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Katie has been in the points and miles game since 2015 and started her own blog in 2016. She’s been freelance writing since then and her work has been featured in publications like Travel + Leisure an...
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The Platinum Card® from American Express is arguably one of the premier credit cards available today. While the annual fee isn’t for the faint of heart, this card comes with lots of premium perks and benefits.
If this card is on your radar, you will want to apply for the card when the bonus is as high as possible. That’s because American Express only allows you to earn the bonus on a credit card once in your lifetime.
If you have been around the world of points and miles for a while, you’ve likely heard of the coveted 100,000- to 150,000-point introductory offer after meeting spending requirements. Earning a big welcome bonus on this card is an ideal situation, but it isn’t available to everyone every day.
In this post, you’ll find all the information you need to apply for the Amex Platinum card with a welcome bonus offer of 100,000, 125,000, or 150,000 points.
Targeted offers are discussed in the article below. Please note that these offers are not available to all applicants. Any information related to targeted offers has been collected independently and has not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Amex Platinum Card Snapshot
Depending on your personal information, you may see one of several different welcome offers.
The current public offer is: Earn 80,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first 6 months.
Just because the current public offer is 100,000 points, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take a few minutes to see if you can be targeted for an elevated offer.
How To Find the Amex Platinum 100k, 125k, or Even 150k Welcome Bonus Offer
Historically, the welcome bonus offer for the Amex Platinum card usually varies between 40,000 to 60,000 Membership Rewards points.
Keep in mind that welcome offers come with a spending requirement so be sure you’re able to meet any minimum spending requirement before applying for any offer.
Step 1: Check Amex’s Website Directly (Try This First)
As previously highlighted, the current public offer for the Amex Platinum is: Earn 80,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first 6 months.
However, our team has noticed that American Express has offered a targeted and elevated welcome offer to select applicants. As with all targeted offers, these offers won’t be available to all applicants, but here’s an example of a targeted offer we’ve found by applying directly through Amerian Express.
Offer captured June 8, 2023, may not be available for all applicants and is subject to change. Image Credit: American Express
Offer captured June 8, 2023, may not be available for all applicants and is subject to change. Image Credit: American Express
Our team at UP has recently seen offers for 125,000 Membership Rewards® Points as shown above. This was captured on June 8, 2023.
Back in March of 2023, we had seen an even higher offer of 150,000 points available to select applicants which can be seen below.
However —please take note that we have notbeen able to confirm that the 150,000-point welcome offer shown below is still available.
Offer captured March 23, 2023, may not be available for all applicants and is subject to change. Image Credit: American Express
Step 2: CardMatch Tool
If you strike out on the American Express website, your next option would be CardMatch.
CardMatch is a web-based form that allows you to see your best credit card offers from its partner banks in seconds.
CardMatch completes a soft credit check to see if you’re eligible for any elevated offers. Since it’s not a hard pull, this won’t count against your credit.
Keep in mind the CardMatch tool only shows you offers from banks it is affiliated with; you won’t see every credit card offer that’s available to you. It currently has affiliations with the following banks:
American Express
Chase
Bank of America
Capital One
First PREMIER Bank
Offer captured March 20, 2023, and may not be available for all applicants. Image Credit: CardMatch via BankRate
Targeted Email Offers
If you are lucky, you might just find an elevated offer for the Amex Platinum card in your mailbox one day. Just make sure you have opted-in to receive New Card and Credit Offers in your Amex account’s General Marketing Email Preferences.
Reasons You May Not Get a Targeted Bonus Offer
Bad, Poor, or Limited Credit: First and foremost, make sure your credit score is as high as possible. You should be using your current credit responsibly and paying off your bill in full and on time each month.
You Already Have an American Express Card: According to crowdsourced data, you might be less likely to get a targeted offer like this if you already have an American Express credit card.
Maximizing the Amex Platinum 100k, 125k, or Even 150k Welcome Offer
To put the value of Membership Rewards points into perspective, we’ve rounded up some of the best uses of Membership Rewards points below. These are some of the most lucrative Membership Rewards redemptions that show you just how far 100,000 Membership Rewards points really go.
