Expiring Offers, Rumored Changes, and The Year’s Midpoint: Why Now is the Perfect Time to Get One (or Both) Platinum Cards!

A welcome offer expires soon. Some statement credits are about to turn over (and/or drastically change). There are rumors that an annual fee might climb. We’re already halfway through the year — but you have plenty of time to use premium travel features.

We’re talking about the The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express.

I hold and use both.

And now’s a great time to consider adding the cards to your travel rewards card arsenal.

Here’s why.

An Annual Fee Increase? (The Platinum Card® from American Express?)

There are all sorts of rumors that the consumer/personal Amex Platinum Card‘s $695 annual fee will soon jump. (Current rates & fees.) Speculation is that rise $200 to nearly $900. There’d likely be even more statement credit opportunities than now (“the coupon book” model). Some people like it, some people don’t, and others are ambivalent.

This isn’t to be confused with the rumored Chase Sapphire Reserve® annual fee increase.

There’s nothing concrete. But if Amex does announce an increase, they might not give any “grace period” until the higher fee kicks in. In other words, the new annual fee would go into effect for new card members who apply that day. (Current rates & fees.)

Again, this is all just rumor and speculation. We certainly don’t want the annual fee to go up! (Current rates & fees.) 

Welcome Offer Ending (The Business Platinum Card® from American Express)

The Amex Business Platinum Card has two separate offers that new applicants can take advantage of.

First, you can earn 150,000 bonus Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of being approved for the card. Plus, you can also earn a $500 statement credit after you spend $2,500 on qualifying flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel within three months of being approved.

You can earn one or both of the offers.

The offer expires on June 30, 2025, and terms apply. (Click here or on the card image below to read about applying for this promotion.)

Here’s why I’ve held this card for more than eight years.

The Amex Business Platinum’s annual fee is $695 (rates and fees).

Save on Summer, Fall, and Winter Holiday Travels (Especially With 35% Pay With Points Rebate!)

Both cards earn Membership Rewards points, which are a great points currency. But I love, love, love the Amex Business Platinum‘s 35% Airline Bonus/Pay With Points Rebate.

Card members can earn back 35% of Membership Rewards points used to pay for all or part of an eligible flight booked with American Express Travel. (You can earn back up to 1 million points per calendar year.)

An eligible flight is:

• A First or Business Class ticket booked with American Express Travel
• Any class ticket on one airline you select from a list of select carriers booked with American Express Travel

For example, let’s say you pick Delta as your preferred airline. Your airfare is $600. You can use any combination of cash and points to pay the fare through Amex Travel. No cash and all points? Great! Some cash and some points? Fantastic!

Our example flight is paid completely with 60,000 points (1 point = 1 penny in these transactions). We’ll eventually earn back 21,000 of those points. The trip costs us only 39,000 points. Plus, we earn Delta SkyMiles, Medallion Qualifcation Dollars, and butt-in-seat miles flown toward Million Miler status after we take our trip.

You don’t need to pick one airline for the First and Business class airline redemptions.

I have Amex points-earning machines such as the American Express® Gold Card and The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express to stock up my points balance — and then pay for trips using my Amex Business Platinum Card.

Statement Credit Turnover (Both Cards — and Changes to the Business Platinum)

Both cards feature statement credit opportunities. Some are monthly, others yearly, some semi-annually. But we want to pay special attention to a few.

Let’s start with the Amex Platinum. Cardmembers can earn up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com. These are available as up to $50 from January through June and then $50 from July through December. They do not roll over and are if-used. 

Father’s Day is only a few weeks away. Did you remember Mother’s Day last month? Do you need a belated gift? I use my Saks benefit toward gifts for my wife or some cologne for myself. Read our post about this benefit. Remember to start your online Saks shopping sessions through a shopping portal such as Rakuten.

Things get a little more interesting with the Business Platinum Card.

The Dell Technologies and Adobe Credits are changing.

Through June 30, 2025, card members can earn up to $200 in statement credits on eligible purchases made with Dell Technologies. The benefit used to be $200 every six months, for up to $400 each calendar year. However, that changes to up to $150 for the calendar year starting July 1. That means you can take advantage of the $200 now through June 30. Then you’ll have up to another $150 from July through December. (And then up to $150 for all of 2026, etc.) Again, remember to start your shopping through Rakuten to earn some extra cashback or Amex points.

Card members can earn up to $150 in statement credits for eligible annual prepaid business plan purchases with Adobe on Creative Cloud for teams or Acrobat Pro DC with e-sign for teams through June 30, 2025. Starting July 1, it becomes up to $250 in statement credit for eligible purchases of at least $600 total through December 31, 2025, and each calendar year thereafter.

$200 Airline Fee Credit (Both Cards)

The Amex Platinum and Amex Business Platinum offer cardholders up to $200 in statement credits each calendar year for eligible incidental purchases charged to their cards. (You pick one airline each calendar year.)

Now that Southwest Airlines will charge for baggage, they actually might be a decent choice for some people’s preferred carrier!

Airport Lounge Access & Delta Sky Club Visits! (Both Cards)

Summer travel season is here. So are delays and cancellations. Where and how would you rather deal with that mess: someplace like this?

Or somewhere like this?

Me, too.

Both cards give members access to The American Express Global Lounge Collection®: complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries (“more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market as of 10/2024”!)

You can even access a Chase Sapphire Lounge (once).

• Details
  • American Express Centurion Lounges when traveling with a confirmed seat on a same-day flight
  • Delta Sky Clubs when traveling on a same-day Delta-operated or -marketed flight.
    • Receive up to 10 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club. A “Visit” is an entry to one or more Delta Sky Clubs or usage of the Delta Sky Club “Grab and Go” feature at one or more airports for a period of up to 24 hours starting upon the first Delta Sky Club entry or Grab and Go usage, during an Eligible Card Member’s travel on a same-day Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flight. A single Visit permits using Delta Sky Club(s) in multiple airports during the 24-hour period.
    • Once all 10 Visits have been used, Eligible Card Members may purchase additional Delta Sky Club Visits (including Grab and Go) at a per-Visit rate of $50 per person using the Card. To earn an unlimited number of Visits each year, the total eligible purchases on the Card must equal $75,000 or more during a calendar year and each calendar year thereafter.
    • Up to two guests may be brought in for $50 per person. (See Rates and Fees)
  • Escape Lounge by Centurion Suites (with up to two guests) when traveling on a same-day flight
  • Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required)
  • Access is limited to eligible card members.

If you don’t have Delta Sky Club access or one of your other eligible Amex cards is running out of Visits, adding either Platinum card is a great way to score some more.

Final Approach

An expiring welcome offer, lapsing statement credits and much are reasons why now is the perfect time to get one or both of the Amex Platinum cards.

• Read more and learn here how to apply for The Platinum Card® from American Express
• Read more and learn here how to apply for The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit this link.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit this link.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, please visit this link.
For rates and fees of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, please visit this link.