American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card
The American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card is a premium credit card in India, offering great benefits. You get welcome rewards and milestone rewards in the form of Membership Rewards Points. These points can be redeemed for travel-related expenses like flights, hotels, and car bookings on the Amex Travel Online portal. You can also use them for shopping vouchers and e-vouchers. You earn 1 Membership Rewards Point for every ₹50 you spend, but not for certain types of purchases.
This card is a great choice for frequent travelers because it offers benefits like Taj vouchers, free airport lounge access, and a Priority Pass membership. If you apply through RatingOK, you’ll also earn 4,000 Referral Bonus Membership Rewards points!
While the annual fee is ₹5,000 + GST (total ₹5,900), which is a bit high, it’s a good option for those who travel often, whether for business or leisure. Besides travel benefits, it also offers shopping perks, making it a suitable card for people who love shopping online.
Rewards and Benefits
Fees & Charges
What should you consider before applying for a credit card in India?
Before applying for a credit card in India, consider the following factors:
- Eligibility Criteria: Check the age, income, credit score, and employment status requirements set by the bank or financial institution.
- Credit Score: A higher credit score increases your chances of approval and may result in better offers. Ensure your credit score is in good standing.
- Interest Rates and Fees: Compare annual percentage rates (APR), processing fees, late payment penalties, and foreign transaction fees. These can vary significantly between cards.
- Rewards and Benefits: Look for cards that offer rewards, cashback, discounts, or other perks that align with your spending habits.
- Credit Limit: Make sure the credit limit offered is in line with your financial needs. Avoid over-borrowing, which can lead to high-interest charges.
- Repayment Terms: Understand the repayment options, minimum payment amount, and due dates. Consider how easily you can manage timely payments to avoid interest accumulation.
- Card Type and Features: Choose a card type (e.g., standard, premium, travel, etc.) based on your requirements. Some cards offer more benefits for specific categories like travel, shopping, or dining.
- Bank’s Reputation: Opt for a bank with a good track record of customer service and transparency. Read reviews and consider their customer support accessibility.
- Hidden Charges: Be aware of any hidden fees, such as annual fees, balance transfer charges, and cash withdrawal fees.
- Credit Utilization: Ensure you can manage your spending within the credit limit to maintain a healthy credit utilization ratio, which impacts your credit score.
- Long-Term Financial Plans: Think about how the credit card will fit into your long-term financial goals and avoid accumulating unnecessary debt.
American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card – Features, Benefits, Fees and Review
The American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card is one of the most popular premium cards in India, designed mainly for people who travel often within the country. It gives a mix of rewards, hotel vouchers, lounge access, dining discounts, and shopping benefits. If you are someone who spends regularly on travel and lifestyle, this card can give you good value back. Let’s go through its features, charges, pros, cons, and eligibility in detail.
Welcome Benefits
When you join, you get 10,000 Membership Rewards Points as a welcome gift. To unlock this benefit, you need to spend at least ₹15,000 within the first 90 days of card approval. The points can be used for shopping vouchers from Flipkart, for purchases from the American Express rewards store, or even for paying your card bill through the Cash + Points option.
Milestone Benefits
The Platinum Travel Credit Card is famous for its milestone rewards.
- Spend ₹1.9 lakh in a year and get 15,000 Membership Rewards Points worth up to ₹7,500.
- Spend ₹4 lakh in a year and get 25,000 Membership Rewards Points (worth up to ₹12,500) plus a ₹10,000 Taj Stay Voucher.
The Taj voucher can be used at Taj, Vivanta, and SeleQtions hotels. These benefits make the card very useful for frequent domestic travelers.
Travel Benefits
Being a travel card, it comes with several perks:
- 8 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits every year (2 visits per quarter).
- Complimentary Priority Pass membership (worth USD 99). However, each international lounge visit under this program is chargeable at USD 35.
- Membership Rewards Points can be redeemed for flights, hotel bookings, and car rentals through the American Express Travel Online portal.
Dining and Lifestyle Benefits
Apart from travel, this card also gives good discounts on dining.
- Enjoy up to 20% off on bills at partner restaurants across India.
- American Express also comes up with limited-time offers on popular food delivery platforms such as Swiggy and Qmin.
