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American Express is globally known for its range of premium credit cards, and the air mile benefits they offer. In India, American Express has only one offering in the travel category- The American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card, which is among the most premium AmEx Credit Cards.

It comes with attractive welcome benefits and plenty of milestone benefits in the form of Membership Rewards Points, which can be redeemed not just for travel-related expenses like booking air tickets, hotels, and cars on the Amex Travel Online portal but also for shopping vouchers at online shopping sites, and e-vouchers on American Express’s online shopping portal. You can even make credit card bill payments under Amex’s Cash + Points scheme. However, under the Cash + Points scheme, 1000 Membership Rewards Points are equivalent to Rs. 250. Apart from the welcome and milestone benefits, you also earn 1 Membership Rewards Points for every Rs. 50 spent using the card (with a few exceptions).

American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card
(4.6/5)

Fees

Joining Fee

Nil

Renewal Fee

Rs. 5,000 + GST

Best Suited For

Travel |

Reward Type

Reward Points

Welcome Benefits

10,000 Membership Rewards Points

Movie & Dining

Up to 20% discount at select restaurants.

Rewards Rate

1 Membership Rewards Points for every Rs. 50 spent

Reward Redemption

Membership Rewards Points can be redeemed for online shopping vouchers, INSTA rewards for offline purchases, transfer to various flight and hotel loyalty programmes and for making credit card bill payments under the Cash + Points scheme.

Travel

Complimentary domestic airport lounge access per year and Priority Pass membership for international lounge access.

Golf

N/A

Domestic Lounge Access

2 Domestic Lounge Access Every Quarter (8 Each Year)

International Lounge Access

Priority Pass Membership (lounge access program) with USD 99 annual fee waived off.

Insurance Benefits

N/A

Zero Liability Protection

No liability on cardholder for fraudulent use provided the loss of card is reported within 3 days. Liability limited to Rs. 1000 if loss of card reported after 3 days.

Spend Based Waiver

N/A

Rewards Redemption Fee

Nil

Rewards Redemption Fee

Nil

Foreign Currency Markup

3.5% of the transaction amount

Interest Rates

3.5% per month

Fuel Surcharge

No fuel surcharge at HPCL fuel stations for transactions of up to Rs. 5,000, 1% surcharge on transactions above Rs. 5,000

Cash Advance Charges

3.5% of the transaction amount subject to a minimum charge of Rs. 250.

Add-on Card Fee

Nil up to 2 add-on cards, Rs. 1500/card thereafter.

  • Welcome Gift of 10,000 Membership Rewards Points.
  • 1 Membership Rewards Points for every Rs. 50 spent.
  • Rewards Points-based Milestone benefits on reaching milestones like expenditure of Rs. 1.9 lakh / 4 lakh in a membership year.
  • Complimentary Taj Stay voucher on expenditure of Rs. 4 lakh in a membership year.
  • 8 domestic airport lounge access every year (max 2 per quarter).
  • 0% convenience fee at all HPCL fuel stations across India.

American Express Platinum Travel Card Features and Benefits

Being one of the premium credit cards issued by American Express, the Platinum Travel Card offers some great privileges across different categories, especially travel. To understand all the features and benefits of this card in detail, refer to the detailed information provided further in the article:

Welcome Benefits

You get 10,000 American Express Membership Rewards Points as a welcome benefit, which can be redeemed on e-commerce websites like Flipkart for shopping e-vouchers from Amex’s store and for payment towards your card’s statement balance under the Cash + Points scheme. You get this welcome benefit only if you spend at least Rs 5,000 in the first 3 months of the card’s issuance.

Milestone Benefits

  • If you spend Rs. 1.9 lakh in a year, you are entitled to 15,000 Membership Rewards Points worth up to Rs. 4,500 (for redemption against Flipkart voucher or Pay with Points on AmEx Travel Online).
  • Expenditure of Rs. 4 lakh entitles you to 25,000 Membership Rewards Points worth up to Rs. 7,500 (for redemption against Flipkart voucher or Pay with Points on AmEx Travel Online) and an additional Taj Stay Voucher worth Rs. 10,000.

Travel Benefits

  • It’s a travel card, so it comes with plenty of travel benefits like 8 domestic lounge access (2 per quarter) and complimentary membership of Priority Pass, with USD 99 waived off (however, a usage fee of USD 35 is payable for every lounge visit under the Priority Pass benefit) for the international lounge.
  • The Membership Rewards Points can be spent for hotel/flight/car bookings on the Amex Travel Online portal.
  • Expenditure of Rs 4 lakh also entitles you to a Taj Stay voucher worth Rs. 10,000, which can be used at the Taj, SeleQtions, and Vivanta hotels.

