Should you get the Amex Platinum or be an authorized user?

Probably the most common premium bank cards is The Platinum Card® from American Express. Whereas it has a excessive annual payment (see rates and fees), it might provide a ton of worth for the correct of traveler.

It prices $195 for every additional Platinum cardmember you add to your account (see rates and fees). Nonetheless, these extra cardmembers could also be asking an necessary query: Ought to I keep as a licensed consumer or get a Platinum Card of my very own?

This is some steering that can assist you make that call.

The Amex Platinum has an annual payment of $695 (see rates and fees). If you happen to’re a licensed consumer, you may pay an extra $195 in annual charges.

You will need to weigh the associated fee distinction between holding your personal Amex Platinum and being a licensed consumer on another person’s account. Consequently, it’s possible you’ll wish to crunch the numbers to see which makes essentially the most sense.

There are a number of arguments in favor of getting your personal Amex Platinum. Not surprisingly, they begin with the welcome provide.

You will not earn your personal welcome provide once you’re added as a licensed consumer. Nevertheless, in case you apply (and are accredited) for the Platinum Card as the first cardmember, you’ll be able to earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $8,000 on eligible purchases throughout the first six months of card membership. This bonus is value $1,600 based mostly on TPG’s January 2025 valuations, due to the array of valuable ways to use Amex points.

(Professional tip: You’ll want to examine the CardMatch tool to see in case you’re focused for an even higher welcome offer, although these are topic to vary at any time.)

The welcome provide is a one-time perk just for the first year. Past that, there are a number of necessary advantages on the Amex Platinum which can be granted as soon as per account. If you happen to can maximize any of the next, you might be an excellent candidate for getting your personal Platinum Card:

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• Month-to-month Uber Money:* Stand up to $15 in monthly Uber Cash (plus a $20 bonus in December), once you add your Amex Platinum as a cost methodology to your Uber account. The credit score can be utilized for Uber rides and Uber Eats orders within the U.S. Even in case you’re an occasional Uber buyer, this may end up in as much as $200 in complete worth every year. As soon as your Amex Platinum is added to your Uber account, you’ll be able to redeem Uber Money with any Amex card at cost.
• Digital leisure credit score:* The Amex Platinum provides you as much as $20 in assertion credit every month once you use the cardboard for subscriptions to select digital entertainment providers, together with Disney+ and The New York Instances. If you happen to max out these credit, you may take pleasure in as much as $240 in worth per calendar yr.
• Clear Plus assertion credit score:* Get up to $199 in annual statement credits once you cost the price of a Clear Plus membership to your Amex Platinum.
• Lodge assertion credit score: As an Amex Platinum cardmember, you’ll be able to entry luxurious resort perks by means of Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection (the latter of which requires a two-night minimal keep). If you make a pay as you go reservation with a taking part property in both of those packages, you may take pleasure in up to $200 in statement credits per calendar yr.
• Airline assertion credit score:* The Amex Platinum additionally comes with up to $200 in annual statement credits for incidental charges charged to your card with an airline you designate per calendar yr. This will cowl baggage charges, seat assignments, or visitor passes to go to an airline lounge.

*Enrollment required; phrases apply for these advantages.

Whereas your spending as a licensed consumer can set off these perks for the first Platinum Card account, you aren’t getting your personal set as an extra Platinum cardmember. If you happen to’re recurrently utilizing these perks, it could be value getting your personal Platinum card.

Put a concrete greenback quantity to those advantages based mostly by yourself utilization over the following 12 months. If that quantity is larger than $500, you are a good candidate for getting your personal Platinum Card.

Between the welcome provide and these assertion credit — together with some that will let you double up in yr one — now could also be a good time to turn out to be a main cardmember on the Amex Platinum.

Associated: 10 things to do when you get the Amex Platinum

Most clearly, in case you’re below the age of 18, your solely actual choice is to be an extra Platinum cardmember. And even once you flip 18, the Amex Platinum has some pretty strict requirements to get accredited. Latest highschool graduates with restricted credit score histories will seemingly have to be approved customers for a number of years (and construct up their very own credit score) earlier than contemplating getting the Amex Platinum in their very own proper.

Past that, staying (or changing into) a licensed consumer seemingly makes essentially the most sense for many who extremely worth the perks that stretch to extra Platinum cardmembers — however do not care concerning the above advantages. In spite of everything, entry to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, the assertion credit score for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, and complimentary Gold status with Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors all prolong to approved customers. And for frequent lounge guests or common Marriott and Hilton visitors, paying $195 a yr can nonetheless be a discount. Enrollment required; phrases apply for choose advantages.

If you happen to’re nonetheless on the fence, crunch the numbers by placing greenback quantities to those advantages. For instance, how a lot would you pay to enter an Amex Centurion Lounge? Company of the first Platinum cardmember are $50 (until they unlock guest privileges by spending $75,000 on the cardboard in a calendar yr), so in case you agree with that worth, you’ll be able to greater than cowl the $195 approved consumer annual payment with 4 (or extra) visits.

Associated: Is the Amex Platinum worth the annual fee?

After all, for some clients, neither one in every of these is sensible. Possibly you beforehand had the Amex Platinum and thus aren’t eligible for a welcome offer. Maybe you solely entry an airport lounge a number of instances a yr or use the resort elite standing perks occasionally.

Once more, crunch the numbers based mostly on the real-world worth you get from every year’s included advantages. If the worth is below $195, you are higher off canceling your approved consumer card.

The Platinum Card from American Express costs $195 for approved customers, and whereas some might contemplate eradicating extra Platinum playing cards from their accounts, others might wish to contemplate when it is sensible to turn out to be a main cardmember.

Begin by trying on the welcome provide, particularly in case you’re focused for an elevated provide. Then, establish the worth of these extra perks you’d unlock with your personal Amex Platinum Card — preserving in thoughts that some are based mostly on a calendar yr. It doesn’t matter what you select, be sure you’re getting sufficient worth to justify the associated fee.

To study extra concerning the card, learn our full review of the Amex Platinum.

Apply right here: Amex Platinum

For charges and costs of the Amex Platinum, click on here.