Immanuel
Amex Platinum Edge is, by far, my favourite credit card on the market and has been for some years. The value for money and benefits from this piece of plastic are unmatched by others – even if you consider generous sign-up bonuses. It’s also my preferred way of earning a massive amount of Award points quickly outside of Qantas Frequent Flyer.
The regular sign-up bonus Amex offers for this card is $200 travel credit each year so make sure you use our link when you apply. The sign up bonus is not huge compared to other offers out there, but considering the other perks attached with this card, it’s a perfect as a companion to your Explorer. The everyday earn rate for this card is a standard $1 to 1 point, but where this card really shines is on supermarket (3 points for $1) spend and petrol spend with 2 points for $1. The transfer partner list for American Express Platinum Edge is rather substantive to say the least.
On top of all this, you get one $200 travel credit each year you hold the card which you are free to use on flights, hotels and car rental. This offsets the annual card fee of $195 making it essentially free to hold this card while benefiting from the most awarding and flexible point program in Australia (Membership Rewards).
Current American Express Platinum Edge Offer:
- Free $200 travel credit each year you hold the card. This can be used on flights, hotels and car rentals through Amex Travel.
- $195 p.a. annual fee – This means you get $200 of travel credit each year for only $195!
- 99% p.a. on balance transfers for the first six months, with a 1% establishment fee
- 3 Membership points earned per $ spent at supermarkets, 2 points earned per $ on fuel, and 1 point per $ everywhere else except for utilities and the ATO
- Travel and purchase protection insurances
America Express Membership Rewards – Card benefits
The American Express points program is called Membership Rewards or MR and gets you the best value for spend in the supermarket. For those dedicated enough this card can take you the extra mile if you max out those supermarket purchases. And this is how:
Most supermarkets allow you to purchase vouchers for all their partner brands, this allows you to purchase all the gift cards you might need for the same 3 points on the dollar as opposed to the standard 1 to 1 when buying directly in store. This adds up quickly if you’re in the market for big-ticket items such as appliances, travel, petrol, etc.
The supermarkets eligible for bonus points with the American Express Platinum Edge are:
- Coles
- Woolworths
- IGA
- Supabarn
- Franklins
- BuyLo
American Express Platinum Edge does not earn you Qantas Frequent Flyer points but MR points can be transferred to the following partners:
- Virgin Australia: Velocity
- Singapore Airlines: Krisflyer
- Malaysia Airlines: Enrich
- Virgin Atlantic: Flying Club
- Cathay Pacific: Asia Miles
- Starwood Hotels: Preferred Guest
- Air New Zealand: Koru
- Etihad Airways: Guest
- Thai Airways: Royal Orchid Plus
- Emirates: Skywards
- Hilton: Hilton Honors
This gives you perfect flexibility when it comes to redeeming points for flights since you are not stuck with one single alliance or airline.
America Express Membership Rewards – Card benefits
The American Express points program is called Membership Rewards or MR and gets you the best value for spend in the supermarket. For those dedicated enough, this card can take you the extra mile if you max out those supermarket purchases. And this is how: Most supermarkets allow you to purchase vouchers for all their partner brands. This allows you to purchase all the gift cards you might need for the same 3 points on the dollar as opposed to the standard 1 to 1 when buying directly in-store. This adds up quickly if you’re in the market for big-ticket items such as appliances, travel, petrol, etc.
The supermarkets eligible for bonus points with the American Express Platinum Edge are:
- Coles
- Woolworths
- IGA
- Supabarn
- Franklins
- BuyLo
American Express Platinum Edge does not earn you Qantas Frequent Flyer points, but MR points can be transferred to the following partners:
- Virgin Australia: Velocity
- Singapore Airlines: Krisflyer
- Malaysia Airlines: Enrich
- Virgin Atlantic: Flying Club
- Cathay Pacific: Asia Miles
- Starwood Hotels: Preferred Guest
- Air New Zealand: Koru
- Etihad Airways: Guest
- Thai Airways: Royal Orchid Plus
- Emirates: Skywards
- Hilton: Hilton Honors
This gives you perfect flexibility when it comes to redeeming points for flights since you are not stuck with one single alliance or airline.
American Free Flight (Available with VA Platinum Amex)
The Velocity Platinum Amex card still comes with a free flight where as the edge now gets a $200 travel credit. The flight is operated by Virgin Australia and includes checked baggage. It’s also not tied to you, so if you do not plan to take up the flight you are free to “gift” or sell it to anyone. You will still have to make the booking on their behalf and make sure to check flight availability first. You can do this by calling the number on the back of your card. Another way to “predict” the flight availability before calling up is by checking the Virgin Australia website and seeing if the saver and saver light fares are still bookable. The free flights must be between two points shown on this map. This pretty much covers all the popular routes within Australia, and the best value for using this flight is, by far, the hop from east to west or vice versa, where the value easily adds up. To apply for the Velocity Amex Platinum card with a free flight and 100,000 bonus points, click here to learn more.
Other Benefits Amex Platinum Edge Offers
- Overseas Medical Emergency Expenses Cover
- Travel Cancellation Cover
- Baggage, Money, and Documentation Cover
- Personal Liability Cover
- Travel Inconvenience Cover
This is a pretty standard list of benefits you’d find with most Platinum-style credit cards, and you should always check the terms and conditions before fully relying on these extras, especially when you travel.
To sign up with to the Amex Platinum Edge and receive the $200 travel credit, you can click here. You will be directed to the American Express website where you can apply for the card directly.
American Express Platinum Edge Lounge Access
The Amex Platinum edge does not get you in the new American Express lounge in Sydney Airport T1. To gain access you might have to look at some of the other cards on offer, once of which is the American Express Platinum Reserve. However once you’re on your way flying business or first, the Amex lounge doesn’t compare to the Qantas Business or Air New Zealand Koru Club. If you really want access to this lounge I would recommend waiting until one of the general banks have a “free” sign up on one of their signature cards such as ANZ Black or Westpac Altitude Black & Earth Black.
For all you visitors from New Zealand looking for an amazing points earn card you can head over to our friends at Point Hacks NZ since they’ve written up a nice article about the American Express Platinum Edge NZ Edition.
Last updated: July 12th, 2017