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Compare the Features and Benefits of Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express and
The Platinum Card® from American Express

Detailed Comparison Overview

Key Facts
Annual Fee
Avg. Min. Credit Score
APR on purchases
APR on balance transfers
Ongoing APR
Balance transfers fees
Best Multiplier
Avg. Point Value
(Learn More)
Bonus Offer
Rating
Review
Key features
Unique Card Benefits
Annual Statement Credits
Secondary Car Rental CDW Waiver
Extended Warranty
Purchase Protection
Return Protection
0% Intro APR on Purchases
0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers
Travel and Emergency Assistance Services
No Fees for Authorized Users
Amex Offers
Airport Lounge Access
Grants Hotel Status
Grants Car Rental Status
Earns Transferable Points
Global Entry / TSA PreCheck Reimbursement
Trip Protections
Cell Phone Protection
Has No Preset Spending Limit
Concierge Services
Metal Card
Annual Fee
$0 Introductory Annual Fee for the first year, then $95 (Rates and fees)
Avg. Min. Credit Score
Good-Excellent
APR on purchases
0% Intro APR (on purchases for 12 months, 18.74%-29.74% thereafter)
APR on balance transfers
0% Intro APR (on balance transfers for 12 months, 18.74%-29.74% thereafter)
Ongoing APR
18.74%-29.74% (Variable)
Balance transfers fees
Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Best Multiplier
6x Groceries

At U.S. Supermarkets on the first $6,000 of yearly spend; 1X thereafter. * American Express defines a supermarket as offering a wide variety of food and household products such as meat, fresh produce, dairy, canned and packaged goods, household cleaners, pharmacy products and pet supplies. (Superstores, convenience stores and warehouse clubs are NOT considered supermarkets.)

6x Streaming Services

On select U.S. Streaming Services

3x Transit
3x Gas Stations

At U.S. Gas Stations

Avg. Point Value
(Learn More)
$0.01
Bonus Offer
Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. Terms apply.
Rating
YBCC Card Rate Stars Filled
YBCC Card Rate Stars Empty
(4.08) Our Review

Our ratings are determined by the authors and editors on our team. Each individual card feature is compared against all other cards we offer and the total score is an average of those 4 ratings.

Review

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is a rewarding cash-back card thanks to its range of useful bonus categories. Perhaps the most valuable bonus category is the ability to earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, on the first $6,000 spent annually. Households who spend $500 or so can maximize this threshold to earn a tremendous $350 in reward dollars every year, and that’s before you consider the other bonus cash-back opportunities like 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations. Still, you will want to subtract the $95 annual fee from that bounty.

The 6% cash back rate applies to select U.S. streaming subscriptions, which covers virtually every participating provider out there. From Apple Music to YouTube TV to Netflix to Prime Video, it’s likely that you subscribe to one (or more) of these popular live TV, movie or music streaming services.

apple-music-blue-cash-preferred-card-from-american-express

Not to mention, you can enroll your card within your American Express account to receive a $7 monthly statement credit when you spend $9.99 (or more) each month on a subscription to The Disney Bundle, which includes Disney+, Hulu, or ESPN+. If you already subscribe to one of these eligible services, that’s an instant savings of $84 every year.

You can also earn bonus cash back when you’re on the road. The Blue Cash Preferred provides 3% at U.S. gas stations and for local transit expenses, which includes anything such as taxis, rideshare services like Lyft and Uber, parking expenses, tolls, and train and bus fares.

Simply put, the cash back earnings add up swiftly with the Blue Cash Preferred, especially if you have a large household. You’ll earn cash back in the form of reward dollars, which can then be redeemed for any amount on your monthly statement credit through American Express. One reward dollar equals $1.

Other benefits on the card, such as purchase protection, return protection and access to Global Assist Hotline may be used less frequently, but will still come in handy when it’s least expected.

Best of all, there’s no annual fee for the first year of card membership, giving you time to test drive the card’s earning rates and benefits before you commit to paying the ongoing $95 annual fee. It is possible to downgrade after one year to the Blue Cash Everyday® Card if you find it more suitable.

