Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card vs. Amex Platinum Card [Detailed Comparison]

Two excellent card offerings from American Express are the Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express and The Platinum Card^® from American Express. While they are extremely different from each other, both can provide tons of value to cardholders. But how can you decide which card is the better fit for you?

In this head-to-head detailed guide, we compare all of the benefits, rewards, and protections that each card has to offer. Use this guide to help you make an informed decision on which is the better addition to your wallet. Let’s get started.

Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card vs. Amex Platinum Card — Overview

Here is a quick look at how both cards stack up in each major review category. Note that some benefits require enrollment through your American Express account.

Bottom Line: As you can see, these cards are extremely different from each other. The Amex Blue Cash Preferred card is designed to be a great everyday cash-back card, while the Amex Platinum card is designed to be an ultra-premium travel rewards card.

The Value of a Welcome Bonus

One mark of a great card is when it offers a great welcome bonus, as this helps you to get quite a lot of value out of your card very shortly after opening it and meeting the spend requirement.

Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card

The welcome bonus for the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card usually ranges between $300 to $400 — a great way to offset some of the initial purchases you make with the card.

Amex Platinum Card

The welcome bonus for the Amex Platinum card can range anywhere from 100,000 to 150,000 Membership Rewards points. We value Amex Membership Rewards points at 2.2 cents per point due to how much value you can get from them when redeemed through Amex transfer partners for luxury travel experiences.

In our view, this makes the welcome bonus on the Amex Platinum card worth anywhere from $2,200 to $3,300 — a sizable bonus that easily exceeds the annual fee you pay for the card.

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 125k (or 150k) points with the Amex Platinum. The current public offer is 80,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)

Earning Potential

Earning points, or cash-back, is another important component when evaluating the value a card can offer you.

You’ll see that in terms of everyday spend, the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card is far more rewarding than the Amex Platinum card, earning you between 3% to 6% cash-back on purchases such as gas and groceries. The Amex Platinum card offers just 2 bonus categories for flights and prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel.

This further illustrates the divide that the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card is great for those looking to earn big cash-back rewards on their standard monthly expenses while the Amex Platinum card is great for those looking for a premium travel rewards card that is loaded with benefits.

Redemption Options

Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card

When it comes to redemptions on the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card, you have just 1 option: redeeming your cash-back as a statement credit to offset card purchases. Fortunately, American Express does not impose a minimum redemption threshold, so you can redeem your cash-back as often as you’d like.

Amex Platinum Card

You’ve got no shortage of options when it comes to redeeming your Amex Membership Rewards points, which is why we view them as some of the most valuable points you can earn.

In our view, out of all of your redemption options, the best way to redeem Amex Membership Rewards points is through the Amex transfer partners. This allows you to book luxury flights and hotel stays for virtual pennies on the dollar when you redeem your points strategically.

You can also redeem your points through the Amex Travel portal, for shopping with select retailers, for gift cards, or as a statement credit at a rate of 0.6 cents to 1 cent per point (depending on the redemption).

Hot Tip: Want to learn how you can use your Amex Membership Rewards points for huge value? Read through our guide to see some of our favorite ways to redeem Amex Membership Rewards points.

Statement Credits

Statement credits play a big role in helping to offset the annual fee your card charges, so here is a look at the statement credits each card offers.

Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card — Equinox+

Those who are fans of Equinox+, the fitness brand’s at-home workout app that offers on-demand classes, will love that the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card offers a $10 monthly credit towards your subscription. If you are already an Equinox+ subscriber or plan to subscribe in the future, this credit can save you up to $120 each year — easily covering the card’s $95 annual fee.

