The Platinum Card from American Express vs United Club Card
Annual fees: The Platinum Card from American Express $895/yr, United Club Card $695/yr. Strongest bonus categories: The Platinum Card from American Express on hotels, United Club Card on hotels.
Card data as of October 12, 2026.
- The Platinum Card from American Express
American Express · $895/yr
United Club CardChase · $695/yr
Overview
- Annual fee
- The Platinum Card from American Express$895United Club Card$695Lowest
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- The Platinum Card from American ExpressAs high as 175,000 points — offers varyUnited Club CardUp to 100,000 miles
- Rewards
- The Platinum Card from American ExpressAmerican Express Membership RewardsUnited Club CardUnited MileagePlus
- Foreign transaction fee
- The Platinum Card from American ExpressNoneUnited Club CardNone
- Network
- The Platinum Card from American ExpressAmerican ExpressUnited Club CardVisa Infinite
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
- Flights
- The Platinum Card from American Express5xHighestUnited Club Card1x
- Dining
- The Platinum Card from American Express1xUnited Club Card2xHighest
- Hotels
- The Platinum Card from American Express1xUnited Club Card2xHighest
- Ridesharing
- The Platinum Card from American Express1xUnited Club Card2xHighest
- Transit
- The Platinum Card from American Express1xUnited Club Card2xHighest
- Travel
- The Platinum Card from American Express1xUnited Club Card2xHighest
- Everything else
- The Platinum Card from American Express1xUnited Club Card1x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Travel
- The Platinum Card from American Express
- $600 hotel credit
- $219 CLEAR Plus credit
- $200 airline credit
- $120 Global Entry or up to $85 TSA PreCheck / 4 years · $120 every 4 years
United Club Card- $200 Renowned Hotels
- $100 Avis/Budget travel
- $200/yr JSX flights
- $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck
- 25% United inflight purchases · $25 per transaction
- Rideshare & transit
- The Platinum Card from American Express
- $200 Uber Cash
- $120 Uber One credit
United Club Card- $150/yr rideshare · $13 monthly
- Dining & delivery
- The Platinum Card from American Express
- $400 Resy credit
United Club Card- $20/mo Instacart+ · $20 monthly
- Entertainment & streaming
- The Platinum Card from American Express
- $300 streaming credit
United Club Card— - Shopping & wellness
- The Platinum Card from American Express
- $300 Equinox credit
- $300 Lululemon credit
- $200 Oura Ring credit
- $155 Walmart+ credit
United Club Card—
Perks & access— means none on record
- Lounges
- The Platinum Card from American Express
- Airspace Lounge access at US airports with 2 guests
- 26 Centurion Lounges worldwide with premium dining
- 10 Delta Sky Club visits per year when flying Delta
- Escape Lounge access at US airports with food and beverages
- International Amex Lounges at select global airports
- Global Lounge Collection with 1,550+ airport lounges
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- Lufthansa Business Lounge access on Lufthansa Group
- Plaza Premium Lounge access at airports with Global Lounge
- Priority Pass Select with 1,300+ lounges globally
United Club Card- United Club membership with guest access
- Hotel status & programs
- The Platinum Card from American Express
- Hilton Gold with 80% bonus points and breakfast
- Leaders Club Sterling Status at Leading Hotels
- Marriott Gold with 25% bonus points and upgrades
- Fine Hotels + Resorts: $100 credits and upgrades
- Hotel Collection access with room upgrades and credits
United Club Card- IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status
- Airline perks
- The Platinum Card from American Express
- International Airline Program 5-40% off premium cabins
United Club Card- Earn up to 20,000-miles in award flight discounts each year
- Premier Access priority boarding and security lanes
- Free first and second checked bags for you plus companion
- Premier upgrades on award tickets
- Car rental
- The Platinum Card from American Express
- Elite status with Hertz, National, Avis for upgrades
United Club Card- Avis President's Club®
- Other perks
- The Platinum Card from American Express
- Amex Offers
