Editorial take: The Platinum Card from Amex
The granddaddy of premium cards with Centurion Lounge access, hotel elite status, and a mountain of credits. The $895 fee stings, but if you use even half the credits, you come out ahead.
Free during beta. Plus launches at $12/mo or $99/yr on July 1. Annual is locked for 12 months during beta.
Both are travel travel cards. The The Platinum Card from Amex comes from American Express at $895/yr; the The Platinum Card from American Express Exclusively for Charles Schwab from American Express at $695/yr. Below: side-by-side specs, an opinionated verdict, and the FAQs people actually ask before applying.
Both cards come from American Express and target travel spenders, so the choice usually comes down to whether you'll use the premium-tier benefits. The The Platinum Card from Amex costs $200 more per year, only worth it if you'll actually use the upgraded perks.
| Feature | The Platinum Card from Amex | The Platinum Card from American Express Exclusively for Charles Schwab |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $895 | $695 |
| Sign-up bonus | 175,000 points | Up to 80,000 Membership Rewards points |
| Bonus value (est.) | $3,500 | $1,440 |
| Min spend to unlock bonus | $12,000 in 6 mo | $8,000 in 6 mo |
| Issuer | American Express | American Express |
| Card category | travel | travel |
| Best earning category (Flights) | 5x | 1x |
| Transfer partners | amex-mr | amex-mr |
| Headline benefits |
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The granddaddy of premium cards with Centurion Lounge access, hotel elite status, and a mountain of credits. The $895 fee stings, but if you use even half the credits, you come out ahead.
The premium Platinum for Schwab brokerage customers. Same lounge access, FHR, and credit suite as the Personal Platinum, but the killer feature is Invest with Rewards at 1.1 cents per point cash-into-brokerage — the highest fixed-value MR redemption in the program. Best for cardholders who don't max out airline transfer partners.
Card details on this page reflect the most recent data we've verified against the issuer's own site. Sign-up bonuses and fees can change at any time, confirm the current offer on the issuer's page before applying.