American Express Dials Back Platinum Travel Credit Card Perks Amid Quarterly Spending Overhaul
American Express has revised its Platinum Travel Credit Card rewards structure, effective September 10. The changes affect cardholders who reach annual spending milestones of ₹1.9 lakh and ₹7 lakh. At ₹1.9 lakh, the previous reward of 7,500 Membership Rewards points is being removed. Instead, cardholders will receive a ₹20,000 Taj Experiences e-Gift Card at the ₹4 lakh milestone remains unchanged.
At ₹7 lakh, the earlier benefit of 22,500 additional Membership Rewards points has been discontinued. Cardholders reaching this milestone now receive a higher-value Taj voucher worth ₹20,000, up from ₹10,000 earlier. This change means cardholders spending between ₹1.9 lakh and ₹4 lakh annually will no longer receive the 7,500 points previously available at the ₹1.9 lakh milestone.
Another significant change comes in October when lounge access becomes linked to spending. Cardholders must now spend at least ₹1 lakh in the preceding calendar quarter to qualify for up to two complimentary domestic airport lounge visits in the following quarter. This shift from a fixed benefit to one tied to quarterly spending may impact cardholders with lower or irregular quarterly spending.