We all know what you are pondering: Why pay hefty annual charges on two playing cards that earn the identical kind of factors? Nicely, for us (and lots of others), it is totally worthwhile.
Certainly, the mixed $1,000-plus price ticket on The Platinum Card® from American Categorical and American Categorical® Gold Card could be confronting. Nevertheless, the incomes charges and perks on these playing cards differ considerably.
If you wish to speed up your earnings, maximize card advantages and defend your purchases, it may possibly make sense to carry each the Platinum and Gold playing cards. Listed below are 4 the reason why.
Earn two welcome bonuses
In the course of the first yr that you’ve got a card, the welcome bonus is without doubt one of the most beneficial advantages, if not essentially the most useful. Between these two playing cards, you may earn as much as 275,000 bonus Membership Rewards factors:
- Amex Platinum: Discover out your provide and see if you’re eligible for as excessive as 175,000 bonus factors after spending $8,000 on purchases inside the first six months of card membership. (Welcome presents range and also you might not be eligible for a proposal.)
- Amex Gold: Discover out your provide and see if you’re eligible for as excessive as 100,000 bonus factors after spending $6,000 on purchases inside the first six months of card membership. (Welcome presents range and also you might not be eligible for a proposal.)
TPG’s July 2025 valuations peg American Categorical Membership Rewards factors at 2 cents apiece, that means these mixed welcome bonuses are price as much as $5,500.
There are a few software restrictions to concentrate on:
- You may solely earn a welcome provide on every card as soon as per lifetime.
- It is best to use for the Gold first after which the Platinum; for those who do it the opposite means round, you will probably be ineligible to earn the Gold’s welcome provide.
Associated: A whole information to Amex’s one-bonus-per-lifetime restrictions
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Speed up your earnings
You may earn 1000’s of additional factors annually through the use of the suitable card for every buy. A basic information is to make use of the:
Let’s dive into the numbers.
Utilizing the Platinum to ebook flights, you will earn 5 factors per greenback spent instantly with airways or with American Categorical Journey®*, in comparison with 3 factors per greenback on the Amex Gold.
For pay as you go accommodations booked by way of Amex Journey, Platinum is once more the way in which to go, incomes 5 factors per greenback spent as an alternative of simply 2 factors per greenback with the Amex Gold.
Then, you will need to use the Amex Gold to your grocery and eating purchases. You may earn 4 factors per greenback spent at eating places worldwide** and at U.S. supermarkets***. With the Platinum, you’d solely earn 1 level per greenback spent in these classes.
* On as much as $500,000 of those purchases yearly, then 1 level per greenback
** On as much as $50,000 in purchases per calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback
*** On as much as $25,000 on purchases per calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback
Associated: Easy methods to earn over 300,000 factors in a yr
Maximize assertion credit
Each playing cards present annual assertion credit that may put a whole bunch or 1000’s of {dollars} again in your pocket.
The Amex Gold’s $325 annual price (see charges and costs) is greater than offset by as much as $424 in assertion credit, that are primarily centered on eating, together with an:
- As much as $50 biannual Resy credit score: At Resy-affiliated U.S. eating places
- As much as $10 month-to-month eating credit score: At choose retailers like 5 Guys and Grubhub
- As much as $10 month-to-month Uber Money^: For Uber rides or Uber Eats orders within the U.S.
- As much as $7 month-to-month Dunkin’ credit score: At U.S. Dunkin’ areas
Enrollment is required.
^Uber Money will solely be deposited into one Uber account if you add the eligible Amex card as a cost technique and redeem with any Amex card.
In the meantime, the Amex Platinum’s excessive $695 annual price (see charges and costs) could be greater than offset by assertion credit, so long as you maximize all of them. The bulk are travel- and lifestyle-focused, with a few of our favorites being an:
- As much as $209 annual Clear Plus credit score: To cowl your annual membership (topic to auto-renewal)
- As much as $200 annual airline price credit score: Together with your most popular airline
- As much as $200 annual resort credit score: To offset pay as you go bookings with Amex Wonderful Accommodations + Resorts or The Resort Assortment (minimal two-night keep)
- As much as $20 month-to-month digital leisure credit score: Together with Disney+ and Peacock subscriptions
- As much as $15 month-to-month Uber Money^: For Uber rides or Uber Eats orders within the U.S.; bonus $20 in December (for a complete of $35 that month)
Enrollment is required.
Associated: American Categorical Gold vs. American Categorical Platinum: Which one is best for you?
Defend your purchases and journey
Each the American Categorical Platinum and Gold playing cards provide prolonged guarantee and buy safety advantages.
Nevertheless, the Amex Platinum card presents extra complete safety advantages, particularly for frequent vacationers, whereas the Amex Gold card gives extra restricted protection.
The purchasing and journey protections that the Amex Platinum presents (however the Amex Gold does not) embrace:
- Cellphone safety
- Emergency medical transportation (if coordinated by the profit administrator)
- Journey cancellation and interruption insurance coverage*
- Journey delay insurance coverage*
- Larger protection for automobile rental loss and injury, and baggage and journey delay insurance coverage
*Eligibility and profit degree varies by card. Phrases, circumstances and limitations apply. Go to americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for particulars. Insurance policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance coverage Firm, an AIG Firm.
When it does not make sense
Holding each the Amex Platinum and Gold playing cards might not be cost-effective for everybody. Contemplate the next:
- Lounge entry: If you happen to not often use airport lounges or do not spend sufficient on the Platinum to unlock visitor entry, you could not get sufficient worth from the cardboard.
- Grocery purchases: If you happen to primarily store at big-box retailers like Walmart or Goal, or by way of grocery supply companies that do not code as “supermarkets”, you may not earn bonus factors in these classes.
- Assertion credit: Assess whether or not you already spend on companies (like Grubhub and Uber) that you will obtain assertion credit for; if not, you could find yourself spending unnecessarily to “save” cash.
Backside line
The Amex Gold card’s decrease annual price and bonus factors on eating and groceries might go well with many customers, whereas the Platinum card’s greater price is price it for many who can maximize its journey perks.
Combining each playing cards can enhance your Amex factors steadiness, elevate your travels and offset your spending on way of life purchases.
To study extra, learn our full evaluations of the Amex Platinum and Amex Gold playing cards.
Apply right here: Amex Gold
Apply right here: Amex Platinum
For charges and costs of the Amex Platinum Card, please click on right here.
For charges and costs of the Amex Gold Card, please click on right here.
