American Express Platinum Travel Card Review: Fees, benefits and is it worth it?

If you're a frequent traveller, the American Express Platinum Travel Card might seem like a great companion for your next trip. This premium credit card offers perks like complimentary lounge access, travel discounts, milestone bonuses, and Membership Rewards points.¹

In this guide, we’ll break down the card’s features, fees, rewards programme, international usage, and who it’s best suited for. We'll also introduce you to the Wise Travel card, which allows you to hold 40+ currencies in on card and spend without any forex markups or hidden fees.

What to look out for when choosing a credit card for travel

When choosing the best travel credit card in India, consider the following factors to make sure the card aligns with your travel habits:

• Annual or monthly fees: Check whether the benefits outweigh the cost. If not, a travel debit card like Wise, with no annual fee, may offer better value.
• Foreign transaction fees: Many cards add up to 3.5%³ to every international purchase.
• Cash advance fees: Withdrawing cash using a credit card can cost around 3.5%, and interest often begins immediately.
• Travel perks: Lounge access, insurance, hotel discounts, and airline miles should be benefits you'll actually use.

As you compare options, we’ll also show why a multi-currency debit card like Wise can be a smarter choice for overseas travel.

What is the American Express Platinum Travel Card?

The American Express Platinum Travel Card is a premium rewards card designed specifically for travellers. Unlike standard points cards, it uses a milestone-based rewards structure, the more you spend in a year, the more bonus points and travel vouchers you unlock.¹

You can redeem Membership Rewards Points for:

• Flights and hotel bookings
• e-vouchers
• Transfers to partner airline and hotel loyalty programmes
• Eligible purchases at checkout

Some of the key travel benefits include:

• 8 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits per year
• Complimentary Priority Pass membership, with discounted access to 1,700+ international lounges
• Discounts on flights, hotels, and travel bookings
• Fuel waivers at HPCL fuel stations

Who is this credit card best for?

The American Express Platinum Travel Card is best suited for:

• Frequent travellers: People who fly regularly and can take advantage of domestic lounge access and global travel benefits.
• High spenders: Cardholders who spend at least 190,000 INR a year and unlock milestone bonuses for additional value.¹
• Rewards enthusiasts: Those who enjoy earning and redeeming points for flights, hotels, shopping, and lifestyle experiences.

Amex Platinum Travel: Key features and benefits

Here’s a closer look at the main features, fees, and requirements you should know before applying.

Eligibility requirements

To apply for the American Express Travel Platinum Card, you must meet the following criteria²:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Hold a savings or current account with an Indian or multinational bank
• Have a clean credit history with no defaults
• Earn at least 600,000 INR per year in personal income
• Have a permanent residential address in India
• If self-employed: operate a business that has been active for at least 12 months

Fees and charges

Here are the fees and charges you can expect to pay with the American Express Travel Platinum Card³:

Membership Rewards programme

The American Express Travel Platinum Card offers a Membership Rewards programme designed to maximise points on travel and lifestyle spending. Here’s a breakdown of all the ways you can earn points with the Membership Rewards programme:

• 1 Membership Rewards Point for every 50 INR spent (excluding utilities, fuel, insurance, cash transactions, and EMI conversions).
• Milestone bonuses:
  • Spend 190,000 INR in a membership year → 15,000 bonus points
  • Spend 400,000 INR in a membership year → 25,000 bonus points plus a Taj stay voucher worth 10,000 INR
• 3X bonus points when you shop at selected partner brands, including Apple, MakeMyTrip, and Tanishq.

You can redeem your Membership Rewards Points for:

• Flight or hotel bookings
• e-vouchers
• Transfers to partner airline and hotel loyalty programmes
• Paying for eligible transactions at checkout

The more you spend, the more points you earn — which can then be used to reduce the cost of future travel or experiences.

Other perks and rewards

Here are some extra perks and rewards you get with the Amex Platinum Travel Card:

• Welcome benefit: Earn 10,000 Membership Rewards points in your first year of card membership if you spend 15,000 INR within the first 90 days.¹
• Amex Platinum Travel Card lounge access: Enjoy 8 complimentary airport lounge visits in India a year (maximum two per quarter) and a free Priority Pass membership. This membership gives you access to over 1,700 airport lounges around the world for $35 USD per visit (around 3,000 INR).⁴
• Fuel waiver: You won’t have to pay a convenience fee on fuel purchases at HPCL for transactions less than 5,000 INR. If you spend over 5,000 INR, you’ll only have to pay a 1% convenience fee.¹
• American Express Offers Hub: All American Express cardholders get access to the Offers Hub, which includes discounts on travel, healthcare, salon and spa services, retail, dining, grocery, education, and subscriptions.⁵
• Premium travel rewards: You can exchange your points for vouchers from Air India, The Taj Hotels and Resorts, and The Postcard Hotel.¹

Sample redemption values

Using the Amex Platinum Travel Card overseas

You can use your American Express Platinum Travel Card for international transactions, but there are important costs to keep in mind:

• A 3.50% foreign transaction fee applies to every overseas purchase.³
• Foreign currency transactions are converted to INR using American Express’ internal exchange rate. This rate is not publicly listed and is usually higher than the mid-market rate.
• This means you are effectively paying both a marked-up exchange rate and a 3.5% forex fee, which can make overseas spending significantly more expensive.

The upside is that you still earn Membership Rewards Points on your international spending, which can help offset some of these costs, but overall, it’s not the cheapest way to pay abroad.

Is the Amex Platinum Travel Card right for you?

You may be wondering, is the American Express Platinum Travel Card worth it? Well, that depends on your priorities, spending habits, and how often you travel. Take a look at the Amex Platinum Travel Card benefits and drawbacks to decide whether it’s the right credit card for you.

Meet the Wise Travel card: 40+ currencies in one card, with no forex markups or hidden fees

With no hidden markups, the Wise Travel card is a smart way to spend abroad. You'll always get the real interbank exchange rate for conversions across 40+ currencies. Wise's transparent, low pricing, plus no foreign transaction fees or forex markups, usually means you are getting the best value for your money.

The fully digital account opening and vKYC process allows you to sign up from the comfort of your home, and there are no annual or monthly fees either. Simply order your card, show proof of your travels, load your funds, and you're all set. Plus - card orders are currently free to Indian addresses (only until February 10, 2026)! A physical Wise card enables you to make secure chip and PIN payments and get some free ATM withdrawals while you're overseas. You can also instantly freeze or unfreeze your card in the app anytime for peace of mind.

Wherever your travels take you, the Wise Travel card is the only forex card you'll need to make spending internationally simpler and cheaper.

🚀 Get a Wise Travel card

1. American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card Benefits
2. American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card
3. American Express Fees and Charges
4. Priority Pass
5. American Express Offers Hub