Get a $150 CapitaVoucher with the AMEX Platinum Credit Card (no spend required)

With restaurants set to reopen for dining-in during Phase 2, I’m sure a lot of us are making plans to paint the town red. 

Here’s where AMEX Love Dining benefits can come in useful, with up to 50% off the bill at more than 25 restaurants and hotels including Si Chuan Dou Hua,  Wooloomooloo, The Capitol Kempinski and the St Regis. 

If you don’t already have an AMEX Platinum card, here’s a way of getting one for less. 

Get a S$150 CapitaVoucher upon approval for the AMEX Platinum Credit Card

From now till 31 July 2020, Milelion readers will receive a $150 CapitaVoucher when approved for an  AMEX Platinum Credit Card, with no minimum spending required. 

Assuming you’re able to hit the sign-up bonus as well, you should be able to more than cover the first year’s annual fee, with Love Dining and Chillax benefits the icing on the cake. 

How it works

Simply sign-up through the link below by 31 July 2020, and receive approval no later than 15 August 2020. 

Apply for the AMEX Platinum Credit Card here

Pay the full annual fee of S$321 in the first statement, and you’ll receive a $150 CapitaVoucher, mailed to you within 10 weeks of approval.

The offer is open to anyone who has not cancelled an American Express Platinum Credit Card within the last 12 months (it’s fine if you cancelled a Platinum Reserve or Platinum Charge). 

The full T&Cs can be found here.

Key Features: American Express Platinum Credit Card

Apply Here
Income Req.	S$80,000 p.a	Points Validity	No expiry
Annual Fee	S$321	Min. Transfer	450 points (250 miles)
Miles with Annual Fee	None	Transfer Partners	Singapore Airlines Cathay Pacific British Airways China Airlines Emirates EVA Air Malaysia Airlines THAI Qantas Hilton Marriott
FCY Fee	2.95%	Transfer Fee	None
Local Earn	0.69 mpd	Points Pool?	Yes
FCY Earn	0.69 mpd	Lounge Access?	No
Special Earn	3.47 mpd at EXTRA merchants	Airport Limo?	No
Cardholder Terms and Conditions

The AMEX Platinum Credit Card carries an annual fee of S$321, and an income requirement of S$80,000. 

Cardholders who are approved by 31 July 2020 and spend S$12,000 in the first 6 months of approval will receive a total of 65,000 Membership Rewards points, split as follows: 

The bonuses in Months 1-3 and 4-6 are independent; you can spend S$6,000 in each period to get both, or S$6,000 in either period to get one. Bonus points will be credited to your account within 8-10 weeks after the spending threshold is met.

To be eligible for the sign-up bonus, cardholders must not have cancelled an American Express Platinum Credit Card in the 12-month period before application. However, there’s no restriction on holding other American Express cards. You must pay the S$321 annual fee to receive this sign-up bonus. 

The following transactions will not count towards eligible spending for the purposes of sign up bonuses:

The main transactions to take note of here are insurance, SPC, and GrabPay transactions. All other transactions (including charitable donations, interestingly enough), will be eligible. 

Outside of the sign-up bonus, the earn rate of 2 Membership Rewards points (MR points) per S$1.60 (0.69 mpd) means this isn’t a card you get for miles. Instead, the AMEX Platinum Credit Card is more of a benefits card. 

Love Dining and Chillax Benefits

All AMEX Platinum cardholders get access to the Love Dining program, which offers up to 50% off dining at selected 5-Star hotels and restaurants. The discount is only valid for dine-in, but thankfully that won’t be an issue once Phase 2 starts. 

Restaurants
Atrium restaurant Burlamacco Ristorante Element Escape Restaurant & Lounge FYR Harry’s La Nonna Lawry’s  Le Fusion Mad for Garlic Masons	Napoleon Food & Wine Bar Paulaner Brauhaus Peach Garden (OCBC Centre) Praelum Wine Bistro Sen of Japan Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant Sky 22 Spizza The Song of India TWG Tea Wooloomooloo Steakhouse Xin Cuisine Chinese Restaurant
Hotels
Fairmont Singapore Marriott Singapore Tang Plaza St Regis Singapore Swissotel Merchant Court	Swissotel The Stamford The Capitol Kempinski Hotel W Singapore

What I particularly like about Love Dining is that it’s not 1-for-1, it’s 50% off. With 1-for-1, you only get the cheaper item free, and everything else you buy is at the regular price. 

With 50% off, you save on everything (except drinks)- appetizers, mains, desserts. No more feeling compelled to order a more expensive item because your partner did, and at more expensive restaurants, the savings can easily add up to S$100+ per visit. 

AMEX Platinum cardholders also enjoy 1-for-1 drinks with Chillax. Bars will initially not open during Phase 2, but bars within hotels (e.g Anti:Dote, Conrad Lobby Lounge) are allowed to operate.

Ah Sam Cold Drink Stall Anti:Dote Bar on 5 Chuan @ The Sixtieth Conrad Lobby Lounge Gem Bar Horse’s Mouth Bar	Smoke & Mirrors The Auld Alliance The Bar at 15 Stamford The Secret Mermaid The World is Flat Wanton Seng’s Noodle Bar

Conclusion

AMEX doesn’t offer the first year free on Platinum cards, so this promotion is one of the cheapest ways to get access to both the sign-up bonus and the Love Dining benefits. 

Remember to submit your application by 31 July to be eligible.