When it comes to American Express in India, the card issuer offers some of the more premium products in the market, such as the American Express Platinum Card, and the American Express Centurion Card. The issuer has been on an overhaul spree for their cards recently, with 40 products to be refreshed in its global portfolio, per a reference made in the Q4 2023 Amex Earnings Call. These included the American Express Platinum Reserve Card in India, and the American Express Platinum Card has been refreshed in some of the other markets.

American Express Platinum Card refreshed.

When refreshing any of its card products, American Express is not just a change of its card design. Instead, it looks at it from a more substantial perspective, such as adding new perks, changing the annual fee, and sometimes removing or restricting existing benefits. The refresh in India American Express Platinum Card is now live.

American Express adds a formal renewal benefit to the card.

So far, people used to hum and haw about renewing their American Express Platinum Card, wondering if they got enough value on the card or not. American Express has been great at providing value for the first year with massive bonuses on the card for signup, but I suspect they saw many people cancelling their cards after year one. American Express has now solved that problem by adding a formal renewal benefit worth INR 35,000.

If you spent INR 20 Lakhs on the American Express Platinum Card during the prior membership year, you can pick vouchers worth INR 35,000 on the card’s renewal. The brands on offer are Taj Hotels, Reliance Brands Limited (Luxe Gift Card), and Postcard Hotels & Resorts vouchers.

Of course, this should be an additional 1.75% value provided to these members, provided they retain their cards and are “in the money” for American Express. The T&C is silent on the new benefit, whether it will be pro-rated for existing members or how it works out for them during a membership year. I hope AEBC adds a counter to the app, as they did for their American Express Platinum Travel Card so that one knows if they’ve hit the milestone.

Complimentary memberships worth INR 45,000

American Express has partnered with Times Prime to curate a new membership pack, allowing for benefits across shopping, travel, health and wellness at brands such as Ajio Luxe, Uber, Starbucks, TUMI, and Kaya Skin Clinic. Amex also promises access to 40+ OTT and publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Amazon Prime (Lite), Disney+ Hotstar, etc. That is a swing for the coupon-book approach that Amex in other countries is heading into for their Platinum Card.

American Express will send everyone a code to activate their Times Prime Ace membership. The offer is valid through May 15, 2025. Once you activate your Times Prime ACE membership, you get the following benefits via the Times Prime App:

• Disney Hotstar for 12 months
• SonyLiv Premium for 12 months
• Discovery+ for 12 months
• Lionsgate for 12 months
• Amazon Prime Lite for 12 months
• Curiosity for 12-months
• Wall Street Journal+ MINT for 12 months
• CondeNast India Digital subscriptions for 12 months
  • Architectural Digest
  • GQ
  • Vogue
  • Conde Nast Traveller
• TOI+ subscription for 12 months
• Cricbuzz subscription for 12 months
• Netmeds, PharmEasy, and Healthkart subscriptions for 12 months
• Geetanjali Salons 12-month subscription to Prive membership
• Lenskart Gold 12-month subscription
• Tata Cliq: 10% off on minimum order value of INR 8,000 four times per annum
• Heads Up for Tails: 10% off on Heads Up for Tails branded products 12 times per annum
• Kama Ayurveda: INR 500 off on minimum order value of INR 2000 12 times per annum
• Kaya Skin Clinic: 20% off on select services once per quarter
• Ajio Luxe Shopping: 10% off on a minimum order value of INR 10,000 12 times per annum
• Tumi: 10% off on a minimum order value of INR 10,000.
• Starbucks: Complimentary Upgrade on your coffee once per month
• Uber Premier: 20% discount on Uber Premier twice monthly
• Uber Intercity: Flat 15% discount on Uber Intercity twice monthly
• Uber Rentals: 25% discount on Uber Rentals twice a month
• Paytm flights: INR 1,000 off on domestic flights once per quarter
• Yatra Travel: Upto 25% discount on domestic hotels twice a month
• Zoomcar: Flat 25% off upto INR 1,000 twice per user
• Park+: Free parking spot for your car once per month
• Park+ Fastag: 55% off on Fastag
• Park+: Get 1-litre free petrol on a minimum order value of INR 1,000/-
• Tira: Upto Rs. 650 discount on Tira once per month
• Myntra: Flat INR 400 Extra off on minimum purchase of INR 1999/- (twice)
• Hamleys: 12.5% off on a minimum order value of INR 2,499 once per month
• TONI & GUY: INR 1,000 off at TONI & GUY on a minimum order value of INR 2,000 every month
• PharmEasy, Netmeds and Healthkart discounts.

New card members will receive their codes within 60 days of signup for their American Express Platinum Card.

Three new complimentary Hotel memberships were added.

Amex has lost many partnerships, such as ITC Club Culinaire and Shangri-La Golden Circle. Now, American Express is back to filling them up. Effective October 8, 2024, all American Express Platinum Card members will be offered the following memberships.

• Accor Plus Traveller Tier. This membership, worth INR 11,800, allows you up to 50% off dining, member rates, and other offers at 1,000+ hotels in 20 countries. I’d consider it a replacement for ITC Club Culinaire rather than an elite-tier membership. The Platinum Reserve Card members received this membership earlier in the year, and now it is being added to the Platinum Card.
  • Cardmembers must complete the Accor Plus Traveller membership Enrollment Form, available on the American Express website, to enrol in the Accor Plus Traveller membership programme.

• The Postcard Hotels Sunshine Club – Platinum Tier. Homegrown luxury hotel chain The Postcard Hotels launched their loyalty programme a few months ago with three membership tiers. Now, American Express Platinum members will get the Platinum tier, which is the middle tier of the programme and earns you 7% of your spending as a reward, apart from complimentary laundry service at their hotels. Here is the form to enrol.

• I Prefer Titanium membership. The I Prefer Hotel Rewards from Preferred Travel Group extends points for multiple redemption options and other complimentary benefits to members at more than 600 participating hotels and resorts in over 80 countries. The Titanium membership is their top tier, and you get 50% bonus hotel loyalty points, member rates, room upgrades, offers, eligible stays and more. Here is the sign up link.

Amex amends the rights of supplementary cardmembers to access the Centurion Lounges.

American Express is also implementing a new policy that allows supplementary card members to access Centurion Lounges. Until now, American Express has permitted each Platinum Cardmember to issue four supplemental cards, and each cardmember and their supplemental cardmembers can bring a +1 to the lounge. From October 8, 2024, supplementary cardmembers will continue to enjoy unlimited Centurion Lounge visits in New Delhi and Mumbai; however, their ability to bring in a guest will be discontinued.

Bottomline

American Express is now live with the refresh of the American Express Platinum Card shortly. New features/memberships are added to the card (both for existing and new members), including dining and hotel tier memberships. Should you consider applying if you are considering applying for the Amex Platinum. Apply Here.

What do you make of the changes to the American Express Platinum Card?

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