Over the past few months, American Express has been running its best-ever welcome offer of up to 132,500 bonus Membership Rewards (MR) points for new cardholders with a minimum spend of just S$6,000.
Now they’re enhancing this offer even further. For applications approved between 29 January to 28 February 2024:
- New-to-AMEX cardholders will receive 132,500 bonus MR points + S$200 eCapitaVouchers or a Samsonite luggage when they spend S$6,000 in the first 60 days of approval
- Existing AMEX cardholders will receive 85,000 bonus MR points when they spend S$6,000 in the first 60 days of approval
It’s essentially the same offer for existing AMEX cardholders, but if you’re new-to-AMEX, you get an extra S$200 eCapitaVoucher or Samsonite luggage.
| 💳 AMEX Platinum Charge Welcome Offer (New-to-AMEX customers) |
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| Previous Offer (till 28 Jan 24) |
New Offer (29 Jan to 28 Feb 24) |
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| Spend S$5K within 90 days of approval | 5K | 5K |
| Spend S$6K within 60 days of approval | 127.5K | 127.5K + S$200 vouchers or Samsonite luggage |
| Base points from S$6K spend | 7.5K | 7.5K |
| Total | 140K | 140K + S$200 vouchers or Samsonite luggage |
AMEX Platinum Charge welcome offer
 AMEX Platinum Charge |
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| Apply Here |
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| New Customers | Existing Customers | |
| Spend S$5,000 (Mo. 1-3) |
5K | 5K |
| Spend S$6,000 (Mo. 1-2) |
127.5K + S$200 voucher or Samsonite luggage | 80K |
| Base Points from S$6,000 (@ 2 pts/S$1.60) |
7.5K | 7.5K |
| Total Spend | S$6K | S$6K |
| Total Return | 140K + S$200 voucher or Samsonite luggage | 92.5K |
| S$1,744 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
| ❓ Definition |
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New customers are defined as those who:
There is no “timeout period” for a customer with a recently-cancelled card to be considered new (provided the cancelled card is not a principal AMEX Platinum Charge). However, all approvals are subject to internal review. |
New customers who apply and receive approval between 29 January to 28 February 2024 will receive:
- 5,000 bonus MR points for spending S$5,000 within the first 90 days of approval
- 127,500 bonus MR points and a choice of a S$200 eCapitaVoucher or Samsonite Choca Spinner 68/25 luggage (worth S$700) for spending S$6,000 within the first 60 days of approval (the spending for the component above will also count towards the spending for this component)
- 7,500 base MR points (based on S$6,000 spend @ 2 MR points per S$1.60)
All in all, that’s 140,000 MR points and a S$200 eCapitaVoucher or Samsonite luggage for S$6,000 of spend.
Existing customers
| ❓ Definition |
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Existing customers are defined as those who:
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There is no change to the offer for existing AMEX cardholders.
Existing customers who apply and receive approval between 29 January to 28 February 2024 will receive:
- 5,000 bonus MR points for spending S$5,000 within the first 90 days of approval
- 80,000 bonus MR points for spending S$6,000 within the first 60 days of approval (the spending for the component above will also count towards the spending for this component)
- 7,500 base MR points (based on S$6,000 @ 2 MR points per S$1.60)
This adds up to 92,500 MR points in total for S$6,000 of spend.
What counts as qualifying spend?
Qualifying spend refers to all online and offline retail purchases, whether in Singapore dollars or foreign currency.
It excludes the following transactions:
| ❌ Qualifying Spend Exclusions |
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a) Charges processed and billed prior to the Enrolment Date or charges prepaid on any Card Account prior to the first billing statement for that Card Account following the Enrolment Date; |
For the avoidance of doubt, CardUp, private and non-profit hospital bills, charitable donations, education, and anything else not explicitly stated in the exclusion list will count as eligible spend. While American Express added charitable donations and education to its exclusions list on 1 October 2023, an exception has been carved out for the AMEX Platinum Charge.
Spending by both principal and supplementary cardholders will be combined when determining whether the minimum spend threshold has been met.
