Choosing between American Express Platinum Card® and Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express depends largely on your lifestyle and spending habits.
The Amex Platinum offers the most comprehensive airport lounge network available, giving you access to premium Centurion Lounges plus thousands of other lounges worldwide. You can easily offset the card’s large annual fee through generous credits for Uber, hotels, digital entertainment, Resy dining, and lifestyle brands like lululemon.
The Blue Cash Preferred is designed to maximize cash back on common household expenses. If you spend heavily on groceries, streaming services, transit or gas, you’ll find the card’s bonus categories and earning rates hard to beat.
This article will compare each card based on several factors to help you make an informed decision on which card is the best to add to your wallet.
Full Reviews: American Express Platinum Card® and Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express.
Table of Contents
Overview of Each Card
Welcome Bonuses
Amex Platinum:
The American Express Platinum currently offers the following welcome bonus:
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Blue Cash Preferred:
The Blue Cash Preferred currently offers the following welcome bonus:
Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
Earning Rewards
Amex Platinum:
- 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.
Blue Cash Preferred:
The Blue Cash Preferred earns cash back at the following rates:
- 6% back at U.S. Supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year, then 1% back);
- 6% back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions;
- 3% back on transit, including taxis, rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses, and more;
- 3% back at U.S. gas stations; and
- 1% back on all other eligible purchases.
Cash back is received as Reward Dollars that can be redeemed for statement credits or at Amazon.com checkout.
Winner:
It depends. If you fly frequently, the Amex Platinum is the better option, but if you fly less and spend more at U.S. Supermarkets and on streaming, the Blue Cash Preferred is the better option.
Card Benefits and Perks
Amex Platinum:
The Amex Platinum offers the most benefits of any credit card, including the following:
Lounge Access: Eligible Card members get access to the extensive American Express Global Lounge Collection, including Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, Lufthansa lounges (when flying Lufthansa, SWISS, or Austrian) and Delta Sky Clubs when flying Delta. Platinum members receive 10 Delta Sky Club visits annually per eligible card (unless you spend $75,000 in a calendar year) when traveling on same-day Delta flights.
Airline Fee Credit: You’ll receive up to $200 in statement credits annually for incidental fees charged by one qualifying airline of your choice.*
Hotel Credits: You’ll receive up to $600 in hotel credits annually with this card, split into two convenient semi-annual periods. The credit structure gives you up to $300 from January through June and another $300 from July through December.*
Uber Cash: Your card provides up to $200 annually in Uber Cash, distributed as up to $15 monthly credits, plus a bonus of up to $20 in December. These credits can be used for both Uber rides and Uber Eats orders within the United States when you add your Platinum Card as a payment method and redeem with any Amex card.*
Uber One Credit: You’ll receive up to $120 annually in statement credits after purchasing an auto-renewing Uber One membership with your card, which is separate from the existing $200 annual Uber Cash benefit.*
CLEAR Plus Credit: You can cover the cost of a CLEAR Plus Membership with up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR Plus with this card.*
Digital Entertainment Credit: You’ll receive up to $25 monthly (up to $300 annually) in credits toward popular streaming services like Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, Paramount+, Peacock, YouTube Premium, YouTube TV, and digital subscriptions to The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. *
Resy Dining Credit: You’ll receive up to $100 quarterly (up to $400 annually) in statement credits when you use your card for eligible dining purchases at over 10,000 U.S. Resy restaurants.*
Lululemon Shopping Credit: You’ll receive up to $75 quarterly (up to $300 annually) in statement credits when you use your card for eligible purchases with Lululemon in the U.S.*
Oura Ring Credit: You’ll receive up to $200 annually in credits when you use your card to purchase an Oura Ring through ouraring.com.*
Equinox Credit: Enjoy up to $300 in annual statement credits toward Equinox gym memberships or the Equinox+ fitness app (subject to auto-renewal).*
SoulCycle Benefit: You can receive up to $300 in statement credits toward the purchase of a SoulCycle at-home bike (up to 15 bikes per calendar year). To qualify, you must be enrolled in an Equinox+ membership when making your purchase.*
Walmart+ Credit: Receive up to $155 in statement credits annually (up to $12.95 monthly plus applicable taxes) covering a Walmart+ membership when paying with your Platinum Card.
Global Entry/TSA PreCheck: You’ll get a $120 statement credit for Global Entry every four years or up to $85 credit for TSA PreCheck every 4.5 years.
Saks Fifth Avenue Credit: Enjoy up to $100 in Saks Fifth Avenue statement credits annually, divided into two $50 credits (January-June and July-December).*
Hotel Elite Status: Enjoy complimentary Gold status with both Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, and Leaders Club hotel programs.*
Car Rental Status: Enjoy complimentary elite status with multiple car rental agencies: Hertz Gold Plus Rewards President’s Circle, Avis Preferred Plus, and National Emerald Club Executive.
Premium Hotel Programs: You’ll have access to exclusive Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection booking programs. These provide valuable perks like room upgrades, daily breakfast for two, guaranteed late checkout, and unique property amenities during your stays.
