American Express Platinum Charge card review: is it worth the SGD1712 annual fee?

This is my Amex Platinum Charge Card Review. Above image: One of the many vouchers for Amex Platinum Charge Card holders

Update: a more recent post on this matter (October 2023) has been written. Check out this link here for details.

Platinum Charge Card Review: American Express

Time for the Amex Platinum Charge card review – It’s been over a year since I’ve used the Amex Platinum Charge card, and my card was recently up for renewal. In the decision on whether to renew the card or not – a huge factor is the hefty annual fee of SGD 1712. 

I’ve always thought of  the card as unrivalled in terms of lifestyle perks offered.

The card undoubtedly comes with HUGE lifestyle benefits – massive hotel and dining perks – think complimentary hotel stays, elite statuses, preferential treatment and dining discounts. There’s also unlimited airport lounge visits (not that it’s relevant in this covid-19 times), complimentary membership at Tower Club and Nook by Platinum, complimentary spa treatments, and a whole host of other perks.

Is the card worth the cost of SGD 1712 per annum? Let’s review it right here.

I’ve also linked to another blog post – comparing the differences in benefits between 2020 and 2021, if anyone’s interested do check that out too. 

How I put a valuation: I’m generally going to take the minimum valuation – for example, if the value of an experience (e.g. hotel, dining) can vary between S$100 to S$200, I would take the LOWER value. This is to ensure that it’s truly worth paying the S$1712 per annum – a higher quantum may over-inflate the value of the card.

Inspired by this post and want to apply for an American Express credit card? Apply through one of my referral links and receive either bonus Membership Rewards points or statement credit:

• The Platinum Charge Card: Use this referral link and receive up to 140,000 bonus Membership Rewards points when you apply and minimum spend criteria is met.
• The American Express Platinum Card: Use this referral link and receive up to 62,500 Membership Rewards points when you apply and minimum spend criteria is met.
• American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend Credit Card: Use this referral link and receive up to 35, 000 Krisflyer miles when you apply and minimum spend criteria is met. 

Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed on this page are that of Happy High Life and may not necessarily reflect the position of American Express. Happy High Life is not responsible for any decisions made by readers. The terms and conditions for each credit card's application and usage may be subject to change by American Express. Therefore, readers are recommended to check any matters with American Express or its partners; the list of all benefits of the Platinum Charge Card can be found here.

~ HOTEL BENEFITS: COMPLIMENTARY STAYS

These were the Hotel Benefits that my family and I enjoyed over the past year:

1) Complimentary stay at Capella Singapore 

In 2020, upon payment of the annual fee, Amex Platinum Charge Card holders received this welcome gift: a One night complimentary stay at Capella Singapore (Premier Garden View Room) 

Typically, a 2D1N stay at Capella (Premier Garden view room) will set you back about S$800 to S$1200, depending on the season. Redeeming this complimentary stay was a real treat. 

2) Complimentary stay at St. Regis Singapore 

This was a complimentary hotel stay voucher.

In 2020, Platinum Charge Card holders could choose either a stay at St. Regis Singapore or W. Singapore Sentosa Cove.

We chose the complimentary stay at the St. Regis Singapore ( Executive Deluxe Room)

Benefits could be stacked with Marriott Bonvoy gold status, which comes as part of the Elite hotel status perks with the Platinum Charge card as well.

To date, the Capella Singapore and St. Regis Singapore have given my family two of our best local staycation experiences – and I’m so grateful that we had a chance to experience them. 

3) Complimentary 3D2N Stay at Capri by Fraser, Changi City

There is a complimentary 3D2N stay every Card Membership year at participating Frasers Hospitality properties worldwide. With the Amex Platinum Charge Card, the moment one pays the annual fee of S$1712, all other credit cards have their annual fee waived. As I do not pay the annual fee of S$535 for the Platinum Reserve card, the hotel voucher was literally complimentary.

When the covid19 pandemic hit, travel was out of the question, and our option was limited to a local staycation within Singapore.

Complimentary Hotel Stays: Total value

In this American Express Platinum Charge Card review, for this category, the value of what I have gained from the past year of using the card adds up to be S$1450.

