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American Express Platinum Card Review

We review American Express's new premium Platinum Credit Card for New Zealanders. We cover the $850 annual fee, how the Membership Rewards® earning stacks up, the lounge access, hotel memberships, dining credits and Travel Insurance, and we explain plainly who this Card actually suits and who is better off elsewhere.
Updated 3 September 2026

Important: This guide was relaunched in September 2026. Every rate, fee and rewards figure was checked against American Express's published terms. Issuers can change these at any time, so confirm the details on the issuer's site before you apply. Report an error on this page - no name or email needed.​
Summary
  • The American Express Platinum Card carries more travel and dining benefits than any other consumer credit card sold in New Zealand: $850 a year, a stainless steel Card, 2 Membership Rewards points per $1 spent, and a long list of benefits.
  • Two benefits are easy to put a dollar figure on: up to $300 a year in dining credits (two $150 credits, each triggered by a $150+ bill at a participating Dining Collection restaurant) and an ALL Accor+ Explorer membership with two free Stay Plus nights a year, which Accor sells for $379. Whether that is worth $679 to you depends on whether you would have spent that money anyway.
  • The travel benefits: access to 1,550+ airport lounges including Centurion Lounges, with Priority Pass for the Basic Card Member; Fine Hotels + Resorts; and the International Airline Program.
  • Travel insurance for you, your partner and dependent children when you pay for your return trip on the Card, with overseas medical cover up to $5 million. Pre-existing medical conditions are not covered and cannot be added.
  • Membership Rewards points are flexible rather than locked to one airline: transfer them to airline and hotel partners (150 points = 1 Airpoint), book through American Express Travel Online, or redeem for gift cards and statement credit.
  • It is a credit card, not a charge card. The 22.95% p.a. purchase rate and 2.50% foreign currency fee mean it suits only people who pay in full every month and use a 0% FX card for overseas spending.

Our view: the Gold Rewards Card earns the same 2 points per $1 for $200 a year, so the Platinum's extra $650 buys benefits, not points. If you will use $850 of lounges, hotel stays and dining a year, this is one of the most complete cards in the country. If you are not sure, the Gold Rewards Card or the Airpoints Platinum ($195) will serve you better, and that is no bad thing.

​Bonus: Earn 160,000 Bonus Membership Rewards® Points when you apply online by 30 November 2026, are approved and spend $2,500 on eligible purchases on your new American Express Platinum Card® within the first 3 months. T&Cs apply. New American Express Card Members only. ​

Our review covers:
Who Is The American Express Platinum Card For?
This is a premium Card aimed at frequent travellers and people who spend regularly on hotels and dining out. It is not a "set and forget" everyday rewards card. Almost all of the value lives in the benefits - the dining credits, the ALL Accor+ Explorer membership, the lounge access and the complimentary Travel Insurance - plus flexible Membership Rewards points. It is not built around raw airline earning.

​​To apply for an American Express Platinum Card, you’ll need to be able to meet the following criteria:
  • Be aged 18 or over
  • Have no history of bad debt or payment default
  • Have the right to work in New Zealand, and
  • If self-employed, have been trading for at least 18 months (or 12 months if you hold an existing American Express issued Card)
​
Why is there so much Amex on this page?
It's a review of one Amex card. American Express pays MoneyHub a referral fee when a reader applies through the links on this page; the fee doesn't set the figures (they're from Amex's published terms) and doesn't change who we say shouldn't get the card.
Christopher Walsh, MoneyHub Founder and Head of Research, shares his view on the Card:
"At $850 a year, this is an AMEX Card like no other and is one of the most comprehensive premium propositions in New Zealand. 

The value lives almost entirely in the perks. Used well by someone who flies often, stays in hotels and eats out, the lounge access, hotel memberships, dining credits and Travel Insurance can comfortably beat the fee. Used lazily, it is an expensive way to collect points you could earn far more cheaply on a different card. 
​
Whether it is worth it comes down to one question: will you actually use $850 of premium travel and dining benefits in a year? If the answer is yes, this is one of the most complete cards in the country. If you are not sure, it probably is not for you, and that is perfectly fine". 
MoneyHub Founder
Christopher Walsh

