M16S / American Express / Amex Platinum Travel Credit Card
premium · rewards, travel
Amex Platinum Travel Credit Card
The Amex Platinum Travel Credit Card costs Rs 5,000 a year. Its base return is 0.8% (1 MR per Rs 50). Accelerated earn: Up to 3 MR per Rs 50 on ShopWise e-vouchers (200+ brands). The forex markup is 3.5%. Lounge visits in India: 2 per calendar quarter at listed domestic lounges, spend-gated from 1 Oct 2026. Read from the issuer's documents and an aggregator on 11 Oct 2026.
- Annual fee
- Rs 5,000+ GST
- Fee waived at
- —
- Base return
- 0.8%
- Forex markup
- 3.5%
- Interest
- 3.5%a month
What changed on this card
- American Express India ends Membership Rewards pooling across cards, Nov 2026
From 15 November 2026 Membership Rewards points are kept separately for each Basic Card, and transfers of points from one Card to another are discontinued. Earn rates and redemption options stay the same. Source: American Express, americanexpress.com, read 28 Oct 2026
- American Express India counts spend milestones by posting date from Nov 2026
Monthly spend milestones are assessed on the date a transaction posts to the Card, not the purchase date. The benefit is credited by the end of the month in which the milestone is met. Transactions posted before 14 November 2026 follow the old structure. Source: American Express, americanexpress.com, read 28 Oct 2026
- American Express India stops issuing new Account Cards, Nov 2026
Effective 15 November 2026 new Account Cards are no longer available. Requests were open until 27 October 2026, and existing Account Cards keep working. Source: American Express, americanexpress.com, read 28 Oct 2026
- Amex India changes Membership Rewards and late fees from 15 Nov 2026
From 15 November 2026, Amex India keeps points separately per card, pauses points when a payment is overdue, ends the MRCC 50% fee waiver and bases late fees on the total due.
- American Express India pauses new supplementary cards from 27 Oct 2026
New supplementary Card applications are paused from 27 October 2026. Applications started earlier are processed until 3 November 2026. Source: American Express, americanexpress.com, read 28 Oct 2026
- American Express Platinum Travel adds spend condition to lounge visits, Oct 2026
From 1 October 2026 the card gives 2 complimentary domestic lounge visits per calendar quarter after eligible spend in the preceding quarter: Rs 70,000 in Q3 2026 for Q4 visits, then Rs 1 lakh per quarter. Source: American Express, americanexpress.com, read 28 Oct 2026
- American Express India ends Reward Multiplier on 30 Sep 2026
The Reward Multiplier program is discontinued from 30 September 2026. Accelerated Membership Rewards points continue on eligible e-voucher purchases through ShopWise. Source: American Express, americanexpress.com, read 28 Oct 2026
- American Express India launches ShopWise bonus points, Feb 2026
ShopWise, an e-voucher platform, launched on 1 February 2026 and credits Bonus Membership Rewards points on eligible purchases. Bonus points are capped at 25,000 per month. Source: American Express, americanexpress.com, read 28 Oct 2026
Each change is read from the bank's own notice or terms document, linked above. Every card's changes are on the change log.
