American Express Platinum Card review 2022: Should you pay the $321 annual fee for this card?

Some cards are meant to be used on unsexy but necessary things like grocery shopping and MRT rides, while others are for the finer things in life.

The American Express Platinum Credit Card falls firmly into the latter category.

It is first and foremost a great dining credit card that gives you up to 50 per cent savings at 30+ chic restaurants in Singapore, so you can wine and dine in style without going broke.

That’s not all though – the Amex Platinum Credit Card also has lifestyle benefits like fee-free golf, spa discounts and free drinks at stylish bars.

Are the benefits enough to justify the hefty $321 annual fee? Here’s a look at some of the key highlights of the card.

Amex Platinum Credit Card terms & conditions

Amex Love Dining: Up to 50 per cent off atas restaurants

The American Express Platinum card is famous among foodies because of its extensive dining privileges.

Card members get up to 50 per cent off at top rated restaurants in Singapore under the Amex Love Dining programme. Most of these restaurants are of the atas variety and a few are located in five-star hotels.

Here’s how the discounts work:

In these dystopian times when nobody is allowed to dine in groups of more than two, the card is unintentionally appropriate, since groups of two diners are entitled to the highest discount tier of a cool 50 per cent.

You also get to enjoy discounts at restaurants worldwide under American Express Selects and American Express Global Dining Programme, which is worth checking out if you’re going to take advantage of the travel green lanes.

The programme has now been expanded to include not just discounts at restaurants but also retail shops.

Amex Chillax: Free or one-for-one drinks at posh bars

Dying to soothe those frayed nerves with a nice cocktail after a long day hunched in front of Zoom?

The Chillax programme offers either one-for-one drinks or a free drink with any purchase at some of Singapore’s poshest bars.

Participating bars include Atrium @ Pan Pacific, Monti and Horse’s Mouth. In other words, don’t turn up in your slippers and shorts.

Other benefits of the Amex Platinum Card

You can easily cover the cost of the Amex Platinum Card’s annual fee by pigging out at the swanky restaurants covered above, but guess what?

That’s not all that’s on offer. The card also delivers a selection of golf and wellness benefits.

As a card member, you’ll receive spa vouchers from Adeva Spa, Spa Rael and The Ultimate, and also enjoy 40 per cent off à la carte spa services at these spas.

Golfers can also rejoice, as you can now enjoy complimentary green fees when you play with a paying companion on weekdays or two paying companions on weekends at certain golf clubs.

Just make sure your golfing kakis aren’t all secretly using the Amex Platinum Card as well!

Is the Amex Platinum annual fee worth it?

If you thought this card would help a person with an entry-level income to live the high life, sorry to break it to you but Amex has raised the minimum income for the card to $80,000.

Clearly, the card is accepting affluent cardholders only. Maybe that’s why the annual fee of $321 is so damn high.

Here’s a summary of the perks that can offset that fee when you complete certain actions:

If you’ve got a big purchase of $5,000 coming up, it can be smart to sign up for this card just before so you can get the full welcome bonus.

In addition, if you dine out often at the restaurants in the Love dining programme, you could probably recoup the $321 annual fee with your 50 per cent savings off dining.

For jaded souls who want more than just the usual rebates from your credit card, the Amex Platinum Credit Card certainly brings something new to the table. It’s more like a lifestyle club than a credit card, really.

And unlike other credit cards which impose annoying spending requirements and T&Cs, the American Express Platinum Credit Card is very uncomplicated to use.

Just use it whenever you’re dining at a restaurant or wherever else you can get a big discount or freebie, and the rest of the time you’re free to use your other dining cards as you see fit.

There’s no need to worry about meeting minimum spending requirements, converting rewards points into miles or whatever.

ALSO READ: DBS Live Fresh Card review 2021: Not just another pretty card

This article was first published in MoneySmart.