Know This First - Annual Fee and Membership Rewards

1. American Express Platinum Card Fees, Interest Rates and Benefits

  • Card type: Credit card, earns American Express Membership Rewards® points
  • Card material: Stainless steel (metal Card)
  • Annual fee: $850
  • Additional Cards: Up to 2 at $0
  • Minimum credit limit: $5,000
  • Minimum payment: $10 or 3% of the closing balance, whichever is greater
  • Annual fee: Charged in advance on your account anniversary; late payment fee $6
  • Rewards earn rate: 2 Membership Rewards points per $1 spent
  • Purchase interest rate: 22.95% p.a.
  • Interest-free period: Up to 55 days on purchases when you pay in full
  • Foreign currency conversion fee: 2.50%
  • Cash advances: Not available​

Travel and lifestyle benefits:
  1. Airport lounges: Global Lounge Collection access for Basic and Additional Card Member​s, including Centurion Lounges, with Priority Pass™ membership for the Basic Card Member only
  2. Hotels: ALL Accor+ Explorer membership, Fine Hotels + Resorts, The Hotel Collection, plus hotel elite status (Hilton Honors Gold, Marriott Bonvoy™ Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium)
  3. Dining: Up to $300 a year in dining credits (2 x $150) at participating Dining Collection restaurants
  4. Travel Insurance: Receive complimentary domestic and overseas Travel Insurance when you use your Platinum Card to pay for your return trip. T&Cs apply - you can download these here in PDF form. ​​

2. The $850 Annual Fee, And What You Get Back

$850 is a lot for an annual fee. Two of the benefits are easy to put a number on:
  • Up to $300 in dining credits: two $150 credits, one per half-year, each paid when you spend $150 or more in one bill at a participating Dining Collection restaurant. That is real money back, but only if you eat at those restaurants twice a year and spend $150 a time.
  • An ALL Accor+ Explorer membership, which Accor sells for $379: two free Stay Plus nights (each booked alongside a paid night) at participating Accor hotels, plus up to 30% off dining at participating Accor restaurants. The $379 is Accor's price, not cash in your hand; the free nights are where most people will see the value. Accor T&Cs apply.

Our View: Used in full, those two return up to $679 against the $850 fee. Then come the benefits without a price tag: lounge access, complimentary Travel Insurance, Fine Hotels + Resorts benefits. For someone who flies a few times a year, stays in hotels and dines out, the maths stacks up. For someone who doesn't, it doesn't, and no amount of points changes that. One more check before you apply: the Gold Rewards Card earns the same 2 points per $1 for $200 a year and has $200 of dining credits, so the Platinum's extra $650 has to be paid for by lounges, hotel benefits and insurance alone.

3. Earning And Using Membership Rewards Points

Earning: You earn 2 Membership Rewards points per $1 on everyday spend, at the same rate wherever you spend. There are no bonus categories to track - the rate is simple and consistent.
​
Using your points
  • This is where the Card differs most from an Airpoints credit card. Membership Rewards points are flexible. You can transfer them to airline and hotel partners, use them for Gift Cards, book travel through American Express Travel Online, or apply them against eligible purchases through your online account.
  • The value you get depends heavily on how you redeem. American Express itself values points at up to 0.75 cents each through American Express Travel Online (its 160,000-point bonus is "worth up to $1,200"), which means 2 points per dollar works out to around 1.5% back in travel value. As a statement credit they are worth about 0.48 cents each, or 0.96% back.
  • Transferring to an airline and redeeming for premium-cabin seats can stretch the value further, as our dedicated guide outlines, although reward seat availability can be limited, while Gift Cards and paying off purchases with points usually return less. You can see the current airline and hotel transfer partners and ratios on the American Express transfer page as these change from time to time.

Our View
  • The flexibility is the whole point here. If all you ever want is Airpoints, the Airpoints Platinum hands them to you directly and is far cheaper to hold. The Platinum Card suits people who want options, the ability to transfer to different airlines, book hotels, or offset spend, and who will take the time to redeem well. Points you never get around to using are worth nothing, no matter how flexible they are.
​
What point value will I earn? This is best explained with an example. If you spend $25,000 (about $2,000 a month) on the Card in one year, you will earn 50,000 Membership Rewards points:
  • 50,000 points convert to about 333 Airpoints or 25,000 Qantas Points.
  • ​Spent through American Express Travel Online they are worth up to about $375 - Amex values points at up to 0.75 cents each, the rate behind its "worth up to $1,200" claim for the 160,000-point bonus.
  • As a statement credit they are worth about $240 (a $250 credit costs 52,000 points).
  • The Airpoints and travel routes return the most; gift cards and statement credit return the least.