Rates and Fees for the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Read more
Unique Card Benefits
yes
Annual Statement Credits
yes
Secondary Car Rental CDW Waiver
yes
Extended Warranty
yes
Purchase Protection
yes
Return Protection
yes
0% Intro APR on Purchases
yes
0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers
yes
Travel and Emergency Assistance Services
yes
No Fees for Authorized Users
yes
Amex Offers
yes
Airport Lounge Access
no
Grants Hotel Status
no
Grants Car Rental Status
no
Earns Transferable Points
no
Global Entry / TSA PreCheck Reimbursement
no
Trip Protections
no
Cell Phone Protection
no
Has No Preset Spending Limit
no
Concierge Services
no
Metal Card
no
Annual Fee
$695 (Rates and fees)
Avg. Min. Credit Score
Good-Excellent
APR on purchases
-
APR on balance transfers
-
Ongoing APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Balance transfers fees
-
Best Multiplier
5x Airfare

Earn 5x Membership Rewards points on airfare (booked directly with the airline or via AmexTravel.com and on prepaid hotels when booked via AmexTravel.com), up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.

5x Hotels

Only when booked via AmexTravel.com; Otherwise, hotels will earn 1X points per dollar spent

1x All Other Eligible Purchases
Avg. Point Value
(Learn More)
$0.017
Bonus Offer

Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms apply.

Rating
YBCC Card Rate Stars Filled
YBCC Card Rate Stars Empty
(4.25) Our Review

Our ratings are determined by the authors and editors on our team. Each individual card feature is compared against all other cards we offer and the total score is an average of those 4 ratings.

Review

In many ways, the American Express Platinum card is the crème de la crème of premium travel rewards credit cards. There are not only a laundry list of embedded perks — from hotel and rental car elite statuses to complimentary access to airport lounges through the Global Lounge Collection — but this card also can provide serious value in the form of statement credits with partner merchants. You can see the full list of benefits above.

Truth be told, it may require some work to fully maximize the card’s many perks but it shouldn’t be difficult to recoup at least some, if not all, of the card’s $695 annual fee (Rates and Fees).

An overhaul of the Platinum in 2021 showed Amex wanted to expand this card well beyond travel. While it’s unlikely the Platinum will ever fully shed its decades-long roots in the travel sphere, Amex also hopes to play a role at the top of your wallet whether you are at home or away.

Of course, on the travel front, the card still earns 5X on airfare purchased directly with the airlines or through the Amex Travel portal (on up to $500,000 of airfare purchases per calendar year), 5X on prepaid hotels, provides the most access to lounges of any card issuer, and has built-in travel protections and elite-status perks. This is on top of all the other relatively-recent lifestyle benefit additions — from Uber credits, Equinox credits, preferred restaurant reservations with Resy, and much, much more.

airfare-the-platinum-card-from-american-express

 

A few notes you need to know:

Amex now has language restricting you from getting the bonus on this Card if you have or have had this card OR have had this Card, the Platinum Card® from American Express Exclusively for Charles Schwab, the Platinum Card® from American Express Exclusively for Morgan Stanley or previous versions of these Cards.

Additional Platinum cards are $195 each.

If you want an Authorized User card with none of the benefits, that is still available as the “Companion Platinum Card.” They will simply be able to make charges that post to your account.

Bottom Line:

While the Platinum is a solid choice for most cardholders looking to level up their travel experience, consider other options from both Chase and Capital One including the $550-per-year Chase Sapphire Reserve and $395-per-year Capital One Venture X credit card.

Rates and Fees for the The Platinum Card® from American Express

Read more
Unique Card Benefits
yes
Annual Statement Credits
yes
Secondary Car Rental CDW Waiver
yes
Extended Warranty
yes
Purchase Protection
yes
Return Protection
yes
0% Intro APR on Purchases
no
0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers
no
Travel and Emergency Assistance Services
no
No Fees for Authorized Users
no
Amex Offers
no
Airport Lounge Access
yes
Grants Hotel Status
yes
Grants Car Rental Status
yes
Earns Transferable Points
yes
Global Entry / TSA PreCheck Reimbursement
yes
Trip Protections
yes
Cell Phone Protection
yes
Has No Preset Spending Limit
yes
Concierge Services
yes
Metal Card
yes

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