Let’s take a look!
Singapore Suites From New York (JFK) to Frankfurt (FRA)
Singapore Airlines’ new A380 Suites features a double bed and separate lounge chair, and you can book it with your Membership Rewards points. Image Credit: Greg Stone
Ever wanted your own bed in the sky? Well, now you can have it: just transfer your Membership Rewards points to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer and book the famous Singapore Suites first class.
Singapore Airlines flies this product on its A380 fifth-freedom route between New York (JFK) and Frankfurt (FRA), making it the most fashionable way to fly between the U.S. and Europe.
To book, find dates with Saver award space on the Singapore Airlines website and transfer 86,000 Membership Rewards points to Singapore Airlines. Check out our full guide to booking Singapore Airlines award tickets here.
Once on-board, you’ll be treated to some of the best service in the sky, with top-notch Champagne, complimentary caviar, and all of the other bells and whistles you’d expect from one of the world’s best first class products. And if you depart from Frankfurt, you can enjoy Lufthansa’s first class Senator Lounge pre-flight.
Cathay Pacific Business Class Awards to Asia
Fly to Hong Kong and beyond by transferring your Membership Rewards points to Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles loyalty program. Image Credit: Greg Stone
For example, you can book business class flights from the U.S. East Coast to Hong Kong and beyond for just 85,000 Membership Rewards points transferred to Asia Miles, giving you a chance to try one of the best business class products in the sky.
Hot Tip: Enjoy a free stopover on all Asia Miles award tickets — just perform a multi-city search and enter the city you’d like to stop in. There are no additional points required to take advantage of this benefit.
Just 90,000 Membership Rewards points will get you from the West Coast of the U.S. to Tokyo in business class! Image Credit: All Nippon Airways
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is one of the more overlooked Amex transfer partners, but it has an interesting partnership with Tokyo-based ANA.
Despite not being in the same airline alliance, the 2 airlines have joined forces to let Flying Club members redeem points on ANA flights for an insanely low points cost.
Currently, you can book a round-trip award ticket from the U.S. to Tokyo for 90,000 miles from the U.S. West Coast or 95,000 miles from the U.S. Midwest or East Coast.
And if you have the miles to spare, you can book the airline’s award-winning first class for 110,000 or 120,000 miles from the U.S. West Coast or Midwest/East Coast, respectively.
Fly around the U.S. for free on United Airlines when you transfer your Membership Rewards points to Avianca LifeMiles. Image Credit: United Airlines
Transfer your Membership Rewards points to Avianca LifeMiles and you can book short-haul United Airlines tickets starting at just 7,500 miles one-way.
Mileage costs vary by route as Avianca splits the U.S. into 3 different award regions: United States 1, 2, and 3. In short, region 1 is the East Coast, 2 is the Midwest, and 3 is the West Coast.
Hot Tip: Domestic U.S. award tickets booked with Avianca LifeMiles are operated by United Airlines as both carriers are in the Star Alliance.
Flights within a single region cost 7,500 miles in economy class, moving 1 region over costs 10,000 miles, and a trip spanning 3 regions costs 12,500 miles.
This means that you can book a flight from Chicago (ORD) to Austin (AUS) for 7,500 miles as they’re in the same region. This is by far the cheapest way to book short-haul domestic U.S. award tickets with Amex points.
So if you’re someone that likes to travel around the U.S., definitely give LifeMiles transfers a shot. Your 100,000 Membership Reward welcome bonus is enough for 13 short-haul trips within the U.S.!
Final Thoughts
An offer for 100,000 to 150,000 bonus points on an Amex Platinum card is like a 4-leaf clover; it exists but the highest offers can be hard to find.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
Featured Image Credit: Upgraded Points
Frequently Asked Questions
The value of the Membership Rewards points you earn through your Amex Platinum card varies based on how you use them. If you are booking travel through the Amex Travel portal, you will get 1 cent per point in value. But, if you transfer them to hotel or airline partners they can be worth much more! So, at a minimum, a 100,000 to 150,000 Amex Platinum card bonus would be worth at least $1,000 to $1,500 in travel.