The American Express Platinum Card - Benefits in Detail

1. Airport lounge access (Global Lounge Collection and Priority Pass™)

Both Basic and Additional Card Members get access to the Global Lounge Collection, which includes American Express's own Centurion Lounges and a wide range of participating airport lounges worldwide (subject to each lounge's terms and conditions). The Basic Card Member also receives a complimentary Priority Pass™ membership (enrolment required) with unlimited visits, covering more than 1,550 lounges across 140+ countries, including Auckland, Christchurch and Queenstown.

Important: Priority Pass members can bring one guest into lounges that admit guests at no charge, with additional guests charged at the prevailing rate. Eurostar lounge access is not part of the New Zealand Card's terms.

Warning:
  • Only the Basic Card Member gets Priority Pass™. Additional Card Members have Global Lounge Collection access (including Centurion Lounges) but not Priority Pass, even though up to two Additional Cards are free.
  • If Priority Pass access for your partner matters, factor that in, although a Priority Pass member can bring one guest into participating lounges at no charge.
  • It is also worth remembering that most of the lounge value sits at international airports - there is no lounge at the typical New Zealand domestic gate.

2. Complimentary Travel Insurance

Receive complimentary domestic and overseas Travel Insurance when you use your Platinum Card to pay for your return trip. Terms, conditions, cover limits and exclusions apply (such as maximum age limits and pre-existing medical condition exclusions). The full Insurance Terms and Conditions are on the American Express website.
​
Warning
The complimentary insurance does not cover pre-existing medical conditions, and there is no option to pay extra to add that cover. If you have pre-existing conditions, you will still need a separate travel insurance policy even when you pay for the trip on the Card.

Also note that if you do not pay the fare on the Card (for example, you redeem points or Airpoints for the flights), cover may not apply, and an Additional Card Member is generally only covered when travelling with the Basic Card Member. Our guide to travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions has more.

Know This - the policy limits (effective 1 July 2026):
  • Overseas medical and repatriation up to $5 million ($250 excess; you must be 79 or under when you book);
  • Trip change and cancellation up to $30,000; baggage up to $20,000 ($2,500 per item, $5,000 for a laptop, $1,000 for a phone, $500 cash); personal liability $2 million; rental vehicle excess up to $150,000 overseas and $10,000 in New Zealand (drivers aged 21 to 75); trips up to 180 days, return trips only.
  • Cover extends to your partner and dependent children aged 25 or under.
  • A domestic trip qualifies only if you put $500 or more of accommodation, or the outbound fare, on the Card.
  • The Card also carries purchase protection: theft or damage within 90 days, up to $3,500 an item and $30,000 a year, $100 excess.

3. Up to $300 in dining credits

You get two $150 dining credits per calendar year, each with its own redemption period. Each one triggers when you spend $150 or more in a single transaction at a participating Dining Collection restaurant on the Platinum Card. That is up to $300 a year in direct value at participating restaurants.

​Know This
  • The two credits apply in separate redemption periods (1 January to 30 June and 1 July to 31 December), and unused credits do not roll over. To get the credit you typically need to save the benefit to your Card first, spend the $150 in one transaction (not split across visits), and pay at the restaurant directly rather than through a third-party booking or in-app payment.
  • The restaurant must be on the participating list at the time you dine. Amex lists over 100 participating restaurants across New Zealand, organised by location, on the American Express Dining Collection page. Used properly this is $300 back. Ignored, it is $300 missed.​
  • We suggest you check the participating restaurant list before you book.

4. ALL Accor+ Explorer membership

You get a complimentary ALL Accor+ Explorer membership (enrolment required), which Accor sells for $379 a year. It grants you two complimentary nights each membership year (each complimentary night must be booked in conjunction with a paid night) at participating Accor hotels, plus up to 30% off your dining bill at participating Accor restaurants. T&Cs apply.

Our View
For anyone who stays at Accor properties (Sofitel, Pullman, Novotel, Mercure, ibis and others) even once or twice a year, this is one of the easiest ways to claw back a large part of the fee. The two complimentary nights can be worth several hundred dollars on their own, on top of the dining discount and the membership's other benefits.

5. Fine Hotels + Resorts

The Card gives you access to more than 1,800 luxury properties worldwide through Fine Hotels + Resorts, with extra benefits that American Express says average around US$550 in value per stay. The standout is a guaranteed 4pm late checkout, offered regardless of availability, which on its own can be worth a half-day's room rate. You also get room upgrades when available, daily breakfast for two, noon check-in when available, and a US$100 credit towards eligible charges that varies by property.

