Let’s continue with some updates about U.S. credit cards: the American Express Platinum Card underwent a major revamp on September 18, and the perks have been significantly boosted. Great news for the likes of us who are cardholders that live overseas.
FHR (Fine Hotels + Resorts)
The annual $200 credit has been upgraded to $300, awarded twice a year, and that’s triple the original value! Since I had already heard rumours of this revamp, I quickly used up my previous $200 credit, and now my progress bar shows a refreshed $300!
It means that I’ve got a total $500 of credit to spend this year.
Streaming services
The monthly streaming credit has increased from $20 to $25, with YouTube and Paramount Plus added as eligible services. In this day and age, YouTube Premium feels almost essential, and this benefit finally saves many people from juggling Turkish, Ukrainian, or Argentine subscriptions.
Resy
A new $100 quarterly Resy credit has been added, technically limited to use within the U.S. territory. But there’s a neat trick going around: some restaurant websites allow you to buy gift cards, and if the purchase site runs on Toasttab, it can trigger the Resy credit. You can stockpile the gift cards and use them later when visiting the U.S.
Act quickly as the current quarter is ending soon.
LHW (The Leading Hotels of the World)
Platinum now comes with a complimentary match to Sterling status, which normally requires $5,000 annual spend at LHW hotels. To be honest, the benefits aren’t a huge leap from the (free) base membership: just an extra 5% points boost and five annual room-upgrade certificates.
Other additions include Uber One, Oura Ring, and lululemon perks, though as far as I understand they don’t have value unless you live in the States. One highlight that cannot be missed: the new mirror-finish card design looks amazing!
Amex has made things very user-friendly: you can simply request a replacement card via the website or app, and it’ll be shipped to the mailing address on your account. Mine’s set to the UK, and Amex sent it via DHL express. Should arrive in a few days!
Of course, these upgrades don’t come free – the annual fee has risen from $695 to $895. I was a bit hesitant about keeping the U.S. Platinum, since the values I could get were just the $250 United TravelBank cash and $200 FHR, not enough to cover the annual fee. The maths seem to become easier now.
On the other hand, as for my UK Platinum – I just used up the (UK) restaurant credit and plan to downgrade to Gold soon. If you are also interested in getting the US card, you may find this Global Transfer post useful.
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