Finding a link for an Amex Platinum card welcome bonus is easy. First, check our Learn More link in the above table. You need to be targeted for the 125,000 or 150,000 offer. We also highly recommend checking through the American Express site directly by using the pre-qualified offer checker, or using the CardMatch tool is a good way to check to see if can get a higher offer. Also, make sure you are signed up to receive credit card offers from Amex. You might get lucky and find this offer waiting for you in your mailbox soon.
This is a great question, but the answer will vary from person to person. The Amex Platinum card comes with a lot of benefits, but also a steep price tag. If you aren’t sure if this card is right for you, check out our analysis of the perks and benefits to help you determine if the Amex Platinum card is worth it.
The Amex Platinum card is certainly one of the most prestigious cards that you can sign up for. This metal card comes with a hefty annual fee but is loaded with travel benefits and perks, as well as a huge welcome bonus — valued anywhere between $2,200 to $3,300.
There’s actually no preset spending or credit limit for Amex Platinum cardholders. What’s handy though is that when you’re logged into your Amex account, you can Check Spending Power which means you can see if an amount will be preapproved to be spent on your card. This is great for making large purchases as you can find out before charging your card whether you’ll be approved for that purchase.
Katie has been in the points and miles game since 2015 and started her own blog in 2016. She’s been freelance writing since then and her work has been featured in publications like Travel + Leisure and Forbes Advisor.
Disclaimer: Any comments listed below are not from the bank advertiser, nor have they been reviewed or approved by them. No responsibility will be taken by the bank advertiser for these comments.
30 comments
L deol
April 25, 2019
Sounds like a great credit card offer but I’m still searching for a something with no annual fee.
Hi,
Yes, this is a great offer but definitely not if you are looking for a no annual fee card! American Express does have some great no fee cards that you might want to check out.
Jason
May 31, 2019
Hi Katie,
I’m very interested in the Amex Platinum, but I don’t want to miss out on the 100k offer the way I missed out for my CSR. I’m told that if I already have an Amex card, it will be unlikely that I will receive this offer. I currently do have a Blue Cash Everyday, however, I do get targeted offers directly from Amex for the 50k bonus offer on the Gold Card. I’ve got this offer at least twice, if not 3 times, in the last year. Would closing out my BCE increase my odds of getting this offer? I also try card match, but for some reason, the only results I get are for 3 Chase Cards (the Freedom and Freedom Unlimited, which I already have, and the CSP, which I don’t need since I have the CSR). I have gotten special offers from my browsers (Chrome and Safari) for 70k and 75k offers. Some people tell me I should just accept that and give up on the 100k, but I’m not sure if I want to do that. What are your thoughts on this?
Hi Jason,
Unfortunately, there is not one right or wrong answer here. While I don’t know for sure, I don’t think canceling your Blue Cash Everyday card would increase your odds of getting the 100K Platinum Card offer.
If you have an immediate need for the Platinum card or could start using the benefits right away, I would seriously consider the 75K offer – that’s a pretty good bonus! However, if you can wait, it might not hurt to give it a little more time.
Membership
December 22, 2020
I had both the Amex Blue Cash Preferred and the Amex Gold card (which I opened just over a year ago). I found the offer for the 100K sign up bonus for the Platinum card and I was approved without any issues. No need to use alternate email address or phone number, I entered all the information that matched me to my current Amex accounts and it wasn’t an issue at all.
D Cooper
June 03, 2019
How would a new customer without an active Amex card sign up for email settings on the Amex website?
It says you need an American Express card to sign up.
You are correct, D. Cooper, signing up to receive email offers for additional Amex cards requires having an American Express account. You could try using the Card Match tool to see if you have any offers available.