Amex Platinum Card — Winner of Annual Credits

While many might want to quickly write off the Amex Platinum card due to its $695 annual fee, when you take into account that the card also offers over $1,600 worth of annual credits, it’s easy to see how you might get a value that far exceeds the annual fee that you pay. Let’s take a detailed look at each of these credits:

• Up to $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select 1 airline each year and get $200 towards incidental fees like baggage fees, seat selection fees, and more.
• Up to $200 Uber Cash Credit: Each month, you’ll receive $15, plus $35 in December, as Uber Cash that you can use towards Uber rides, Uber Eats orders, or Uber grocery delivery (in select markets). To get your Uber Cash, you’ll first need to link your Amex Platinum card to your Uber account.
• Up to $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Receive $20 each month towards eligible streaming subscriptions including Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The Wall Street Journal. 
• Up to $200 Hotel Credit: Book a prepaid hotel stay through Amex Travel from a property that participates in The Hotel Collection or Fine Hotels & Resorts and get a $200 credit, plus all the benefits of the applicable program. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum 2-night stay.
• Up to $155+ Walmart+ Credit: Bill the $12.95 monthly fee of Walmart+ to your Amex Platinum card and it will be credited back to you, giving you free shipping on items, free delivery on groceries, fuel discounts, and more.
• Up to $300 Equinox Credit: Pay your Equinox monthly membership or your Equinox+ subscription with your Amex Platinum card and get up to $300 in credits annually.
• Up to $100 Saks Fifth Avenue Credit: Get a $50 statement credit once between January and June, and another $50 credit between July and December, towards your Saks Fifth Avenue orders.
• Up to $189 CLEAR Plus Credit: Get expedited airport security at 100+ airports and stadiums nationwide. Already have TSA PreCheck? CLEAR Plus allows you to skip the ID screening, taking you right to the front of the TSA PreCheck line.
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit: Receive reimbursement for the application fee

For most, this is a pretty solid collection of credits that you can easily get value from. Of course, this can vary from person to person though, as maybe you don’t have an Equinox near you, or you seldom shop at Walmart. We recommend you run the numbers for yourself to get an estimate of how much value you expect to get out of the credits to help you determine if the card would be worth it for you.

Travel Benefits

While the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card doesn’t really offer any travel benefits to speak of, the same can’t be said for the Amex Platinum card as it comes loaded with travel benefits.

Amex Platinum Card — Global Lounge Collection

With your Amex Platinum card, you’ll have access to over 1,400 airport lounges worldwide. This includes the top-notch Amex Centurion Lounges, Escape Lounges – The Centurion Studio Partner, Priority Pass lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs (when flying Delta), select Lufthansa Lounges, and select Virgin Clubhouse Lounges.

This is one of our favorite perks of the Amex Platinum card, as it allows you to visit a quiet place before your flight where you can relax, grab some free food and drinks, and charge up your devices while you wait for your flight to board.

Amex Platinum Card — Hotel Elite Status

The Amex Platinum card includes complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status.

Usually, Hilton Honors Gold status would require staying 28 nights in Hilton hotels in a year. It includes benefits such as an 80% bonus points on stays, space-available room upgrades, a daily food and beverage credit, and your fifth night free on award stays.

Marriott Gold Elite status, on the other hand, usually requires 25 nights each year and includes 25% more points on stays, an enhanced room upgrade (subject to availability), a welcome gift of points, and 2 p.m. late checkout (if available).

Marriott boasts over 8,000 properties worldwide, while Hilton is just behind it at 7,000 properties worldwide. This means that you can travel virtually anywhere in the world and be near a hotel where you will have elite status thanks to your Amex Platinum card.

Amex Platinum Card — Rental Car Elite Status

Your elite status isn’t just limited to hotels, as you’ll also receive status with Avis, Hertz, and National for your rental car needs.

Our personal favorite is National Emerald Club Executive status, which offers vehicle upgrades, access to the Executive aisle allowing you to choose whichever available car you’d like, a 20% discount, and a dedicated reservation line.

Amex Platinum Card — Fine Hotels & Resorts

As if elite status with Hilton and Marriott wasn’t enough, the Amex Platinum card offers exclusive benefits and hundreds of top hotels worldwide when you book through its Fine Hotels & Resorts program. You’ll receive a room upgrade (based on availability), complimentary breakfast for 2 each day, noon check-in (when available), guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout, and a $100 on-site amenity credit like a dining credit or spa credit (varies by property).

