Huge Amex Platinum Welcome Offer 230K+

[notmyrealname23]

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@wasCB14 wrote:

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The value of one Platinum, based on credits (incl. Schwab) and a few lounge visits, is pretty clear for me.

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I did the math (literally, spreadsheet). Made a copy and plugged in my own numbers. I have to put very high value on lounges/5x airfare/FHR to make Platinum worthwhile. I don't (I can actually make Green pencil out better than Platinum based on my spend patterns). Fin.

[Citylights18]

I see only a few reasons to move on this offer.

1) If you really think AMEX Platinum will be part of your long term card strategy.

2) If you are low on membership rewards and need the boost for upcoming travel.

3) If you aren't under any other promotional spend.

4) If you don't have otherwise any lounge access and need it otherwise.

Personally in my situation it would be overkill. Flying over the next year is not a given. I'd rather just continue making a run at Hyatt Explorist and with an extra 5,000 spend its 2 more qualifying nights. I was spotted 10 nights as part of WoH sign up promotion plus extedended earning years for everything, including until the end of 2021 for my free night after spending 15,000.

From my experience as well the best offers hit Nov-Feb. Last year AMEX Platinum had a 125,000 point offer that I was eligible for. I wouldn't worry about something like this coming back around.

[1GaDawg85]

this offer almost feels like AMEX telling consumers to get in while the door is open because we know **bleep** is gonna hit the fan soon enough

[iced]

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@1GaDawg85 wrote:

this offer almost feels like AMEX telling consumers to get in while the door is open because we know **bleep** is gonna hit the fan soon enough

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I see it more as they're trying to offer an olive branch to entice new users who might otherwise be more skittish right now. It's not like they haven't been showering existing cardholders with offers as of late, too. The shop small and streaming credits alone were as much as the travel credit is, and they've been doing a lot of other heavy multipliers and statement credits (Dell and GH statement credits also come to mind).

[Anonymous]

Wow. That might actually entice me. Those are some pretty nice benefits. With the supposed rumors of the airline credit becoming friendlier, I might be in.

[Anonymous]

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@wasCB14 wrote:

I may go for this and then downgrade to Gold after a year.

My only hesitation is that I'll likely be unable to use the $200 airline extras credit for 2020. Or do any airlines still have eligible GCs that get the credit?

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I think u can trigger the credit with southwest as long as the flight is below 100$. 

[MrDisco99]

Wow... that's an impressive offer.

That fee, though.  And I'm pretty sure I wouldn't keep it past the first year.  All the standard lounge and status benefits just aren't worth the cost to me.

As much as I'd love to pad my MR point balance by more than 100K points pretty quick, I think I'm passing on this.  If I knew for sure that I could do a big trip next year I might have gone for it.

[blindambition]

This offer is a no brainer for anyone who could maximize categories.

[K-in-Boston]

It's interesting hearing all of the different perspectives.  Certainly the card and its associated annual fee isn't for everyone. 

I received a 75k for $20k spend offer when I got my Business Platinum this year (and even without the Welcome Offer, it makes sense for me to have it due to the way I use my MRs since the AF is more than covered that way even before taking out things like airline and Dell credits), but I am pretty sure I got no Welcome Offer on my American Express Card (later converted to "The American Express Card Now With Membership Rewards" - those names! LOL) or my American Express Gold Card, nor did I receive an upgrade offer changing them to Platinum and Premier Rewards Gold.  For me they just make sense even without the Welcome Offers.

And @wasCB14 is a great example of where if someone is already considering grabbing the Gold Card anyway, it's certainly worth considering grabbing this offer instead for its 10x categories and then evaluating a downgrade to Gold after a year.  Even solely using the card for something extremely reasonable like $250 a month in restaurants (morning coffee and a takeout meal or two a week should do it) and $150 a week in groceries/gas, that would result in 115,500 MRs and a $300 statement credit.  Even with low value redemptions, that's $808.50 to use during Amazon, Newegg, or Walmart checkout.  Step up to Amex Travel or even Home Depot gift cards and it's at least $1,155.  Move the points to an airline and it can go up, up , up.  All for a $250 net annual fee after the $300 restaurant statement credit - and before even considering things like the $200 airline credit (which could technically be used twice), the Uber/UberEats credits of $200, the 2x $50 Sak's Fifth Avenue credits, and any monetary value one may place on the perks of the card and the remaining monthly credits for 2020 that Amex is offering.

[wasCB14]

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@Citylights18 wrote:

I see only a few reasons to move on this offer.

1) If you really think AMEX Platinum will be part of your long term card strategy.

2) If you are low on membership rewards and need the boost for upcoming travel.

3) If you aren't under any other promotional spend.

4) If you don't have otherwise any lounge access and need it otherwise.

Personally in my situation it would be overkill. Flying over the next year is not a given. I'd rather just continue making a run at Hyatt Explorist and with an extra 5,000 spend its 2 more qualifying nights. I was spotted 10 nights as part of WoH sign up promotion plus extedended earning years for everything, including until the end of 2021 for my free night after spending 15,000.

From my experience as well the best offers hit Nov-Feb. Last year AMEX Platinum had a 125,000 point offer that I was eligible for. I wouldn't worry about something like this coming back around.

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Though if someone already has a few other Amex cards, getting a better offer may be tricky.

CardMatch has never produced a 100k offer for me. You were targeted for the 125k but I wasn't. So even without my particular interest in a workaround to Amex Gold, I figured this might be the best offer I was going to get on a regular Amex Platinum.