Amex Platinum Card

[bad company]

I have had one of these for many years and enjoyed the benefits. Now I'm spending more time abroad the card is used much less due to the 2.99% foreign currency fee.

Does anybody else here see value in the card?

BTW this was debated before, some years back -

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[Moominho]

I have one - tbh £450 is probably too much. I get a lot of use from the travel insurance and priority pass, but they can be bought separately for around £300. I don't really use any of the other features, like the concierge service.

[Jockman]

Yup if you don't use the features then bin the card.

[GCH]

My number one issue with the card - and I tell Amex this every time they ask me for comments - is the forex fee.

The US platinum has no forex fee worldwide and is $450, but I stick with my UK plat as the benefits are better for the Uk card.

[bad company]

So I've used Priority pass 3 times in the last year. Without the card I think it would have cost £15-20 for entry. I already have annual travel insurance so the car hire insurance benefit is the most useful perk for me.

All in all no longer worth the £450 fee IMO.

[matrignano]

I also got pissed off with the FX fees so I got a Halifax Clarity card to go alongside it for ATM withdrawals abroad and larger payments. No commissions and closest FX rates to mid that I've seen anywhere

[Ken Figenus]

I binned mine when they yumped the fee by a rather large amount overnight. Points transferred to a far cheaper card and when I use them up will cancel that too. They used to offer value and useful perks but TBH I think they blew it. Took out a Nationwide Flex Plus for £120pa which gives FAR more insurances (inc worldwide travel and all the family's mobiles) and haven't missed them a day.

[Blue62]

A word of caution, we had to cancel a family holiday last year because my FIL died, our claim for reimbursement of flights and accommodation was rejected by AXA (who represent Amex) on the grounds that we hadn't used our Amex card to pay for any part of the holiday, they also reserved the right to reject on the basis of a pre-existing condition despite the doctor's note stating otherwise.

The villa we rented wouldn't accept Amex and we paid cash for flight as it was cheaper. I had been a Plat card holder for 6 years but no longer, I should have read the small print but all in all I felt conned and the way AXA handled the claim was deplorable. I will never do business with either of them again.

[QuartzDad]

GCH said:

My number one issue with the card - and I tell Amex this every time they ask me for comments - is the forex fee.

The US platinum has no forex fee worldwide and is $450, but I stick with my UK plat as the benefits are better for the Uk card.

I'm using the new Curve card to pass-through overseas purchases to my Amex - only incurs a 1% forex fee.

[Blue62]

swerni said:

They very publicly changed the terms of the insurance several years ago.
The fact you have to pay for the trip on the card for the insurance to be valid was hardly just in the small print.

So they said, but they could (and should) make allowances when the holiday provider won't accept Amex. I am not bleating, the service from AXA was poor (they mistakenly initially refused on the grounds of a pre-existing condition), Amex were sympathetic but in the end I voted with my feet.

[oyster]

Blue62 said:

swerni said:

They very publicly changed the terms of the insurance several years ago.
The fact you have to pay for the trip on the card for the insurance to be valid was hardly just in the small print.

So they said, but they could (and should) make allowances when the holiday provider won't accept Amex. I am not bleating, the service from AXA was poor (they mistakenly initially refused on the grounds of a pre-existing condition), Amex were sympathetic but in the end I voted with my feet.

Amex will accept a claim when a provider wouldn't take amex, I've contacted them about this very subject before.

[Blue62]

oyster said:

Amex will accept a claim when a provider wouldn't take amex, I've contacted them about this very subject before.

In my case they rejected the whole claim because no part of my holiday was paid using Amex, if I had elected to swim/walk to Italy I would've been paid out for the accommodation.

I simply wanted to warn others just in case they were not so well informed. I have full travel cover for my family at £180 pa and can pay however I like for my holidays from now on, I will miss the VIP lounges but it's a small price to pay for peace of mind.

[Ken Figenus]

I remember actually checking this them a good few years ago, as if you had to pay with Amex for your family travel insurance to be valid it was a total deal breaker. That is just irresponsible if true. You either have cover to travel or you don't surely??? It certainly wasn't true when I claimed once about 8 years ago mind.

You should escalate this if this is the case now as that is TERRIBLE cover or no cover at all.

[Blue62]

swerni said:

Escalate on what basis? It's an expressed requirement for the cover to be valid.


Not defending Amex in anyway, but it's hardly hidden somewhere

It wasn't a stipulation when I applied for the card, but I do accept that I was informed of the change, though it clearly didn't register at the time so it's my fault. What I still struggle with is that they wouldn't pay out for the loss on accommodation, even though we provided evidence that the supplier wouldn't accept payment with Amex. It's history now, but I hope this may be of use to some of you who believe you are covered under such circumstances.

Given the situation, loss of a family member and subsequent loss of a holiday combined with the antics of Axa, initially refusing to pay out because they considered the condition was pre-existing (he'd been diagnosed 5 years earlier but was in remission at the time the holiday was booked), it all left a bad taste in the mouth. As I stated earlier, neither company will get any future business from me and I will never hesitate to warn others.

[Sheepshanks]

Blue62 said:

So they said, but they could (and should) make allowances when the holiday provider won't accept Amex. I am not bleating, the service from AXA was poor (they mistakenly initially refused on the grounds of a pre-existing condition), Amex were sympathetic but in the end I voted with my feet.

I had an issue with AXA through JohnLewis's travel insurance. AXA's solution was to refund the premium (even though we'd travelled) and then to completely stone-wall me.


To be honest it would never occur to me that cover on a card would exist if the card wasn't used for the payment.


I listed my Dad's health issues with an insurer one year. They said "thanks very much, we'll exclude cover for all those things. No extra charge."

Edited by Sheepshanks on Tuesday 10th May 18:32

[Ken Figenus]

Sheepshanks said:

To be honest it would never occur to me that cover on a card would exist if the card wasn't used for the payment.

But its travel insurance to protect you and your family - not an occasional bonus for using their paid for card. It makes it useless as you will clearly need to have proper cover elsewhere in place.

My Nationwide paid card covers travel insurance with no bizarre speculation that its 'only active if I paid with their card'.

I think its a dangerous condition and am now doubly glad I dumped them too.

[MrBarry123]

Am I correct in thinking however that medical cover is provided in the event of illness regardless of whether you have paid for the trip using the card or not? Looking at the link below, section 1.1 doesn't give that explicit requirement as other sections do.

https://www.americanexpress.com/uk/mgm/pdfs/Plat_C...

[bad company]

So to be insured I have to pay with the card and pay the 2.99% forex fee. That's the reason I'm not likely to renew.

[Jockman]

Ken Figenus said:

But its travel insurance to protect you and your family - not an occasional bonus for using their paid for card. It makes it useless as you will clearly need to have proper cover elsewhere in place.

Absolutely. My HSBC Premier Account affords me family travel insurance but I rarely use it to pay for holidays. I always make sure I put at least £1 on the credit card for section 75 Cover, depending on card fees.

[MrBarry123]

In order to benefit from the below, yes.

Amex Insurance Documentation said:

The following benefits are dependent on use of the Card:
• Cancelling, Postponing and Abandoning your Trip;
• Cutting Short Your Trip;
• Travel Inconvenience;
• Personal Belongings, Money and Travel Documents;
• Purchase Protection;
• Refund Protection;

However, as I read it, medical and personal accident cover is still provided regardless of whether you do or not.