Amex Platinum Bonus: Up to 175,000 Points Welcome Offer

American Express is offering as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards points on the Platinum Card after $12,000 in purchases within the first six months. Here is how the offer works and whether the $895 fee makes sense for you.

This offer has an unusual twist. It is marketed as "as high as" 175,000 points, and Amex notes that offers vary and some applicants may not be eligible for the top tier. You start the application, find out which offer you were given, and then decide whether to accept it.

Thanks to Amex's "apply with confidence" feature, there is no hard pull unless you accept the offer. That makes it easy to check your number and walk away if it is not good enough.

• Bonus: as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards points, depending on your offer

• Spending requirement: $12,000 within the first six months, or about $2,000 per month

• Annual fee: $895 (Rates & Fees apply)

• Earning: 5x on flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel (up to $500K per year), 5x on prepaid hotels through Amex Travel, and 1x on everything else

• No foreign transaction fees

Publicly available offers on this card rarely get better than this. Some people are targeted for even bigger offers, though that is uncommon. If you want to improve your odds of a targeted offer, make sure you are opted in to marketing emails and mail from Amex.

At 1.7 cents per point, 175,000 points is worth roughly $2,975. Your own value depends on how you redeem, so run the numbers with our Amex Points Calculator.

Amex points can transfer to roughly 20 airline and hotel partners, and that is where outsized value comes from. Two examples:

• Transfer 35,000 points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club for a one-way business class award from Boston (BOS) to London (LHR), with $697 in taxes and fees. The same flight would cost thousands of dollars in cash.

• Transfer 70,000 points to British Airways Club for a one-way Qatar Airways business class award from Miami (MIA) to Doha (DOH), with $235.55 in taxes and fees. Again, the cash price would be thousands of dollars.

Compare award and cash prices with our Award vs Cash Calculator, and watch for transfer bonuses that stretch your points further.

The Amex Platinum follows a "once in a lifetime" rule. If you currently have the card, or have had it (or a previous version of it) in the past, you generally cannot earn the bonus again. Amex's general card restrictions apply on top of that.

• Having other Amex cards does not disqualify you from the Platinum welcome offer

• The usual five-card limit on Amex credit cards does not count the Platinum, since it is not a traditional credit card

• There is no official minimum credit score, but a 700+ score in the good to excellent range is a sensible target. People with lower scores have been approved and people with higher scores have been denied

• You can see a pop-up saying you are not eligible for the offer, even if you think you should be

• Product changing from another Amex card generally does not earn the bonus. You need to apply directly for the card

Some people are eligible for offers with "no lifetime language," meaning they can earn a bonus even if they have held the card before. That is something you would have to be targeted for.

If you are ready to see your offer, start the application and check the number before you accept. If it is below the maximum, you can walk away at no cost to your credit score and try again later, or accept the lower offer if the card still makes sense for you.

For a full breakdown of the credits, see Is the Amex Platinum Worth It?

Beyond credits, the card offers broad airport lounge access, including Amex Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Club access when flying Delta (up to 10 visits per calendar year unless you spend $75,000, with basic economy tickets excluded), and Priority Pass Select lounges. It also comes with Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold status, plus elite status with multiple rental car companies. Enrollment is required for select benefits.

The credits you will actually use matter more than the total on paper. The Resy and lodging credits can be worth close to face value for many people, while others are only worth it if you already spend in those categories.

• The 175,000-point figure is a ceiling, not a guarantee. Your offer may be lower, or you may be ineligible

• The $12,000 spending requirement in six months is steep, and the card only earns 1x on most everyday spending

• The annual fee is $895, and the credits only pay off if you use them. Enrollment is required for select benefits

• Starting January 1, 2027, the Fine Hotels + Resorts lodging credit requires a two-night minimum stay. See our note on the two-night minimum change

If you cannot realistically hit $12,000 in spending, or you would not use most of the credits and lounge access, this card is probably not for you, no matter how large the bonus looks.

The highest offer is currently as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards points after meeting the minimum spending requirement. Different applicants are eligible for different offers.

Generally no. The bonus is only available to those who directly apply for the card under an eligible offer, not to those who product change from another Amex card.

Yes. If you are an authorized user on someone else's Platinum, you can still be eligible for the welcome offer if you apply under your own account.

You can decline with no impact on your credit score and maybe try again later, or accept the lower offer. There is still plenty of value in the card even without the top bonus.

As high as 175,000 points (about $2,975 at 1.7 cents each) is a top-tier offer, but only if you can meet the $12,000 spend and will use the credits. Check your number before you accept.

These are the top credit card welcome bonuses we're tracking. Offers change frequently - see all cards.

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