Review: American Express Platinum Credit Card

Here’s The MileLion’s review of the American Express Platinum Credit Card, the entry rung of the Platinum hierarchy. 

But don’t let that lowly positioning deter you— with all the nerfs to the AMEX Platinum Charge, and the continued neglect of the AMEX Platinum Reserve, this could very well be the new star of the Platinum family.

With perks like Love Dining, a S$200 annual Lifestyle Credit, Comoclub C4 status, and a welcome offer that basically takes 75% off the annual fee, there’s a lot to like here.

AMEX Platinum Credit Card
🦁 MileLion Verdict
☑ Take It ☐ Take It Or Leave It ☐ Leave It
With Love Dining & Chillax, a S$200 annual credit, and 75% off the first year’s annual fee, the AMEX Platinum Credit Card could offer the best value in the Platinum lineup.
👍 The Good	👎 The Bad
Welcome offer available for both new and existing AMEX customers S$200 annual Lifestyle Credit Up to 50% off dining and 1-for-1 drinks with AMEX Love Dining and Chillax Uncapped 3.47 mpd on 10Xcelerator merchants 11 transfer partners and no conversion fees	Poor earn rates outside of 10Xcelerator merchants
💳 Full List of Credit Card Reviews

Overview: AMEX Platinum Credit Card

Apply
Income Req.	Not stated*	Points Validity	No expiry
Annual Fee	S$327	Min. Transfer	450 MR points (250 miles)
Miles with AF	–	Transfer Partners	11
FCY Fee	3.25%	Transfer Fee	None
Local Earn	0.69 mpd	Points Pool?	Yes
FCY Earn	0.69 mpd	Lounge Access?	No
Special Earn	3.47 mpd on 10Xcelerator merchants	Airport Limo?	No
*AMEX no longer publishes minimum income requirements for any of its cards
Cardholder Terms and Conditions

The AMEX Platinum Credit Card suffers from something of an identity crisis, because American Express has three different Platinum cards with similar-sounding names. 

Card	Annual Fee	Earn Rate
AMEX Platinum Credit Card	S$327	0.69 mpd
AMEX Platinum Reserve	S$545	0.69 mpd
AMEX Platinum Charge	S$1,744	0.78 mpd

Don’t mix them up! The AMEX Platinum Credit Card is the entry-level offering, two rungs below the AMEX Platinum Charge and one rung below the AMEX Platinum Reserve. All three cards have very different features and benefits.

How much must I earn to qualify for an AMEX Platinum Credit Card?

American Express no longer publishes any official income requirement for its credit cards, instead stating that all applications are “subject to internal review”.

The last published minimum requirement for the AMEX Platinum Credit Card was S$80,000, but don’t let that deter you. Remember: any income requirement above S$30,000 is essentially arbitrary (it can affect the credit limit granted, but not approval per se), and there are plenty of reports of customers getting approved with incomes closer to the S$30,000 mark.

How much is the AMEX Platinum Credit Card’s annual fee?

The AMEX Platinum Credit Card has an annual fee of S$327 for the principal cardholder. The first two supplementary cards are free for life, and the third onwards costs S$163.50. 

The first year’s annual fee is non-waivable, but in subsequent years, a waiver may be granted at AMEX’s discretion. However, if the fee is waived, you won’t receive the S$200 annual Lifestyle Credit.

Some cardholders have reported being offered 30,000 Membership Rewards points (equivalent to 16,667 airline miles) for paying the annual fee—a compelling offer, as the value of the points and Lifestyle Credit combined can easily exceed the cost of the fee.

What sign-up bonus or gifts are available?

AMEX Platinum Credit Card (Offer Ends: 28 May 25)
Apply
	New & Existing AMEX Customers
Annual Fee	S$327 (must be paid)
Spend	S$1,000
Spend Period	30 days
Welcome Bonus	S$250

American Express is currently offering a welcome gift of S$250 cashback for new cardholders who spend at least S$1,000 within the first 30 days of approval. This effectively offsets ~75% of the first year’s S$327 annual fee, reducing the cost to just S$77.

