Sometimes, you get an offer you just can’t refuse — even if it means letting go of one of your favorite cards.
That’s what happened to me a few weeks ago as I scoured the internet for a high welcome offer on the refreshed American Express Platinum Card®. Everything about the card’s new benefits excited me — from its lucrative Resy credit to an enhanced digital entertainment credit and expansive airport lounge access.
The Amex Platinum’s welcome offer is targeted and personalized. New cardmembers can find out their offer and see if they may be eligible for as high as 175,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for one.
I had been a happy American Express® Gold Card member for a while and wasn’t looking to upgrade or product change.
However, when I compared my highest personalized Platinum offer (80,000 Membership Rewards points for $8,000 in spending within six months of card membership) to the offer I’d get for upgrading my Gold (125,000 points for $6,000 in spending within six months of upgrading), it was clear that the upgrade route provided much more value.
Here’s why I recommend checking out your upgrade offers if you’re considering a new travel card.
My Amex Platinum welcome offers
It took multiple tries across a few days to find an Amex Platinum offer that excited me.
This is because Amex limits cardmembers to one bonus per lifetime on its cards, so the stakes were high to find a good one. I had my fingers crossed for a top-tier 175,000-point bonus, but I would’ve been happy with anything worth 100,000 points or more.
Unfortunately for me, I ran into some pretty bland offers.
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One of the most insulting bonuses popped up when I went through a preapproval tool. I was offered the chance to earn just 50,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on the card within six months of card membership.
Sure, it was nice to know I was approved. But 50,000 points? That’s pretty insulting, especially since the publicly available offer on the Amex Gold Card already in my wallet offers new applicants to find out their offer and see if they are eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Come on, Amex.
I tried out a few methods to get a higher Amex Platinum offer, including incognito windows in Google Chrome, using different browsers and checking across multiple days. The best I could get was the chance to earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on the card within six months of card membership.
Still, that wasn’t anything special. In fact, it was the old public offer from the time before Amex rolled out its personalized bonus feature in June 2025.
After days of searching for an offer that wowed me, I thought I’d have to throw in the towel.
But to my surprise, the best option for growing my Membership Rewards balance was already in my account.
Related: New benefits, more value: Why I’m more excited than ever to be an Amex Platinum Card member
Check your Amex account
I logged in to my Amex Gold account and found a Platinum Card bonus that I couldn’t resist.
Turns out, the offer lived on my homepage — I only had to scroll past my most recent transactions to find it. I was targeted for an upgrade offer to earn 125,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.
Bingo.
Not only did it eclipse the 100,000-point goal I’d set for my bonus, but it came in at a lower spending threshold — $6,000 in six months rather than $8,000 in the same time frame.
Did I want to say goodbye to my Amex Gold? Not necessarily, but I can always apply for it again later (though I won’t be eligible for a welcome bonus). However, I really wanted to try out Platinum Card membership, and this offer was the final push I needed to make the decision.
I certainly didn’t embark on my Platinum bonus journey expecting to upgrade my Gold Card, but I hadn’t found anything remotely close to 125,000 points when I tried to apply outright.
Related: Shiny, bright thing: Why I got the fancy, new mirrored Amex Platinum Card and how you can, too
Bottom line
Upgrading a card already in your wallet isn’t guaranteed to provide the best bonus every time — and I wasn’t expecting it to be the best method for me on my hunt to open the Amex Platinum Card.
I’m loving Platinum Card membership, and I’ve already earned my high welcome bonus. Now, I’m daydreaming about what I’ll do with 125,000 Membership Rewards points.
If you’re considering the Amex Platinum and already have an Amex card, it’s worth checking your account to see if you qualify for a surprisingly high upgrade offer, too. You may find more than 100,000 points just waiting for you.
Apply here: American Express Platinum Card