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American Express® Platinum Card
Packed full of useful travel benefits, the American Express Platinum Card is one of the best publicly-available cards in Australia for frequent flyers.
- Signup bonus
- 150,000 bonus Membership Rewards points, when you spend $5,000 or more within the first 3 months of becoming a Card Member. T&Cs apply. New Card Members only.
- Points Earned
- Earn 2.25 Membership Rewards points per $1 on all eligible purchases, except for spend with government bodies, for which you will earn 1 point per $1 spent
- Notable Benefits
- $450 Travel Credit annually Up to $400 annual Global Dining Credit until 31 December 2024. Up to $84 per calendar year in Amazon Prime Subscription Credit until 31 December 2025.
- Annual fee
- $1,450 p.a.
The owner of Australian Frequent Flyer may receive a commission from the card issuer for each applicant of this card.
Why we like the American Express Platinum Card
Packed full of useful travel benefits, the American Express Platinum Card is one of the best publicly-available cards in Australia for frequent flyers.
With a $1,450 annual fee, this metal card is not for everyone. But the return on investment for the high annual fee is strong, as you’ll get a lot of useful benefits! This includes an annual travel credit, dining credits and unlimited access to Virgin Australia, Delta, Lufthansa, Priority Pass, Plaza Premium and Amex Centurion airport lounges.
There are also some great hotel perks including a free annual hotel night, Accor Plus membership and complimentary elite status with Hilton, Marriott and Radisson.
For points collectors, this is one of the most lucrative cards available in Australia. You’ll earn 2.25 Amex Membership Rewards Ascent Premium points per $1 spent on eligible transactions. Points transfer to most frequent flyer programs at a 2:1 rate.
You can convert your Amex points to around 12 airlines including Qantas, Virgin Australia, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates and Etihad! Plus, you can transfer points to two hotel loyalty programs for even more redemption possibilities.
Key Information & How to Apply
Key facts about this card
- Card type
- American Express
- Signup bonus
- 150,000 bonus Membership Rewards points, when you spend $5,000 or more within the first 3 months of becoming a Card Member. T&Cs apply. New Card Members only.
- Annual fee
- $1,450 p.a.
- Interest-free days
- Up to 44 days
- Minimum monthly repayment
- 100% of outstanding balance
- Minimum credit limit
- This is a charge card, meaning there is no pre-set spending limit but you must pay off the balance in full each month
- International transaction fee
- 3%
To apply for this card, you will need
- To be an Australian citizen, resident or long-term visa holder aged 18 or over
- No history of bad debt or payment default
- Your Australian driver’s licence number and proof of income
- 10-15 minutes to complete your application
The owner of Australian Frequent Flyer may receive a commission from the card issuer for each applicant of this card.
Contents
Sign-up bonus
Apply for an American Express Platinum Card by 25 June 2024 to earn 150,000 Amex Membership Rewards Premium Ascent points! That’s equal to 75,000 Qantas Points, Velocity Points or Cathay Asia Miles.
To receive the bonus points, you would need to spend at least $5,000 on eligible transactions on your card within the first 3 months.
Amex Membership Rewards Premium Ascent points can be transferred to 14 different airline and hotel loyalty programs, generally at a 2:1 conversion rate. You’re then free to spend those points however you like, including for reward flights and upgrades with an airline of your choice.
To learn more about which loyalty programs you can convert Amex Membership Rewards points into, see our Overview of Amex Membership Rewards Transfer Partners.
Alternatively, you could redeem 150,000 Amex Membership Rewards points for a gift card worth around $750.
This offer is not available to existing Amex Card Members, or if you have been the primary Card Member of an Australian Amex card in the past 18 months.
Travel benefits
A unique feature of the American Express Platinum Card in Australia is the sheer amount of additional travel benefits and perks that come with it. You’ll be travelling in style with the many airport lounge, hotel and other benefits!
