What Credit Score Do You Need for the Amex Platinum? Find Out If You Can Qualify For This Premium Rewards Card

Vault’s Viewpoint

• The American Express Platinum is generally available to qualified applicants with a good to excellent credit score.
• A good credit score is considered a FICO score of 670 or higher.
• American Express considers other factors besides credit scores when approving credit card applications.

More about the American Express Platinum

Few credit cards offer such a wide array of luxury benefits as The Platinum Card® from American Express. Here’s a look at the benefits and perks that are included with Amex Platinum.

• Airport lounge access: Platinum Cardholders have access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, one of the most extensive airport lounge programs available today.
• Uber Cash: When you add your Platinum card to your Uber account, you can receive up to $15 in Uber Cash each month plus a bonus of $20 in December (for $200 Uber Cash total).
• CLEAR® Plus credit: You can receive up to $189 in statement credits each calendar year when you use your Amex Platinum card to pay for an annual CLEAR membership.
• Hotel credit: Receive up to $200 in statement credits when you book a select prepaid hotel stay with Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts or a qualifying stay with The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card
• Airline fee credit: Platinum cardholders receive up to $200 in statement credits each calendar year when incidental fees with one qualifying airline are charged to their Amex Platinum card.
• Digital entertainment credit: Receive up to $20 each month in digital statement credits on eligible purchases at participating partners, up to $240 in savings each calendar year.
• Equinox credit: The card comes with up to $300 in statement credits annually for cardholders who use their card to pay for an eligible Equinox membership.
• Saks Fifth Avenue credit: The card comes with up to $50 in Saks Fifth Avenue statement credits semi-annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue or saks.com when using your Platinum card.
• Walmart+ credit: Enroll in a monthly Walmart+ membership with your Platinum card and enjoy $12.95 (plus applicable taxes) in statement credits each month that covers the full cost.
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit: Amex Platinum comes with up to an $85 statement credit for TSA Precheck application fee every 4.5 years or $100 statement credit when you apply for Global Entry every four years and pay with your card.
• Car rental privileges: With enrollment, the card features complimentary status in car rental programs with Avis, Hertz and National.
• Hotel elite status: Amex Platinum comes with complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status (enrollment required).
• Travel protections: As a premium travel rewards card, Amex Platinum comes with several travel promotions, including car rental loss and damage insurance*, trip cancellation and interruption insurance*, trip delay insurance* and Premium Global Assist Hotline*.
• Consumer protections: Amex Platinum also comes with several consumer protections, including return protection*, purchase protection* and extended warranty* coverage.

Some cardholders may find using some of the credits challenging. Still, you’ll have more than enough opportunities to offset the Platinum card’s $695 fee through annual credits alone before factoring in its reward potential and other Amex Platinum benefits.

Credit Score Needed for the Amex Platinum

Credit card issuers, including American Express, typically do not publicly share the requirements consumers must meet to qualify for their credit cards, including credit scores. As one of the top travel rewards cards, it’s recommended that you have good to excellent credit when applying for the Amex Platinum card.

Like most major credit card issuers, American Express relies on FICO credit scores and other factors to determine eligibility. FICO credit scores fall into five score ranges.

• Poor: 580 or below
• Fair: 580 to 669
• Good: 670 to 739
• Very Good: 740 to 799
• Exceptional: 800 or higher

A good credit score is any FICO score of 670 or higher. Credit scores play a pivotal role in approval for credit cards but are just one factor considered by credit card companies during the approval process. Card issuers consider other factors when determining eligibility. When you apply for the Platinum card, American Express also may look at details like your credit profile, payment history, income, housing costs, debt-to-income ratio and existing credit accounts.

It’s always a good idea to check your credit score before applying for a credit card, especially a premium rewards card like Amex Platinum. American Express performs a hard credit inquiry after you’ve been approved and accepted a credit card offer. Hard credit inquiries can cause your credit score to drop up to several points in some cases. Understanding your credit score can give you an indication of whether you may qualify for the card.

What If You Don’t Qualify for It?

If American Express doesn’t approve your application for the Platinum card, all is not lost. You can try to improve your credit profile over time and apply again later or you can choose to apply for another top rewards credit card with lower credit score requirements. The Equal Credit Opportunity Act requires American Express and other card issuers to provide an opportunity to learn the reasons your application was rejected. Use that information to improve your chances of getting approved next time.

You can take steps to improve your credit score, which could increase your approval odds. Here are some tips for building up your credit profile before you apply for your next credit card.

• Pay your bills on time: Payment history is the largest factor in assigning credit scores, accounting for 35% of your FICO credit score.
• Pay down debt: Lowering your credit card and other credit balances can help boost your credit score. The amount of debt you carry contributes to 30% of your FICO credit score.
• Avoid new debt: Credit utilization refers to the percentage of available credit that you use. Experts suggest keeping your credit utilization below 30% or even lower for a greater impact on your credit.

*Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.