American Express has unveiled its latest AMEX Platinum Charge sign-up offer, which is valid for applications up till 26 September 2023.
- New cardholders will receive a Samsonite Choca Spinner 68/25 luggage and 60,000 bonus Membership Rewards (MR) points when they spend S$8,000 in the first two months of approval
- Existing AMEX cardholders will receive 60,000 bonus MR points when they spend S$8,000 in the first two months of approval
Compared to the previous offer, the bonus for new customers has been changed from 100,000 MR points to a Samsonite luggage + 60,000 MR points, though the minimum spend has also been cut from S$10,000 to S$8,000. For existing customers, the offer is the same as before.
For perspective, this is the lowest minimum spend we’ve seen for an AMEX Platinum Charge acquisition offer in the past 12 months.
New AMEX Platinum Charge sign-up offer
 AMEX Platinum Charge |
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| Apply Here |
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| New Customers | Existing Customers | |
| Pay Annual Fee | Samsonite Choca Spinner | |
| Spend S$8,000 (Mo. 1-2) |
60K | 60K |
| Base Points from S$8,000 (@ 2 pts/S$1.60) |
10K | 10K |
| Total Spend | S$8K | S$8K |
| Total Points | Samsonite Choca Spinner + 70K | 70K |
| S$1,728 annual fee must be paid | ||
American Express is offering two different sign-up offers for the AMEX Platinum Charge, depending on whether you count as a new or existing customer.
New customers
| โ Definition |
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New customers are defined as those who:
I have confirmed with American Express that there is no “timeout period” for a customer with a recently-cancelled card to be considered new. However, all approvals are subject to internal review. |
New customers who sign-up via The MileLion by 26 September 2023 (with approval by 10 October 2023) will receive a Samsonite Choca Spinner 68/25 luggage when they pay the first year’s S$1,728 annual fee.
If they spend S$8,000 within 60 days of card approval, they will receive 60,000 bonus MR points, plus 10,000 base MR points (based on 2 MR points per S$1.60).
Existing customers
| โ Definition |
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Existing customers are defined as those who:
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Existing AMEX customers who sign-up via The MileLion by 26 September 2023 (with approval by 10 October 2023) will receive 60,000 bonus MR points when they spend S$8,000 in the first 60 days of approval, plus 10,000 base MR points (based on 2 MR points per S$1.60).
This is, for all intents and purposes, the same as the public offer.
When will bonus MR points be credited?
In terms of crediting timelines:
- New customers will receive a redemption letter for the Samsonite luggage within 12 weeks after the annual fee is paid
- New/existing customers will receive 60,000 bonus MR points within 12 weeks from the date they meet the spend threshold
Any questions about the promotion should be directed to American Express.
What counts as qualifying spending?
American Express has a list of excluded spending categories here, but the key ones to note are:
- GrabPay top-ups
- Insurance
- Public hospitals and polyclinics
- SPC transactions
- Utilities
For the avoidance of doubt, CardUp, private and non-profit hospital bills, donations, education, and anything else not explicitly stated in the exclusion list will count as eligible spend. While American Express will add donations and education to its exclusions list from 1 October 2023, an exception has been carved out for the AMEX Platinum Charge.
Spending by both principal and supplementary cardholders will be pooled when determining whether the minimum spend threshold has been met.
Terms & Conditions
This offer cannot be further stacked with any MGM bonuses, and terminating the card within six months of approval will lead to a clawback of the sign-up bonus.
How does this compare to previous offers?
For reference, here’s how the current offer compares the previous few we’ve seen.
When comparing offers across time periods, you should factor in that American Express added $1,204 of annual statement credits in Feburary 2023, and a further S$150 in April 2023. This makes the first year more lucrative (because you enjoy two sets of statement credits), but has led to a commensurate fall in the number of bonus points on offer.
New customers
| Date | Min. Spend | Bonus MR Points |
| Current | S$8,000 | 60,000 + Samsonite luggage |
| 5-11 Sep 23 | S$10,000 | 100,000 |
| 1 Aug to 4 Sep 23 | S$15,000 | 95,000 |
| 4-31 Jul 23 | S$15,000 | 115,000 |
| 1 Jun to 3 Jul 23 | S$15,000 | 100,000 |
| 1 Feb to 31 May 23 | S$15,000 | 95,000 |
| 3 Nov 22 to 31 Jan 23 | S$20,000 | 110,000 |
| 2-31 Oct 22 | S$20,000 | 175,000 |
| The time period for minimum spend may not be the same across all offers; refer to the respective articles for the full details |
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Existing customers
| Date | Min. Spend | Bonus MR Points |
| Current | S$8,000 | 60,000 |
| 5-11 Sep 23 | S$8,000 | 60,000 |
| 1 Aug to 4 Sep 23 | S$10,000 | 70,000 |
| 4-31 Jul 23 | S$10,000 | 70,000 |
| 1 Jun to 3 Jul 23 | S$10,000 | 55,000 |
| 1 Feb to 31 May 23 | S$10,000 | 60,000 |
| 3 Nov 22 to 31 Jan 23 | S$20,000 | 110,000 |
| 2-31 Oct 22 | S$20,000 | 140,000 |
| Spending time periods may not be the same across all offers; refer to the respective articles for the full details | ||
I personally don’t find the current offer all that attractive, given that this is basically the same luggage that was offered to AMEX HighFlyer Cardholders in July.