This offer is available to both new and existing AMEX cardholders; the only condition is that you must not have cancelled a principal AMEX Platinum Credit Card in the past 12 months. For the avoidance of doubt, you will be eligible for this offer even if you cancelled a principal AMEX Platinum Charge or AMEX Platinum Reserve in the past 12 months, as they are distinct products.

How many miles do I earn?

SGD/FCY Spend

AMEX Platinum Credit Cardholders earn:

• 2 MR points per S$1.60 spent in Singapore Dollars (0.69 mpd)
• 2 MR points per S$1.60 spent in foreign currency (FCY) (0.69 mpd)

These are rather underwhelming rates, given that most general spending cards earn 1.2-1.6 mpd, and you shouldn’t be using this card for day-to-day spend.

All foreign currency transactions are subject to a 3.25% fee, on par with the rest of the market.

10Xcelerator merchants

AMEX 10Xcelerator

AMEX Platinum Credit Card cardholders earn 10 MR points per S$1.60 (3.47 mpd) at 10Xcelerator merchants (formerly known as Platinum EXTRA). There is no minimum spend  necessary, and no cap on the bonus that can be earned.

10Xcelerator merchants include, among others:

• 1-Group restaurants (1-Atico, Bee’s Knees, Botanico, Monti, Sol & Luna, UNA and more)
• IWC
• Lee Hwa Jewellery
• Miele
• PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering
• PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay
• Samsonite
• Tag Heuer
• The Hour Glass
• Venchi
• Watches of Switzerland

While other cards such as the UOB Preferred Platinum Visa and UOB Visa Signature could earn 4 mpd, the key advantage of the AMEX Platinum Credit Card is the absence of a bonus cap, as well as its wider range of transfer partners.

To learn more about the 10Xcelerator programme, refer to my guide below.

Guide: American Express Platinum 10Xcelerator programme

When are MR points credited? 

Base and bonus MR points are credited when your transaction posts, which generally takes 1-3 working days.

How are MR points calculated?

Here’s how you can work out the MR points earned on your AMEX Platinum Credit Card. 

This means the minimum spend required to earn miles is S$1.60.

If you’re an Excel geek, here’s the formulas you need to calculate your points: 

For the full list of formulas that banks use to calculate credit card points, do refer to these articles:

• General Spending Cards
• Specialised Spending Cards

What transactions aren’t eligible for MR points?

A full list of exclusions can be found in this document, under Section 3: American Express Cards enrolled in the Membership Rewards Programme.

The key exclusions to note are:

• Charitable donations
• Education
• GrabPay top-ups
• Insurance premiums
• Public hospitals
• SimplyGo
• Utilities

CardUp transactions will earn points with the AMEX Platinum Credit Card, though given the 0.69 mpd rate and a 2.6% fee, there are far better options.

What do I need to know about MR points?

Expiry

MR points earned on the AMEX Platinum Credit Card never expire, so long as the card account remains active.

Pooling

MR points earned across different American Express cards are pooled, but it’s slightly complicated.

If you hold an AMEX Platinum Credit Card and an AMEX Platinum Charge, there are two possibilities.

(1) Some people will see their points pooled automatically on the back end. If you’re in this situation, the drop down menu for “Your Points Account” will look like this.

(2) Some people will not see their points pooled on the back end. Instead, they’ll have one points account for their AMEX Platinum Charge, and another points account for their AMEX Platinum Credit Card. If you’re in this situation, the drop down menu for “Your Points Account” will have a “Switch Account” button to toggle between points balances.

In this case, you can call up customer service to get your points manually combined and transferred at the more advantageous 400 MR points = 250 miles rate (see below)

Transfer Partners & fees

American Express has 11 airline and hotel transfer partners, with MR points transferring at the following ratios:

Programme	Conversion Ratio (MR Points: Partner)
	450:250
	450:250
	450:250
	450:250
	450:250
	450:250
	450:250
	450:250
	450:250
	1,000:1,000
	1,000:1,250

All transfers are free of charge. 