Movie and Dining Benefits

You get up to a 20% discount on your dining bills at select partner restaurants on payment via the Platinum Travel Card. Apart from this, American Express frequently comes up with attractive offers on food delivery portals like Swiggy and Qmin.

Fuel Surcharge Waiver

You need not pay any fuel surcharge at any HPCL fuel stations across India for transactions up to Rs. 5000. However, a surcharge of 1% is payable for all transactions greater than Rs. 5000.

AmEx Platinum Travel Credit Card Rewards

  • Every Rs. 50 spent using the AmEx Platinum Travel Credit Card earns you 1 Membership Rewards Points.

Rewards Redemption

  • The Membership Rewards Points can be redeemed on popular e-commerce websites (like Flipkart) by purchasing e-vouchers from Amex’s online shopping portal, INSTA purchases at offline stores, and making credit card bill payments under the Cash + Points scheme.
  • Amex’s Membership Rewards Points can also be transferred to other air miles and hotel loyalty programs like Asia Miles, British Airways Executive Club, Club Vistara, Emirates, Skywards, Etihad Guest, Finnair Plus, InterMiles, Qatar Privilege Club, Singapore KrisFlyer, Virgin Points, Marriott Bonovoy and Hilton Honors.

AmEx Platinum Travel Credit Card Fees and Charges

  • Annual Fee: The annual renewal fee of the AmEx Platinum Travel Card is Rs. 5,000 per annum; however, the first year’s annual fee (joining fee) is just Rs. 3,500, while the renewal fee is applicable second year onwards.
  • Interest Rate: If you are not able to pay off your American Express Platinum Credit Card bill on time, an interest rate of 3.5% per month is applicable on the due amount.
  • Foreign Currency Mark-up Charge: A mark-up fee of 3.5% of the transaction amount is applicable on all foreign currency transactions made with this Credit Card.

Advantages of AmEx Platinum Travel Card

  • Attractive Milestone Benefits: The AmEx Platinum Travel Card provides very attractive milestone benefits to cardholders- 15,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points on an annual expenditure of Rs. 1.9 lacs and 25,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points on the expenditure of Rs. 4 lacs in a year. Apart from the Bonus Membership Rewards Points, you get 3700 Regular Membership Points. You also get complimentary Taj Stay vouchers worth Rs. 10,000 with the card.
  • Complimentary Domestic Airport Lounge Access: This Credit Card offers 8 complimentary lounge access per annum (max 2 per quarter) at domestic airports across India- which is a decent number of lounge visits for a sub-premium travel credit card.
  • Movie and Dining Discounts: Although this Credit Card is a travel credit card, you also get a discount of up to 20% at partner restaurants across the country.

Drawbacks of AmEx Platinum Travel Card

  • Reward Rate: AmEx Platinum Travel Card earns you 2 Membership Rewards Points per Rs. 100 spent with the card. Since the maximum monetary value of 1 Membership Rewards Point is Rs. 0.5, the maximum reward rate that you can get with an AmEx Platinum Travel Card is 1%. However, you get a 3x reward rate on purchases made via the American Express Reward Multiplier Portal.
  • No Complimentary International Airport Lounge Access: Regarding international airport lounge access, the Platinum Travel Credit Card offers no complimentary lounge access at international airports. However, the card does provide a complimentary membership of the Priority Pass lounge access program (worth USD 99) for international airport lounge access. Lounge access under the Priority Pass membership that you get with the Platinum Travel Card is chargeable- USD 27 per visit per guest.
  • No Insurance Benefits: While most travel credit cards offer a complimentary comprehensive insurance cover with travel-related insurance benefits like personal air accident cover, insurance against loss/delay of check-in luggage, loss of travel documents, etc., you do not get any insurance benefit with this Card.

Who Should Apply for American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card?

American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card is the right credit card for you if-

  • You do not want to compromise your travel experience as the AmEx Platinum Travel Card offers complimentary Taj Stay Vouchers to the cardholders on achieving certain stipulated spend milestones.
  • You are a frequent domestic traveller as the card entitles you to 8 complimentary airport lounge access at domestic airports across India.