Sasha Luko
August 23, 2019
Hi Katie,
You mentioned that transferring points to airlines or hotel partners may increase the value. Can you give some specific examples?
American Express offers both credit cards and charge cards. If you’re referring to the Platinum card outlined in this post, then yes that is a charge card.
Thanks for reading!
Cynthia Jones
January 04, 2020
How long do I need to keep my Amex Card at this level to qualify for the bonus? If I decide to downgrade to a lower fee after 6 months, do I lose the bonus I received?
You might. Generally speaking, its best to keep the card open for at least 1 year after receiving the welcome bonus.
John T
January 12, 2020
Curious why incognito mode would make a difference checking offers on CreditMatch. After providing your name, address, and partial SSN, how stealthy could you be?
The article is referencing using incognito mode to check for new offers displayed on the American Express website (since it doesn’t track your cookies), not through Card Match. Apologies if that wasn’t clear!
Sally
January 23, 2020
If I have a delta sky miles credit card, are you saying I can transfer those miles to Air Canada? Or any of those other airlines you mentioned or does it have to be just Amex and not a delta Amex?
This article is referring to the American Express Membership Reward transfer partners. To utilize those you would need an American Express card that earns Membership Reward points like the Amex Platinum card or the Amex Gold card.
You can use your Delta Skymiles to book flights with their SkyTeam airline partners, but you cannot transfer your Delta SkyMiles to those airlines, the booking must be done through Delta.
I hope that helps clear things up!
Thanks for reading!
Sunday
February 27, 2020
Hello,
My flight is about 24 hours away but I’m unable to pay for extra luggage online because of a pop up that the system wasn’t available.
Please, do you know when the online payment option will become active?
I cannot say as depending on who you purchased your flight with, it could be passed their allowable window for adding luggage online, or even an IT issue. With that said, you should be able to purchase your extra luggage when you arrive at the airport and check your bags.
Thanks for reading!
Byron Tyson
April 03, 2020
Hello Upgraded Points Team,
I know this post is about the Amex Platinum card but was curious about your thoughts on the Delta Amex Platinum card. I recently missed the window for the 100k (80k first year after 3k spend and 20k once renewed) sign on bonus. When, if ever, do you think an offer like this would return?
We cannot say definitely, but American Express usually runs increased transfer bonuses on their cards a couple of times per year. More likely than not, it will probably be a few months before we see an increased offer on the Delta cards again.
JR Mayes
February 17, 2021
Just got approved for the 100k bonus, but cannot find any info about it in my account. The “full” card member/user agreement doesn’t show anything in reference to bonus points or the amount of time. Where can I find this information?
The user agreement or your account information will not show any information regarding the welcome bonus. Any information or questions you have regarding the welcome bonus can be addressed by contacting the American Express customer support team via chat or phone call.
Clare
May 28, 2021
Just got the 125k offer using the card match tool you linked! So excited!
Ike
August 26, 2021
I’m currently on month #4 of my 6th month of 10X points. Any idea if Amex would repeat this or extend it? I’m loving the bonus points; however, I don’t drive much (so not a lot of points for me at the gas station right now) or spend much at the market (I live alone). Thank you.
I cannot speak for American Express, but I would say they are unlikely to extend the offer. But they might offer it again at some point in the future!
JC
October 25, 2021
I signed up for the 100K bonus for $15K spend earlier. I just saw a 150K offer (incognito) for the same spend online now. Has anyone had any luck having Amex do an offer match before you finish your spend?
American Express can be hit or miss with matching offers. Either way, there is no harm in asking!
Adam
July 26, 2023
Just received [July 25, 2023] a 125k point promotion via cardmatch for this personal Amex Plat after $6k spend in 3mo. Huge bonus over the published 80k! Excellent credit + decent income paved the way for this deal + no credit limit. Not sure what the cutoff might be for the same, but thank you for your advice!
Helen L.
