The American Express Platinum Card® is one of the most valuable travel cards out there. Its one-of-a-kind welcome bonus offer is a big reason why.
Apply and find out if you are eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Terms apply.
At the standard rate of $0.01 per point, Motley Fool Money estimates you could earn a bonus worth $1,750 in travel rewards — or even more if you transfer points to one of Amex’s travel partners. The catch is the $12,000 in 6 months spending threshold — for most people, that’s not chump change.
The good news is you probably don’t need to overhaul your spending habits to hit it. Here are four easy ways to knock out the spending requirement on the Platinum Card® welcome bonus offer.
1. Book a trip (and earn points in the process)
If you’re planning any travel in the next six months, putting those expenses on your new card is a super easy way to make a dent in the spending requirement. As an added bonus, you’ll pile up even more points when you do it.
The Platinum Card® earns 5X points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year. It also earns 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
Let’s say you spent $3,000 in the Amex Travel portal on flights and hotels. That gets you a quarter of the way to earning the welcome bonus right there — and you’ll earn an additional 15,000 points for your trouble (worth another $150+ in rewards).
Even if you weren’t planning to travel soon, it’s worth asking: Is there a trip you’ve been putting off? Booking now can mean big savings down the line.
2. Pay bills and subscriptions
Think about the recurring expenses you pay annually or monthly: car insurance, Amazon Prime, streaming bundles, gym memberships. All of those are worth using your new Platinum Card® for, assuming you’re going to be spending that money anyway. You can even sometimes prepay bills months ahead of time for an easy way to up your spending.
Homeowners and auto insurance policies in particular can put a big dent in the spend requirement, and most insurers accept credit cards without a processing fee. Stacking two or three of these in your first month can quietly put a few thousand dollars on your card.
3. Cover a big purchase (that you were already planning)
Home renovations, appliance replacements, car repairs — if any of these were already on your to-do list, the Platinum Card®’s welcome bonus offer is a great reason to knock them out now.
Any or all of these services can run into the thousands. Just don’t use the Platinum Card® welcome bonus offer as a reason to go on an unnecessary shopping spree. The key here is sticking to purchases that you actually need to make — or that you were at least planning to make beforehand.
4. Add an authorized user for more easy spending
Finally, adding a spouse, partner, or family member as an authorized user means their purchases count toward your spending requirement, too. If two people are putting most or all of their spending on one card, $12,000 in 6 months becomes a lot more manageable.
It’s worth noting, though, that Amex charges an annual fee to add authorized users to the Platinum Card®. Each authorized user will cost you $195 a year (see rates and fees) on top of the card’s $895 annual fee (see rates and fees).
Authorized users get access to other card perks, too, like airport lounge access. Terms apply. But make sure the tradeoff makes sense before you put them to work for that big welcome bonus offer.
Want to learn more about the Platinum Card®’s welcome bonus offer, travel perks, and more? Check out our full American Express Platinum Card® review to see if it’s right for you today.