September 29, 2025
Amex Platinum Cards Refresh: New Credits, Higher Fees, and What It Means for You
Episode Description
Back in June, Chase refreshed its personal Sapphire Reserve card and introduced the Chase Sapphire Reserve Business card, complete with highest ever annual fees for rewards cards. Not to be outdone, American Express quickly followed with its own updates to the personal and business Platinum Cards. Now that the details are here, it’s time to look at what’s changed and what it means for cardholders.
In this episode, I’m joined by Kelly, the Points and Miles Doc to walk through the Amex Platinum cards refresh. We cover the higher annual fees, the new credits, and why the personal Platinum still struggles with bonus categories. You’ll also hear our reactions to the removal of the 35% rebate on the business Platinum, the addition of a $600 hotel credit, and the new 2X earning on large purchases over $5,000.
We share our thoughts on whether the $895 annual fee on the personal Platinum makes sense, how the new benefits are user-dependent, and why the business Platinum refresh feels more useful for high spenders.
Turn your expenses into points and save tens of thousands of dollars a year on your wishlist travel. Don’t miss out! Click here to know more about my comprehensive online program, Points Made Easy.
What You’ll Learn from this Episode
- How the personal Platinum’s annual fee increased to $895 and what you get in return
- Which new credits were added and why some are harder to use
- Why the personal Platinum still only stands out for 5X on flights
- What Amex took away from the business Platinum — including the 35% rebate
- Why the new hotel credit and 2X on $5,000+ purchases are significant
- How to decide if either Platinum card deserves a spot in your wallet
Featured on the Show:
- Follow me on Instagram
- Get on the waitlist for the Points Made Easy Course here!
- Get My Cash-Back Credit Card Cheat Sheet!
- If you have any questions or you want me to dive deeper into a specific topic, email me here: podcast@pointmetofirstclass.com
- Follow Kelly the Points and Miles Doc on Instagram
- Amex Platinum Card
Click here to download full episode transcript
Enjoy the Show?
- Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or RSS.
- Leave me a review in Apple Podcasts.
Point Me to First Class is the show for professionals and business owners with higher-than-average personal or business expenses, who want to learn to leverage these expenses into credit card points they can spend on travel.
Each week, I share valuable tips, tools, and strategies to help you uplevel your skills earning and redeeming credit card points, so you can expand your travel and expand your experiences.