August 16, 2023
Thank you for your advice! I called AMEX and 3 different advisors weren’t able to find a better offer for me. My own AMEX login also didn’t have a better offer. While on the phone with AMEX, i followed the tips you listed, went into Cardmatch, and immediately got the 125K offer. Even the AMEX advisor was shocked. So thank you!
Any thoughts or questions? Comment below!
Email needed if you'd like comment updates. It will NOT be published.
![How To Find the Amex Platinum 100k, 125k, or Even 150k Welcome Bonus Offer [Current Public Offer is 80K]](https://upgradedpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Amex-Platinum-Upgraded-Points-LLC-01-Large.jpg?auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=1420&height=650&fit=crop)
30 comments
L deol
April 25, 2019
Sounds like a great credit card offer but I’m still searching for a something with no annual fee.
Katie Seemann
April 25, 2019
Hi,
Yes, this is a great offer but definitely not if you are looking for a no annual fee card! American Express does have some great no fee cards that you might want to check out.
Jason
May 31, 2019
Hi Katie,
I’m very interested in the Amex Platinum, but I don’t want to miss out on the 100k offer the way I missed out for my CSR. I’m told that if I already have an Amex card, it will be unlikely that I will receive this offer. I currently do have a Blue Cash Everyday, however, I do get targeted offers directly from Amex for the 50k bonus offer on the Gold Card. I’ve got this offer at least twice, if not 3 times, in the last year. Would closing out my BCE increase my odds of getting this offer? I also try card match, but for some reason, the only results I get are for 3 Chase Cards (the Freedom and Freedom Unlimited, which I already have, and the CSP, which I don’t need since I have the CSR). I have gotten special offers from my browsers (Chrome and Safari) for 70k and 75k offers. Some people tell me I should just accept that and give up on the 100k, but I’m not sure if I want to do that. What are your thoughts on this?
Katie Seemann
June 05, 2019
Hi Jason,
Unfortunately, there is not one right or wrong answer here. While I don’t know for sure, I don’t think canceling your Blue Cash Everyday card would increase your odds of getting the 100K Platinum Card offer.
If you have an immediate need for the Platinum card or could start using the benefits right away, I would seriously consider the 75K offer – that’s a pretty good bonus! However, if you can wait, it might not hurt to give it a little more time.
Membership
December 22, 2020
I had both the Amex Blue Cash Preferred and the Amex Gold card (which I opened just over a year ago). I found the offer for the 100K sign up bonus for the Platinum card and I was approved without any issues. No need to use alternate email address or phone number, I entered all the information that matched me to my current Amex accounts and it wasn’t an issue at all.
D Cooper
June 03, 2019
How would a new customer without an active Amex card sign up for email settings on the Amex website?
It says you need an American Express card to sign up.
Christine Krzyszton
June 03, 2019
You are correct, D. Cooper, signing up to receive email offers for additional Amex cards requires having an American Express account. You could try using the Card Match tool to see if you have any offers available.
Sasha Luko
August 23, 2019
Hi Katie,
You mentioned that transferring points to airlines or hotel partners may increase the value. Can you give some specific examples?
Thank you
Jarrod West
August 25, 2019
Hi Sasha,
We actually have a dedicated guide with 60 ways to maximize your Membership Reward points with transfer partners. You can check it out here: /credit-cards/best-ways-to-redeem-amex-membership-rewards-points/
Raul F Bustos
November 03, 2019
Amex is not a premier credit card it’s a “Charge” card, pay in full at the end of the month!
Jarrod West
November 04, 2019
Hi Raul,
American Express offers both credit cards and charge cards. If you’re referring to the Platinum card outlined in this post, then yes that is a charge card.
Thanks for reading!
Cynthia Jones
January 04, 2020
How long do I need to keep my Amex Card at this level to qualify for the bonus? If I decide to downgrade to a lower fee after 6 months, do I lose the bonus I received?
Jarrod West
January 04, 2020
Hi Cynthia,
You might. Generally speaking, its best to keep the card open for at least 1 year after receiving the welcome bonus.
