If you’re making money, you’re likely also spending money. So why not earn money while you spend? A lot you will say “I already have my 2% cashback card” or my “Mariott Bonvoy Card”. But why limit yourself to just 2% or Mariott Bonvoy?

The American Express Platinum card is truly my favorite card to date, and the rewards and benefits list continue to grow as I explore it. There is an accelerated earn rate with points, but thats not even the feature that won me over.

There’s a massive list of benefits, but I’ll sum up a few key features before I lose you to the extensive list of benefits.

• Free status upgrade to Hilton/MariottBonVoy/Starwood/Avis/Hertz to a gold/presidential tiers that gives you signficant benefits, like free room upgrades, late check-out at 2pm, upgraded wireless, to name a few. These status levels typically require 50 stays to achieve – you get it free with the card.
• Free transfer of points 1:1 to major loyalty programs like Aeroplan, Delta, MariottBonvoy, Hilton – you basically have a loyalty card that has a more generous point accumulation plan for every one of these loyalty programs. There’s a deal with Air Canada? Transfer to Aeroplan! Deal with MariottBonvoy? Transfer there! Don’t use any of them? Apply the points directly to a single purchase as a statement credit. In addition, every year there is a bonus points transfer window – as high as 20-30% bonus from Amex to other programs
• Free Lounges for you and a plus one. If you ever travel during these crazy times (especially with kids), having a lounge with shower, comfy couches, food, drinks, and wifi makes the experience so much more pleasant. Delays are not a problem at all.
• AMEX App Benefits – The app is fairly addictive. You can check in daily to see new deals that you can register to your card. Once registered, they automatically apply credits if conditions are met. For example
  • I’ve already registered multiple pop-up deals on the app where
  • I had a free 250 dining credit in the area I live in. I spent 265 dollars on a fancy meal and AMEX credited me 250 on the statement.
  • I had 250 dollars grocery credit – I bought 3 times for about 100 dollars and each time it credited my account for 100, up until 250 was reached.
  • I’ve had support small business credits where I received 5 dollars anytime I shopped local or small.
  • I received a 400 credit for traveling locally (hotel, transportation).
  • I’ve received over $1500 in these statement credits, and I haven’t even used a single point yet.
• Line bypass at the Airport! Who likes waiting in line. I’m too old for that.
• The card has a lot of fun promotions, including one year had triple points accumulation and double points redemption at the same time. You were effectively buying everything at almost 20%+ off if you were using the card the in simplest way.
• The Generous Sign-Up bonus of 65,000 points basically pays for the fairly expensive $695 Annual Fee – but sign up with my referral to get an extra 20K points! At 85,000 points, it more than pays for the annual fee. Effectively free to try, but it’ll be hard to leave once you start experiencing the benefits and begin earning.

Here is a list of all the benefits of the American Express Platinum card, including any differences between the benefits offered to cardholders in Canada and the United States:

1. Travel benefits:

• Cardholders can get access to a range of travel benefits, including access to more than 1,200 airport lounges worldwide through the Priority Pass program, a $200 annual credit for airline fees, and access to the Fine Hotels & Resorts program, which offers exclusive perks at luxury hotels.
• In Canada, cardholders also have access to the Plaza Premium Lounge program, which offers access to more than 45 lounges in airports around the world.

2. Rewards:

• Cardholders can earn points on their purchases, which can be redeemed for a variety of rewards, including travel, merchandise, and gift cards.
• In Canada, cardholders can also earn reward points through the Membership Rewards program, which allows points to be redeemed for a range of merchandise, gift cards, and travel.

3. Concierge service:

• The card comes with a 24/7 concierge service, which can help cardholders with tasks such as making travel arrangements or booking restaurant reservations.
• This benefit is available to both Canadian and American cardholders.

4. Purchase protection:

• The card offers purchase protection, which can cover eligible items in the event they are damaged or stolen within 90 days of purchase.
• This benefit is available to both Canadian and American cardholders.

5. Extended warranty:

• The card also offers an extended warranty on eligible items, which can add an additional year to the manufacturer’s warranty.
• This benefit is available to both Canadian and American cardholders.

6. Global Entry or TSA Precheck fee credit:

• Cardholders in the United States can receive a credit of up to $100 every four years for the application fee for either Global Entry or TSA Precheck. Global Entry is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection program that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States, while TSA Precheck is a Transportation Security Administration program that allows expedited security screening at participating airports.
• This benefit is not available to Canadian cardholders but there is the equivalent credit for NEXUS registration.

7. Credit for rides with Uber:

• Cardholders in the United States can receive up to $200 in Uber credits every year, which can be used for rides in the United States. The credit is divided into monthly increments of $15, with an additional bonus of $20 in December.
• This benefit is not available to Canadian cardholders.

8. Saks Fifth Avenue credit:

• Cardholders in the United States can receive a credit of up to $100 every year to use at Saks Fifth Avenue stores and on saks.com. The credit is divided into two $50 credits, one of which is issued in January and the other in June.
• This benefit is not available to Canadian cardholders.

9. Hilton Honors Gold status:

• Cardholders are automatically enrolled in Hilton Honors Gold status, which offers a range of benefits at Hilton hotels, including room upgrades, late checkout, and bonus points on stays.
• This benefit is available to both Canadian and American cardholders.

10. Starwood Preferred Guest Gold status:

• Cardholders are also automatically enrolled in Starwood Preferred Guest Gold status, which offers a range of benefits at Starwood hotels, including room upgrades, late checkout, and bonus points on stays.
• This benefit is available to both Canadian and American cardholders.

11. Access to exclusive events:

• Cardholders may have access to exclusive events, such as concerts, sporting events, and culinary experiences, through the American Express Invites program.

• This benefit is available to both Canadian and American cardholders.

12. Premium roadside assistance:

• Cardholders can access a range of services through the Premium Roadside Assistance program, including towing, jump starts, tire changes, and fuel delivery.
• This benefit is available to both Canadian and American cardholders.

13. Travel insurance:

• The card offers a range of travel insurance coverage, including trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage insurance, and travel accident insurance.
• This benefit is available to both Canadian and American cardholders.

14. Premium car rental protection:

• The card offers premium car rental protection, which can provide coverage for damage or theft of a rental car.
• This benefit is available to both Canadian and American cardholders.

15. Amex Offers:

• Cardholders can access a range of discounts and special offers through the Amex Offers program.
• This benefit is available to both Canadian and American cardholders.

16. Fraud protection:

• The card offers fraud protection to help protect cardholders against unauthorized charges.
• This benefit is available to both Canadian and American cardholders.

17. No foreign transaction fees:

• The card does not charge foreign transaction fees on purchases made outside of the cardholder’s country of residence.
• This benefit is available to both Canadian and American cardholders.