Alongside it, The Hotel Collection is a broader tier covering more hotels, with a room upgrade on arrival when available and a US$100 on-property credit on eligible stays of two nights or more.

​Know This: To get the benefits you must book through American Express Travel Online, pay with an eligible American Express Card, and be travelling on the booking yourself. Benefits apply per stay. The guaranteed 4pm checkout is the one to plan around, since unlike the room upgrade and noon check-in it does not depend on availability. This rewards people who are happy to book qualifying hotels through American Express rather than via the usual booking sites.

6. International Airline Program and hotel and car rental status

The International Airline Program offers savings on First and Business Class fares with a curated list of international airlines; the current list is on Amex's International Airline Program page. Fares are booked through American Express's travel service and paid on the Card, so it is useful if you buy premium-cabin tickets, and largely irrelevant if you do not.

The Card also comes with complimentary mid-tier hotel and car rental elite status, with none of the usual qualifying activity required:
In practice, the hotel statuses can mean room upgrades, late checkout, bonus points and extras like breakfast at some chains, while the car rental statuses bring priority pick-up, upgrades when available and added-driver perks. None of it is life-changing on its own, but for regular travellers it removes friction and occasionally delivers a good upgrade.

7. Two Additional Cards at no cost

You can add up to two Additional Cards for $0, and spend on them earns points to the primary account. That is handy for couples and families who want to pool points. Two things to remember: the Basic Card Member is liable for all spend on Additional Cards, and Additional Card Members do not get Priority Pass™ (they do get Global Lounge Collection access).

8. Apple Pay, Google Pay and everyday acceptance

The Card works with Apple Pay, Google Pay and other digital wallets, which has steadily improved how practical American Express is to use day to day in New Zealand. You can pay with your phone at most major chains. Even so, American Express is still not accepted everywhere, particularly at smaller independent shops and cafes, so carry a backup Visa or Mastercard.
The Fine Print That Matters
A few details that do not always make the headline list, but which can change whether this Card is right for you:
  • Purchase interest rate of 22.95% p.a.: Because this is a credit card rather than the charge card format of the old Platinum, an unpaid balance gets expensive fast. You get up to 55 interest-free days when you pay in full.
  • Foreign currency conversion fee of 2.50%: That is at the higher end of the market. If a meaningful share of your spending is overseas or in a foreign currency online, a low-fee travel money card for that portion can save you more than the points are worth. Our guides to the best foreign currency cards and travel money cards have the alternatives.
  • No cash advances: Cash advances are not available on this Card.
  • The welcome bonus is for new Card Members only: If you hold, or have held in the previous 18 months, any American Express New Zealand Card, you will not be eligible. Existing cardholders should be aware of this before closing a card to chase an offer.
  • ​Bonus: Earn 160,000 Bonus Membership Rewards® Points when you apply online by 30 November 2026, are approved and spend $2,500 on eligible purchases on your new American Express Platinum Card® within the first 3 months. T&Cs apply. New American Express Card Members only.

Warning: This is a rewards card, and rewards cards only make sense if you pay the balance in full every month. At 22.95% p.a., the interest on even a modest carried balance can quickly cancel out the value of the points you earn. If you sometimes carry a balance, a low-interest card is a far better fit than any premium rewards card.

Pros and Cons

Pros:
  • Two headline benefits with a clear dollar value: up to $300 a year in dining credits and an ALL Accor+ Explorer membership (Accor's price $379) with two free Stay Plus nights, each booked alongside a paid night.
  • Premium travel benefits: access to 1,550+ lounges including Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass for the Basic Card Member, Fine Hotels + Resorts, The Hotel Collection and the International Airline Program.
  • Flexible rewards: 2 Membership Rewards points per $1, transferable to airline and hotel partners (150 points = 1 Airpoint), or redeemable for gift cards, American Express Travel Online bookings or statement credit.
  • Travel insurance with $5 million of overseas medical cover and $30,000 of cancellation cover for you, your partner and dependent children, when you pay for your return trip on the Card.
  • ​Up to two Additional Cards at no cost.
  • A metal Card - cosmetic rather than financial, but people do notice.
  • American Express's direct customer service and dispute handling.
  • ​Bonus: Earn 160,000 Bonus Membership Rewards® Points when you apply online by 30 November 2026, are approved and spend $2,500 on eligible purchases on your new American Express Platinum Card® within the first 3 months. T&Cs apply. New American Express Card Members only.

Cons:
  • $850 annual fee charged in advance: you have to use the benefits to justify it. If you're wondering whether the Card will be worth it, it probably isn't, and that's not a bad thing.
  • It earns no more points than the $200 Gold Rewards Card: the extra $650 buys benefits, not rewards.
  • It is a credit card at 22.95% p.a. with a $5,000 minimum credit limit, so carrying a balance is costly and discipline is required.
  • The 2.50% foreign currency fee is on the higher side for overseas spend per our comparison guide - ANZ charges 0% and Westpac 1.83%.
  • ​Priority Pass is for the Basic Card Member only; Additional Card Members get Centurion Lounge access but not Priority Pass.
  • The welcome bonus is closed to anyone who holds, or has held in the past 18 months, any American Express New Zealand card.
  • Pre-existing medical conditions are excluded from the travel insurance and cannot be added.
  • American Express acceptance, while much improved, still has limits at smaller New Zealand merchants, so you need a backup card.
Who this Card isn't for:
  • Anyone who carries a balance (22.95% p.a. erases the rewards)
  • Anyone who spends heavily overseas (2.50% FX, against ANZ's 0%)
  • Anyone who shops mainly where Amex isn't taken
  • Anyone who wouldn't use the lounges, hotel benefits and dining credits without the AMEX prompting them

How Does the AMEX Platinum Card Compare With Other Cards?

  • American Express Airpoints Platinum ($195): 1 Airpoint per $70, which is 1.43% back in Airpoints. The Platinum Card's 2 points per $1 convert at 150 points per Airpoint, which is 1.33% - slightly less. If Airpoints are all you want, the Airpoints Platinum earns them faster for $655 less a year.
  • Gold Rewards Card ($200): the same 2 Membership Rewards points per $1, two $100 dining credits a year, and no lounge access. The Platinum's extra $650 buys $100 more in dining credits, the Accor+ membership, lounges, Fine Hotels + Resorts and the fuller insurance policy - nothing else.
  • Westpac World Mastercard ($310): the nearest bank card with Priority Pass; it earns 1 Airpoint per $95 up to $15,000 a month, then 1 per $190.

Our View: Do not compare these cards on annual fee alone; they are built for different people. The question is not "which is cheaper", it is "will I use $650 of lounges, hotel benefits and insurance a year on top of the dining credits?". If yes, the Platinum Card is good value. If no, the Gold Rewards Card gives you the same points for $200.

Considering another AMEX card? Our guide to the Best American Express Credit Cards has more information about the cards available.

Our Conclusion

The American Express Platinum Card carries more benefits than any other consumer credit card sold in New Zealand, and more than the Platinum Charge Card it replaced. For frequent travellers who use lounges, stay in hotels, dine out and redeem Membership Rewards well, the benefits can outrun the $850 fee, particularly in a first year with the 160,000-point bonus. For everyone else it is an expensive way to earn points the Gold Rewards Card earns at the same rate for $200.

​Decide on how much you will travel and dine, not on how the Card looks, and always pay the balance in full.

Christopher Walsh Shares His View:
"If you travel a few times a year, value a quiet hour in a lounge, stay in hotels and enjoy a good dinner out, this Card can pay for itself and then some, especially once you factor in the dining credits and the ALL Accor+ membership. The flexible points are a step up from being locked into one airline. But it asks something of you in return: you have to use it properly, redeem your points well, and never carry a balance. Do that, and it is a standout. Treat it like a status symbol you barely touch, and the $850 will sting."​

Three Must-Know American Express Platinum Card Facts

  1. It is an $850 premium travel Card built on benefits and flexible points: the points rate is the same as the $200 Gold Rewards Card, so the fee buys the benefits.
  2. ​It is a credit card at 22.95% p.a.: pay in full every month, or the interest quickly outweighs the rewards.
  3. Two benefits carry a price tag: up to $300 in dining credits and an ALL Accor+ Explorer membership (Accor's price $379, two free Stay Plus nights a year, each booked alongside a paid night). Used in full they return up to $679 of the $850; the lounges, hotel benefits and insurance have to justify the rest.

Bonus: Earn 160,000 Bonus Membership Rewards® Points when you apply online by 30 November 2026, are approved and spend $2,500 on eligible purchases on your new American Express Platinum Card® within the first 3 months. T&Cs apply. New American Express Card Members only.
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