Yet Another Amex Plat Accounting: Does It Add Up?

By Robert McGarvey

Charge $695 for a credit card – and $175 for a family membership – and there has to be a regular accounting.  Is there still value in the Amex Plat card for me?

The odd bit is how fast the benefits dollars accrue.

For instance, there’s $240 – $20/monthly – that is reimbursed on a NY Times subscription.

There’s $200 in Uber credits, and I use every penny (mainly on Uber Eats in the past two years).

There’s $14.06 monthly, refunding a WalMart Plus monthly fee but, you know what, I will value that as zero because I wouldn’t actually pay for it.

There’s $179 credit on a Clear membership which my wife claims so let’s say that reimburses her card fee.

There’s a $50 credit for a Saks purchase and earlier in the year there had been another $50. Total: $100.

There’s a $200 airline fees reimbursement.

There’s $53.84 in Google credits. I am not sure what I did to get this but I won’t refuse.

There’s a $200 Amex Hotel Collection credit (plus the hotel covered $100 in miscellaneous charges on a three night stay).

There’s $20 in WalMart credits against purchases that I made.

That totals $1013 in credits just on my card.

There’s also maybe $20 monthly in cellphone protection (valued at $10 per phone), and some value also for the purchase protection on items bought with the Plat card.

Thow in maybe $250 in airport club access (mainly Delta lounges).

It really does become a no brainer.

When the math turns against the card I’ll drop it.

But right now it puts money in my pocket.

And I am comparatively lazy about maximizing value out of the 100+ Amex offers that are dangled in front of me. I’m sure there’s more savings to be had.

But I am sated with my present share.