Here’s an overview of the travel benefits you can expect…
Airport lounge access
The Amex Platinum Card doesn’t just give you a couple of lounge passes to use each year. In total, you’ll have unlimited access to over 1,400 airport lounges in around 140 countries for you and at least one guest!
You’ll get access to all Amex Centurion, Priority Pass, Plaza Premium and Escape Lounges at any airports where these lounges are available – regardless of which airline you’re flying. However, the Priority Pass benefit does not extend to accessing food & beverage credits at airport restaurants.
You’ll also get access to Virgin Australia Lounges when flying with Virgin Australia, and Delta Sky Club Lounges with a same-day Delta Air Lines boarding pass.
Plus, enjoy access to any Lufthansa Business Lounge when flying Lufthansa in Economy or Premium Economy. And if you have a Lufthansa Business Class ticket, you can use your Amex Platinum Card to upgrade to the Lufthansa Senator Lounge. (Despite the name, this is nicer than the Business Lounge!)
As an Amex Platinum Card Member, you can also bring a guest with you into most lounges.
If you have additional Card Members (you can add up to four at no extra cost), they can get access to all Plaza Premium Lounges when travelling without the primary Card Member. You may also nominate one additional Card Member to receive unlimited Priority Pass lounge access. Within Australia alone, Amex Platinum Card Members can access around 23 airport lounges (click to see the full list).
Hotel benefits
As an American Express Platinum Card Member, you’ll automatically be eligible for elite status with multiple hotel loyalty programs – without needing to complete any hotel stays. You’ll then be able to use the benefits of that status tier whenever you stay at a hotel that participates in that loyalty program and book direct.
Here’s an overview of the hotel status benefits afforded by the American Express Platinum charge Card:
| Hotel program | Status level | Key benefits of this status level |
|---|---|---|
| Hilton Honors | Gold | • Every fifth night free on standard room awards of 5+ nights • Complimentary gym access and two bottles of water • 80% tier bonus points • My Way Gold benefits, including free breakfast at most brands • Complimentary room upgrade at Conrad, Hilton & Doubletree hotels (subject to availability) |
| Marriott Bonvoy | Gold | • Late checkout • 25% bonus points • Welcome gift • Room upgrades (subject to availability) |
| Radisson Rewards | Premium | • Free room upgrades (subject to availability) • Early check-in & late check-out • “My Favorite Hotel” benefits at a specific hotel of your choice |
| Accor ALL | Silver (via Accor Plus membership) | • Late checkout • Welcome drink • Higher points earn rate |
| Fine Hotels + Resorts | Receive exclusive benefits | • Guaranteed 4pm late checkout • 12pm checkin, when available • Room upgrades (subject to availability) • Daily breakfast for two, or a complimentary amenity valued at US $100 • Complimentary Wi-Fi |
The Accor Silver membership is a benefit of Accor Plus Explorer membership, valued at $399 per year if bought individually, which you can get for free as an Amex Platinum Card member.
In addition to Accor ALL Silver status, Accor Plus gets you the following benefits at participating Accor hotel brands in the Asia-Pacific region:
- One “Stay Plus complimentary night” per year (subject to room availability, which can be limited at peak times)
- 10% off room bookings
- 25-50% off dining at Accor hotels
- 15% off drinks bills at Accor hotels in Asia
Travel credits & discounts
You’ll get a $450 credit to spend each year on eligible flights, hotels or car hire when booking with the Amex Platinum Travel Service. (This can be used towards a single booking only.) Since 1 May 2023, you’ll receive this as a credit back to your account after making your booking.
You can also access airfare discounts of up to 20% when booking Business or First Class flights on selected airlines including Qantas, Virgin Australia, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways and Emirates through the Amex Platinum Travel Service.
Complimentary travel insurance
This Card comes with complimentary domestic and international travel insurance, including some cover for COVID-19. This insurance is underwritten by Chubb and is available when you purchase return flights using your Amex Platinum Card.
Before using this insurance, we’d encourage you to read the PDS here.