Inspired by this post and want to apply for an American Express credit card? Apply through one of my referral links and receive either bonus Membership Rewards points or statement credit:

• The Platinum Charge Card: Use this referral link and receive up to 140,000 bonus Membership Rewards points when you apply and minimum spend criteria is met.
• The American Express Platinum Card: Use this referral link and receive up to 62,500 Membership Rewards points when you apply and minimum spend criteria is met.
• American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend Credit Card: Use this referral link and receive up to 35, 000 Krisflyer miles when you apply and minimum spend criteria is met. 

Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed on this page are that of Happy High Life and may not necessarily reflect the position of American Express. Happy High Life is not responsible for any decisions made by readers. The terms and conditions for each credit card's application and usage may be subject to change by American Express. Therefore, readers are recommended to check any matters with American Express or its partners; the list of all benefits of the Platinum Charge Card can be found here.

~ OTHER HOTEL PERKS

1) Elite Status in Hotel Programmes 

With the Amex Platinum Charge card, currently, card members receive Elite Hotel statuses in four hotel membership programmes: Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, DISCOVERY, and Radisson Hotels. 

Over the past years, I’ve enjoyed the Hilton Honors Gold status the most. This includes stays at Hilton Singapore, Conrad Centennial Singapore, Doubletree by Hilton Johor Bahru and Hilton Kuala Lumpur.

Among these places – I recommend the Conrad Centennial Singapore; the Executive Lounge there is one of the better ones here.

2) Special Weekend Rate at Fairmont Singapore 

With the Amex Platinum Charge card, there are a bunch of special weekend rate vouchers for stays at Fairmont, Swissotel the Stamford, and Swissotel Merchant court. 

With the voucher, my family and I enjoyed a 3D2N stay at Fairmont Singapore at a rate of S$270 per night (not including taxes and fees).

3) SGD 400 in Hotel Stay Credits

The Amex platinum charge card provides S$800 worth of credits – out of which S$400 are for Air Travel and S$400 are for Hotel Lodging credits.

For the S$400 Hotel Lodging credits, it was used to offset a staycation at Fullerton Singapore.

The stay was booked online via the Amex Travel website, and I applied the Lodging credits directly to lower the cost of my family’s stay at Fullerton Singapore.

Other Hotel Benefits: Total value

In this American Express Platinum Charge Card review, for this category,  the value of what I have gained from the past year of using the card adds up to be:

~ DINING BENEFITS

1) S$200 Dining Vouchers at St. Regis Singapore

I’ve dined at St. Regis Singapore so many times that the staff practically recognizes my whole family by now. Be it having the Set Lunch or A la carte menu at Brasserie Les Saveurs, or enjoying pizza at LaBrezza, this is one place that I highly recommend for an amazing dining experience.

The best part: These vouchers can be stacked with Love Dining Benefits

2) S$100 Dining Vouchers at Tower Club Singapore

Tower club – went there with the husband to have the set menu at Atlantic. 

Got a set meal for x2 pax, and used the S$100 to offset the cost.

With views of the Marina Bay area, a power executive lunch menu suitable, and upscale furnishings, this place is THE place to have meetings and business dealings.

3) Complimentary cake / bottle of wine at selected partners

• Platinum Charge Card holders: Redeem a Complimentary cake / bottle of wine at Fairmont, Swissotel the Stamford, or Swissotel Merchant Court (x2 vouchers)
• Platinum Reserve Card holders: Redeem a bottle of wine at Napoleon (x1 voucher), Burlamacco Ristorante (x1 voucher), and Praelum Wine Bistro (x1 voucher)

I’ve got BOTH these cards, and hence managed to claim the benefits from both cards.

Platinum Charge Card redemption: used this to redeem mostly cakes. For example – when my husband and I dined at Mikuni at Fairmont, we got the complimentary cake there.

Do note that cake redemptions require about a 48 hour notice. The cake is either a mango mousse or chocolate truffle, and my preference is for the latter (well, chocolate…). The cakes can be enjoyed either while dining in or takeaway.

