There’s a way better American Express credit card than the ultra-pricey Gold or Platinum offerings.
If you didn’t know any better, you’d think most travel influencers were trying to push engagement rings or precious metal investments. But no, they’re highlighting the perks of American Express Gold and Platinum cards, while likely hoping you’ll sign up for either so they can nab the reward points commissions.
Both are fine travel cards and come with several perks. However, they also come with massive annual fees that, unless you’re a regular international traveler, might not make the cards worth such monetary investments.
Do the Perks Outweigh the Fees?
Amex Gold comes with a $325 yearly fee, while Platinum has been hit with a new “refresh” that pushes the cost to just under a grand. Once upon a time, Gold and Platinum cards were exclusive to high rollers and corporate executives. Now, American Express sells the cards out faster than a marijuana dealer at a Grateful Dead concert. These are big money-makers for American Express, which means annual fees will only continue to rise.
But what about points? Platinum is surprisingly blah, as you earn 5X miles when booking travel directly through the American Express Travel portal, while all other purchases net a single point per dollar spent. Gold performs slightly better, with 3X points through the travel portal and 4X through worldwide restaurants and U.S. supermarkets. Everything else is one point per dollar.
Continue Reading Article After Our Video
Recommended Fodor’s Video
Most travel influencers will stop right there, as if those are the best point-earning cards from American Express. The funny thing is, neither card can touch the Green Card, which is the best point-earning card in the Amex portfolio. Why don’t travel influencers tell you about the card? Maybe they don’t know, or maybe they don’t like the minimal commission bonus. Whatever the reason, with the American Express Green Card, you can receive 13X points (or more) on travel purchases.
Why the Amex Green Card Is a Better Option
The Green Card earns 3X points on all travel, transit, and restaurant purchases worldwide and 1X points everywhere else (with a $150 annual fee). Now, this doesn’t sound all that great out of the gate, but let’s break it down first. To start, unlike Gold and Platinum, you don’t have to purchase through the Amex travel portal or through airline websites. This means you get 3X points when buying your subway transit ticket, 3X when buying your Euro Rail pass, or 3X when paying to enter a national park. You even get 3X points when booking through Airbnb or TripAdvisor. It’s the ability to book through third-party travel sites that gives you the power to really generate some Amex points.
To cash in, you’ll want to create a free Rakuten account. This is a shopping portal that gives cash back when you start on the Rakuten website (basically, Rakuten receives a commission for sending you to the shopping sites, which it then shares with you). While there is a cash-back option, you can change it to receive Amex points instead (you will need to have an Amex card prior to doing this). Once you have this free account set up, you’ll want to create a free account on a travel booking website, such as Expedia.
The number of points you receive from making an Expedia purchase through Rakuten will change throughout the month. However, hotel and activity purchases usually increase to 10X points about once a week. At this time, if you book a hotel stay or activity (such as a tour of a museum or cooking class), you’ll receive 10X points through Rakuten, which is on top of the 3X points American Express will give you for making a travel purchase. That’s all you have to do. It is important to note that third-party platforms like Expedia and Priceline won’t give you these bonuses for airline travel, so you’re better off buying directly through the airline. At the time of writing, United Airlines gives 2X points, which nets you 5X with the Green Card. That’s on par with Platinum and two more points than Gold.
What’s really great is that if you make a purchase with Expedia, you can earn Expedia rewards on top of your 13X Amex points. This will give you added cash back on future Expedia purchases. If you travel enough, you’ll receive Expedia “Platinum Benefits,” which are pretty much on par with the American Express Platinum Card’s Fine Hotels & Resorts benefits (such as complimentary room upgrades, early/late checkouts, and added hotel discounts).
Other websites, like TripAdvisor, will occasionally boost rewards to upwards of 15X points, which will give you 18X total, though this isn’t as frequently done, so it’s not always possible to time out your TripAdvisor purchases (at the time of writing, TripAdvisor is offering 8X points, which is still great, because it gives you a combined 11X points, while both Gold and Platinum cards would give you a single point per dollar).
Now, it can take time for certain travel purchases to be credited to your account. While some websites like TripAdvisor will credit your points to Rakuten nearly immediately, other sites, like Expedia, will wait until three months after your travel has been completed. Coupled with Rakuten transferring the points to your American Express account quarterly, and it can take anywhere from three to six months to receive your point benefits.
Still, if you’re looking for ways to begin pocketing massive amounts of travel points without the bloated annual fees, you may want to sidestep Gold and Platinum in favor of the American Express Green Card.