Earning points
With the American Express Platinum Card, you’ll earn 2.25 American Express Membership Rewards Ascent Premium points per $1 spent on eligible transactions (excluding government payments). That’s effectively 1.125 airline points or miles per dollar (with most frequent flyer programs) once the conversion rate is considered.
There is no monthly or annual point-earning cap. You can earn an unlimited number of points at the full rate.
Amex Membership Rewards points do not expire as long as your account remains active. Therefore, it would be a good idea to keep them in your Amex account until you’re ready to use them. Or, wait for a good bonus offer before transferring them to an airline!
Earning points for ATO & government payments
Payments made directly to the Australian Tax Office (ATO) or other government bodies in Australia with your Amex Platinum Card will earn points at a reduced rate of 1 Amex Membership Rewards point per $1 (effectively 0.5 or 0.33 airline points or miles per $1).
However, you can use a payment service such as pay.com.au or Sniip to pay tax and other bills with this card, and still earn points at the full rate!
Amex Offers
From time to time, American Express Card Members receive exclusive offers of bonus points or cashback when spending at specific retailers. These Amex Offers can be quite lucrative.
Amex also runs Shop Small promotions from time to time, giving rewards for shopping at participating small businesses.
Using Amex Membership Reward points
Amex Membership Rewards points earned with the Platinum Card can be converted to 12 airlines and 2 hotel loyalty programs, generally at a 2:1 conversion rate. Here’s the full list:
| Transfer partners | 1 Amex Point equals… |
|---|---|
| Air New Zealand Airpoints | 0.005 Airpoints Dollars |
| Cathay (Asia Miles) | 0.5 miles |
| Emirates Skywards | 0.33 miles |
| Etihad Guest | 0.5 miles |
| Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles | 0.5 miles |
| Hilton Honors | 0.5 miles |
| Malaysia Airlines Enrich | 0.5 points |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 0.67 points |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer (only with Amex Platinum Card) | 0.5 points |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club | 0.5 Avios |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 0.33 miles |
| THAI Royal Orchid Plus | 0.5 miles |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 0.5 points |
| Velocity Frequent Flyer | 0.5 points |
See our Overview of Amex Membership Rewards Transfer Partners for more information.
Note that the option to transfer points to Qantas Frequent Flyer is an exclusive benefit for Amex Membership Rewards Ascent Premium members including Platinum Card Members. It is not possible to transfer points earned from most other American Express credit cards – nor from other Australian bank-operated rewards programs – to Qantas Frequent Flyer.
Alternatively, you could redeem your points through the Amex Membership Rewards program for rewards including:
- Gift cards
- David Jones credit
- Amex Travel Online
- Helloworld travel gift cards
- Cash back
Other useful card benefits
But wait, there are even more perks for Card Members! (We really were serious when we said this card is packed full of useful travel benefits…)
Global dining credit
Receive a $200 annual dining credit to use at participating restaurants in Australia, as well as a $200 credit for overseas restaurants. (This benefit will continue to be available until at least the end of 2024.)
Other complimentary credits
You can get vouchers to use with Langton’s brokerage service and an $84 annual Amazon Prime subscription credit.
Digital news subscriptions
Amex Platinum Card Members receive complimentary digital subscriptions to two newspapers: The Australian (worth $364/year) and Wall Street Journal (worth around $166/year).
Access to the Amex Experiences App
The Amex Experiences App makes it easier for you to access the Premium Concierge service, and check out the latest information on Platinum benefits, travel offers, events and recommended merchants.
The App is available for download on Google Play or the App Store. This is not a replacement for the Amex App but can be used alongside it.
Personal vs Business Amex Platinum cards
This guide covers the personal Amex Platinum card, but American Express also offers a version of this card for businesses.
The American Express Platinum Business Card offers many of the same benefits as the personal American Express Platinum Card, but there are a few differences.