Fuel Surcharge Waiver
If you use the card at HPCL fuel stations, you do not have to pay any fuel surcharge for transactions up to ₹5,000. For fuel payments above ₹5,000, a 1% surcharge is applicable.
Rewards on Spending
You get 1 Membership Rewards Point for every ₹50 you spend. However, no points are earned on categories like fuel, insurance, utilities, EMI transactions, or cash withdrawals.
Redemption Options include:
- Shopping vouchers on Flipkart and other partners.
- INSTA purchases at offline partner stores.
- Bill payment using Cash + Points.
- Transfer points to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs like Club Vistara, Emirates Skywards, Etihad Guest, Singapore KrisFlyer, Virgin Points, Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, and more.
Fees and Charges
- Annual Fee: ₹5,000 + GST (₹5,900 in total).
- Interest Rate: 3.5% per month if you do not clear your card dues on time.
- Foreign Currency Markup: 3.5% of the transaction amount.
Advantages of AmEx Platinum Travel Credit Card
- Great milestone benefits – Up to 40,000 points in a year plus Taj vouchers worth ₹10,000.
- Domestic lounge access – 8 visits annually across Indian airports.
- Dining discounts – Up to 20% off at select restaurants.
- Flexible redemption – Use points for shopping, travel, vouchers, or transfer to hotel and airline partners.
Drawbacks of AmEx Platinum Travel Credit Card
- Limited reward rate – Regular spends give a maximum of 1% value unless you hit the annual spend milestones.
- No complimentary international lounge visits – Only membership is free; visits are chargeable.
- No travel insurance benefits – Unlike other premium travel cards, it does not offer insurance for air accidents, baggage loss, or trip delays.
- High foreign exchange fee – 3.5% markup on international transactions.
Who Should Apply?
This card is ideal for:
- Frequent domestic travelers who can benefit from free lounge visits and Taj hotel vouchers.
- People who spend more than ₹4 lakh annually and can unlock maximum milestone rewards.
- Those who want lifestyle benefits like dining offers and flexible reward redemption.
You should consider other cards if:
- You travel internationally often and need free international lounge access.
- You prefer higher direct cashback or a better flat reward rate.
- You want a card with lower foreign currency markup.
Comparison with Similar Cards
Compared to the Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank Credit Card, the AmEx Platinum Travel Card focuses more on milestone-based rewards and Taj hotel vouchers. The Marriott card, on the other hand, offers higher reward points for hotel stays and complimentary international lounge access with insurance benefits.
- Applicant must be an Indian resident.
- Minimum age: 18 years.
- Minimum annual income: ₹6 lakh (salaried or self-employed).
- For self-employed, the business must be running for at least 12 months.
How to Apply
You can easily complete the application online with a quick and hassle-free process.
- Visit the American Express website and click on Apply Now.
- Fill in personal and financial details.
- Upload necessary documents like PAN, ID proof, and income proof.
- Once verified, your card will be delivered within 15 working days.
American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card Review
The American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card is a good option for those who travel frequently within India and can achieve the annual spending milestones. The Taj vouchers and Membership Rewards Points offer excellent value if used wisely. However, the lack of free international lounge access and insurance cover may not make it the best choice for international travelers.
If your focus is domestic travel, lifestyle perks, and premium brand experience, this card can be worth the annual fee. But if you travel abroad often, you may want to look at alternatives that provide better international benefits.
What travel benefits do I get with the Amex Platinum Travel Card?
The card gives you a free Priority Pass membership, which lets you visit airport lounges. You get eight free visits to lounges at ten airports in India each year.
What dining benefits do I get with the American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card?
You can get up to 20% discounts at select restaurants when you use your Amex Platinum Travel Credit Card.
What's the customer care number for the Amex Platinum Travel Card?
If you have questions or issues with your card, you can call 1800 419 2122 or 0124-2801122.
What lifestyle benefits do I get with the American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card?
This card offers many lifestyle privileges, including discounts on dining and a Taj Experiences E-Gift Card worth ₹10,000, which can be used at Taj, SeleQtions, and Vivanta Hotels.
Does this card support contactless payment?
Yes, if your purchase is under ₹5000, you don’t need to enter a PIN.
What is Priority Pass Membership that comes with the American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card?
Priority Pass lets you use airport lounges at international airports. With this card, you get free membership to Priority Pass and no annual fee of $99. However, you’ll need to pay $32 every time you visit a lounge.
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