The American Express Goldman Sachs Platinum Card is an invite-only card for Goldman Sachs clients and employees.
Most of us don’t have a $10 million investment with Goldman Sachs, but luckily, the Goldman Sachs Platinum is identical to The Platinum Card® from American Express, whose benefits are listed below.
This article will cover everything you need to know about this card to determine if you should add this card or a different card to your wallet. Let’s dive right in.
Table of Contents
Welcome Bonus
There is no publically avaliable information on the welcome bonus for the Goldman Sachs Platinum card, but the Amex Platinum’s currently offers the following welcome bonus:
bonus_miles_full
Earning Points
Amex Platinum cardholders earn rewards at the following rates:
- 5 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel, on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
- 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com.
- 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
Cardmembers are also eligible for targeted Amex Offers that could boost earning rates at various merchants.
Annual Fee
The Amex Platinum comes with a hefty annual fee of $695 (rates & fees), which can be offset if you take advantage of the numerous credits totaling up to $1,984 per year, airport lounge access, and elite status.
There is also a $195 annual fee for each additional authorized user Platinum Card, who also receive airport lounge access, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit, and hotel and rental car elite status.
For example, if you had three authorized users with Amex Platinum cards, your additional fee would be $585.
Alternatively, you can add for free up to 99 Companion Cards for free, which allows you to earn points for spending on the Companion Card, but there are no perks like airport lounge access.
Card Benefits: Up To $1,984 In Credits
Below are the top benefits of the Amex Platinum. Remember that many benefits require enrollment before use.
Check out our post on all of the benefits of the Amex Platinum for a deeper dive into the all of the benefits.
To help justify its large annual fee, the Amex Platinum offers up to $1,984 in annual credits:
$200 Airline Fee Credit
Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your card.
Your options for airlines for the credit are:
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- Hawaiian Airlines
- JetBlue Airways
- Spirit Airlines
- Southwest Airlines
- United Airlines
$200 Hotel Credit
Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection (2-night minimum stay required) bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®.
Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts has no minimum stay, but The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
$240 Digital Entertainment Credit
Get up to $20 in statement credits each month when you pay for eligible purchases at: Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment is required.
$200 Uber Cash
Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 annually in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the U.S., which is split into monthly $15 credits and then $35 total in December.
$189 CLEAR® Plus Credit
Breeze through security with CLEAR® Plus at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues nationwide and get up to $189 back per year on your membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card®.
$100 Saks Credit
Get up to a $100 Saks Fifth Avenue credit, split into two $50 statement credits between (1) January and June and (2) July through December.
$155 Walmart+ Credit
Receive up to a $155 statement credit that covers the full cost of a monthly Walmart+ membership ($12.95 plus applicable taxes) when paying with the Amex Platinum (subject to auto-renewal). Plus Up Benefits are not eligible and enrollment is required.
Global Entry Credit or TSA PreCheck Credit
Receive a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card®.
TSA PreCheck is a membership program offering dedicated airport security lines and faster security screening (typically 5 minutes or less) at more than 200 airports across the United States and includes over 81 airlines.
Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck and expedited immigration upon arrival from an international trip back to the United States.
$300 Equinox Credit
Get up to $300 back per calendar year via statement credits on an Equinox+ subscription, or any Equinox club memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card®. Enrollment is required.
$300 SoulCycle At-Home Bike Credit
Get a $300 statement credit for the purchase of a SoulCycle at-home bike with your Platinum Card®. Must charge full price of bike in one transaction, and an Equinox+ subscription is required.
Airport Lounge Access
The American Express Global Lounge collection includes access to over 1,400 airport lounges at the following lounges:
American Express Centurion Lounges
American Express Centurion Lounges are luxurious airport lounges that offer amenities such as complimentary food and cocktails, high-speed Wi-Fi, and comfortable seating.
The current U.S. locations include Charlotte, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York LaGuardia, New York JFK, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Seattle.
You can access these lounges up to three hours before departure or at any time at a connecting airport on your way to your final destination.
Guests cost $50 per adult, $30 for guests between ages 2-17, and free for babies under two. You can unlock free guest access for two people if you spend at least $75,000 per calendar year on an Amex Platinum card.
Delta Sky Clubs
Cardmembers can access Delta Sky Clubs when flying Delta Air Lines within three hours of departure or on arrival.
Guests are not free and cost $50 per guest, with a limit of two guests or immediate family members (spouse/domestic partner and kids under 21) .
Priority Pass
This card offers Priority Pass membership, which gets you access to over 1,300 airport lounges.
However, this card doesn’t offer access to Priority Pass restaurants, unlike the card_name (review)
Escape Lounges
Cardmembers get access to Escape Lounges – The Centurion Studio Partner. These are similar to smaller versions of the Centurion Lounges.
Plaza Premium Lounges
Plaza Premium Lounges are a global network of more than 135 airport lounges in more than 70 major international airports.
From their spacious seating to gourmet food and high-end beverages, these lounges deliver an unprecedented level of luxury to frequent flyers.
Select Lufthansa Lounge Access
Amex Platinum cardholders receive complimentary access to select Lufthansa lounges when flying on select Lufthansa Group airlines (including Lufthansa, SWISS, and Austrian):
- Platinum cardmembers have complimentary access to Lufthansa Business Lounges when flying in economy class.
- Platinum cardmembers have complimentary access to Lufthansa Senator Lounges when flying business class.
Elite Status with the Amex Platinum
In addition to all of the credits and airport lounge access, the Amex Platinum also offers elite status at Hertz, Marriott, Hilton, Avis, and National.
Hertz Gold Plus Rewards President’s Circle
The Amex Platinum Card offers complimentary Hertz President’s Circle elite status. Enrollment is required, and the status is valid for as long as you’re a cardmember.
Hertz President’s Circle gets you the following benefits:
- Ability to choose any card from the President’s Circle section of Hertz Ultimate Choice locations when you book an intermediate car or higher.
- Guaranteed car upgrades, a minimum of one-class, at participating locations.
- No additional driver fee for a spouse or domestic partner in the United States.
- 50% bonus on Gold Plus Rewards points on all qualified rentals.
- A dedicated President’s Circle call center line.
Hilton Gold
The Amex Platinum offers Hilton Honors Gold status for as long as you have the card. Enrollment is required.
Hilton Gold status offers nice benefits such as:
- Free breakfast credit and/or executive lounge access;
- Late checkout (subject to availability);
- Preferred rooms (higher floor, better view, and potentially on the executive floor);
- 80% points bonus;
- Fifth night free on award stays.
Marriott Gold
The Amex Platinum offers Marriott Gold status for as long as you have the card. Enrollment is required.
The benefits of Marriott Bonvoy Gold elite status includes:
- 25% bonus points on stays;
- Room upgrades to enhanced rooms (when available);
- 2 p.m. late checkout (when available);
- A welcome gift of 250 or 500 points; and
- Free in-room Wi-Fi.
Avis Preferred Plus
The Platinum card also offers complimentary Avis Preferred Plus status, which is their mid-level elite status.
The benefits of Avis Preferred Plus are:
- Free 1 car class upgrade when reserving a midsize or above (when available)
- Dedicated reservations number
- Access to exclusive offers and discounts
National Emerald Club Executive
The Amex Platinum Card also offers National Emerald Club Executive status. You need to enroll to take advantage of this status, and it’s valid for as long as you have your card.
The benefits of National Emerald Club Executive include:
- Choose any car that’s a full size or above from the Executive section and you’ll only pay for a midsize (available in the U.S. and Canada).
- Guaranteed upgrade when you rent a midsize or above in the U.S. or Canada.
- A free 1 class car upgrade when renting at participating locations in the U.K., Ireland, France, Spain, and Germany.
