The AmEx Platinum Card is offering a coveted 100,000-point bonus - but it's not for just anyone
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- You may be specially targeted for a 100,000-point welcome bonus on the Platinum Card® from American Express - among the most coveted deals in the travel and credit cards reward world (the bonus is available after spending $5,000 in your first three months).
- The offer isn't available publicly - to see if you're chosen, check CreditCards.com's CardMatch Tool, enter your information, and click "Get Matches" (the offer can change without notice, so now's the best chance to find it).
- 100,000 AmEx points are subjectively worth $2,000, but the card has a ton of other valuable benefits, too.
In the world of travel and credit card rewards, nothing is quite as coveted as the elusive 100,000-point welcome bonus on the AmEx Platinum Card.
The problem is that the bonus is, well, elusive. AmEx only offers it publicly once in a blue moon - and usually only for a day or even a few hours at a time - so the only way that a user can often get the offer is if they're specifically targeted for it.
Even then, it can be tough to pull up a targeted offer, since they often appear inconsistently.
The most reliable way, though, is to check the CardMatch Tool.
CardMatch, a service offered through CreditCards.com, pulls targeted offers from a few different credit card issuers, but is one of the most reliable ways to find highest-known offers on AmEx cards - assuming you're eligible.
The AmEx Platinum offers aren't always available, but reports indicate that over the past few days, the 100,000-point offers have returned to the tool.
For qualifying applicants who haven't held a Platinum Card before, the offer is 100,000 points after spending $5,000 within the first three months - the best offer we've ever seen on this card. The normal offer is 60,000 points for the same spending requirement and timeframe.
There's also an offer for 50,000 points on the American Express® Gold Card after spending $2,000 in the first three months - the usual offer is 35,000 points for the same spending requirement and timeframe, so this is a solid offer.
To use the CardMatch tool, you just need to enter your name, address, date of birth, and the last four digits of your social security number. This does not count as a credit card application, so you won't get a hard inquiry on your credit report - this is only a "soft" inquiry, which won't have any effect on your credit score. If you want one of the personalized offers that pops up, you'll have to fill out an actual application by clicking the "Apply Now" button and redirecting to the issuer's website.
Keep in mind that offers can't be transferred to someone else, and there's never a guarantee that you'll be able to pull up the same offer again if you close the window. If you see the 100,000-point offer, and you're interested in the Platinum Card, you should apply right then.
100,000 AmEx Membership points is subjectively worth $2,000, meaning the welcome bonus alone pays for the Platinum Card's $550 annual fee for more than three years.
However, the Platinum Card's benefits make it worth keeping indefinitely for anyone who travels, as long as you take advantage of it. Up to $200 in annual credits for airline fees, up to $200 each year towards Uber, up to $100 each year towards shopping, airport lounge access, benefits at hotels, complimentary Gold status at Marriott and Hilton, and more, make it one of the most valuable cards available.
Plus, active duty military servicemembers can get the card's annual fee waived - that means that, as long as they pay their bill in-full and on-time - effectively using the card like a debit card - the benefits, and welcome bonus will all be pure profit.