For Platinum Reserve Card redemptions, I had mentioned earlier that with the Amex Platinum Charge Card, the moment one pays the annual fee of S$1712, all other credit cards have their annual fee waived. As I do not pay the annual fee of S$535 for the Platinum Reserve card, all benefits with the platinum reserve card are literally complimentary.

4) Love Dining benefits

I’ve used the card extensively for Love Dining benefits in high-end hotels and several upscale restaurants. (Including places such as St. Regis Singapore, Fairmont Singapore, Swissotel the stamford, and other distinguished dining establishments). It’s an amazing benefit whereby discounts for dining go up to 50% off. 

In this American Express Platinum Charge Card review, over the past year, this is the list of my personal love dining experiences.

Assessing the value of the Amex Love Dining programme is a tricky one. I have used the Love Dining benefits so many times that I’ve lost track of how much I’ve saved as a result of the card; the total is easily over S$2000. (FYI: There are MANY times that I have used Love Dining, just that those posts didn’t make it to the blog, mainly because the dining was repetitive).

Additionally, the Love Dining experiences of my supplementary card holder – while the benefits were reaped, these are not calculated in the total value.

But… in the end, I decided to be strict, so this is how I’ve assessed it’s value:

Dining Benefits: Total value

Adding on to this American Express Platinum Charge Card review, in the Dining category, the value received from usage of the card adds up to:

~ OTHER LIFESTYLE BENEFITS

1) Spa Visitations

There are three spa vouchers that come with the Amex Platinum Charge Card

Adeva Spa

• One voucher for complimentary triple de-stress massage (Valued at $190)
• 25% off for other a la carte services

The Ultimate

• One voucher for complimentary facial – hyaluronic firming face spa (Valued at $160)
• 50% off other a la carte services

Spa Rael

• One voucher for complimentary facial – Collagen face spa (Valued at $400)
• 30% off other a la carte services

What I did was to simply go for all complimentary spa treatments. The services and treatment itself was great, but depending on where you go the staff can be a little pushy with trying to make customers buy huge packages after a complimentary session. 

2) Random Promotions and Discounts offered by American Express

Occasionally, American Express will release promotions that card members can save to their card to use later. These are sometimes Platinum Charge Card only, such as a recent S$350 credit given to Platinum Charge Card members. 

However, general benefits for almost all other Amex cards also pop-up randomly every now and then. These include cashback at hotels (including one specific to Conrad and Waldorf Astoria), various other shopping and dining cashback promotions, and even rebates from grocery stores.

3) Airport Lounge Visitation

With American Express, one of the key benefits is unlimited access to airport lounges worldwide. Complimentary unlimited priority pass membership is given – I had to use the Amex Platinum Charge card to apply for it separately for me and my supplementary card holder, but it was generally hassle free. 

Lifestyle Benefits: Total value

In this last section of the American Express Platinum Charge Card review, in the Lifestyle category, the value received from usage of the card adds up to:

~ PLATINUM CHARGE CARD REVIEW: OVERALL BENEFITS

Clearly, the Platinum Charge Card is unparalleled when it comes to hotel, dining, and lifestle benefits. To sum up the value of all the benefits highlighted so far: 

~ PLATINUM CHARGE CARD REVIEW: IS IT WORTH PAYING THE ANNUAL FEE OF S$1712?

For me, yes, the card is definitely worth it. Despite having an annual fee of S$1712, I received benefits of S$4471 in return. The returns are is a little over 2.5 times the annual fee. 

This is NOT the kind of credit card where there is zero annual fee and you maybe get S$20 in annual benefits. The American Express Platinum Charge Card is a LIFESTYLE card above all – it caters to those who enjoy the high life – those who love fine dining and hotel stays. 

So, in choosing to renew the card, did I fully utilize it? Yes and No – Yes because I did use the card to a hugely remarkable extent. But were the benefits that I did NOT use? Absolutely. The underutilized benefits, for me, were the following.

~ BENEFITS UNUSED: PLATINUM CHARGE CARD REVIEW

1) Chillax! By Amex.