- No second driver fees.
Other Benefits and Perks
The Amex Platinum also offers a lot of travel protections, purchase protections, special discounts, and more:
Cell Phone Protection*
Breaking or losing your cell phone is never a pleasant experience, especially when cell phones cost over $800+ to replace.
You can avoid paying these steep costs when you pay your cell phone bill with this credit card.
There is no cost for cell phone insurance saving you about $10 per month per phone, but you will have to pay a small deductible if you make a claim.
Extended Warranty*
Credit card extended warranty protection adds up to an additional year of coverage for eligible purchases on manufacturer’s warranties up to 5 years.
For example, if you bought a TV with a manufacturer’s warranty of three years, this card would extend the warranty for free to the fourth year.
Return Protection*
American Express offers return protection which allows you to return an item purchased in total with an eligible card when the retailer refuses to accept the item under its return policy.
Some items are excluded, such as jewelry, plants, perishable items, software, books, formal wear, tickets, and seasonal items.
This coverage is up to $300 per item with a maximum of $1,000 per cardmember year.
Purchase Protection*
Purchase protection could save you a lot of money if you bought an eligible item that is damaged or stolen within 90-days.
For example, if you accidentally dropped your new phone or laptop and broke the screen, you could file a claim to get it replaced if the item was purchased within the last 90 days.
Trip Delay Insurance*
This card offers trip delay insurance when you purchase your flight with this card.
This reimburses you for reasonable expenses things like hotels, food, transportation, and other necessary items.
Flights are increasingly delayed or canceled, and it is too risky to not use a card that offers free trip delay insurance.
Trip Cancellation / Interruption Insurance*
Trip cancellation and interruption insurance reimburses you for non-refundable expenses if your trip is interrupted or canceled for a covered reason such as illness, severe weather, or an accidental injury when you pay for your travel expenses with this card.
Secondary Rental Car Insurance*
Secondary rental car insurance covers any damage to or theft of a rental car not covered by your primary insurance when you pay for the rental using this card.
Other credit cards offer primary rental car insurance, which pays before your insurance and saves you the hassle of filing multiple insurance claims.
You still need to maintain liability car insurance to cover damage to another person or property.
*(Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/
Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection
The American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) program is a hotel benefit program that offers select American Express card members exclusive benefits at over 1,300 luxury properties.
The list is vetted and periodically reviewed to ensure every hotel and resort meets Amex’s exacting standards.
- Daily breakfast for two people.
- Room upgrade upon arrival (if available).
- A unique property amenity (typically a $100 property credit, spa credit, etc.)
- Guaranteed 4 PM check-out.
- Noon check-in (if available).
- Complimentary in-room Wi-Fi (exclusions apply)
No Foreign Transaction Fees
This card has no foreign transaction fees on purchases outside the U.S., which is helpful if you travel internationally to help you avoid paying a 3% fee on those international purchases.
Complimentary ShopRunner Membership
This card offers a complimentary membership to ShopRunner, giving you free two-day shipping and free returns at 100+ online retailers.
Eligible stores include Bloomingdales, Under Armour, American Eagle, Saks Off 5th, Cole Hann, Fanatics, Vera Bradley, Jockey, Kate Spade, NFL Shop, NBA Store, MLB Shop, and Coach.
Access to Amex Offers
This card has access to Amex Offers, which are deals that are linked to your card, allowing you to save money or earn extra points on shopping, dining, and travel.
For example, there could be an offer such as spending $200+ at Marriott Hotels and Resorts and receiving $50 cash back as a statement credit.
You can find all of your Amex Offers by signing into your American Express account. You will need to “Add to Card” each offer to be eligible for the special offer.
No Preset Spending Limit
American Express’s No Preset Spending Limit feature is a unique aspect of their credit cards that offers users flexible spending capacity.
Unlike traditional credit cards, there is no predetermined limit on the amount you can spend. Instead, the amount you can spend adjusts according to factors such as your purchase, payment, and credit history.
