American Express recently relaunched the AMEX Platinum Charge in Singapore, and opened up applications for this previously invite-only card.
The Platinum Charge is AMEX’s flagship offering, and comes with a S$1,712 annual fee and an income requirement of $200,000 per annum. Cardholders enjoy a host of exclusive benefits such as complimentary hotel stays, elite status with hotel and car rental chains, unlimited airport lounge access, S$800 of airline and hotel statement credit, hotel dining vouchers and more.
Apply for The Platinum Charge card here
I realise that $1,712 is no small amount to pay, and some people may be on the fence as to whether it’s worth it. Therefore, I think it’s really important to sit down and carefully consider how much you value each of the benefits and gifts the card comes with. That’s why I’ve made what I hope is an exhaustive listing of each of the benefits (published or otherwise) the AMEX Platinum Charge card comes with:
Travel & hotel benefits
- S$400 statement credit for hotel, tour or cruise bookings and S$400 statement credit for airline bookings
- Savings on First and Business class airfares on American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, British Airways, Emirates, Etihad and Japan Airlines through the International Airlines Program
- 10/15/20% off on Premium Economy/Business/First Class fares on American Airlines/JAL to North and South America
- Private jet charter credit
- Complimentary one night stay at St Regis Singapore or W Hotel Singapore with breakfast included
- Complimentary 3D/2N stay at selected overseas Banyan Tree or Mandarin Oriental properties, or a 2D/1N stay at Capella Singapore
- Up to US$300 off cruise packages through the Cruise Privileges Program
- Access to the following airport lounges (guest allowance in brackets)
- The Centurion Lounge (+2)
- International American Express Lounges (guest policy varies by location)
- Priority Pass Lounges (+1)
- Delta SkyClub
- Plaza Premium Airport Lounge (+1-2 guests, depending on location)
- Access to the AMEX Fine Hotels and Resorts program, which provides benefits such as US$100 amenities credit, room upgrades, early check-in/late check-out, and daily breakfast at more than 1,100 luxury properties around the world
- Access to The Hotel Collection, where you get a US$75 hotel credit and room upgrade if available with a stay of at least 2 nights at more than 500 hotels worldwide
- Complimentary Marriott Gold, Shangri-La Golden Circle Jade, Hilton Gold, Radisson Rewards Gold status
- Complimentary Hertz Five Star and Avis Preferred status
Dining benefits
- S$100 Tower Club dining voucher
- S$50 Marriott dining voucher + S$200 St Regis dining voucher
- FAR Card Classic membership
- Up to 50% off dining at hotels and restaurants with the Love Dining programme
- 2X complimentary cake or house wine vouchers to use at FAR participating establishments
- Access to the Global Dining Collection and Taste from American Express Invites with specials like 20% off the bill or complimentary wine/appetiser
Lifestyle & Spa benefits
- 60 min complimentary detox massage at Adeva Spa
- 90 min complimentary ginger detox massage at The Ultimate Resort Spa
- 60 min complimentary deep tissue body massage at Spa Rael
- PLATINUM VIBES access with a complimentary drink
- Access to Tower Club in Singapore and 67 Pall Mall in London
- Complimentary access to Capital, Zouk and Phuture for cardholder and up to 2 guests for the first 100 Card Members and guests on Fridays and Saturdays before 12 a.m along with access to AMEX member’s lounge
- 1 for 1 and complimentary drinks at selected bars in Singapore including Gem Bar, Nutmeg & Clove, Ah Sam Cold Drink Stall, The Secret Mermaid and Horse’s Mouth Bar
- Access to the Regional Golf and Preferred Golf programmes, as well as Mission Hills Resort
Miles earning benefits
- Earn 0.78 mpd on general spending, and 1.95 mpd on SQ/MI/Scoot tickets purchased online or via the concierge
- Earn 7.8 mpd on the first $16,000 spent at Platinum EXTRA merchants, and 3.9 mpd after that
- Spend S$20,000 within 3 months of approval and earn 75,000 bonus MR (46,875 miles), in addition to the base 15,625 miles
- Transfer your MR points to Asia Miles, British Airways Avios, China Airlines Dynasty Flyer, Emirates Skywards, Malaysia Airlines Enrich, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer or Thai Royal Orchid Plus with no transfer fees
Other benefits
- Receive complimentary travel insurance that covers flight disruptions, trip curtailment, trip cancellation, lost and damaged luggage and emergency medical expenses
- Receive purchase, refund and extended warranty protection for items purchased with your AMEX Platinum Charge card
- Free parking at VivoCity from 5pm onwards on Friday, Saturday and Sunday
- Bloomingdale’s and MATCHESFASHION.com benefits
Have a read of the T&C of the AMEX Platinum Charge card, which explains some of these benefits in more detail.
How much are these benefits worth?
That’s a pretty long list of perks, but how do you place a value on all that? I’m going to attempt to value some of them here, but can I just say something before we start-
Valuation is an inherently subjective concept
Some people will value the hotel stays at face value, because they’d have been willing to pay those Mandarin Oriental/Capella prices out of pocket. Others will only value the stays at what they’d have otherwise been willing to pay for an alternative hotel. Similarly, some may value the spa vouchers because they enjoy that sort of thing, and others will not.
So take the table below with a liberal pinch of salt. Consider what you do value, take away what you don’t, and come to your own valuation.
| Benefit | Value |
| S$800 of hotel and airline credit | S$750 (less a non-waivable S$50 booking fee imposed when booking airlines via the concierge) |
| S$100 Tower Club | S$100 |
| S$50 Marriott Dining voucher | S$50 |
| S$200 St Regis Dining voucher | S$200 |
| 1 night stay at W Hotel/St Regis | S$630 (based on cancellable, breakfast included rate) |
| 3D/2N stay at Mandarin Oriental/Banyan Tree | S$605 (based on Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong) |
| 75,000 MR points @ 2 cpm | S$938 |
| Spa vouchers | S$941 (based on retail value provided by AMEX) |
| Cruise benefit | S$410 (US$300 per booking) |
| Lounge access | S$587 (US$429 for Prestige version with unlimited visits) |
| Total | S$5K+ |
That’s my attempt at putting some sort of value to this, but needless to say it’s far from comprehensive. How do you value private club access, or 50% off dining, or complimentary travel insurance, or golfing privileges? How often will you use the 1 for 1 drinks privilege, or buy JAL First Class tickets at 20% off? How often do you shop at Vivo?
The short answer is that it’s impossible to value each and every benefit down to the last cent. If you’re the type who’ll lose sleep if you pay a $1,712 annual fee, this probably isn’t the card for you. On the other hand, if you find your travel/stay/lifestyle patterns quite in line with those offered by the AMEX Platinum Charge, then this could be good value for you.
You can apply for the AMEX Platinum Charge here. If you’re thinking of doing so too, join our dedicated AMEX Platinum Charge Telegram Group where current and would-be cardholders can discuss the benefits and perks.