Chillax features perks such as huge discounts or 1-for-1 Drinks. See here for the full list of participating drinking places.

Given that for part of the year, I was first pregnant and then breastfeeding, drinking was out of the question. (As well as late night drinking – there isn’t any energy to hang out as late as the pre-kids era!) Hopefully in the near future, this would change

2) Not all Dining vouchers were used

Some of the dining vouchers were happily enjoyed, and some were unfortunately left untouched. These voucherse were left to expire as I couldn’t use them by the deadline: 

• 50% off 8-10 Adults dining at either Asian Market Cafe (Fairmont), Clove (Swissotel the Stamford), or Ellenborough Market Cafe (Swissotel Merchant Court)
• 50% off on high tea buffet for 2-6 persons at Marriott Cafe (Monday to Friday)
• $50 off at participating restaurants at Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel (with minimum spend $100)
• Complimentary bottle of house wine with 4 paying adults for buffet lunch or dinner at Marriott Cafe.

3) Sadly, I had about S$400 worth of  unutilized Air Travel credits (gasp!), and completely did not use the IAP (International Airline Programme).

Thanks to covid19, the pandemic made it super hard to travel. It is a real pity – the IAP offers special/discounted airfares on Business and First class flights. Participating airlines include: Singapore Airlines, American Airlines, Japan Airlines, British Airways, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Emirates.

4) Fine Hotels and Resorts (FHR)

It’s such a pity – Amex has a wonderful programme. FHR benefits includes the following: 

• Complimentary breakfast for two daily
• Room upgrades at check-in, subject to availability
• 12pm check-in, subject to availability
• 4pm late check-out – this is promised
• Hotel credits – USD 100, for use during stay at either spa or dining.

Bonus: FHR benefits can be combined with benefits of hotel loyalty programmes.However, after I renew the card, in 2021, I do have an FHR stay at Shangri La Singapore later in the year – so definitely looking to try out FHR benefits after the card renewal.

Update Nov 2021: Stayed in Shangri-la Singapore using Amex FHR benefits, and it was an amazing stay. Read more about it here.

~ FINAL WORDS

In spite of a few unusused benefits – it doesn’t bother me at all. It shows that the card is extensively beneficial and caters to a wide variety of lifestyle benefits. Rather than dwell on the perks that I did not use, I want to focus on the good memories and great times my family and I had because of the Amex Platinum Charge Card. 

The biggest thing that came out of the American Express Platinum Charge Card Review: is that countless wonderful memories were made with my family – in both staycations or dining – and nothing can ever replace that. I can recall how my children enjoy themselves – how they look forward to staycations,  and how their faces light up when we enter a hotel room. I see the joy on my husband’s face when we dine out and a beautiful dish is served to us – how can you put a value to that?

I am grateful for American Express for having this card,  and I’m SO looking forward to use the travel benefits when the covid19 pandemic ends.

Would I be renewing the card? 100% yes, and here’s to looking forward to use it for another year.

P.S.  I have followed up with a blog post comparing the 2020 benefits with the new 2021 ones. Check out the link below for that!

P.S.S.  I highly recommend the Amex Platinum Charge Card as well to ANYONE who’s looking for a bit of the finer things in life – use it well and you won’t be disappointed. 

Image Source: American Express

Inspired by this post and want to apply for an American Express credit card? Apply through one of my referral links and receive either bonus Membership Rewards points or statement credit:

• The Platinum Charge Card: Use this referral link and receive up to 140,000 bonus Membership Rewards points when you apply and minimum spend criteria is met.
• The American Express Platinum Card: Use this referral link and receive up to 62,500 Membership Rewards points when you apply and minimum spend criteria is met.
• American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend Credit Card: Use this referral link and receive up to 35, 000 Krisflyer miles when you apply and minimum spend criteria is met. 

Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed on this page are that of Happy High Life and may not necessarily reflect the position of American Express. Happy High Life is not responsible for any decisions made by readers. The terms and conditions for each credit card's application and usage may be subject to change by American Express. Therefore, readers are recommended to check any matters with American Express or its partners; the list of all benefits of the Platinum Charge Card can be found here.

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