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In yesterday’s You Just Got an Amex Platinum Card, Here are 20 Things to Do (and 3 Not to Do), I covered the many core benefits of all personal Amex Platinum cards.
Disclaimer: I am not compensated by Amex for use of this or any other Amex link on this blog.
In additional the basic Amex Platinum, there are several co-brand versions of the card with their own additional features. Here they are:
- Current signup bonus through 6/22/16 of 75,000 points after $3,000 purchases within first 3 months of card membership
- Mercedes-Benz logo is cheaply stenciled on card front
- $475 annual fee
- 5x earning at authorized Mercedes-Benz dealerships “excluding monthly loan and lease payments (other restrictions at individual dealerships may apply)”
- $100 certificate after first charge and every card anniversary, valid at Mercedes-Benz dealerships (not online) for accessories (not parts or service); many dealerships have small gift shops for logo merchandise
- $1,000 certificate every cardmember year once reached $5,000 spend, valid to apply to the “purchase price or lease downpayment of a new Mercedes-Benz (excluding Certified Pre-Owned Mercedes-Benz vehicles, the Mercedes-Benz SLS Roadster, the SLS Coupe, and the Sprinter)”
- 2,000 Excess Mileage Waiver “at the time of lease termination of a new Mercedes-Benz vehicle, leased in your name through Mercedes-Benz Financial Services”
- Not to be confused with the regular $95 annual fee Mercedes-Benz Card from American Express, which is an entirely different card and is not a Platinum
Ameriprise Financial Platinum Card:
- No sign-up points bonus, rather this version waives the $450 annual fee in the first year AND waives the $175 authorized user annual fee in the first year (after which first 3 are $175 total, then each additional is $175 each, same as standard Platinum card)
- 5,00o point bonus per $20,000 spend, up to 30,000 bonus points per year
- Current sign-up bonus 40,000 points after $3,000 purchases within first 3 months of card membership (this newly launched card has no prior history of higher bonuses)
- $450 annual fee
- $100/$200 statement credit at sign-up and annually at cardmember anniversary for combined qualifying Schwab account balances of $250,000/$1,000,000
- Redeem points for investments at 1.25 cents per point in blocks of 1,000, this also works with existing Membership Rewards points balances from other cards you may hold, however we will see next year if Schwab sends a 1099 on points redeemed for investments
- Not to be confused with the regular no annual fee Schwab Investor Card from American Express, which is a 1.5% cash back card
- Current sign-up bonus 50,000 points after $1,000 purchases within first 3 months of card membership
- Annual fee $450, high value clients with over $1,000,000 may get the fee waived
- First authorized user free, next 3 $175 total, then $175 each
- $500 cardmember anniversary credit for $100,000 annual spend
- Invest with Reward at 1 cent/point into a Morgan Stanley brokerage account
- Open to Goldman Sachs employees or customers (invitation required)
- $450 annual fee
- 40,000 point bonus for card member year spend of $100,000
Why Bother With All These Versions?
Currently Amex is restricting bonuses to ‘once per lifetime’ so those wanting a new Platinum card each year can cycle through these different flavors collecting each bonus.
Or, those more interested in the benefits or authorized users can find value with Ameriprise or Morgan Stanley.
I personally have had the business, Mercedes-Benz, and now regular personal Platinum card. Next year, maybe Morgan Stanley.
What About the Business Platinum Card? See here.
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Word on the street we as that amex verified account eligibility for the Morgan Stanley and Schwab platinums – that no longer the case?
@Hank – if I follow correctly, you mean to have a Morgan Stantley or Schwab brokerage account to get the cards, which I believe is the case. Schwab brokerage is free and every traveler shoudl consider their checking. I don’t know about Morgan Stanley’s products.
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@john – unfortunately no easy direct resource. These are ones I have heard of over time. I am not aware of multiple versions of the Gold card beyond what is listed on the Amex website and some legacy versions.
osmosis huh? well I was asking to avoid this question…. are there many versions of the gold card that we can cycle through as well?
I have a gold rewards card. Is it beneficial to go to the platinum?
@Paul – the benefits of the Platinum are significantly more if you frequently travel. If you only want the card for earning on your spend, then the gold card has some category bonuses. You may be eligible for an upgrade offer, though usually you will do best in terms of bonus to apply new for a Platinum card if you want that.
Tpg says otherwise regarding global entry on secondary cards: http://thepointsguy.com/2015/08/lounge-access-authorized-users/
Can you please confirm?
@Al – I stand corrected. Yes, the terms say Global Entry is for every AU, once credit per 5 years. I should not have fired off the reply on the road without double checking. I need the TPG (part of Bankrate) copy editors.
Hint taken. However can you confirm the lounge access part for the additional cardholders? They get centurion w 2 guests, priority pass and delta for self? Per secondary cardholder?!?!?
@Al – yes, that is why usually it is $175, the benefits they don’t get, or rather share with the primary, are the airline credits and Global Entry, those are one per account though any can make the spend. Citi Prestige is different, AUs are $50 and get Priority Pass but not Admirals Club.
Do you know if you can get the sign up point bonus for each variety of the Platinum cards?
@Jacques Cukierkorn – my experience has been yes, I did hear one report that may have changed but could not verify or find reports I trust.
6 versions of the PERSONAL Amex Plat is what I meant. Not counting the Business version.
@Ben – yes, the intent was to build on the base with lesser-known co-brands, I will update and next do a post on the nuances on the business version.
LOL @ osmosis. I tried this for years in organic chemistry by falling asleep with my book on my face. Never seemed to work.
These are all the “branded” cards. But you’re not showing the basic personal Amex Plat card, correct? Which would mean there are 6 possible versions of the Amex Plat, right? Well really 5 for the vast majority of people, because of the requirements to get a Goldman Sachs Plat.
@john – osmosis.
how did you find out about these other cards? I cant seem to find them on the amex site.
@Al – I did not say only 3. “Additional Platinum Cards: $0 introductory fee for the first year.” Interpret and implement as you will. 🙂
For the Ameriprise, you are saying we can add 3 secondary cardholders for $0 the first year AND they get all the lounge access perks???
just wanted to add a few caveats about lounge access with the AMEX platinums. You have to have a boarding pass to have access to the Centurion lounges (it cannot be a “seat request” or standby ticket. The Delta SkyClub requires a Delta ticket, but it can be a seat request card.