There are a handful of different American Express Platinum credit cards available and each provides its own card benefits and welcome bonus offer. The current welcome bonus for the American Express Platinum Card is 40,000 Membership Rewards points and compared to standard offers, this is an increased offer. But you shouldn't apply for this card, there is a better offer.
The American Express Mercedes-Benz Platinum Card can get you 50,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $3,000 in purchases in the first three months (OFFER EXPIRED). This is 10,000 points more than the normal version of the Platinum Card, however the annual fee is also $25 higher as well. It’s still a better deal.
The fact is that this is the best public offer for a Amex Platinum Card, but you won’t hear a lot about it because bloggers don’t get paid for it.
American Express Mercedes-Benz Platinum Card
The American Express Mercedes-Benz Platinum Card offers 50,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $3,000 in the first three months. You’ll also get the similar benefits alike to other Amex Platinum Cards.
Card Benefits
Similar to other Amex Platinum Cards you’ll get access to airport lounges (Delta, Priority Club, Airspace, and American Express Centurion Lounges).
One of the biggest perks is the $200 in airline credits per calendar year. In order to get the $200 airline credit every calendar year you have to enroll and select a qualifying airline each year. This means if you apply in December you can get $400 in statement credit almost immediately to help offset the annual fee.
The Platinum Card also gives you free TSA PreCheck OR Global Entry through a statement credit. This is a huge plus if you’re a frequent traveler and hate waiting in security lines.
As a Platinum cardmember you get complimentary SPG Gold status. SPG Gold gets you a 50% bonus on points earned, late check outs, and likely a better room.
Annual Fee and Foreign Transaction Fee
The annual fee of $475 may seem steep, but with the statement credits you can kick that down to $275 per year. This is also a great card for international travel and it has no foreign transaction fees.
Mercedes Benz Perks
If you're a Mercedes Benz owner (or soon to be) there are also some additional perks, after all this card is targeted for Mercedes Benz customers. Every year you spend more than $5,000 on the card you’ll receive a $1000 certificate toward the future purchase or lease of a new Mercedes-Benz.
You’ll also get a $100 certificate at your cards renewal that is good toward Genuine Mercedes-Benz Accessories. This could also help pay for the annual fee if you can put it to good use.
You also earn 5x point on all Mercedes Benz and 1x on everything else.
The Bottom Line
The American Express Mercedes Benz Platinum Card is among the best public offers out there for a Amex Platinum Card. Currently you’ll get 10,000 more points than the normal Platinum card that currently offers 40,000 points and much of the same benefits.
If you're buying a Mercedes or can use the club lounge access as well as the Global Access, this card will likely be a good value. The 5x points earning on Mercedes purchases could be a huge bonus if you plan on purchasing a car from them and can charge a down payment or more to your credit card.
However there have been some amazing 100,000 and 150,000 point offers going out in the mail, so if you’re in the market for a Amex Platinum Card keep your eyes peeled.
Will I get this card? It's been on my list of cards to apply for, but I will likely wait until there is a higher offer for a Amex Platinum Card I go go for. There are a lot of great card offers that I would put in front of this one, so I'll save this offer for down the road.
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