Chris was a reporter at The Points Guy, where he covered the intersection of credit card rewards and travel. At TPG, he wrote a broad array of stories ranging from in-depth features and reports to trending travel news as it related to loyalty, card benefits and consumer behavior.
January 17, 2025 • 7 min read
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Quick summary
A premium travel card offers a suite of non-travel benefits, including annual statement credits for fitness memberships, digital entertainment services and a monthly rideshare and food delivery credit.
Cardholders can receive a monthly credit toward a major retailer's membership, which includes free shipping and streaming service access, plus discounts on fuel at select stations.
Concierge services are available to assist with restaurant reservations, event bookings and curated dining experiences, along with exclusive access to sought-after culinary events.
Comprehensive shopping protections are included, such as purchase protection, return protection and extended warranty coverage for eligible purchases.
What to consider
Enrollment is required for most credits and benefits, and some memberships or services may be subject to auto-renewal.
Purchase and return protections have per-incident and annual limits, and eligibility varies by card.
Certain streaming and membership credits require separate registration and may exclude premium tiers.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed breakdown of how each non-travel benefit works, including eligibility, enrollment steps and tips for maximizing value.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
is a TPG favorite. We love the travel perks we get with it — like comprehensive airport lounge access, hotel and airline fee credits and travel protections.
But for all the reasons it makes travel easier, the Amex Platinum is far more than just a travel card. Cardmembers can receive a lot of value from its statement credits — many of which aren't travel-related — and enjoy a wide range of shopping protections that can help justify the card's $895 annual fee (see rates and fees), even for infrequent travelers.
Let’s take a look at some of the non-travel benefits that continue to make this card worthwhile to keep in your wallet.
$300 Equinox Credit
Equinox is an upscale chain of gyms in the U.S., Canada and London. When you charge the fees on your Amex Platinum Card, you’ll receive up to $300 back via a statement credit annually on select Equinox memberships or a digital subscription to Equinox+ (the on-demand fitness app).
MELANIE LIEBERMAN/THE POINTS GUY
Enrollment is required; subject to auto-renewal. If you don’t live in a city with an Equinox gym, you’ll get the biggest bang for your buck when you use the credit for a digital subscription to Equinox+, regularly $39.99 per month.
The Amex Platinum offers a monthly up to $25 statement credit for select digital entertainment services. These services include Peacock, Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ — or a Disney+ Bundle (which includes up to all three services), Paramount+, YouTube Premium, YouTube TV, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. If you already use any of these, this is a good benefit to have. Enrollment required; terms apply.
Amex Platinum cardmembers get $15 in Uber statement credits each month, plus an extra $20 in December. The Amex Platinum must be added to the Uber account and you can redeem with any Amex card.
UBER
And that credit doesn’t just work for rides — it also works for food delivery and pickup through Uber Eats (for services in the U.S. only). Enrollment required; terms apply.
Plus, the card provides up to a $120 statement credit for an Uber One membership, which fully covers an auto-renewing $96 annual or $9.99 monthly membership (enrollment required).
Short on time? Don’t feel like researching things such as restaurant reservations and other mundane tasks? Let the Amex Platinum Concierge help. Your card gets you access to a special phone service to assist you in booking top restaurants and events, as well as finding a perfect dinner spot or even delivering items on demand and other tasks.
Restaurants owned by Chef Jose Andres are among those included in the Global Dining Access program. JOHN PARA/GETTY IMAGES
Amex also has the Global Dining Access program powered by Resy, and cardmembers receive special access to some of the world’s most sought-after restaurants. You can also book high-profile chef dinners, curated culinary experiences, virtual cooking classes and pre-sales of Resy events.
Walmart+ provides free shipping on hundreds of thousands of items from Walmart with no minimum spending required. (Grocery deliveries require a $35 order minimum.) Each month you pay for a Walmart+ membership with the Amex Platinum, you will receive a statement credit for $12.95 plus applicable taxes on one membership fee (subject to auto-renewal).
JAKUB PORZYCKI/NURPHOTO/GETTY IMAGES
You also get 10 cents off each gallon of gas at select gas stations, including Exxon, Mobil and Murphy's. Additionally, streamers can rejoice, as a Walmart+ membership includes a complimentary Paramount+ or Peacock membership. Enrollment is required, and Plus Up memberships are excluded from the credit; Paramount+ or Peacock requires separate registration.
Many credit cards offer purchase protection and extended warranty, and they’re worth highlighting during tough economic times for the reassurance they offer cardmembers.
ASCENTXMEDIA/GETTY IMAGES
With the Amex Platinum Card, you'll get purchase protection* that covers purchases of up to $10,000 per incident against damage, loss or theft. A limit of $50,000 in total claims per card applies. Purchase protection benefits are limited to 90 days from the date of purchase. This is a fantastic benefit to have in case of loss, theft or accidental damage. Terms apply.
The Amex Platinum also offers 90 days of return protection**. If a retailer does not accept a return, Amex will refund the entire purchase price up to $300 per item, excluding shipping and handling fees. This particular benefit is limited to $1,000 per calendar year.
Finally, Amex Platinum’s extended warranty coverage* offers one full year of coverage at $10,000 per item and up to $50,000 per calendar year.
*Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
**Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details.
With an array of credits, Walmart+ membership, and shopping protections, the Amex Platinum card has plenty of non-travel benefits that can easily help offset the hefty annual fee.
If you’re new to the Amex Platinum, you can find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 175,000 bonus points after spending $12,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. Just keep in mind that welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.
Apply here:
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum Card, please click here.
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