John T
January 12, 2020
Curious why incognito mode would make a difference checking offers on CreditMatch. After providing your name, address, and partial SSN, how stealthy could you be?
Jarrod West
January 13, 2020
Hi John,
The article is referencing using incognito mode to check for new offers displayed on the American Express website (since it doesn’t track your cookies), not through Card Match. Apologies if that wasn’t clear!
Sally
January 23, 2020
If I have a delta sky miles credit card, are you saying I can transfer those miles to Air Canada? Or any of those other airlines you mentioned or does it have to be just Amex and not a delta Amex?
Jarrod West
January 24, 2020
Hi Sally,
This article is referring to the American Express Membership Reward transfer partners. To utilize those you would need an American Express card that earns Membership Reward points like the Amex Platinum card or the Amex Gold card.
You can use your Delta Skymiles to book flights with their SkyTeam airline partners, but you cannot transfer your Delta SkyMiles to those airlines, the booking must be done through Delta.
I hope that helps clear things up!
Thanks for reading!
Sunday
February 27, 2020
Hello,
My flight is about 24 hours away but I’m unable to pay for extra luggage online because of a pop up that the system wasn’t available.
Please, do you know when the online payment option will become active?
Jarrod West
February 27, 2020
Hi Sunday,
I cannot say as depending on who you purchased your flight with, it could be passed their allowable window for adding luggage online, or even an IT issue. With that said, you should be able to purchase your extra luggage when you arrive at the airport and check your bags.
Thanks for reading!
Byron Tyson
April 03, 2020
Hello Upgraded Points Team,
I know this post is about the Amex Platinum card but was curious about your thoughts on the Delta Amex Platinum card. I recently missed the window for the 100k (80k first year after 3k spend and 20k once renewed) sign on bonus. When, if ever, do you think an offer like this would return?
Jarrod West
April 04, 2020
Hi Byron,
We cannot say definitely, but American Express usually runs increased transfer bonuses on their cards a couple of times per year. More likely than not, it will probably be a few months before we see an increased offer on the Delta cards again.
JR Mayes
February 17, 2021
Just got approved for the 100k bonus, but cannot find any info about it in my account. The “full” card member/user agreement doesn’t show anything in reference to bonus points or the amount of time. Where can I find this information?
Jarrod West
February 17, 2021
Hi JR,
The user agreement or your account information will not show any information regarding the welcome bonus. Any information or questions you have regarding the welcome bonus can be addressed by contacting the American Express customer support team via chat or phone call.
Clare
May 28, 2021
Just got the 125k offer using the card match tool you linked! So excited!
Ike
August 26, 2021
I’m currently on month #4 of my 6th month of 10X points. Any idea if Amex would repeat this or extend it? I’m loving the bonus points; however, I don’t drive much (so not a lot of points for me at the gas station right now) or spend much at the market (I live alone). Thank you.
Jarrod West
August 27, 2021
Hi Ike,
I cannot speak for American Express, but I would say they are unlikely to extend the offer. But they might offer it again at some point in the future!
JC
October 25, 2021
I signed up for the 100K bonus for $15K spend earlier. I just saw a 150K offer (incognito) for the same spend online now. Has anyone had any luck having Amex do an offer match before you finish your spend?
Jarrod West
October 25, 2021
Hi JC,
American Express can be hit or miss with matching offers. Either way, there is no harm in asking!
Adam
July 26, 2023
Just received [July 25, 2023] a 125k point promotion via cardmatch for this personal Amex Plat after $6k spend in 3mo. Huge bonus over the published 80k! Excellent credit + decent income paved the way for this deal + no credit limit. Not sure what the cutoff might be for the same, but thank you for your advice!
Helen L.
August 16, 2023
Thank you for your advice! I called AMEX and 3 different advisors weren’t able to find a better offer for me. My own AMEX login also didn’t have a better offer. While on the phone with AMEX, i followed the tips you listed, went into Cardmatch, and immediately got the 125K offer. Even the AMEX advisor was shocked. So thank you!
Any thoughts or questions? Comment below!
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