Amex Platinum vs. Amex Green: Which is Best?

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

The Amex Platinum card is designed for frequent travelers who want access to luxury travel perks, such as airport lounge access, hotel upgrades, and elite status with various travel providers.

Meanwhile, the Amex Green card is geared towards those who want to earn rewards points on everyday purchases and enjoy some travel benefits, but don’t want to pay the high annual fee associated with the Platinum card.

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.

Cards Overview

Airport Lounge Access
The Platinum Card® from American Express
  • bonus_miles_full
  • Potentially Higher Welcome Bonus via Referral.
  • 5x Points on Flights Booked Directly With Airlines (up to $500,000 in purchases each calendar year)
  • Airport Lounge Access (Centurion, Delta Sky Club, Priority Pass, Escape, and Plaza Premium)
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees
  • $695 Annual Fee (Rates & Fees)
Learn More Our Review
American Express is a Deals Points Advertiser; Terms Apply. Enrollment is required for some benefits.

American Express® Green Card
  • Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 within the first 6 months.
  • 3X Points at U.S. Restaurants, Transit, and Travel
  • Annual Statement Credits for CLEAR® Plus and LoungeBuddy
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees
  • $150 Annual Fee
Learn More Our Review
All information about the American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by Deals Points; Terms Apply

Welcome Bonus

The Amex Platinum currently offers the following welcome bonus:

bonus_miles_full

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

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 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.

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

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 Clubs (when traveling on 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 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.*

$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.*

$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.*

$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®.*

$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: 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 Global Entry 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®. *

Shop Saks with Platinum: 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 Status: Complimentary Gold status with Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy.*

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

Other benefits include:

  • Trip delay insurance; **
  • Trip cancellation insurance;  **
  • Extended warranty;**
  • Purchase protection;**
  • Return protection;** and
  • No preset spending limit.

* 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.

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

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.

The Amex Green has an annual fee of $150 , 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 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.

American Express Logo Membership Rewards Transfer Partners [1 to 1]
Aer Lingus Aer Lingus Avios AEROMEXICO LOGO AeroMexico [1 to 1.6]
Air Canada Air Canada Aeroplan Air France Air France/KLM Flying Blue
ANA ANA Avianca Avianca LifeMiles
British Airways British Airways Avios Cathay Pacific Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
Delta Air Lines Delta SkyMiles El Al El Al [1,000 to 20]
Emirates logo Emirates Etihad Etihad Guest
Hawaiian Airlines logo Hawaiian Airlines Iberia logo Iberia Avios
JetBlue JetBlue [250 to 200] Qantas Logo Qantas
Qatar Airways logo Qatar Airways Singapore Airlines Singapore KrisFlyer
Virgin Atlantic logo Virgin Atlantic Choice Logo Choice
Marriott Hotels Marriott Bonvoy Hilton Hotels Hilton Honors [1 to 2]

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?

Airport Lounge Access
The Platinum Card® from American Express
  • bonus_miles_full
  • Potentially Higher Welcome Bonus via Referral.
  • 5x Points on Flights Booked Directly With Airlines (up to $500,000 in purchases each calendar year)
  • Airport Lounge Access (Centurion, Delta Sky Club, Priority Pass, Escape, and Plaza Premium)
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees
  • $695 Annual Fee (Rates & Fees)
Learn More Our Review
American Express is a Deals Points Advertiser; Terms Apply. Enrollment is required for some benefits.

American Express® Green Card
  • Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 within the first 6 months.
  • 3X Points at U.S. Restaurants, Transit, and Travel
  • Annual Statement Credits for CLEAR® Plus and LoungeBuddy
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees
  • $150 Annual Fee
Learn More Our Review
All information about the American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by Deals Points; Terms Apply

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