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To get the most perks of any credit card and top treatment while you’re travelling, the
To make it even more enticing, the welcome bonus on the card just got better.
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Amex Platinum card new welcome bonus
The
How does it work? It’s broken down into 2 parts:
- 50,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months, and
- another 10,000 points when you keep the card for 6 months.
The original welcome bonus is still here – earn 50,000 points after spending $3,000 in 3 months.
But now, just for keeping the card for 6 months, you’ll earn an additional 10,000 bonus points.
And since you have to pay that annual fee of $699 as part of your first bill, you were probably going to keep it for at least the first year anyway to get the most out of this card. So consider the 10,000 additional points as a free bonus.
What the welcome bonus is worth
So how much are these 60,000 points worth? Amex Membership Reward points can be used in 4 ways when redeemed for travel, and here’s what they’re worth for each option.
Transfer to Aeroplan – up to $1,500 in value
Membership Reward points can be transferred to 6 different airlines, including Aeroplan at a 1:1 ratio.
We value an Aeroplan mile at up to 2.5 cents each when redeemed for flights within North America, making the welcome bonus worth up to $1,500.
Fixed Points Travel Program – up to $1,050 in value
Prefer to get more flexibility on your flights than what Aeroplan would offer? You can use the Amex Fixed Points Travel Program instead, and book a flight on any airline of your choosing.
Select flights will get you a value of up to 2 cents per mile, but for most people the best value will be 1.75 cents per point, giving the welcome bonus a value of $1,050.
Transfer to Marriott Bonvoy – up to $696 in value
Membership Rewards points can also be transferred to Marriott Bonvoy at a 5:6 ratio. We value a Marriott Bonvoy point at 0.97 cents each when redeemed for free hotel nights.
Since the transfer essentially gives a value boost of 20%, each Membership Rewards point value becomes 1.16 cents each, giving the bonus a total value of $696.
Redeem for any travel – $600
The final travel option is the simplest – simply charge any travel purchase from any provider to your card and use your points to pay for it.
It has the lowest value of these options at 1 cent per point, for a total value of $600, but you’ll always know exactly what you’ll get with this option.
Amex Platinum card details
Besides the welcome bonus, what does this card offer?
For starters, here’s what you’ll earn on your daily purchases:
- 3 points per $1 on restaurants,
- 2 points per $1 on travel, and
- 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.
And while those aren’t the greatest earn rates among Amex Membership Rewards cards, it comes with a long set of perks to give you great value, some of which include:
- $200 annual travel credit,
- complimentary lounge access for the primary cardholder and a guest at Priority Pass and Amex Centurion lounges,
- automatic advanced status in 4 hotel programs, including Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors, and
- access to Amex Fine Hotels And Resorts as well as the Hotel Collection.
And that’s just a taste of what it offers.
Your thoughts
What are your thoughts on this new deal?
Does this new bonus make you more interested in the card?
Let us know in the comments below.
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