Worried About Your Fine Hotels Credits Expiring Soon? What If You Already Spent Your $200?

A potentially big benefit for some travel rewards card users debuted last week — but some might be scrambling to use it when they probably don’t need to.

Fine Hotels + Resorts Statement Credit: Up to $600

As part of its Platinum-palooza last week, American Express increased The Platinum Card® from American Express‘s Fine Hotels + Resorts statement credit feature. It also added it to The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, which didn’t have it until now.

The FHR benefit and statement credit feature are identical across both cards.

Here’s what’s included with each FHR stay:

• 12:00 PM check-in (when available)
• Room upgrade (when available)
• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• Daily breakfast credit for two people
  • (Up to $60 total per room each day after the first night)
• Minimum $100 resort credit per stay
  • (Generally valid toward food and beverage purchases at eligible restaurants and bars or spa purchases — it varies by property, as does the credit amount. You’re given a list of participating restaurants during check-in.)
• Guaranteed 4:00 PM checkout

Next, eligible cardholders can earn up to $300 back in statement credits semi-annually ($300 from January through June, then $300 from July through December) on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel® when you pay with your eligible card. (The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.)

The Amex Platinum Card used to offer up to $200 each year for eligible FHR stays. Now it’s $600! The Amex Business Platinum didn’t have the statement credit feature at all but now does.

Again, you can only book FHR benefit stays through American Express Travel. For example, my family stayed at Palazzo Las Vegas for an FHR visit. Sure, you can book nights at Palazzo through a zillion other avenues: the hotel’s website, calling the hotel, using a travel agent, using an online travel agent — you get the point. But if you do that and show up at check-in, waving your Platinum Card, demanding your benefits, you’ll look like a schmuck. Again, stays must be booked through Amex Travel.

You can, however, book a stay on the day of arrival if there’s FHR inventory on the Amex Travel site. (Maybe you thought you already made reservations but forgot. Perhaps you told your family everything was prepaid and arranged but you got distracted — five months earlier. Don’t ask me how I know.)

Even after you exhaust your statement credits, you can still enhjoy FHR stay benefits. Read more here about FHR bookings and stays.

Can I Use This Year’s FHR Credit for a Stay Next Year?

Maybe you don’t plan on needing your FHR benefits during the final few months of 2025. But you want to go somewhere in 2026.

According to Amex (bold mine below):

Statement credits are typically received within a few days, however it may take 90 days after an eligible prepaid hotel booking is charged to the Card Account. Eligible bookings must be processed before June 30th, 11:59PM Central Time, to be eligible for statement credits within the January to June benefit period, and December 31st, 11:59PM Central Time to be eligible for statement credits within the July to December benefit period. American Express relies on the merchant’s processing of transactions to determine the transaction date. If there is a delay in the merchant submitting the transaction to us or if the merchant uses another date as the transaction date then your purchase may not earn the statement credit benefit for the benefit period in which you made the purchase. For example, if an eligible purchase is made on December 31st but the merchant processes the transaction such that it is identified to us as occurring on January 1st, then the statement credit available in the next calendar year benefit period will be applied, if available.

As long as you book and prepay at least $300 of your stay now — even if it’s in 2026 — you should be fine.

For example, you can book a stay now for, like, Valentine’s Day 2026 and enjoy the statement credit. (A night at a luxury hotel with breakfast, late check out, $100 property credit, and a great shot at an upgrade? That’s a great Valentine’s Day plan, if you ask me.)

Again, as long as the transaction is processed by 11:59 PM Central Time on New Year’s Eve, you should be fine. I don’t recommend waiting that long, though. Sure, you might be like me and visit with family during Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas (we keep busy in my house). Travel plans for spring break or summer might will likely come up. Don’t dawdle and wait to book. I wouldn’t tempt that December 31 deadline anymore .

What if I Already Used The $200 Statement Credit Earlier in the Year?

If you hold Amex Platinum Card and already received $200 in statement credit this year for an FHR stay, can you still get the $300 statement credit for the rest of 2025?

Based on what we’ve seen posted to social media, YES. As always, your mileage may vary.

Something American Express is very good about is allowing existing card members to use new benefits as soon as they’re announced. Let’s hope that’s what this is and not a glitch.

“But Prices Are Higher On Amex Travel!”

Several times a year, people complain to me that hotel prices are more expensive through FHR bookings than if you just go directly through the properties.

My guess (and I’m not exactly going out on a limb here) is that part of that elevated cost covers some of the benefits you enjoy. But if you’re getting statement credits, that should make life a little easier.

If it bothers you that much, book directly through the hotel. Maybe you’ll save money on your stay, maybe you won’t. Report back to us with your findings.

Final Approach

You should be able to use your FHR statement credit now for a stay next year — but book it sooner than later just to be safe. And if you already enjoyed your $200 credit on an Amex Platinum this year, it appears as though you can use the $300 credit now, too.