Fees
| Joining fee | Rs 5,000 |
|---|---|
| Annual fee | Rs 5,000 |
| Fee notes | Rs 5,000 + GST first year and renewal; no published spend waiver. Up to 2 supplementary cards free, Rs 1,500 each after. |
Rewards
| Welcome benefit | 10,000 MR points on paying the annual fee and spending Rs 15,000 within 90 days (first year only) |
|---|---|
| Reward currency | Membership Rewards points |
| Base earn | 1 MR per Rs 50 |
| Base return | 0.8% |
| Point value | Platinum Travel Collection: Taj voucher Rs 5,000 for 12,500 MR or Rs 10,000 for 25,000 MR (Rs 0.40); Postcard Hotels Rs 10,000 for 20,000 MR (Rs 0.50); Air India Rs 6,000 for 20,000 MR (Rs 0.30) |
| Accelerated earn | Up to 3 MR per Rs 50 on ShopWise e-vouchers (200+ brands) |
| Caps | ShopWise bonus MR capped at 25,000 per month; Amazon vouchers limited to Rs 20,000 per month per account |
| Spends that earn nothing | Fuel, insurance, utilities (electricity, water, gas), cash transactions, EMI conversion at point of sale |
| Points expiry | No expiry while the card is active and in good standing; forfeited within 30 days of cancellation |
| Milestone benefits | Rs 4 lakh spend in a membership year: 10,000 bonus MR. Rs 7 lakh spend: Taj / SeleQtions / Vivanta voucher worth Rs 20,000. |
| Reward notes | base_return_pct = 1 MR per Rs 50 x Rs 0.40 (Taj voucher in Platinum Travel Collection) = 0.8%. With milestones: Rs 4 lakh spend earns 8,000 base + 10,000 bonus MR, about 1.8% at Rs 0.40; Rs 7 lakh spend adds a Rs 20,000 Taj voucher. Milestones were cut twice in 2026 (9 Mar and 10 Sep per aggregator); the old Rs 1.9 lakh tier no longer pays. |
Transfers
| Partnersunverified | Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, British Airways Executive Club (Avios), Qatar Airways Privilege Club, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer |
|---|---|
| Ratiounverified | Marriott 1:1; Hilton 1,000 MR : 1,500; Virgin Atlantic 800 MR : 640; Asia Miles, British Airways, Qatar, KrisFlyer 2 MR : 1 mile (enthusiast pages, Aug-Sep 2026) |
Travel and perks
| Domestic lounge | 2 per calendar quarter at listed domestic lounges, spend-gated from 1 Oct 2026 |
|---|---|
| International lounge | Priority Pass membership free (US$99 fee waived) but every visit is charged at the prevailing rate |
| Lounge conditions | From 1 Oct 2026 domestic visits need eligible spend in the preceding quarter: Rs 70,000 in Q3 2026 for Q4 2026 visits; Rs 1 lakh per quarter from Q4 2026 for visits from Q1 2027. |
| Forex markup | 3.5% |
| Fuel surcharge waiver | HPCL: 0% convenience fee below Rs 5,000, 1% at Rs 5,000 and above. BPCL/IOCL 1% (min Rs 10). Other oil companies 2.5% (min Rs 10). |
| Other freebies | Up to 20% off dining at select restaurants; zero lost card liability if reported within 3 working days |
Charges and eligibility
| Interest per month | 3.5% |
|---|---|
| Late payment fee | 30% of minimum amount due, min Rs 500, max Rs 1,000 |
| Cash advance fee | 3.5% min Rs 250 (cash withdrawal temporarily suspended in India) |
| Eligibility | Age 18+, personal annual income Rs 6 lakh+ (salaried or self-employed; self-employed 12+ months trading), resident in a serviced city |
| Fine-print notes | New applications temporarily paused per Amex India site (read 11 Oct 2026). Eligible spend for milestones excludes cash advances, express cash, drafts, balance transfers and fees. Milestone eligibility moves to posting date and month-end crediting from 15 Nov 2026 (aggregator). |
Questions
- What is the annual fee of the Amex Platinum Travel Credit Card?
- Rs 5,000 a year, before GST.
- Does the Amex Platinum Travel Credit Card give airport lounge access?
- Yes. In India: 2 per calendar quarter at listed domestic lounges, spend-gated from 1 Oct 2026. Outside India: Priority Pass membership free (US$99 fee waived) but every visit is charged at the prevailing rate. Conditions: From 1 Oct 2026 domestic visits need eligible spend in the preceding quarter: Rs 70,000 in Q3 2026 for Q4 2026 visits; Rs 1 lakh per quarter from Q4 2026 for visits from Q1 2027.
- What is the forex markup on the Amex Platinum Travel Credit Card?
- 3.5% of each foreign-currency transaction, before GST.
- Which spends earn no rewards on the Amex Platinum Travel Credit Card?
- Fuel, insurance, utilities (electricity, water, gas), cash transactions, EMI conversion at point of sale