I recently received the American Express Platinum charge card, and this article shares my hands-on experience. For a detailed list of features and benefits, see the full review on CardExpert.
Table of Contents
- Why Amex Platinum?
- Application Process
- Unboxing
- The Metal Form Factor
- Getting Started
- Bottomline
Why Amex Platinum?
A friend received a generous upgrade offer and asked for my view. Since he already uses hotel loyalty programs like Marriott and ITC, the Amex Platinum made sense for him. When I had the chance to get a supplementary card, I accepted mainly to experience the metal card in person.
Application Process
The primary card application took about 10 days to process and deliver. Applying for and receiving my supplementary card added roughly another week.
Unboxing
Both the primary and supplementary cards arrive in nearly identical boxes. The primary card’s holder has a wooden finish, while the supplementary card’s holder is a plain grey. Below are photos from the unboxing.
The Metal Form Factor
The card is contactless-enabled and feels substantially heavier than a typical plastic card—roughly three times the weight. The added heft gives a premium feel in hand.
The card isn’t fully metal; the front is metal while the back uses a thin layer of plastic or paper to accommodate the magnetic stripe, card numbers, and other details.
A reader and cardholder, Saurav, shared a weight comparison between a plastic and metal Amex Platinum, shown below.
I also created a short video to show how the card looks and feels in real life.
Getting Started
My initial experience with Amex customer care wasn’t smooth when I sought guidance on enrolling the supplementary card into programs. After several calls I learned the process, which is actually straightforward and can be completed online in minutes.
The first step is to link the card to an Amex online account. I chose to create a separate account for the supplementary card so I could enroll in hotel privileges independently.
American Express provides a single enrollment page for various benefits and status programs, making it easier to opt in for hotel and travel privileges.
Bottomline
The Amex Platinum charge card offers several notable perks: access to the Platinum travel desk, exclusive hotel privileges, and targeted Amex Platinum offers. These benefits can be valuable for frequent travelers and members of hotel loyalty programs.
To broaden the card’s appeal, Amex could consider adding renewal benefits. For heavy hotel users—those who stay more than >30 nights a year—the card is particularly worthwhile and the benefits can easily justify the cost.
If you hold the Amex Platinum Card, feel free to share your hands-on experience in the comments below.