This article was written in collaboration with American Express. All views expressed in this article are the independent opinion of DollarsAndSense.sg based on our research. DollarsAndSense.sg is not liable for any financial losses that may arise from any transactions and readers are encouraged to do their own due diligence. You can view our full editorial policy here.
In Singapore’s highly competitive credit card landscape, American Express® has always stood out. Unlike other credit card companies, where you can expect to be put on hold for 30 minutes or longer for a query, American Express differentiates itself by offering top-notch customer service that is always available whenever you need assistance.
Besides great customer service, American Express cards offer an array of exclusive benefits that are not only highly sought after but also associated with prestige. One such benefit is the Membership Rewards® Program, which earns you Membership Rewards points that never expire and can be redeemed for vouchers, miles, and other deals. It is these unrivalled benefits, which few other credit cards can match, that attract many individuals to aspire to own an American Express Card.
And these benefits don’t come any better than with The Platinum Card by American Express, also known by some as The Platinum Charge Card.
The Platinum Card, The Key To Unlocking Travel, Lifestyle, And Other Exclusive Privileges
Unlike many credit cards that focus on certain spending categories like travel, food, or entertainment, The Platinum Card by American Express takes a different approach. It eliminates the need for Card Members to choose one category over the other, allowing them to benefit across a wider range of spending categories.
Whether it’s travelling in comfort, enjoying savings at popular restaurants, or gaining access to exclusive places, The Platinum Card offers it all. With this single card, you not only can unlock all these great benefits conveniently for you and your family but also don’t have to compromise any aspect of your lifestyle.
Travel In Comfort With Platinum Travel
Travel is back, and if you travel often, you want to ensure that you make every moment of your journey count with The Platinum Card.
Whether it’s a personal or business trip, it’s good to have lounge access. For families on holiday, lounge access with complimentary food, drinks and other amenities, can get your family excited for the trip that you are about to take. For business travellers, lounges are ideal places to check in on last-minute work before you switch off enjoy a well-deserved break on the plane.
For those with connecting flights, having lounge access can be the difference between a miserable layover and a relaxing one. Remember, not every airport in the world is going to be like our own Changi Airport.
With The Platinum Card, Card Members enjoy complimentary lounge access to over 1,400 airport lounges in about 650 cities* around the world. These include The Centurion® Lounges, International American Express Lounges, Priority Pass™^ Lounges, Delta SkyClub® Lounges, and Plaza Premium Lounges. This gives you and one travelling companion a place to relax before embarking on your flight.
To make every moment of your journey count, enjoy S$200 credit^$ each calendar year and earn bonus Membership Rewards points when booking flights with Singapore Airlines or Scoot.
You can also enjoy complimentary benefits valued at S$800# at over 1,300 properties that are part of Fine Hotels + Resorts. These include daily breakfast for two, US$100 experience credit+ and guaranteed 4pm check-out. Card Members will also enjoy instant upgrades to higher tiers of leading hotel loyalty programmes, such as the Marriott Bonvoy™ and Hilton Honors. Check out the full details of these travel perks here.
*Guest access policies may vary internationally by location and are subject to change.
^Enrolment is required.
$ With minimum spending of S$600 on eligible flight purchases in one or two more transactions.
#Average value based on Fine Hotels + Resorts bookings in 2021 for stays of two nights. Actual value will vary based on property, room rate, upgrade availability, and use of benefits.
+Experience credit varies by property.
Enjoy Great Dining Deals & Leisure With Platinum Lifestyle
With The Platinum Card, you get access to culinary adventures around the world. Card Members enjoy S$400 in dining credits^ that can be used at over 1,400 of the finest restaurants in Singapore such as three-Michelin-starred Zén and two-Michelin-starred JAAN by Kirk Westaway, as well as other top restaurants around the world such as Acquolina in Rome – a two-Michelin-starred restaurant and Sketch in London, UK – a three-Michelin-starred restaurant.
In addition, Platinum Members get access to Love Dining by Platinum, which offers generous discounts of up to 50% all year long and privileges at a variety of restaurants and hotel dining around Singapore.
