Major Changes for The Platinum Card® from American Express

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® was one of the first major travel rewards-oriented credit cards to undergo a major overhaul in 2025. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® saw an increase in its annual fee from $550 to $795, new annual credits, new point earning rates, etc. These changes were both perceived as positive and negative by many people, as they transformed the world of premium travel credit cards.

In the next few weeks, after Chase overhauled the Chase Sapphire Reserve® a few months ago during the middle of the summer, American Express is preparing to launch a major overhaul of one of its most famous and coveted credit cards: Platinum Card® from American Express.

Among the rumored changes are an increase in annual fee, an annual dining credit, credit for event tickets (potentially via Ticketmaster), etc.

While Chase completely overhauled the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and transformed the card into much more of a coupon book, it seems that American Express is being more conservative with their changes on the Platinum Card® from American Express.

Currently, we’re not exactly sure about the extent to which American Express will be changing the card. However, the changes could make or break decisions for current cardholders, as well as prospective cardholders who are thinking about applying.

American Express has noted that the card will remain a travel rewards and lifestyle-focused card, hinting that the changes might not be too drastic.

This might either be good news or bad news, depending on the kind of consumer you are and your spending habits. If you’re currently a cardholder of Platinum Card® from American Express, or you were thinking about possibly applying for the card, it might be worth analyzing the incoming changes to see if the card will be the right fit for you.

Current Introductory Offer and Annual Fee

As of September 7, 2025, the introductory offer on Platinum Card® from American Express is as high as 175,000 American Express Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first 6 months of account opening.

Platinum Card® from American Express is unique in the fact that its introductory offer is not fixed for everyone. The caveat behind who gets offered what is unclear, but by utilizing methods such as incognito mode and different browsers, you might be able to unlock the highest offer possible.

175,000 American Express points can take you very far, especially when you take into account the fact that you can transfer these points to any of American Express’s transfer partners.

For example, Air Canada Aeroplan® is one of many airline loyalty programs that is partnered with American Express. For just 60,000 Aeroplan points, you could fly from New York (JFK) to Frankfurt (FRA) on Singapore Airlines business class, which is an incredible deal for a transatlantic flight, as well as considering the fact that Singapore Airlines is consistently rated as one of the best airlines in the world.

Singapore Airlines is well-renowned for its business class product, making this JFK-FRA route a highly coveted reward redemption route, as you can experience Singaporean hospitality and the amazing business class product without needing to fly all the way to Singapore and spending tens of thousands more points.

Since Platinum Card® from American Express comes with a variety of benefits, as well as a premium introductory offer, it is no surprise that it comes with a steep annual fee. As of September 7, 2025, the current annual fee on the card is $695. The annual fee is rumored to be increasing amongst all the changes, which might deter people from allocating a spot in their wallet for Platinum Card® from American Express.

$695 is already a steep amount of money to be paying every year for a credit card, and if you have to pay even more annually, you might be wondering if you’re even getting any value out of the card from how you’re using it.

Lounge Network Expansion

American Express boasts pride in the fact that it provides more access to airport lounges than any other credit card issuer on the market. American Express offers access to more than 1,500 lounges in more than 500 airports around the world, including their network of premium airport lounges: Centurion Lounges.

There are currently 29 Centurion Lounges worldwide, and American Express is planning to open up three new locations in the next year: Newark, New Jersey; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Tokyo, Japan.

The expansion of lounges that American Express provides access to is one of the key components of Platinum Card® from American Express, as it is one of few American Express cards that provide access to Centurion Lounges.

Annual Hotel Credit

One of the major changes that is rumored to hit Platinum Card® from American Express is the increase in the annual hotel credit for American Express Fine Hotels® + Resorts from $200 to $600. This $600 will be split into two semi-annual credits, where you can receive up to $300 in statement credits from January to June and up to $300 in credits from July to December.

It is worth noting that you must book stays that are a minimum of two nights long in order to be eligible to receive the statement credits, but you can still end up saving a lot of money if you are wise with your timing and place of booking.

For example, you can book two nights at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi via Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts for a total of $612. You can shave this down to $312 by utilizing one of your semiannual credits, saving about 50% on your booking.

However, if your booking straddles the end of June and the beginning of July, you might be able to trigger both of your semiannual credits to apply to one booking. It isn’t exactly clear whether or not this could work, but if it does, you could possibly save almost 100% on this hotel booking.

You would be able to enjoy the wonders that Vietnam and its capital city offer without worrying too much about breaking the bank on accommodation. Go enjoy eating some pho and banh mi, and if you can, make it all the way out to Ha Long Bay for some breathtaking views!

Dining/Resy Credit

Platinum Card® from American Express currently doesn’t offer a credit specific to dining or Resy, but after analyzing the overhaul of the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, it is rumored that Platinum Card® from American Express will begin to offer a credit related to dining spend.

Chase Sapphire Reserve® currently offers an annual credit of up to $300 for dining via Chase Sapphire Reserve® Exclusive Tables, and considering that American Express is already partnered with Resy to provide global dining access, it wouldn’t be shocking if American Express rolled out a Resy dining credit.

Ticketmaster Credit

Another new credit that the Chase Sapphire Reserve® recently rolled out is an annual credit of up to $300 for ticket purchases made via StubHub.

If you’re an avid concert-goer like me, you might find the StubHub credit very useful and enticing. However, the major downside is that StubHub is a third-party resale site, meaning that you might not be able to buy tickets at their original face value, nor will you be able to 100% guarantee that nothing will go wrong, since you are at the mercy of other people selling their tickets to you.

On the other hand, American Express is already directly partnered with Ticketmaster, which is the world’s leading ticket marketplace and distribution company. Ticketmaster is often the official site for purchasing tickets, meaning that you’ll often be able to purchase your tickets at face value and with confidence that you will receive your tickets.

Since American Express has an existing partnership with Ticketmaster, it wouldn’t be surprising if it rolled out an annual credit for ticket purchases made via Ticketmaster, mirroring what Chase has done with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

Final Remarks

Platinum Card® from American Express has long been a cornerstone of premium travel rewards, and 2025’s rumored overhaul could make it even more attractive, or, for some, less compelling. Between a potential increase in the annual fee, enhanced hotel and dining credits, and expanded lounge access, Amex is clearly positioning the card to compete directly with the newly revamped Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

Whether these updates will be worth the cost ultimately depends on how you use the benefits. If you’re someone who regularly books hotels through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts, dines at partner restaurants, or values frequent lounge access, the Platinum Card could easily justify its annual fee. On the other hand, if your spending patterns don’t align with Amex’s credits and partnerships, a different premium card may deliver better value.

As with any credit card decision, the best approach is to evaluate your lifestyle, travel habits, and financial goals. If the rumors prove true, the Platinum Card will continue to be a powerhouse for frequent travelers and luxury-seekers, just with a slightly higher price tag and a new mix of perks.