Some of the unique features only offered by the personal Amex Platinum Card include:
- A $450 annual travel credit
- Access to Plaza Premium, Delta Sky Club, Lufthansa and Escape airport lounges
- Complimentary access into Priority Pass lounges for one guest with each visit
- Receive $400 worth of dining credits and up to $150 in fashion credits each year
- A lower annual fee of $1450 (instead of $1,750 with the Amex Platinum Business Card)
But there are also some features only offered with the Amex Platinum Business Card, including:
- The possibility to add up to 99 Employee Card Members at no additional cost
- The Employee Card Members can also use the travel insurance benefits
- Up to 55 cash flow days (instead of 44 days) and flexible payment options
- Car rental benefits such as discounts and upgrades with Hertz and Avis upon enrolment
Benefits offered by both cards include:
- Amex Membership Rewards points are earned at the same rate
- Access to Virgin Australia, Amex Centurion and Priority Pass airport lounges
- Hotel status benefits
- Complimentary Accor Plus membership
- Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection benefits
- Subscription to The Australian and Wall Street Journal
- Complimentary travel insurance
Summary
Pros
- High points earn rate on everyday spend with no monthly or annual cap
- Transfer points to your choice of a large selection of airlines and hotels as needed
- Great travel benefits including unlimited access to many airport lounges and various hotel status benefits
- Add up to four additional Card Members at no charge
- Gift Priority Pass membership to one additional cardholder
- Offset the annual fee with travel, dining and fashion credits, Accor Plus membership, flight discounts and The Australian subscription
- Complimentary international travel insurance
- This card is physically made of metal and is compatible with Apple Pay & Google Pay
- No pre-defined credit limit as this is a charge card
Cons
- High annual fee
- International transaction fees apply
- Points are earned at a reduced rate when spending with government bodies
- American Express cards are not as widely accepted as Visa & Mastercard
- Signup bonus
- 150,000 bonus Membership Rewards points, when you spend $5,000 or more within the first 3 months of becoming a Card Member. T&Cs apply. New Card Members only.
- Points Earned
- Earn 2.25 Membership Rewards points per $1 on all eligible purchases, except for spend with government bodies, for which you will earn 1 point per $1 spent
- Notable Benefits
- $450 Travel Credit annually Up to $400 annual Global Dining Credit until 31 December 2024. Up to $84 per calendar year in Amazon Prime Subscription Credit until 31 December 2025.
- Annual fee
- $1,450 p.a.
The owner of Australian Frequent Flyer may receive a commission from the card issuer for each applicant of this card.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
To apply for an Amex Platinum Card in Australia, you would need to be an Australian citizen, resident or long-term visa holder. Other criteria may apply.
There is no defined credit limit on the Amex Platinum Card because it is a charge card. However, this does not mean you can spend an unlimited amount as Amex will adjust the amount it allows you to spend based each month on a range of factors.
No, the American Express Platinum card is a charge card. This means there is no pre-set spending limit, but you will need to pay off the card balance in full each month.
Yes, but payments to government bodies including the Australian Tax Office (ATO) will earn points at a reduced rate of 1 Amex point per dollar (instead of 2.25 points per dollar). You can still earn full points on ATO payments by using a bill payment service such as Sniip or pay.com.au.
Unlike most plastic credit cards, the American Express Platinum Card is made of stainless steel. This also means it weighs slightly more than regular credit cards.
Amex Membership Rewards points do not expire, as long as your account remains open and in good standing. This can be useful as it means you can “warehouse” points in your account and then transfer points to a frequent flyer program of your choice as needed – preventing them from expiring in the airline’s program.
This card does not offer additional ways to earn status credits with airlines, although you can of course use your card (including any travel credits) to purchase flights and earn status credits for those flights.
Australian Amex Platinum Card members receive Hilton Honors Gold status, Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite, Radisson Rewards Premium status and Accor ALL Silver status via Accor Plus.
Yes, Amex Platinum Card Members can add up to four additional Card Members at no cost. Additional Card Members must be at least 16 years old and are eligible to receive some, but not all, of the travel benefits available to the primary cardholder.