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As per Reddit, fresh leaks have surfaced about the new refreshed Amex Platinum Card, along with few screenshots of the new benefits. In this post, I won’t be covering the benefits that will remain the same.
Here’s a quick wrap of what we know about new benefits and features based on new leaks this week:
- Annual Fee of $895, an extra $195 for every authorized user
- Customers can choose a design between the current v/s a new mirror finish
- $400 Resy Credit ($100 per quarter)
- $600 Fine Hotels and Resorts/Hotel Collection Credit ($300 bi-annually each calendar year)
- $120 Uber One credit, in addition to the current Uber cash benefit of $200 per year
We’re yet to receive confirmation about the $300 Lululemon credit ($75 per quarter). Also, there’s every chance that all the other existing credits on the Amex Platinum Card will remain unchanged after the refresh is announced on Sept 18, 2025.
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Original Post
The Amex Platinum card polarizes opinions in the miles and points space. There are people who love it and then there are people who absolutely despise how complex and expensive the card has now become. You’ll barely find fence sitters when you bring the topic up during a conversation. By most estimates, Amex will announce changes on the 18th of this month. While, we’ve already seen some leaks and rumors, what should we realistically expect from the refresh. Let’s have a look.
Amex Platinum Card Refresh
Before we speculate, let’s have a look at what Amex has announced. Amex put out a press release right around the refresh of the Chase Sapphire Reserve, which spelled out the announcement about the upcoming refresh to both consumer and business versions of their coveted Platinum Card. For the purpose of this post, we’ll be focusing on the consumer version.
If you carefully parse through the announcement, you’ll see that Amex drops a lot of hints and some of the rumors and leaks are precisely on point.
Travel Dining and Lifestyle
“More than forty years ago, we introduced the Platinum Card, and we continue to offer Platinum Cards with global servicing, unique benefits and experiences that our Card Members love,” said Howard Grosfield, Group President, U.S. Consumer Services. “Platinum Card benefits and services resonate across generations, particularly with Millennial and Gen Z who accounted for 35% of total U.S. Consumer spending last quarter. We’re going to take these Cards to a new level, not only in what they offer in travel, dining and lifestyle benefits, but also in how they look and feel, to meet the evolving needs of our customers.”
This part clearly shows that Amex is going to continue branding the card as a travel and lifestyle card as opposed to a purely premium travel credit card (which I’d rather prefer any day!). However, if you look at the focus on travel, dining and lifestyle it’s no surprise that we’re seeing rumors about the Lululemon and Resy credits. The card seemingly will be primarily aimed at an urban Gen Z and Millennial segment.
Lounge Network Focus
With more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market*, American Express offers access to over 1,550 lounges in more than 500 airports around the world and is opening three new Centurion Lounges globally in the next year — Newark, New Jersey; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Tokyo, Japan — bringing the total number of Centurion Lounges to 32.
It’s clear that Amex is looking to expand their network of lounges. However, for many domestic travelers, the issue about overcrowded Centurion lounges stateside is a sticking point that will need to be fixed if Amex wants to tout this as a key benefit going forward.
Dining/Resy
American Express continues to invest in its dining and curated hotel programs. Resy serves as a powerful network within American Express providing access to reservations in more than 30 countries at over 20,000 restaurants worldwide, and the recent acquisition of Tock will add 7,000 restaurants, wineries and venues to the platform
While the Resy credit rumor is already there, I’d love to see some sort of a multiplier for dining related spend. However, given that the Amex Gold Card already offers more on the dining front, I’m skeptical whether Amex will try to make similar changes to the Platinum card as well
Events /Festivals
In addition, American Express offers access to unique experiences across the U.S. and around the globe, from motor sports and tennis to music festivals and sporting events, all with the powerful backing of award-winning global servicing and digital capabilities. American Express partners with leading brands on the Platinum Card and plans to announce more as part of the Card refresh.
This makes we wonder if Amex will introduce something similar to what Chase Sapphire Reserve did recently with their refresh. The new Chase Sapphire Reserve offers a credit for Stubhub purchases up to $300. I won’t be surprised if Amex comes up with something similar, may be with Ticketmaster? American Express does have an existing relationship with Ticketmaster.
The Pundit’s Mantra
Given the leaks and rumors so far, I won’t be surprised if Amex gets rid of Uber and Saks credits. I don’t think Amex will ‘de-couponify’ the card at all. It’s just that I’m hoping that the ‘coupons’ are category focused as opposed to brand focused. A global ride share credit as opposed to Uber cash every month would be of much better value. A Ticketmaster credit could also be on the cards (no pun intended :))
We should know all the details in a couple of weeks. My annual fee on the card won’t be charged until January, so I do plan to hold on, adopting a wait and see approach.
What’s your strategy with the impending refresh looming large? What do you expect, given all the hints that Amex has dropped so far? Tell us in the comments section.
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New Credit Card Offers
American Express Business Credit Cards
- Earn 200,000 Membership Rewards points with the Business Platinum Card
- Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards and enjoy a 0% intro APR on the Business Gold Card
Chase Sapphire Cards
- Earn 125,000 bonus points with the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card
- Earn 200,000 bonus points with the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card for Business
Co-Branded Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards
- Earn 185,000 bonus points with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card
- Earn 155,000 bonus points with the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card
- Earn 125,000 bonus points with the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card
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Completely irrelevant for the UK. Surely these articles can be regionalised in this day and age!!!!