The Platinum Card also offers S$400 worth of lifestyle credit$^ that can be used at selected wellness and wine partners with minimum spending required, including Adeva Spa, Spa Rael, The Ultimate, and Grand Cru Wine Concierge. Card Members will also receive S$150 fashion credits^ that can be used at NET-A-PORTER and MR PORTER for your wardrobe refresh.
And for those of us who have already subscribed to streaming services or are frequent goers of live events, we might be glad to know that The Platinum Card gives us up to S$17 per month in entertainment credits^ that can be spent at over 10 entertainment brands.
^Enrolment is required.
$With minimum spending of S$600 in a single transaction at participating partners
Gain Free Access To Exclusive Venues Through Platinum Access
The Platinum Card also provides complimentary access to Tower Club Singapore – the premier private business club in Singapore.
Typically costing S$2,100 a year, Platinum Card Members can gain free access to all of the Tower Club Singapore’s dining facilities and fitness centre. For those who play golf, The Platinum Card also provides complimentary green fees with paying guest(s) at over 40 regional golf clubs. You can also fine-tune your game with complimentary balls when you make a minimum purchase at Warren Golf & Country Club and complimentary 2-hour virtual golf sessions with 1 paying guest at Five Iron Golf Singapore and more.
Being a Platinum Card Member also gives you access to many other invite-only events organised by American Express and its partners.
Annual Fee For The Platinum Card
While the various benefits offered by The Platinum Card are great, it is not a mass market, entry-level card.
For many, the main barrier to the application would likely be the annual fee.
At S$1,728 annually, this is one of the most expensive cards that you can apply for in Singapore. So for those who just want a regular, no-frill credit card, this may not be the ideal card to opt for.
Getting (More Than) What You Pay
The question, then, would be – Is the annual fee for The Platinum Card worth paying for?
Let’s count the benefits, in dollars and cents, that you can get for what you’re paying in annual fee.
Travel Benefits
- Airline Credit (S$200 per calendar year)
- Lounge Benefits. The Platinum Card provides access to multiple lounges, so it’s tricky to calculate the total value you are getting. But let’s assume we were to just use one lounge provider, like Priority Pass. The cost of getting the Prestige membership under Priority Pass (which doesn’t even allow you to bring in a guest) is already US$469. With The Platinum Card, you and one supplementary Card Member are entitled to a complimentary membership in Priority Pass. Hence, the value of Priority Pass for two members would be US$938, or about S$1,247 (assuming a conversion of US$1.00 = S$1.33).
Total Travel Benefits = S$1,447. This excludes other benefits like the Fine Hotels + Resorts benefits, hotel loyalty programmes, worldwide travel insurance and bonus Membership Rewards points on Singapore Airlines & Scoot.
Lifestyle Benefits
- Fashion Credit (S$150 per calendar year)
- Global Dining Credit (S$400 per calendar year)
- Lifestyle Credit (S$400 per calendar year)
- Entertainment Credit (worth S$204 per calendar year)
Total Lifestyle benefits = S$1,154. This excludes Love Dining by Platinum benefits and sign-up or renewal perks that you may also get.
Access Benefit
- Tower Club Singapore (worth S$2,100 based on Tower Club monthly membership of S$175)
Total Access Benefit = S$2,100. This excludes the Regional Golf Programme and other exclusive events that Card Members may receive invitations to.
As you can see, the tangible dollar value of what we get in benefits is easily worth more than S$4,000. This doesn’t even include the other exclusive benefits that the card gives where it’s hard for us to put a dollar value on them, such as the Fine Hotels + Resorts benefits, Love Dining by Platinum, hotel loyalty programmes, the Regional Golf Programme, and many others. For these benefits, how much value or savings we enjoy would depend on how often we use them.
The way we see it, the annual fees that we have to pay for The Platinum Card can be easily justified by the tangible dollar value that we get from the travel, lifestyle and access benefits. However, it’s also the other exclusive benefits that make this a must-have card, in particular, if you are someone who is travelling, dining and networking regularly.
Don’t have an American Express Card yet? Click here to find out more. T&Cs apply.
The post How To Maximise The Benefits On Your American Express Platinum Card appeared first on DollarsAndSense.sg.
0 Mga Komento