What can you do with Membership Rewards points?
AMEX Platinum Charge cardholders can convert Membership Rewards points to airline miles or hotel points at the following rates:
| ๐ณ Membership Rewards Transfer Partners | |
| Frequent Flyer Programme | Conversion Ratio (AMEX: Partner) |
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400:250 |
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400:250 |
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400:250 |
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400:250 |
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400:250 |
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400:250 |
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400:250 |
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400:250 |
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400:250 |
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400:250 |
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1,000:1,000 |
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1,000:1,250 |
Do note that AMEX Platinum Charge cardholders receive a preferential conversion rate of 400 points = 250 airline miles, compared to regular cardholders who get 450 points = 250 airline miles.
Membership Rewards points do not expire, and all conversions are free of charge.
AMEX Platinum Charge: Key benefits
AMEX Platinum Charge cardholders can look forward to benefits such as:
- S$1,354 of dining, entertainment, lifestyle, travel and fashion credits each calendar year
- COMO Club C5 membership with S$260 of annual birthday vouchers (valid for both principal and supp. cards)
- Unlimited airport lounge access for the cardholder + 1 guest
- Priority Pass Lounges
- Centurion Lounges
- International American Express Lounges
- Delta SkyClub Lounges
- Plaza Premium Lounges
- One complimentary hotel night every membership year, redeemable at worldwide participating properties including Banyan Tree, Mandarin Oriental and Ritz-Carlton hotels
- Tower Club access
- Tower Club & assorted dining vouchers
- Access to the American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts programme, which offers perks such as free breakfast, room upgrades (subject to availability), a US$100 experience credit and guaranteed late check-out
- Hilton Honors Gold status, Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status, Pan Pacific DISCOVERY Platinum status & Radisson Rewards Premium status
- American Express Love Dining
- American Express Chillax
- Platinum Golf privileges
AMEX Platinum Charge cardholders receive S$1,354 of statement credits each calendar year, split into:
- S$150 fashion credits at Mr Porter and NET-A-PORTER (disbursed as S$75 per six-month period)
- S$200 dining credits at participating local restaurants
- S$200 dining credits at participating overseas restaurants
- S$400 lifestyle credits at participating retail partners
- S$204 entertainment credits for news or music streaming services (disbursed as S$17 per month)
- S$200 airline credits for Singapore Airlines or Scoot
Guide: AMEX Platinum Charge annual S$1,354 statement credits
Because your first membership year will overlap with two calendar years (unless you somehow happen to get approved on 1 January), you can enjoy two sets of credits in your first membership year (except the entertainment credits, which are disbursed on a monthly basis), regardless of whether you choose to renew your card from the second year onwards.
In order to get maximum value, be sure to share the AMEX Platinum Charge’s benefits with friends and family. Two supplementary cards are free for life, and enjoy perks such as Como C5 membership, complimentary lounge access, hotel elite status, Tower Club access and AMEX Love Dining & Chillax.
Conclusion
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| Apply Here |
The latest sign-up bonus for the AMEX Platinum Charge card offers up to 60,000 bonus MR points + Samsonite luggage to customers who submit their applications by 26 September 2023. The minimum spend has also been cut to just S$8,000, the lowest level in 12 months.
As the AMEX Platinum Charge is no small investment, be sure to read my repository of articles before pulling the trigger!
sounds like they are struggling to acquire new cardmembers, hence the slew of revisions in such a short time
not a fan of this particular offer. even though the min spend has been cut even further, the luggage on offer is the same one you could have got through the amex highflyer card. not exactly premium, more like surplus.
Hi Aaron, not sure if you are able to answer. Just trying my luck here.
I would like to ask, currently I’m a Diamond member. If I enroll for the Amex Platinum benefit for Hilton status upgrade to Gold, will I be downgraded?
Also, I’m at 18 stays so far this year with 4 more upcoming stays. Will those 22 stays be added on top of the automatic Gold status that comes as benefit of Amex Platinum?
Thanks!
i guess my question is: if you’re already a diamond, why would you register for the gold benefit anyway?