American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card Review

American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card is arguably one of the best travel credit cards as it provides a range of appealing privileges for travellers. Geared toward purchasers attracted by luxury, the card is famous for having outstanding travel benefits including a complimentary membership in Priority Pass for over 1,000 airport lounges and six complimentary Taj hotel stay vouchers.

While targeting improving the travel experience, the American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card also offers dining privileges, fuel surcharge rebates, as well as flexible points redemption, which makes it suitable for individuals who travel locally more often.     

American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card: Features and Benefits

1. Milestone Benefits:

The card offers substantial rewards for hitting spending milestones:

• Spend ₹1.9 lakh in a year to earn 15,000 Membership Rewards Points, worth up to ₹4,500 (redeemable for Flipkart vouchers or used on AmEx Travel Online).
• Spend ₹4 lakh in a year to earn 25,000 Membership Rewards Points, worth up to ₹7,500, along with an additional Taj Stay Voucher worth ₹10,000, usable at Taj, SeleQtions, and Vivanta hotels.

2. Travel Benefits:

• Domestic Lounge Access: You get 8 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits annually, with 2 visits per quarter.
• Priority Pass Membership: Complimentary membership with an annual fee waiver (USD 99); however, each visit incurs a usage fee of USD 35. This benefit provides access to international lounges.
• Taj Stay Voucher: Spending ₹4 lakh annually qualifies you for a Taj Stay voucher worth ₹10,000.

3. Movie and Dining Benefits:

• Enjoy up to a 20% discount at select partner restaurants when you pay using your Platinum Travel Card.
• Additionally, AmEx frequently offers discounts and cashback on food delivery platforms like Swiggy.

4. Rewards Program:

• You earn 1 Membership Reward Point for every ₹50 spent, except for certain categories like fuel, insurance, utilities, cash transactions, and EMI conversions.
• Membership Rewards Points can be redeemed for shopping vouchers, travel bookings, or transferred to airline and hotel loyalty programs.

5. Fuel Surcharge Waiver:

• Fuel transactions at HPCL fuel stations are exempt from surcharges for amounts up to ₹5,000.
• A 1% surcharge is applicable for transactions exceeding ₹5,000.

How To Earn and Redeem American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card Reward Points

How To Earn Reward Points:

1. Regular Spending:
   • For every ₹50 spent on the card, you earn 1 Membership Reward Point.
   • Certain categories, like fuel, insurance, utilities, cash transactions, and EMI conversions, do not earn rewards.
2. Milestone Spending:
   • Spend ₹1.9 lakh in a year to earn 15,000 Membership Rewards Points.
   • Spend ₹4 lakh in a year to earn 25,000 Membership Rewards Points and a Taj Stay Voucher worth ₹10,000.
3. Dining and Travel Offers:
   • Earn extra rewards and discounts when spending at select partner restaurants and booking through the Amex Travel Online portal.

How To Redeem Reward Points:

1. Shopping Vouchers:
   • Redeem your points for vouchers from popular e-commerce websites like Flipkart, available through the American Express online rewards portal.
2. Travel Redemption:
   • Use points to book flights, hotels, and car rentals through the AmEx Travel Online platform, where you can pay with points directly.
3. INSTA Rewards:
   • Redeem your points instantly for purchases at partner offline stores through the INSTA Rewards program.
4. Cash + Points:
   • Use your points to pay off a portion of your credit card bill through the Cash + Points scheme, reducing your outstanding balance.
5. Transfer to Airline and Hotel Loyalty Programs:
   • Transfer your points to a variety of airline and hotel loyalty programs such as Club Vistara, British Airways Executive Club, Marriott Bonvoy, and Hilton Honors, allowing you to convert points into air miles or hotel stays.

American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card Fees and Charges

1. Interest Rate: If you do not pay your credit card bill on time, an interest rate of 3.5% per month (or 42% annually) is charged on the outstanding balance.

2. Foreign Currency Markup Fee: A markup fee of 3.5% is charged on all international transactions made in foreign currency.

3. Cash Withdrawal Fee: For cash withdrawals at ATMs, a 3.5% fee of the amount withdrawn or ₹250 (whichever is higher) is applicable.

4. Late Payment Fee: Late payment charges range from ₹300 to ₹1,000, depending on the total due amount.

5. Over Limit Fee: A fee of ₹500 is charged if you exceed your credit limit.

6. Priority Pass Lounge Visit Fee:

• Complimentary membership with a waiver of the annual fee (USD 99).
• Usage fee of USD 35 per visit for international lounges.

American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card: Product Details

1. Earn 1 Membership Reward Point for every ₹50 spent on eligible purchases.
2. Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards Points on spending ₹1.9 lakh annually, and 25,000 points plus a ₹10,000 Taj Stay Voucher on spending ₹4 lakh.
3. Enjoy 8 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits per year (2 per quarter).
4. Complimentary membership with a waived annual fee (USD 99), but lounge visits cost USD 35 per visit.
5. Up to 20% off at select partner restaurants.

American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card Eligibility Criteria

Criteria	Details
Residency	Applicants must be residents of India.
Age	The applicant should be at least 18 years old.
Income Requirements	➡ Salaried Individuals: Minimum annual income of ₹6 lakh or more. ➡ Self-Employed Individuals: Annual income of at least ₹6 lakh, and the business must be operational for at least 12 months.

Documents Required for American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card

Identity Proof	Address Proof
PAN Card	Aadhaar Card
Aadhaar Card	Passport
Passport	Utility Bills (electricity, water, gas)
Voter ID	Rent Agreement

1. Income Proof:
   • Salaried Individuals: Salary slips for the last 3 months or Form 16.
   • Self-Employed Individuals: Income Tax Return (ITR) for the last 2 years or audited financial statements.
2. Passport-size Photographs: Recent photographs as per requirement.

How to Activate the American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card:

1. Online Activation:
   • Visit the official American Express website.
   • Log in or register using your card details.
   • Navigate to the “Card Activation” section and follow the prompts to activate your card.
2. Mobile App:
   • Download the American Express mobile app.
   • Log in or register your account.
   • Go to “Activate Card” and enter the required card details to complete the activation.
3. Phone Activation:
   • Call the American Express customer service number (provided on the card package).
   • Follow the voice prompts or speak with a representative to activate your card.

FAQs: