New Amex Platinum Negative Changes

New Amex Platinum Negative Changes

The Amex Platinum had a couple negative changes announced today that are effective immediately and I wanted to go over what exactly changed.

Minimum Spend Increase


The SUB offer previously required $6,000 in spend in the first 6 months but has now gone up to $8,000 in spend in the first 6 months. Thankfully the SUB has remained the same at 100k but having to spend an extra $2k for the same amount is still unfortunate. That $2k could have gone towards another SUB.

Minimum Spend Requirement for the Amex Plat Increased to $8,000

Removed Audible From The Entertainment Credit


The Amex Platinum has an annual $240 credit to be used on entertainment services that is paid out monthly in $20 increments. Previously, this credit was eligible on Audible purchases but as of today, the entertainment credit can no longer be used on Audible.

The current eligible services for this credit are:

  • Disney+
  • Disney Bundle
  • ESPN+
  • Hulu
  • The New York Times
  • Peacock
  • SiriusXM
  • The Wall Street Journal

This list is pretty mediocre and people found the Audible option to be a decent usage of the credit. It’s pretty unfortunate that this has been removed now.

Authorized User Fee Increase


One of the best deals on the Amex Platinum was its affordable authorized user fee. Previously you could add up to 3 authorized users for only $175 and any additional authorzied users would cost $175. This was great for families or couples who wanted lounge access at an affordable price. If you maxed out the 3 authorized users, you would essentially only pay ~$58 for each user per year, which is pretty great.

However, with this new change in place. The discounted price for the first 3 authorized users is gone. Every authorized user now costs $195 per year. This is a pretty substantial increase and one that is sure to make people cancel their authorized user cards. I think overall this is for sure a negative change. However the silver lining is that in the future fewer people are likely to have authorized users which means that there may potentially be fewer people in the airport lounges.

Centurion Lounge at SeaTac Airport in Seattle, WA

Conclusion


Overall, some pretty unfortunate changes to the Amex plat. I still think it’s worth getting for the big SUB and the good travel benefits but with these negative changes it definitely makes the card less attractive than it was before. Let me know your thoughts on these changes!

Leave a Comment