Skip to content

Tip: Book Airfare Immediately After Getting Approved With Amex Instant Card Number

June 06, 2018
2 min read
Amex Platinum_The Shore Club_Turks and Caicos
Tip: Book Airfare Immediately After Getting Approved With Amex Instant Card Number
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don’t cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.

One lesser-known perk of getting an American Express card is that you're able to start using it as soon as you're approved. While you might not have the card physically in your hand, Amex allows you to jot down the card number so you can start using it — to meet that minimum spend or head to a Centurion Lounge — right away.

Where this benefit can become even more useful is for those looking to maximize their spend. For example, if you see airfare that's impossible to pass up (like this $395 round-trip fare from San Francisco [SFO] to Auckland [AKL]), you can use the card immediately to maximize the purchase.

Note that the Amex Instant Card Number benefit is contingent on the issuer being able to validate your identity instantly — it notes that this perk is not guaranteed to take into account instances where Amex might not be able to verify your identity. If it is able to complete automatic validation for your new card, you'll receive the card number and a temporary CID (card identification number — on Amex cards it's the four-digit number on the front).

The Platinum Card® from American Express is the best credit card out there for booking airfare. With it, you'll earn 5x points on airfare purchases made directly with the airline. So, if approved for the card, not only can you use the card number right away to earn 5x points on the purchase, but you can also start spending to meet the minimum requirement needed to earn the welcome bonus.

As a reminder, the Platinum Card comes with a welcome bonus of 60,000 points after you spend $5,000 in the first three months. In addition to the 5x points earned from airfare booked directly with the carrier, you'll also earn 5x points on prepaid hotels book on amextravel.com. The card also comes with $200 in annual Uber credits, an annual $200 airline fee credit, a fee credit for Global Entry and much more.

Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts
Featured image by (Photo by Ileana Ravasio/Attimi Photography for The Points Guy)