The Amex Platinum charges an $895 annual fee and returns it through up to $2,994 in statement credits, plus the widest airport lounge access of any card. It is worth holding if you will actually use the travel, dining, and entertainment credits, and it is expensive dead weight if you will not. Figures checked at American Express on October 5, 2026.
What the Platinum costs in 2026
The annual fee is $895, raised from $695 in the card’s September 2025 refresh. Existing cardholders pay the higher fee from their first renewal on or after January 2, 2026; your Amex account shows your exact renewal fee. Every other benefit has to earn that number back. The good news: the credits alone can cover it and then some, if they match how you already spend.
The credits, one by one
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The card’s value is a stack of statement credits. The largest and easiest to use are below. Amex adjusts these over time, so confirm the current terms before you count on them.
| Credit | Per year | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel | $600 | Two $300 semi-annual credits on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection stays booked through Amex Travel. Resets January to June and July to December. |
| Resy dining | $400 | Up to $100 each quarter at U.S. Resy restaurants; pay with the card. Quarterly, does not roll over. |
| Digital entertainment | $300 | $25 a month across Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, Peacock, Paramount+, YouTube, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required. |
| Equinox | $300 | Up to $300 a year on an Equinox club membership or Equinox+ charged to the card. Enrollment required. |
| Lululemon | $300 | $75 a quarter at U.S. Lululemon stores or lululemon.com. Enrollment required. |
| CLEAR Plus | Up to $219 | Covers a CLEAR Plus membership charged to the card each calendar year. |
| Uber Cash | $200 | $15 a month, plus $20 in December, for U.S. Uber rides and Uber Eats. Does not roll over. |
| Oura Ring | $200 | Up to $200 a year on an Oura Ring bought at ouraring.com. Enrollment required. |
| Airline fee | $200 | Incidental fees such as checked bags, seat fees, and in-flight food on one airline you pick each year. Not airfare. |
| Walmart+ | About $155 | Covers a monthly Walmart+ membership charged to the card. |
| Uber One | $120 | Covers an auto-renewing Uber One membership charged to the card each year. |
| Active total | $2,994 | Checked October 5, 2026. Amex changes these over time, so confirm current terms at the issuer before you count on them. The Saks credit ended June 30, 2026 (reported; Amex no longer lists it). |
The 5 largest credits total $1,900 a year if you use them fully. Add the rest and the card advertises up to $2,994 in credits. The catch is that each one is use-it-or-lose-it and tied to specific merchants, so the real value is only what fits your life.
Airport lounge access
The Platinum opens the Global Lounge Collection, more than 1,550 lounges worldwide, the widest of any card. That includes Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass Select (enrollment required), Delta Sky Club (up to 10 visits a year when you fly Delta), and partner networks like Plaza Premium and Escape. Lufthansa lounges left the network on October 1, 2026, and the Philadelphia Centurion Lounge is closed for expansion from October 16, 2026 until it is fully updated by the end of 2027. Centurion Lounge entry opens 3 hours before your departing flight, or 5 hours before a connecting flight. Guests cost $50 each ($30 for ages 2 to 17), up to 2 per visit, and must be on your flight.
Cruises. Amex’s cruise benefit, renamed the Cruise & Yacht Collection on October 22, 2026, gives $100 to $300 in onboard credit per stateroom on sailings of at least 5 nights booked through Amex Travel, plus 1 extra point per dollar on the booking.
Elite status and protections
The card includes Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold status once you enroll, which add late checkout and the occasional room upgrade. It also carries premium travel protections, including trip delay and baggage coverage, and purchase protection. None of these are worth chasing on their own, but they round out the package.
Is the Amex Platinum worth it? The fee math
Whether $895 is worth it comes down to which credits you will really use. A frequent traveler who books one Fine Hotels stay ($300), picks an airline for the incidental credit ($200), eats at Resy restaurants ($400), takes Ubers ($200), and uses the entertainment credit ($300) has already cleared $1,400 in value against the fee, before lounge access and status. Someone who will not touch those credits is paying $895 for lounge access that Amex values at about $850 a year.
Count only the credits you would use without changing what you buy:
- Hotel, $600 a year: easy if you take 2 trips a year and would book a nice hotel anyway.
- Resy dining, $400: easy in any restaurant city if you eat out a couple of times a month.
- Digital entertainment, $300: automatic if you already pay for streaming or a news subscription.
- Uber Cash $200 and Uber One $120: reachable if you use Uber or Uber Eats at all.
- Airline fee, $200: partial for most people, full if you check bags on 1 airline.
The first 3 alone add up to $1,300, past the $895 fee. Add the Uber credits and you clear $1,600 before Lululemon, Equinox, Oura or CLEAR. Check them off as you go in the credits tracker.
The behavior test. The card stops paying when you buy things only to trigger credits. If you would not otherwise shop at Lululemon, join Equinox or buy an Oura Ring, count those credits as zero. Counting the full $2,994 is how people talk themselves into a fee they never clear.
Who it fits, and who it does not
It fits people who travel enough to use lounges and the travel credits, and who already spend in the credit categories. It does not fit anyone who would have to change their spending to chase the credits, or who wants a simple no-fee card. If you travel a few times a year and want simple travel rewards, a mid-tier card with a lower fee usually leaves you with more net value and less to track. If you are early in a churning plan, weigh it against the Amex trifecta and the best cards by category.
Quick reference
Annual fee $895. Credits advertised up to $2,994, with $1,900 in the 5 largest. Lounge access through the Global Lounge Collection, 1,550-plus lounges. Hilton and Marriott Gold status. Membership Rewards points that transfer to Amex’s airline and hotel partners. Figures checked at American Express on October 5, 2026.
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FAQ
Is the Amex Platinum worth it in 2026?
It is worth it if you will use the travel, dining, and entertainment credits and value lounge access. Used fully, the credits more than cover the $895 fee. If you will not use them, it is not worth it.
What is the Amex Platinum annual fee?
The annual fee is $895 as of 2026, raised from $695 in the September 2025 refresh.
What credits does the Amex Platinum include?
The main ones are a $600 hotel credit, a $200 airline fee credit, a $400 Resy dining credit, $200 in Uber Cash, and a $300 digital entertainment credit, plus additional credits like CLEAR Plus and Walmart+. Confirm current terms at Amex.
Does the Amex Platinum come with Priority Pass?
Yes, it includes Priority Pass Select membership with enrollment, on top of Centurion Lounge and Delta Sky Club access.
Can you use the Amex Platinum for Delta Sky Club lounges?
Yes, up to 10 Delta Sky Club visits a year when you are flying on a Delta-operated flight.
Is there a welcome offer?
Amex runs welcome offers that change often. Confirm the current offer directly at American Express before you apply.
What are the main Amex Platinum benefits?
The Platinum charges $895 a year and returns up to $2,994 in statement credits, including a $600 hotel credit, $400 Resy dining, a $200 airline fee credit, $200 Uber Cash, and a $300 digital entertainment credit, plus the widest airport lounge access of any card and Hilton and Marriott Gold status (enrollment required). Figures checked at American Express on October 5, 2026.
What are the best Amex Platinum travel benefits?
Lounge access is the headline: the Global Lounge Collection covers more than 1,550 lounges, including Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass, and 10 Delta Sky Club visits a year when you fly Delta. You also get a $200 airline fee credit, Fine Hotels and Resorts perks, Hilton and Marriott Gold status, and 5x points on flights booked through Amex Travel.
Did Amex Platinum benefits change in 2026?
Yes. The Saks credit ended June 30, 2026, and the larger refresh took effect September 18, 2025. Centurion Lounge entry opens 3 hours before a departing flight, or 5 hours before a connecting one. The annual fee is $895. Confirm the current credits and terms at American Express before applying.
What are the Amex Platinum travel benefits?
The travel benefits center on lounge access: unlimited Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass on enrollment, and 10 Delta Sky Club visits a year when you fly Delta. You also get Hilton and Marriott Gold status (enrollment required), a $200 airline fee credit, a $600 hotel credit through Amex Travel, and 5x on flights booked with airlines or Amex Travel. Confirm current terms at American Express.
What are the new Amex Platinum benefits for 2026?
The September 2025 refresh raised the fee to $895, added a $400 Resy dining credit, a $300 Lululemon credit, a $200 Oura Ring credit and a $120 Uber One credit, and raised the digital entertainment credit from $20 to $25 a month, alongside the existing hotel, airline, Uber, and CLEAR credits. Confirm the current credit list and enrollment at American Express.
How much do you need to use to break even on the Amex Platinum?
About $895 of the credits on things you would buy anyway. The hotel, Resy and digital entertainment credits alone total $1,300, so most active travelers pass break-even. Count merchant credits you would not otherwise use as zero.
Last reviewed October 2026. We verify every rule, ratio, and figure against issuer terms and current reporting, and date each one. See our editorial standards for how we research and correct guides.
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