You should look for a better option if-

  • A direct reward rate is more important than add-on privileges like complimentary hotel vouchers.
  • You are a frequent international flyer as American Express Platinum Credit Card entitles you to Priority Pass membership. You do not get any complimentary international airport lounge access with the card.
  • You want a travel credit card with a lower markup fee on foreign currency transactions.

Credit Cards Similar to AmEx Express Platinum Travel

Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank Credit Card is a credit card similar to the American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card in terms of the benefits that it offers. The following table gives a comparison between the two credit cards-

American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank Credit Card
Reward Structure Reward Points Reward Points
Reward Rate 1 Membership Rewards Points per Rs. 50 spent. 8 Marriott Bonvoy points on eligible purchases
Milestone Benefits
  • 15,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points on spending Rs. 1.9 lakh in a year.
  • Taj Stay Vouchers worth Rs. 10,000 and an additional 25,000 Membership Rewards Points on expenditure of Rs. 4 lakh in a year.
  • 1 Free Night Award on spends of Rs. 6 lakh.
  • 1 Free Night Award on spends of Rs. 9 lakh.
  • 1 Free Night Award on spends of Rs. 15 lakh.
Additional Benefits
  • 8 complimentary domestic airport lounge access every year (max 2 per quarter).
  • Up to 20% discount at partner restaurants.
  • 12 complimentary airport lounge access across the world every year.
  • Comprehensive insurance cover
Membership Fee Rs. 5,000 per annum (joining fee of Rs. 3,500 for the first year) Rs. 3,000 per annum

AmEx Platinum Travel Card Eligibility and Documentation

The income and age-based eligibility criteria for the American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card are as per below-

  • Must be a resident of India.
  • Applicant should be above the age of 18.
  • Both salaried and self-employed individuals should have an annual income of Rs. 6 lakh or more.
  • For self-employed individuals, the company should have been trading for the past 12 years.

Documents Required

You need to submit the following documents to American Express for your application for the Platinum Travel Credit Card to be processed-

  • Identity Proof: Aadhaar Card, Voter ID Card, PAN Card, driver’s license, passport, etc.
  • Address Proof: Aadhaar Card, Voter ID Card, electricity/telephone bills, passport, etc.
  • Proof of Income: Salary slips or ITR acknowledgements.

How to Apply for AmEx Platinum Travel Credit Card

You can apply for an American Express Platinum Travel credit card online. The application procedure is effortless. Just click on the Apply Now button to get started. You need to provide a few documents, including identity proof (like an Aadhaar card), PAN card, and income proof, and submit your application online. The American Express officials will contact you in case any additional documents are required. If your application is successful, you’ll receive your card within 15 days.

Amex Platinum Travel Credit Card Review

Although the annual fee of the American Express Platinum Travel credit card is slightly on the higher side (Rs. 5,000 after the first year), it is a decent credit card for people with wanderlust and for those frequent fliers who travel on business trips. Apart from the travel benefits, the card also offers some shopping benefits, so it might also fit the needs of someone who loves to shop online.

What do you think about this card? Do let us know in the comments if you’re an existing user or have used this credit card. Feel free to comment and let us know about your experience with the card.

FAQs:

The Membership Rewards Points that you get as the welcome benefit, milestone benefits, or for regular expenditures (at the rate of 1 Point for every Rs. 50 spent) can be redeemed either for shopping vouchers on e-commerce sites, e-vouchers on Amex’s shopping portal, and for making credit card bill payments under the Amex’s Cash + Points program.
Priority Pass is a lounge access program that allows you international lounge access. This card comes with a complimentary membership of the Priority Pass with a waiver of the annual fee of USD 99. However, a charge of USD 32 is applicable on every lounge visit.
Yes. You don’t have to pay any extra fee for up to 2 add-on credit cards. A fee of Rs. 1500/card is applicable thereafter.
Yes. For payments up to Rs. 5000, you need not enter the PIN either.
Yes, the AmEx Platinum Travel Credit Card provides you with 8 complimentary domestic lounge access every year (2 per quarter).
For any doubts or queries related to your AmEx Platinum Travel Card, you can call any of these two numbers: 1800 419 2122 and 0124-2801122.
The foreign currency transaction fee on this credit card is 3.5%.
American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card

American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card

(4.6/5)

1 Comment

  1. Sai Potla Reply

    For places outside India, If I use the Amex Platinum, is the lounge access free or not? Can you please also confirm Whether Infinia and Magnus provides free access for priority pass lounges outside india?

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