A 150,000-Point Amex Platinum Welcome Bonus Is on Offer for Some Applicants. Do You Qualify?
KEY POINTS
- Some lucky potential cardholders can find a welcome offer for 150,000 Membership Rewards points.
- There's no surefire way to trigger the offer; it seems a lot comes down to luck.
- You can do a ton with that many points, including flying to Europe in business class.
In all the years I've been nerding out over credit cards, the most valuable welcome bonus I've ever seen comes from one of my favorite cards: The Platinum Card® from American Express.
Specifically, the bonus we all want is the rare and coveted 150,000 Membership Rewards points bonus that occasionally makes the rounds. (Spending requirements vary by specific offer. Terms apply.)
I was lucky enough to snag this welcome bonus several years ago when I applied for my own card. And I spotted it again in the wild just last week (that one could be earned once you spent $8,000 in 6 months).
Friends, if you see this bonus, and you have any interest in the Amex Platinum Card -- apply. Grab that welcome offer by its shiny platinum horns and run with it.
On American Express' Secure Website.
Terms apply
On American Express' Secure Website.
Terms apply
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: n/a
Balance Transfers: n/a
APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Rewards Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Earn 1X Membership Rewards® Points on other purchases. Terms and limitations apply.
1X-5X Membership Rewards® Points
Annual Fee
$695
Welcome Offer Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
80,000 Membership Rewards® Points
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This luxury travel card has some of the most prestigious perks you'll find — access to over 1,400 airport lounges, elite status with Hilton and Marriott Bonvoy, and spending credits worth over $1,500 in value every year. Just be ready for the hefty annual fee, which can be offset in the first year with a welcome bonus worth $800 in points. Terms apply.
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- Big welcome offer
- Substantial spending credits
- Airport lounge access
- Hotel benefits
- Flexible travel points
- Annual fee
- Limited bonus categories
- Spending credits can be complicated to manage
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- Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
- $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market. As of 03/2023.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Save on eligible delivery fees, shipping, and more with a Walmart+ membership. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes back on one membership (excluding Plus Ups) each month.
- $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 Platinum Card®.
- $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Terms Apply.
- $199 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps to get you to your gate faster at 50+ airports nationwide and get up to $199 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card. CLEARLanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues.
- Receive either 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®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
- Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile.
- $695 annual fee.¤
- Terms Apply.
Why? Amex has strict rules on who can earn bonuses
So, what's all the fuss? I mean, you can just get another one later, right?
Nope!
American Express has some of the strictest rules around welcome offers. You're limited to one bonus per card per lifetime. Yeah, you read that right: You can only earn one welcome bonus per Amex card, period.
(All right, in fairness, there are lots of rumors and reports about people getting second bonuses after seven to 10 years. But that's a very your-mileage-may-vary situation, and I wouldn't want to bet on it happening.)
So, if you're limited to earning just one welcome bonus per credit card, you really want to make sure you get the very best bonus you can find. And, so far, you can't do better than 150,000 points.
Strategies for triggering higher welcome offers
The major downside to this welcome offer is that it seems to be entirely random in when and where it pops up. No one has found a foolproof way to trigger the offer, nor are there any current referral links guaranteeing the offer (that I know of, happy to be proved wrong here).
How do you find it, then? Luck and patience, mostly. But there are a few other things you can try:
- Log into/out of your Amex account: You may get better offers inside your Amex account and/or in the Amex mobile app. Or you might get a better offer by logging out.
- Change your browser: I've seen a lot of reports of people getting different welcome offers depending on the web browser they use. Using private or incognito mode could also make a difference.
- Use a VPN: Some people find they get different offers by using a VPN to change their region within the U.S.
- Look for referral links: You might luck into a referral link that leads to the offer, but this doesn't seem to be common.
What can you do with 150,000 Membership Rewards points?
Membership Rewards points are exceptionally versatile travel rewards, so you can do a ton of awesome stuff with 150,000 of them. Here are just a few ways to use all those points:
- Fly to Europe and back in business class: You could transfer your points to Air France Flying Blue and enjoy business class flights to and from Paris, all for around 105,000 points.
- Spend your honeymoon in New Zealand: You can get economy award flights on Qantas from the U.S. west coast to Auckland for just 37,600 points each, which is just over 150,000 points for two people round-trip.
- Take your family of three on a domestic vacation: You can fly round-trip in Delta's Main cabin from the eastern U.S. to the west coast for just 49,000 points each, or 147,000 points round-trip for a family of three.
Keep in mind that most award flights do have some cash component, which can range from $5 up to a few hundred bucks per ticket (business class awards tend to have more fees than economy). You're still saving a big chunk of change over paying cash, though.
If you have your eye on the Amex Platinum Card, it can be well worth taking your time to wait for a great welcome offer. You never know when the universe will gift you that elusive 150,000-point prize.
Our Research Expert
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For rates and fees for the The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here
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