If you happen to hold the AMEX Platinum Credit Card and AMEX Platinum Charge at the same time, you can transfer all your MR points to the nine airline partners at a preferential rate of 400 MR points = 250 miles.

Transfer ratios for hotel partners remain the same regardless of card.

Transfer Times

The time taken to transfer points depends on programme. Based on my personal experience:

• KrisFlyer: Instant
• Qantas Frequent Flyer: Instant
• EVA Air Infinity MileageLands: Within 24 hours
• British Airways Executive Club: Within 36 hours
• Asia Miles: Within 48 hours

Other card perks

S$200 annual Lifestyle Credit

Participating Merchants

Principal AMEX Platinum Credit Cardholders enjoy an annual S$200 Lifestyle credit, which is disbursed as 2x half-yearly S$100 credits:

• Valid from 1 January to 30 June: S$100 credit
• Valid from 1 July to 31 December: S$100 credit

Guide: AMEX Platinum Credit Card S$200 annual lifestyle credit

Annual registration and enrolment is required, and can be done here or on the AMEX Experiences app. 

The credit can be used with a minimum spend of S$100 in a single transaction at any participating merchant. For example, a single transaction of S$120 would trigger the credit, but two separate transactions of S$60 would not. Unused credits are not rolled over to the next period, so use it or lose it!

Lifestyle Credits can be spent at any of the following dining and retail outlets.

Remember that Lifestyle Credits are refreshed based on calendar date, which won’t be a perfect overlap with your membership year. So, for example, if your AMEX Platinum Credit Card is approved in April 2025, you’ll get:

• S$100 Lifestyle Credit to spend by 30 June 2025 (issued after registration is complete)
• S$100 Lifestyle Credit to spend by 31 December 2025 (issued on 1 July 2025)
• S$100 Lifestyle Credit to spend by 31 March 2026 (issued on 1 January 2026)

This effectively allows you to use S$300 worth of credits in your first membership year. 

Comoclub C4 membership

Comoclub C4 membership

Both principal and supplementary AMEX Platinum Credit Cardholders are eligible for a complimentary 12-month Comoclub C4 membership. 

This includes year-round discounts at Como shopping and dining outlets, but the real perk are the birthday treats. In your birthday month, you will receive S$130 of vouchers (all of which have no minimum spend):

• S$100 shopping spree at Club21, Kids21 or DSM Singapore
• S$20 dining voucher for Como restaurants
• S$10 voucher for SuperNature and Glow Café

The catch is that Comoclub birthday treats are no longer awarded to members who were fast-tracked after 1 January 2025.  If your fast-track was processed before this date, you’ll continue to receive birthday treats without having to meet any spending requirement, but otherwise the ship has sailed.

Love Dining by Platinum

Hotels

Restaurants

Both principal and supplementary AMEX Platinum Credit Card cardholders enjoy Love Dining benefits, with up to 50% off food (not beverages) at more than 30 restaurants and hotels across Singapore.

The current list of participating restaurants can be found below:

