AmEx Gold is main card, debating platinum

jlpaca · ‎03-07-2022

I have been getting offers to upgrade to AmEx platinum. I use my Gold card as my main card with $5-$7,000 spend per month. I'm a fan of the points bonus categories. I also have the delta AmEx platinum, blue for business, and Amazon business AmEx. Partly thinking to

go with the business platinum for my LLC but the spend for the SUB might be tough. I plan on picking back up with traveling this year as I have over 500,000 MR points and the 35% back with the platinum would be nice. I'd want to keep the gold as my main card. The $695 a year is what's holding my decision up.

SouthernCredit · ‎03-08-2022

If you can meet the spend for the SUB, the rewards categories meet your needs, and you frequent airports with the lounges, no reason not to go for it. The AF is effectively reduced a lot if you are leveraging the perks that come with the Platinum. Gold and Platinum together can build MR quickly if you are maximizing the rewards categories.

My Credit Journey

bigseegar · ‎03-10-2022

I have both and how I see it is that between them the Gold is the best every day spend card esp for groceries and dining out at 4X. The Platinum is the best travel card. So if you travel a lot it will be worth it easily. If not you could still make it work but not sure how much past the $695 a year you'd actually earn back. Personally I like the mix of having them both.

notmyrealname23 · ‎03-10-2022

Apply for the Platinum unless they give you the "no points for you" popup, keep the Gold. First year signup is easily worth the annual fee, and upgrade will exclude you from future personal Platinum (not biz Plat) signup bonuses.

I upgraded but I was getting the "no points for you" popup on application. I plan on keeping my Schwab variant and going back to Gold after 13 months.

IMO Gold > Platinum for long term earning potential, unless you just spend a ton on luxury hotels and flights.

wasCB14 · ‎03-10-2022

@notmyrealname23 wrote:
Apply for the Platinum unless they give you the "no points for you" popup, keep the Gold. First year signup is easily worth the annual fee, and upgrade will exclude you from future personal Platinum (not biz Plat) signup bonuses.

I upgraded but I was getting the "no points for you" popup on application. I plan on keeping my Schwab variant and going back to Gold after 13 months.

IMO Gold > Platinum for long term earning potential, unless you just spend a ton on luxury hotels and flights.

Personal Gold vs. Personal Platinum? Yes.

Personal Gold vs. Business Platinum? Not necessarily.

Personal spend: Amex Gold, Amex Schwab Plat., BofA PR+CCR(x2), Costco
Business use: Amex Bus. Plat., BBP, Lowes Amex AU, CFU AU
Perks: Delta Plat., United Explorer, IHG49, Hyatt, "Old SPG"
Mostly SD: Freedom Flex, Freedom, Arrival
Upgrade/Downgrade games: ED, BCE
SUB chasing: AA Platinum Select

jlpaca · ‎03-10-2022

@wasCB14 wrote:
@notmyrealname23 wrote:
Apply for the Platinum unless they give you the "no points for you" popup, keep the Gold. First year signup is easily worth the annual fee, and upgrade will exclude you from future personal Platinum (not biz Plat) signup bonuses.

I upgraded but I was getting the "no points for you" popup on application. I plan on keeping my Schwab variant and going back to Gold after 13 months.

IMO Gold > Platinum for long term earning potential, unless you just spend a ton on luxury hotels and flights.
Personal Gold vs. Personal Platinum? Yes.
Personal Gold vs. Business Platinum? Not necessarily.

Not sure I follow

notmyrealname23 · ‎03-10-2022

@wasCB14 wrote:
@notmyrealname23 wrote:
Apply for the Platinum unless they give you the "no points for you" popup, keep the Gold. First year signup is easily worth the annual fee, and upgrade will exclude you from future personal Platinum (not biz Plat) signup bonuses.

I upgraded but I was getting the "no points for you" popup on application. I plan on keeping my Schwab variant and going back to Gold after 13 months.

IMO Gold > Platinum for long term earning potential, unless you just spend a ton on luxury hotels and flights.
Personal Gold vs. Personal Platinum? Yes.
Personal Gold vs. Business Platinum? Not necessarily.

Right, but OP can't upgrade a Personal Gold to a Business Platinum. QED: the upgrade OP is pondering is going to cut earning off at the knees unless they spend a ton in Personal Platinum categories, as well as nuke ability to enjoy any SUBs for that card.

Business Platinum could work out as you say if OP does a lot of high dollar amount spend, but that's not an upgrade path for a Personal Gold.

Whether or not OP applies for Business Platinum vs. Personal is another kettle of fish (it sounds like they might not hit the SUB for a Business Platinum from the original post, so that's a consideration on what to apply for).

wasCB14 · ‎03-10-2022

@jlpaca wrote:
@wasCB14 wrote:
@notmyrealname23 wrote:
Apply for the Platinum unless they give you the "no points for you" popup, keep the Gold. First year signup is easily worth the annual fee, and upgrade will exclude you from future personal Platinum (not biz Plat) signup bonuses.

I upgraded but I was getting the "no points for you" popup on application. I plan on keeping my Schwab variant and going back to Gold after 13 months.

IMO Gold > Platinum for long term earning potential, unless you just spend a ton on luxury hotels and flights.
Personal Gold vs. Personal Platinum? Yes.
Personal Gold vs. Business Platinum? Not necessarily.

Not sure I follow

"Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on eligible purchases at U.S. construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year."

OP has expressed some interest in the (personal) Platinum card as well as the Business Platinum card. @notmyrealname23 said Gold outearned Platinum (unless a person spends a lot on luxury hotels and flights).

I was pointing out that, depending on the type of business and the associated spend, Business Platinum could be a very high-earning card. 1.5x isn't amazing compared to 4x, but for someone managing real estate, "construction materials" and "everything over $5k" up to $2M are rare and valuable bonus categories.

Personal spend: Amex Gold, Amex Schwab Plat., BofA PR+CCR(x2), Costco
Business use: Amex Bus. Plat., BBP, Lowes Amex AU, CFU AU
Perks: Delta Plat., United Explorer, IHG49, Hyatt, "Old SPG"
Mostly SD: Freedom Flex, Freedom, Arrival
Upgrade/Downgrade games: ED, BCE
SUB chasing: AA Platinum Select

FinStar · ‎03-10-2022

And, just to ensure the topic stays on track, any business product discussions (and their iterations) reside in the Business Credit subforums. Please and thank you.

eyam · ‎03-10-2022

I'm personally a fan of the Platinum, but I also have the Gold and that thing racks up points quickly. It really depends on how much of that $5-7K spend each month is on the Gold's bonus categories (dining and groceries). If it's a good portion, I'd probably keep the Gold since you still get 3X on travel.

Essentially, if I could only have one, I'd choose the Gold as it covers more categories.

If you travel a few times a year and spend a decent amount on dining/groceries, then pair them up, the first year the Platinum pays for itself, and will continue to each year if you continue to travel enough.

All in all, I would keep that Gold, such a good card!

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