Amex’s Platinum Refresh

Better than ever—but still not for everyone

September 21, 2025

The summer of the premium card continues. On Thursday, Amex refreshed its Platinum Card, raising the annual fee to $895 but adding a pile of new credits:

  • $300 digital entertainment (Disney, YouTube, NYT, WSJ, etc.)

  • $400 at Resy restaurants

  • $200 Uber Cash

  • $200 airline incidental

  • $300 Lululemon

  • $600 hotels via Amex Travel

The card still has perks like lounge access (Centurion, Delta, Priority Pass), hotel elite status, Clear+, and has added even more. And the new credits are easier to use than the old ones—the combination of added value and easier redemption has me valuing the credits at $1000+, more than enough to cover even that outrageous fee.

For more, check out the extended blog post today, and our deeper dive when it hits the blog on Wednesday.

Lazy take: The value is there if you can use the credits, but the card still isn’t a great earner—it’s best for flights and perks. There’s no special welcome offer tied to the refresh, so there’s probably no rush to add this to your wallet. If you do apply, though, grabbing it soon could net an extra $175 in quarterly credits that expire after Sept 30.

This Week in the Blog 📝

After Chase’s big premium card refresh, we asked: is now the time to cancel your Sapphire Reserve? I wouldn’t, but getting lapped by the Amex Platinum isn’t going to help the case to stick with the Reserve.  

Quick Points of the Week ⚡

Special offers ✨ 

Get $75 back on a fancy dinner with the Sapphire Preferred. Link your card to The Infatuation to get a $75 statement credit after spending $150 at a qualifying restaurant in 11 major cities. (MilesTalk)

New products/features 🆕 

Amex improving the lounge access experience. Amex is launching a new travel app that will eventually offer the ability to see estimated wait times and join the waitlist for the Centurion Lounge. (TPG)

Extra points 🪙 

Southwest offering points on a debit card. But you’ll probably be better off with a cashback debit like Discover’s. (VFTW)

More value 📈

Chase Sapphire Reserve getting better. In 2026, the credits toward The Edit won’t be restricted to certain periods of the year, while Chase is adding a $250 credit towards certain hotel brands, including IHG. (AwardWallet)

Extra points 🪙

Earn 6,000 Virgin points by linking accounts. You may be targeted to earn points if you have a Virgin Atlantic Account but not a Virgin Red account. I did this last time, and the points–which never expire–are still sitting there in my account. (FrequentMiler) 

Giveaways 🎟️ 

Starlux is doing… something. You can win a trip to Taiwan. I think I entered. I’m not totally sure. But it was still interesting. 

Fun 👻

Why not both? Delta asked Skymiles Members which of three European islands should be their next destination. Sardinia was the winner… but Delta is going ahead and adding Malta too. (TPG)

Sign-up bonus of the Week 🎯

The Mesa Homeowner’s Card is back again with a 50,000-point welcome offer, albeit with an extreme spending requirement: $12,000 in the first three months. If you can hit that target, though, you’ll receive a best-ever welcome offer worth at least $500+, and get a powerful no-fee credit card with bonuses on all sorts of unique spending categories like mortgage payments, taxes, and daycare. To get this offer, you’ll need to apply by September 30. 

Other great current bonuses

100k + 25k companion certificate on the Alaska Atmos Summit (our take: 🔥🔥🔥🔥)

125k on the Chase Sapphire Reserve (our take: 🔥🔥🔥)

100k on the Citi Strata Elite (in-branch) (our take: 🔥🔥🔥)

165k on the IHG Premier (our take: 🔥🔥)

80-125k on Delta credit cards (our take: 🔥🔥)

75k miles on the Chase Sapphire Preferred (our hot take: 🔥)

100k Avios on Chase cards (our take: 🔥)

Enjoy the weekend! 🦥

See you in the Centurion lounge? (If we can get in)

Some links in this newsletter are referral links—if you use them, I may receive a bonus or commission. I only include them when I believe they’re the best current offer and a genuinely good deal. Still, always double-check for the best offer and consider a card’s history. Thanks for supporting LazyPoints 🦥.