👨‍🍳 Restaurants (26)
Alegria Barossa Steak & Grill Cali Escape Restaurant Harry’s Jia He Grand Chinese Restaurant L’Angelus La Nonna Lawry’s The Prime Rib Les Bouchons Napoleon Food & Wine Bar Oud Restaurant Peach Garden	Quenino by Victor Liong Roia Santi’s Pizza & Produce Sen of Japan Si Chuan Dou Hua at UOB Plaza Spizza Tanoke Tablescape Tapas 24 Verandah @ Rael’s Vineyard at HortPark Wooloomooloo Steakhouse Xin Cuisine Chinese Restaurant
T&Cs
🏨 Hotels (50)
Copthorne King’s Hotel Connections^ Princess Terrace Cafe Tien Court^ Fairmont Singapore Asian Market Cafe Anti:dote Prego The Eight Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel Food Capital Riverside Terrace  SanSara The Lobby Lounge JW Marriott South Beach Akira Back Beach Road Kitchen M Hotel Singapore Cafe 2000 The Buffet Restaurant J Bar Orchard Hotel Singapore Bar Intermezzo Hua Ting Restaurant^ The Orchard Cafe Pan Pacific Orchard Florette* Mosella  Paradox Singapore Merchant Court Blue Potato Crossroads Bar* Ellenborough Market Cafe	Pullman Singapore Hill Street Madison’s MOGA Resorts World Sentosa CHIFA! Soi Social Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Crossroads Cafe Crossroads Buffet Lobby Lounge Wan Hao Sofitel City Centre 1864 Racines St Regis Singapore Astor Bar Brasserie Les Saveurs The Drawing Room Yan Ting Swissotel The Stamford SKAI Bar* SKAI Restaurant The Stamford Brasserie CLOVE The Capitol Kempinski 15 Stamford Lobby Lounge The Bar at 15 Stamford  The Fullerton Singapore Town Restaurant The Robertson House Entrepot W Singapore Kitchen Table SKIRT WooBar
T&Cs
*No Love Dining @ Hotels savings available; cardholders instead enjoy 20% off total bill ^No Love Dining @ Hotels savings available; cardholders instead enjoy 35% off total bill

Each diner must order at least one qualifying food item (usually a main course) to enjoy the discount. Blackout dates apply, namely public holidays and eve of public holidays, plus special occasions like Valentine’s Day. 

What I 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)- appetisers, mains, desserts. No more feeling compelled to order a more expensive item because your partner did, and at more upscale restaurants, the savings can easily add up to S$100+ per visit. 

For more on the Love Dining programme, refer to my detailed guide below.

Guide: American Express Love Dining programme

Chillax

Chillax

AMEX Platinum Credit Card cardholders enjoy 1-for-1 drinks and special offers with Chillax at participating bars:

🍸 Participating Bars
Bar Intermezzo Botanico Chandu Chuan @ The Sixtieth Lady Wu Lantern The Auld Alliance The Bar at 15 Stamford	The Landing Point The Riverhouse The World is Flat Tipsy Flamingo Tipsy Unicorn Wildseed Bar Wallich Manor

Platinum Regional Golf Programme

AMEX Platinum Credit Card members enjoy complimentary green fees at more than 40 golf clubs in Singapore, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

• Weekday visits require one paying guest (total two players) to enjoy complimentary green fees
• Weekend visits require two paying guests (total three players) to enjoy complimentary green fees

Participating clubs in Singapore include Orchid Country Club, Sembawang Country Club, and Warren Golf & Country Club. A complete list can be found here.

Return guarantee benefit and purchase protection

Items purchased with the AMEX Platinum Credit Card are eligible for complimentary return guarantee benefit and purchase protection.

• Return guarantee: If an eligible item cannot be returned within 90 days of purchase, the insurer will take the item off the cardholder’s hands for a maximum of S$800
• Purchase protection: If an eligible item is stolen or damaged within 90 days of purchase, the insurer will replace or repair it for up to S$10,000

The full T&Cs of this policy can be found here.

Summary Review: AMEX Platinum Credit Card

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🦁 MileLion Verdict

☑ Take It ☐ Take It Or Leave It ☐ Leave It

The AMEX Platinum Credit Card has a value proposition that’s hard to beat.

The welcome gift alone already offsets 75% of the first year’s annual fee, and with the S$200 Lifestyle credit, you’re already coming out ahead. The Love Dining and Chillax benefits are just the icing on the cake, and can easily save you hundreds of dollars a year.

In fact, with the AMEX Platinum Charge cutting benefits left and right, I’m already planning to downgrade to the AMEX Platinum Credit Card later this year. This allows me to keep enjoying Love Dining and Chillax benefits, while saving significantly on annual fees.

The main weakness of this card are its mediocre earn rates (outside of 10Xcelerator merchants), but no one’s forcing you to use it for day-to-day spending!

So that’s my review of the AMEX Platinum Credit Card. What do you think?