The Platinum Card® from American Express is full of caché and its heavy metal design will catch more than a few looks. While the fee isn't small, you get a lot back in the form of statement credits and other perks and benefits.

The benefits include a $200 in yearly Uber credits and Uber VIP status as well as $200 in annual incidental airline credits (as statement credits) for your chosen airline and $100 in annual Saks Fifth Ave statement credits.

You also get access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, which includes the Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass, and Delta SkyClubs when you are flying Delta. (Enrollment required)

In addition, you get elite status in two hotel programs (enrollment required):

• Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite
• Hilton Gold

While the Bonvoy Gold status is mostly good for small room upgrades and bonus points on stays, Hilton Gold confers free breakfast - a benefit that can really add up!

New: for January to June 2021 only, the Amex Platinum has a $30 monthly PayPal credit as well.

More Platinum Card benefits:

• Reimbursement (as a statement credit) for your Global Entry or PreCheck membership fees every 4 years.
• Secondary Car rental CDW/LDW collision/damage coverage
• Lost, damaged or stolen baggage insurance
• Extended warranty, purchase protection and return protection on covered purchases
• No foreign transaction fees.
• Access to the Platinum Concierge line

NOTE: This card earns 5x on airfare and hotels, however, the airfare must be booked direct with the airline or at Amex Travel and the hotels must be prepaid at Amex Travel to earn 5x. This site's Estimated Rewards Values will calculate all airfare and hotels at 5x points, so if your hotels are booked directly (which you generally need to do to earn hotel points and status/benefits) please note that they will not earn 5x and your actual rewards value will vary accordingly.

The card that re-revolutionized points-earning credit cards, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is a high-end travel rewards card that unlocks transfers from this and any linked Chase Ultimate Rewards-earning card to airline and hotel partners and offers rich benefits for a frequent traveler.

It offers 3x Ultimate Rewards points on travel and dining. It provides a 50% boost in point value within the Chase portal and you get an annual $300 travel credit each card year which greatly offsets the card's annual fee.

New Lyft and DoorDash Benefits:

• Earn 10X Ultimate Rewards points on Lyft rides through March 2022.
• Get a one-time complimentary Lyft Pink (15% Lyft discounts, free bike/scooter rentals each month, and better cancellation rules). ($19.99 / month value)
• Get $60 in DoorDash credits this year (2021).
• Get free DashPass to get free DoorDash deliveries at select restaurants with $12 or more in your order and decreased service charges.

Chase Will Let you “Pay Yourself Back”

Chase Sapphire Reserve cardmembers can always use their points to book travel via the travel portal where they get 1.5 cents per point.

Now, you can redeem in the same manner for grocery stores, home improvement stores and dining, including restaurants, takeout and eligible delivery services. Instead of using a “portal” to make the purchases, you just pay as you normally would and then go into the Chase website to “pay” for that purchase with points. You will get the same 1.5 cents per point in value as you get booking travel. The feature is branded “Pay Yourself Back^SM“. 

This mid-tier Hilton card comes with complimentary Hilton Gold status.

It will allow you to earn 12x Hilton Honors points at Hilton; 6x at US restaurants, US supermarkets, and US gas stations; and 3x everywhere else.

There is also an opportunity to earn Diamond status and a free weekend night via card spend.

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.)

Note: Estimated Rewards Values shown throughout this site assume your hotel spend will be at Hilton brand hotels and resorts. If you have additional hotel spend not associated with Hilton, your actual return will be lower.

Get complimentary top-tier Hilton Diamond status, an annual $250 Hilton Resort credit, an annual $250 airline incidental fee credit, and a Free Weekend Night Award.

Also includes Priority Pass Select Airport Lounge Access for you and up to 2 guests per visit at no additional charge. (Enrollment required).

Earn Rate:

14x Hilton Honors points at Hiltons; 7x points on flights booked directly with airlines, car rentals booked direct, and US restaurants; and 3x points everywhere else.

Only in 2021 - Additional Hilton Aspire Benefits 

• Bonus points earned through eligible purchases, if they post to the card member’s Hilton Honors account by Dec. 31, 2021, will be classified as base points and will count toward elite tier qualification and lifetime Diamond status.
• Unexpired and newly issued free weekend night certificates can temporarily be used on any night of the week.
• All newly issued Free Weekend Night Reward certificates issued after Jan 1, 2021 will be valid through December 31, 2022.

NOTE: For the purposes of calculating your expected rewards for this card, we are assuming that the spend you put in "Hotels" is all spent at Hilton portfolio hotels and resorts. If some is spent at other hotels, your actual rewards will be slightly lower.

Earn 5x Citi ThankYou points on Restaurants and Air Travel, 3x on Hotels and Cruise Lines, and 1x everywhere else. You'll also get the 4th Night Free on 2 hotel bookings per year (restrictions apply).

You'll pay up for this card, though, in the form of a $495 annual fee.

You'll also get a $250 travel credit every calendar year, Priority Pass airport lounge access, and a cell phone protection benefit.

This card is subject to Citi's 1/24 restriction, therefore you may wish to consider the Citi Premier card before applying, as you can only get one bonus or the other within 24 months.

For the purposes of valuing the rewards on this card, "Other Travel" is counted as Cruises which earn 3x points.

With the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card, you'll receive Marriott Gold status and 15 elite nights credits every year.

This card earns Marriott Bonvoy points for purchases: 6x points at Marriott hotels, 3x points at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines, and 2x points everywhere else.

The Bonvoy Brilliant card comes with an annual free night award (up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points in value) at renewal and a $300 credit towards Marriott hotel and resort stays.

Terms apply.

NOTE: Our rewards calculator is assuming that your total entered in "Hotels" is spend at Marriott properties for the purposes of calculating this card's value to you. If part of your hotel spend is at non-Marriott properties, that spend will earn less than our estimate.