Redeeming Amex Membership Rewards
American Express Membership Rewards is a popular rewards program that offers a variety of redemption options, including travel, merchandise, gift cards, and more.
However, to get the most value out of your rewards, it’s important to use them strategically.
One of the best ways to use Amex Membership Rewards is through transfer partners.
The program partners with over 20 airline and hotel partners, including ANA, Air Canada Aeroplan, Iberia Avios, and Avianca LifeMiles.
By transferring your points to these partners, you can often get more value per point and enjoy a wider range of redemption options.
Membership Rewards Transfer Partners [1 to 1]
|
|
|---|---|
Aer Lingus Avios
|
AeroMexico [1 to 1.6]
|
Air Canada Aeroplan
|
Air France/KLM Flying Blue
|
ANA
|
Avianca LifeMiles
|
British Airways Avios
|
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
|
Delta SkyMiles
|
El Al [1,000 to 20]
|
Emirates
|
Etihad Guest
|
Hawaiian Airlines
|
Iberia Avios
|
JetBlue [250 to 200]
|
Qantas
|
Qatar Airways
|
Singapore KrisFlyer
|
Virgin Atlantic
|
Choice
|
Marriott Bonvoy
|
Hilton Honors [1 to 2]
|
Pros and Cons
Here’s a quick overview of this card’s advantages and disadvantages:
Pros:
- Over $1,984 in credits.
- Top overall card for airport lounge access.
- Elite status for Hertz, Hilton, Marriott, Avis, and National.
- Great travel and purchase protections.
Cons:
- Large annual fee that requires some work to use all of the many credits.
- No bonus categories for dining or supermarkets like the American Express® Gold Card (review).
- No bonus categories for general travel spending like the card_name (review) or American Express® Green Card (review).
- Only 1x points on everyday spending, unlike the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (review) that offers at least 2x miles.
Alternatives to the Amex Platinum
Now that you know about this credit card’s various benefits and pros and cons, it’s time to see its alternatives.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
card_name
- bonus_miles_full
- $300 Annual Travel Credit
- 10x Points on Hotels and Rental Cars and 5x Points on Flights Booked Through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 3x Points on Dining, Takeout, & Eligible Food Delivery
- 50% More Redemption Value
- Priority Pass Airport Lounge Access
- Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation Insurance
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- $550 Annual Fee
The card_name (review) is a great option for travelers who want premium perks such as airport lounge access and top-tier travel protections.
The Sapphire Reserve has a $550 annual fee, but you receive an annual easy-to use $300 travel credit and access to 1,300+ Priority Pass airport lounges.
Plus, great benefits such as trip delay insurance, primary rental car insurance, trip cancellation insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, purchase and return protection, extended warranty, and no foreign transaction fees.
Cardmembers also earn extra points with:
- 5x points on flights and 10x points on hotels and car rentals through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
- 3x points on travel.
- 3x points on dining, and food delivery purchases.
- 1x points everywhere else.
One thing to remember is that you won’t earn points on your first $300 in travel purchases each cardmember year since the $300 travel credit covers those purchases.
You can also cash out points at a 50% bonus (1.5 cents per point) when redeeming points towards travel or transfer the points to Chase’s airline and hotel partners.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (review) is a premium travel rewards card that’s perfect for travelers who want outstanding travel perks like annual travel credits, worldwide airport lounge access, and travel and purchase protections.
The Venture X earns 2x miles on all purchases helping you maximize every dollar of your spending. Plus, you can earn 10x miles on hotels and rental cars, and 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One.
The card has a $395 annual fee, completely offset by a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, and 10,000 points (worth at least $100) for each account anniversary.
Plus, you get airport lounge access via Priority Pass, Capital One, and Plaza Premium Lounges, Hertz President’s Circle elite status, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, rental car insurance, trip and luggage insurance, cell phone insurance, and purchase protection.