Amex Platinum Card — International Airline Program

One often overlooked benefit of the Amex Platinum card is the International Airline Program which offers you lower fares on over 20 airlines, including some of the world’s finest airlines such as Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, and more. The discount is valid for up to 8 tickets and can be used to save an average of $600 on first class tickets, an average of $300 on business class tickets, and an average of $150 on premium economy tickets to international destinations.

Travel Protections

While there isn’t much of a contest in this category, here is how each card keeps you covered during your travels:

Again, you can easily see how this isn’t much of a fair fight. If you’re looking for a travel rewards card with great travel protections, then the Amex Platinum card is a great option thanks to its trip delay insurance, baggage insurance, trip cancellation insurance, and more. In fact, we don’t recommend you use the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card overseas at all due to its 2.7% foreign transaction fee on these purchases.

Shopping Benefits and Protections

While the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card has some solid offerings, the Amex Platinum card takes the cake again when it comes to shopping benefits and protections.

Both cards offer these benefits:

• Amex Offers — Discounts and opportunities to earn more points with 100 merchants each month.
• Return Protection — Return eligible purchases to American Express if the seller won’t take them back up to 90 days from the date of purchase, up to $300 per item and a maximum of $1,000 per calendar year.
• Purchase Protection — If an item you purchase with your card is damaged within 90 days of purchase, you can receive up to $1,000 in coverage per item, up to $50,000 in coverage per year.
• Extended Warranty Coverage — Adds 1 year of warranty coverage to eligible warranties of 5 years or less.
• American Express Experiences — Enjoy exclusive access to ticket presales.

The Amex Platinum card offers these additional benefits:

• Cell Phone Protection — If you pay your phone bill with your Amex Platinum card, you can receive up to $800 in coverage if your phone is damaged or stolen, with a $50 deductible and a maximum of 2 claims per year.
• Global Dining Access by Resy — Get access to exclusive reservations and dining experiences through Resy when you add your Amex Platinum card to your Resy account.
• By Invitation Only — Get access to invitation-only experiences, from sporting and fashion to fine dining, art, and performances, exclusively for Amex Platinum cardmembers.
• Preferred Access — Receive access to premium seats for select cultural and sporting events, based on availability.
• Platinum Card Concierge — The concierge may perform select services at your request, like purchasing event tickets, making dining reservations, general travel-related inquiries, and shopping requests.

There’s no mincing words here — if you’re looking for a card that is loaded with benefits, you won’t find one better than the Amex Platinum card. Not only does it offer great protection for the items you purchase, but you can also get discounts on those items via Amex Offers. When you add in cell phone insurance, Global Dining Access by Resy, access to cardmember events, exclusive tickets, a concierge service, and more, the card can really be a home run for those who will take advantage of these benefits.

Annual Fees and Adding Authorized Users

Annual Fees

The annual fee for the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card is $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 , while the annual fee for the Amex Platinum card is $695. Since the Amex Platinum card is $600 more each year, you’ll want to make certain that all of the benefits you receive from the card are worth it for you.

Authorized Users

You can add authorized users to your Amex Blue Cash Preferred card for no additional fee, and they will receive all of the benefits of the primary cardholder with the exception of an additional Equinox+ credit.

The Amex Platinum card has 2 types of authorized user cards. This first is a gold card, which can be added for no additional fee (rates and fees), but keep in mind that this is not the same gold card as the American Express^® Gold Card. Instead, it allows you to earn points at that same rate as the primary card and includes an additional Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit and Global Dining Access by Resy.

For an additional $195, you can give your authorized user an actual Amex Platinum card which will allow them to receive all of the benefits of the primary cardholder, including lounge access, hotel and rental car elite status, access to Fine Hotels & Resorts, and more. The only thing these authorized users will not receive is additional statement credits (such as Uber Cash).

