American Express Platinum Card^® vs. American Express^® Green Card: Which is Best?

American Express Platinum Card^® and American Express^® Green Card are both popular travel rewards cards.

The Amex Platinum card 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.

Meanwhile, the Amex Green offers generous 3x points on travel and dining, plus vannual credits for CLEAR and LoungeBuddy. This versatile mid-tier card is ideal for frequent travelers who want to maximize rewards on everyday spending categories.

(All information about the American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by Deals Points and has not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.)

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 American Express^® Green Card.

Overview: Amex Platinum vs Amex Green

Welcome Bonus

Amex Platinum:

The American Express Platinum currently offers the following welcome bonus:

You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

There is also potentially a higher welcome bonus offer via referral.

Amex Green:

The Amex Green currently offers the following welcome bonus:

Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 within the first 6 months.

Earning Rewards

Amex Platinum:

American Express 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.

Amex Green:

The Amex Green earns points at the following rates:

• 3 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.;
• 3 points per dollar on travel, including airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, campgrounds, vacation rentals, and travel purchases on third-party travel websites and amextravel.com;
• 3 points per dollar on transit, including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways; and
• 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases.

Winner:

The Amex Green card wins this category since its easier to rack up points at restaurants, travel (including flights), and transit.

Card Benefits and Perks

Amex Platinum:

The Amex Platinum is widely recognized as a premium travel credit card, and it certainly lives up to that reputation by offering a range of exclusive perks and benefits, including:

Airport Lounge Access: Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, Escape lounges, Plaza Premium lounges, and Delta Sky Club lounges (when traveling on a same-day Delta flights).*

$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.*

$200 Uber Cash: Enjoy $15 in Uber Cash for US rides each month, plus a bonus $20 in December. That can be up to $200 in annual Uber savings. Simply download the Uber app and add your Platinum Card® to your Uber account to get started. Effective 11/8/2024, an Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit.*

$240 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.*

$155 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.*

$200 Hotel Credit: 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.*

$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.*

$189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: You can cover the cost of a CLEAR+ Membership with up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR+ with this card.*

$100 Global Entry Credit: Receive either a $120 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®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.*

Up to $100 Saks Fifth Avenue 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. *

$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.*

Hotel Elite Status: Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold elite status.*

Rental Car Elite Status: Hertz President’s Circle, Avis Preferred Plus, and National Emerald Club Executive.*

Trip Delay Insurance: If your trip is delayed by more than six hours for a covered reason, you may be eligible to be reimbursed up to $500 per covered trip for reasonable expenses.**

Trip Cancellation / Interruption Insurance: If your trip must be canceled or interrupted need because of a covered reason, you may be eligible for reimbursement of up to $10,000 per covered trip**

Extended Warranty: You can extend eligible manufacturer’s warranties of five years or less by up to one additional year.**

Purchase Protection: You can protect recent purchases against theft, accidental damage, or loss for up to 90 days from the purchase date.**

Return Protection: You may be able to file a claim if a merchant refuses your return of an eligible item within 90 days from the date of purchase.**

* 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.

Amex Green:

The Amex Green offers the following benefits:

• $189 CLEAR Plus Credit: Receive up to $189 per calendar year in statement credits for a CLEAR Plus membership (subject to auto-renewal);
• $100 LoungeBuddy:  Purchase lounge access through the LoungeBuddy app using the American Express® Green Card and receive up to $100 in statement credits annually;
• No foreign transaction fees;
• Trip delay insurance;*
• Secondary rental car insurance;*
• Baggage insurance plan;*
• Purchase protection;*
• Extended warranty;* and
• No present spending limit.

* 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 many fee credits, airport lounge access, and other perks.

Value of the Annual Fees

American Express Platinum:

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.

American Express Green:

The Amex Green has an annual fee of $150 (rates & fees), which can be offset by the extra points at restaurants, travel, and transit, fee credits, and travel and purchase protections.

Winner:

Although the Amex Platinum has a much higher annual fee, you can really get more value from it if you maximize the benefits.

Redeeming Rewards

Both Cards:

Both the Amex Green and Amex Platinum earns Membership Rewards points.

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]

The Verdict

Both the Amex Platinum and Amex Green are good choices and complement each other well.

The Amex Platinum is one of the top cards for airport lounge access and card benefits and perks, especially if you fly Delta or have a Centurion Lounge at your home airport.

The Amex Green is great for general travel spending like hotels and airfare, along with restaurants.

But if you had to pick one card, I would go with the Amex Platinum and then later add in the Amex Green or one of my favorite cards, the American Express^® Gold Card (review).

Which card are you going to choose?