Travel Protections: Your Platinum Card covers trip delays over six hours (up to $500), cancellations/interruptions (up to $10,000), secondary rental car insurance when declining the rental company’s waiver, and baggage insurance for lost, damaged, or stolen items when purchasing tickets with your card.**
Shopping Protections: Your Platinum Card safeguards purchases with extended warranty coverage adding up to one year to eligible manufacturer’s warranties, protection against theft, damage, or loss for 90 days, potential reimbursement when merchants refuse returns within 90 days, and cell phone protection when you pay your monthly bill with your card.**
* Enrollment is required for select benefits.
** Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
Blue Cash Preferred:
The Blue Cash Preferred offers the following benefits and perks:
Intro APR: 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening. After that, it will be a reg_apr,reg_apr_type APR.
Subscription Credit: Get up to a $10 monthly statement credit after using your enrolled Blue Cash Preferred® Card for a subscription purchase, including a bundle subscription purchase, at disneyplus.com, Hulu.com, or Plus.espn.com U.S. websites. Subject to auto-renewal.
Amex Offers: As an American Express cardholder, you can access Amex Offers. These targeted, limited-time promotions provide discounts or bonus points on purchases with select merchants. Offers are added to your card, and you’ll receive either a percentage or dollar amount back as a statement credit when you meet the offer terms. While offers vary and may not always align with your spending habits, this perk can be valuable when an offer matches your preferences.
Secondary Rental Car Insurance: This card provides backup protection for rental car damage or theft when you charge the full rental to your card.*
Extended Warranty Protection: When you purchase items with your credit card, you’ll get an extra year of warranty coverage on eligible items that have original manufacturer warranties of up to five years. This valuable perk means you can protect expensive electronics and appliances that come with longer manufacturer warranties without paying extra for store protection plans*
90-Day Purchase Protection: Your new purchases are covered against damage and theft for 90 days when you use your card. This protection helps safeguard your eligible items right from the moment you buy them.*
Return Protection allows cardholders to receive a refund for purchased items within a certain timeframe for items that merchants may not accept for return.*
* Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
Winner:
The Amex Platinum is the king of benefits with so over $1,500 in statement credits, airport lounge access, elite status, and more.
Value of the Annual Fees
American Express Platinum:
The Amex Platinum comes with a hefty annual fee of $895 (rates & fees), which can be offset if you take advantage of the numerous credits and great airport lounge access.
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.
Blue Cash Preferred:
The Blue Cash Preferred Card has a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then a $95 annual fee after that (rates & fees).
You can offset this cost through the card’s generous cash back rewards and statement credits. Authorized user cards are available at no additional cost. These additional cardholders can earn cash back on their purchases, helping you rack up rewards even faster.
Winner:
It depends. If you can take advantage of the Platinum’s many statement credits, airport lounge access, and elite status.
But if you don’t travel enough or the statement credits are too much work, the Blue Cash Preferred could be a good value if you take advantage of the Disney Bundle benefit.
Redeeming Rewards
American Express Platinum:
American Express Membership Rewards points are a versatile and valuable currency for travelers. The program offers numerous redemption options, with transfers to airline partners being the most lucrative way to use your points.
Amex partners with 18 airlines and 3 hotel chains, allowing you to access a wide range of travel possibilities. Some of the best redemptions include booking business class flights to Europe through Air France-KLM Flying Blue for as low as 50,000 miles one-way. Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club offers excellent value for Delta One flights to Europe at 50,000 points, significantly less than booking directly through Delta.
For those planning a trip to Asia, transferring to ANA Mileage Club can yield incredible value. Round-trip business class flights from the West Coast to Tokyo can be booked for just 90,000 miles. Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer is another great option, especially for their renowned long-haul flights like New York to Singapore.
Domestic travelers can benefit from transferring to British Airways Executive Club for short-haul American and Alaska Airlines flights, with awards starting at just 8,250 Avios for distances up to 650 miles.
While transferring to airline partners typically offers the best value, Amex also allows direct redemptions for flights through their travel portal. However, this option generally provides lower value at 1 cent per point.
To maximize your Membership Rewards, focus on high-value airline transfers for premium cabin international flights. With strategic planning, you can unlock extraordinary travel experiences and significant savings on your next adventure.
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]
|
Blue Cash Preferred:
The Amex Blue Cash Everyday Preferred offers a straightforward approach to redeeming rewards. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
This simple system allows you to easily apply your earnings to your account balance or make purchases on Amazon, giving you flexibility in how you use your rewards.
With no minimum redemption amount, you can use your cash back whenever you want, making it an ideal choice for those who prefer straightforward rewards over complex point systems.
Winner:
Amex Platinum since Membership Rewards points unlocks a lot of travel value.
The Verdict
Both the Amex Platinum and Blue Cash Preferred are good choices.
The Amex Platinum is a better choice if you travel several times a year, especially if you fly Delta or have another airport lounge at your main airport.
The Blue Cash Preferred is a good option for less frequent travelers who spend a lot of money each year at U.S. supermarkets.
Which card are you going to choose?
