Tiger Brokers

Here's How to Dodge the Coming Amex Platinum Fee Hike in 2025

Motley Fool
Aug 20

Image source: Getty Images

Luxury card lovers, listen up: American Express recently confirmed a refresh is coming later this year of its ever-popular Amex Platinum Card -- which likely includes an increase in its annual fee.

The Amex Platinum Card already has one of the highest annual fees on the market -- $695, (see rates and fees) -- meaning another price hike will make the card even harder to justify for some.

Luckily, if you don't already have The Platinum Card® from American Express, applying for the card now allows you to lock in the current annual fee while also enjoying whatever additional perks the refresh introduces.

Lock in a lower annual fee

If the Amex Platinum Card's past is any indication, both new and existing cardholders will gain access to new card perks as soon as they launch.

By applying before the upcoming refresh, you'll pay $695 for your first year, even if the fee increases once the refresh arrives. This gives you time to enjoy all the card's benefits, new and old, without paying the higher cost until your account anniversary.

From there, you can give the updated card a whirl and see if it's worth paying for the following year.

Details of the coming refresh haven't been announced yet, but applying now is definitely the best way to hedge your bets.

Ratings Methodology

The Platinum Card® from American Express

Apply Now for The Platinum Card® from American Express

On American Express' Secure Website.

Terms apply

Rates & Fees

4.90/5Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
4.90/5Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Credit Score:Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent
Apply Now for The Platinum Card® from American Express

On American Express' Secure Website.

Terms apply

Rates & Fees

Credit ScoreCircle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Good/Excellent

Intro APR

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: N/A

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

RewardsCircle with letter I in it. Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®. 1X Membership Rewards® Points on other purchases. Terms apply.

1X-5X Membership Rewards® Points

Annual Fee

$695

Welcome OfferCircle with letter I in it. You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

As High As 175,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

  • This luxury travel card has some of the most prestigious perks you'll find — access to over 1,400 airport lounges, elite status with Hilton and Marriott Bonvoy (enrollment required), and spending credits worth over $1,500 in value every year. Just be ready for the hefty annual fee, which can be offset in the first year with a welcome offer. Terms apply.

    Read Full Review
    • Big welcome offer
    • Substantial spending credits
    • Airport lounge access
    • Hotel benefits
    • Flexible travel points
    • Annual fee
    • Limited bonus categories
    • Spending credits can be complicated to manage
    • You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
    • Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
    • $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
    • $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney+ bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
    • Enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection, with over $500 of annual value if you visit Centurion Lounges and each of our partner lounges including Delta Sky Club® lounges when flying an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations) , select Lufthansa lounges when flying Lufthansa, Plaza Premium lounges and Escape Lounges, and enroll in Priority Pass Select. See terms.
    • A Walmart+ membership can get you free shipping with no order minimum on eligible items shipped by Walmart. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) and receive one statement credit for up to $12.95 (plus applicable taxes. Plus Ups not eligible) each month. Free Shipping excludes most Marketplace items, freight & certain location surcharges. Paramount+ Essential plan only, separate registration required.
    • $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card® Account. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
    • $200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card® Members can ride or dine in style with $15 in Uber Cash each month, plus a bonus $20 in December after adding their Card to their Uber account. Use your Uber Cash on rides and orders in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
    • $199 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps get you to your gate faster by using unique facial attributes to verify you are you at 50+ airports nationwide. Receive up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for your CLEAR Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the Platinum Card®.
    • Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
    • Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
    • Use Global Dining Access by Resy to access premium dining experiences. Receive Priority Notify and unlock insider access to some of the world's most sought-after restaurants with Global Dining Access by Resy. Download the Resy iOS app or log into Resy.com and add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile to take advantage of your special benefits and discover restaurants near you.
    • $695 annual fee.
    • Terms Apply.

Want to learn more? Read our full review of the Amex Platinum Card and lock in a lower annual fee while you still can.

Double-dip on statement credits

Many of the Amex Platinum Card's luxury perks are structured on a calendar-year basis -- creating a valuable "double-dip" opportunity if you apply now.

In other words: If the Amex Platinum Card refresh introduces new statement credits, you could use them from now through the end of the year. Then, once we hit 2026, you could use the perks again before your next annual fee is due.

For example, the Amex Platinum Card currently offers up to $200 in annual hotel credits for select bookings through AmexTravel.com. If that perk sticks around, you could claim your $200 in credits in 2025, then another $200 credit at the start of next year. Terms apply.

You're just further offsetting the Amex Platinum Card's higher cost while you decide if it's a long-term keeper.

Secure the current welcome bonus

The upcoming Amex Platinum Card refresh could also change the card's welcome bonus.

On one hand, the refreshed Amex Platinum Card might come with a sky-high new bonus. On the other hand, the new offer might come with more restrictions, modified terms, or a spending requirement that you simply can't hit.

Or, a third option: Maybe it'll stay exactly the same. In any case, applying now guarantees that you'll get a valuable bonus while paying the current, lower annual fee for your first year.

But the offer right now is a good one: You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

A welcome bonus of as high as 175,000 points is one of the most valuable bonuses I've ever seen, so there's not a ton of harm in applying now. If you do, you'll get the chance at a strong bonus, the opportunity to double-dip on annual perks, and the lower $695 annual fee -- while it lasts.

Ready to test-drive the Amex Platinum Card before it gets refreshed? Read our full review to see if it's a fit for you today.

Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.

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