Final Thoughts

Surely you can see by now that there is no shortage of differences between the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card and the Amex Platinum card. Both cards have very different target demographics in mind.

If you’re someone who is looking for a great cash-back credit card that saves you money on the items you spend the most on that also offers some solid benefits, then the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card is certainly a great option.

For those looking for a luxury travel rewards card that is loaded with top-notch lifestyle and travel benefits like lounge access, elite status, and access to travel transfer partners along with the fantastic annual statement credits, then the Amex Platinum is probably the card for you.

For the car rental collision damage coverage benefit of the Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express, car rental loss and damage insurance can provide coverage up to $50,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the commercial car rental company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car rental loss or damage coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. For the extended warranty benefit of the Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express, when an American Express^® card member charges a covered purchase to an eligible card, extended warranty can provide up to one extra year added to the original manufacturer’s warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per card member account per calendar year. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. For the purchase protection benefit of the Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express, purchase protection is an embedded benefit of your card membership and requires no enrollment. It can help protect covered purchases made on your eligible card when they’re accidentally damaged, stolen, or lost, for up to 90 days from the covered purchase date. The coverage is limited up to $10,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per card member account per calendar year. Coverage limits apply. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. For the return protection benefit of the Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express, you may return eligible purchases to American Express if the seller won’t take them back up to 90 days from the date of purchase. American Express may refund the full purchase price excluding shipping and handling, up to $300 per item, up to a maximum of $1,000 per calendar year per card account, if you purchased it entirely with your eligible American Express^® Card. Purchases must be made in the U.S. or its territories. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.

For the car rental collision damage coverage benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, car rental loss and damage insurance can provide coverage up to $75,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the commercial car rental company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car rental loss or damage coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. For the trip cancellation and interruption insurance coverage benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, the maximum benefit amount for trip cancellation and interruption insurance is $10,000 per covered trip and $20,000 per eligible card per 12 consecutive month period. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company. For the trip delay insurance benefits of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, up to $500 per covered trip that is delayed for more than 6 hours; and 2 claims per eligible card per 12 consecutive month period. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company. For the baggage insurance plan benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, baggage insurance plan coverage can be in effect for covered persons for eligible lost, damaged, or stolen baggage during their travel on a common carrier vehicle (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus) when the entire fare for a ticket for the trip (one-way or round-trip) is charged to an eligible card. Coverage can be provided for up to $2,000 for checked baggage and up to a combined maximum of $3,000 for checked and carry-on baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the common carrier. The coverage is also subject to a $3,000 aggregate limit per covered trip. For New York State residents, there is a $2,000 per bag/suitcase limit for each covered person with a $10,000 aggregate maximum for all covered persons per covered trip. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. For the extended warranty benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, when an American Express^® card member charges a covered purchase to an eligible card, extended warranty can provide up to one extra year added to the original manufacturer’s warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per card member account per calendar year. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. For the purchase protection benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, purchase protection is an embedded benefit of your card membership and requires no enrollment. It can help protect covered purchases made on your eligible card when they’re accidentally damaged, stolen, or lost, for up to 90 days from the covered purchase date. The coverage is limited up to $10,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per card member account per calendar year. Coverage limits apply. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. For the return protection benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, you may return eligible purchases to American Express if the seller won’t take them back up to 90 days from the date of purchase. American Express may refund the full purchase price excluding shipping and handling, up to $300 per item, up to a maximum of $1,000 per calendar year per card account, if you purchased it entirely with your eligible American Express^® Card. Purchases must be made in the U.S. or its territories. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. For the cell phone protection benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, coverage for a stolen or damaged eligible cellular wireless telephone is subject to the terms, conditions, exclusions, and limits of liability of this benefit. The maximum liability is $800, per claim, per eligible card account. Each claim is subject to a $50 deductible. Coverage is limited to two (2) claims per eligible card account per 12-month period. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG company.

For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, click here.