Comparing the Versions of the Amex Platinum Card

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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:

Amex Platinum Mercedes-BenzMercedes-Benz Platinum Card:

  • 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

Amex Platinum AmeripriseAmeriprise 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

Amex Platinum Charles SchwabCharles Schwab Platinum Card:

  • 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

Amex Platinum Morgan StanleyMorgan Stanley Platinum 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

Goldman Sachs Platinum Card:

  • 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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[…] April, I posted a comparison of the many versions of the Amex Platinum card (found here). Even though all of the Platinum cards cost $550 per year (except for the business version which […]

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[…] Travel Chai recently posted a comparison of the many versions of the Amex Platinum card (found here).  Even though they all cost $450 per year (except for the Mercedes branded version which costs […]

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[…] for each additional after 3.  The Amex Ameriprise, however, waives the authorized user fee, and as Rapid Travel Chai hints towards, you can have as many authorized users as you like and the fee for all of them is […]

Hank
Hank
8 years ago

Word on the street we as that amex verified account eligibility for the Morgan Stanley and Schwab platinums – that no longer the case?

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[…] Comparing all the Platinum card versions. If your favorite blogger is actively pumping to you the 40k offer, you are the sucker! […]

john
john
8 years ago

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?

Paul
Paul
8 years ago

I have a gold rewards card. Is it beneficial to go to the platinum?

Al
Al
8 years ago

Tpg says otherwise regarding global entry on secondary cards: http://thepointsguy.com/2015/08/lounge-access-authorized-users/

Can you please confirm?

Al
Al
8 years ago

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?!?!?

Jacques Cukierkorn
Jacques Cukierkorn
8 years ago

Do you know if you can get the sign up point bonus for each variety of the Platinum cards?

Ben
Ben
8 years ago

6 versions of the PERSONAL Amex Plat is what I meant. Not counting the Business version.

Ben
Ben
8 years ago

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
john
8 years ago

how did you find out about these other cards? I cant seem to find them on the amex site.

Al
Al
8 years ago

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???

Plane2port
8 years ago

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.