI at creditcardcoups.com