When will bonus MR points be credited?
All bonus MR points will be credited within 10 weeks of meeting the spend threshold.
The eCapitaVoucher or Samsonite luggage will be fulfilled by 12 weeks of meeting the spend threshold.
Any questions about the crediting of bonus points should be directed to American Express.
Terms & Conditions
- 5,000 MR points bonus
- S$200 eCapitaVoucher or Samsonite Choca Spinner 68/25
- 80,000/127,500 MR points welcome offer
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?
As I mentioned at the start, this welcome offer is now the best we’ve ever seen for the AMEX Platinum Charge, since it offers the highest spend to points ratio, before the S$200 eCapitaVoucher or luggage is even factored in.
For the sake of comparison, here’s a summary of the recent welcome offers we’ve seen for the AMEX Platinum Charge.
| ⚠️ Important Note |
| 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 fashion credit 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
| 💳 AMEX Platinum Charge Welcome Offers (New customer) |
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| Date | Min. Spend | Bonus MR Points |
| Current | S$6,000 | 132,500 + S$200 voucher |
| 27 Sep 23- 28 Jan 24 | S$6,000 | 132,500 |
| 12-26 Sep 23 | 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 |
| Spending time periods may not be the same across all offers; refer to the respective articles for the full details |
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Existing customers
| 💳 AMEX Platinum Charge Welcome Offers (Existing customer) |
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| Date | Min. Spend | Bonus MR Points |
| Current | S$6,000 | 85,000 |
| 12-26 Sep 23 | 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 | ||
What can you do with Membership Rewards points?
AMEX Platinum Charge cardholders can convert MR points to airline miles or hotel points at the following rates:
| 💳 Membership Rewards Transfer Partners | |
| Frequent Flyer Programme | Conversion Ratio (AMEX: Partner) |
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400:250 |
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450:250 |
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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 enjoy 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
- 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
The S$1,354 of statement credits are 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
For more details on how to use them, refer to this comprehensive guide.
Because your first membership year will overlap with two calendar years, 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.
This creates what I call the “first year sweet spot”, where the value you get is significantly more than the annual fee. To understand this better, check out the guide below.
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 |
American Express is running a new welcome offer for the AMEX Platinum Charge which offers new-to-AMEX customers 132,500 bonus MR points and a S$200 eCapitaVoucher or Samsonite luggage.
Add the two sets of statement credits, vouchers, lounge and hotel benefits, and there’s a lot in here to help offset the first year’s S$1,744 annual fee.
An AMEX Platinum Charge is no small investment, so be sure to read my repository of articles to learn how you can get the most out of your card!
hi aaron, do you know if the spending requirement stack with their 10Xcelerator programme?
there is no reason why spending at 10xcelerator merchants will not count towards min spend.
Hi Aaron, I would like to know if there is a ratio at which Singapore AMEX points can be converted to US AMEX points.
Hi Aaron, do you know if an existing supplementary card holder considered a new-to-Amex user if the main card will be cut in Feb? And use the supplementary member’s name to register for the new principal card. Thanks!
supp cards dont count.
Hi Aaron,
Wouldn’t it be better value to enjoy the 2 year statement credits if we apply this card middle of the year since you technically will have more time to enjoy the credits on 1st and 2nd year?
On a personal note, do you still hold it and find value after the 2nd year?
TIA
yes, you can apply in the middle of the year and have a longer time to enjoy. the problem is: you don’t know whether the 132k bonus points + S$200 vouchers will still be offered then. if the offer drops to a lower level then you’ve basically missed out.
i personally find value in the 2nd year, it’s why i’ve been renewing for 4+ years already. see here: https://milelion.com/2023/10/25/american-express-platinum-charge-2023-year-in-review/
Hi Aaron,
If I put my friend’s reference number, does it affect my welcome benefits? Or does he also stand to gain some points?
Hi Aaron,
if I have cancelled any Amex card (non platinum) within 12 months. Does it mean it I will be considered as “existing” instead of “new”
thanks