- 24/7 premium travel assistance with medical transport
- Premium Events Collection™
- Early access to concerts and events
- 24/7 Platinum Concierge for travel and lifestyle help
- Free expedited card replacement in 24-48 hours worldwide
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- Entertainment access with exclusive presales and VIP events
- No foreign transaction fees on international purchases save
- Roadside assistance with up to 4 service calls per year
- Platinum Nights by Resy
- Platinum Travel Service
United Club Card- 10% or more off United awards
- MileagePlus miles don't expire
- United Card Events from Chase and United MileagePlus Events
- Earn up to 28,000 Premier® qualifying points (PQP)
- No foreign transaction fees
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Trip insurance
- The Platinum Card from American Express
- $10,000 trip cancellation coverage per covered trip
- $500 trip delay Cover for delays exceeding 6 hours
United Club Card- Trip cancellation coverage up to $10,000 per traveler
- Trip delay coverage up to $500 after 12 hours
- Baggage
- The Platinum Card from American Express
- $3,000 baggage insurance for lost or damaged bags
United Club Card- Baggage delay coverage $100/day up to 3 days
- Lost baggage coverage up to $3,000 per traveler
- Rental car
- The Platinum Card from American Express
- $100,000 primary rental car coverage for $20-$25/rental
- $75,000 car rental loss and damage insurance
United Club Card- Primary car rental insurance up to $60,000
- Purchase & returns
- The Platinum Card from American Express
- $10,000 purchase Cover against theft and damage for 90 days
- $300 return Cover when merchants won't accept returns within
United Club Card- Return Protection · up to $500
- Purchase protection up to $10,000 per item for 120 days
- Extended warranty
- The Platinum Card from American Express
- Extended warranty adds 1 year to warranties under 5 years
United Club Card- Extended warranty adds 1 year to manufacturer warranty
- Cell phone
- The Platinum Card from American Express
- $800 cell phone protection with $50 deductible
United Club Card— - Other protections
- The Platinum Card from American Express
- Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges
- Global Assist Hotline with 24/7 emergency help traveling
United Club Card—
Pros & cons
- Pros
- The Platinum Card from American Express
- Access to 9 lounge networks including exclusive Centurion Lounges with 2 guests free
- $200/year Uber Cash plus a $120 Uber One membership credit
- $400/year Resy dining credit at select restaurants
- Automatic Marriott Gold and Hilton Gold status with room upgrades and breakfast
- 5X points on flights booked direct or via Amex Travel
United Club Card- Full United Club membership included ($750/year value) with 1 adult guest
- Highest PQP earning: 1 PQP per $15 spent, 28,000 annual cap, plus 1,500 bonus PQPs
- Two free checked bags for cardholder plus companion
- 5x miles on United purchases (highest among United cards)
- Save 10% or more when booking flights with miles
- Cons
- The Platinum Card from American Express
- $895 annual fee requires significant credit utilization to break even
- Many credits require specific merchants (Resy, Equinox, lululemon, Oura)
- Only 1X points on non-travel purchases limits everyday earning
- Secondary car rental coverage unless paying $24.95/rental for primary
- $195 authorized user fee after first 3 free cards
United Club Card- $695 annual fee is the highest among United cards
- United Club access only useful at airports with United presence
- Guest policy limited to 1 adult (plus children under 18)
- Renowned Hotels credit requires booking through specific portal
- No direct TravelBank credit like Quest card offers
Category-by-Category Winner
The United Club Card wins in 4 of 4 categories. The The Platinum Card from American Express leads in 0. 1 more category depend on booking channel or caps.
Flights
Depends: via AmexTravel; up to $500,000/yr
The Platinum Card from American Express earns 5X when conditions are met; United Club Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Travel
United Club Card earns 2X vs 1X
Dining
United Club Card earns 2X vs 1X
Ridesharing
United Club Card earns 2X vs 1X
Transit
United Club Card earns 2X vs 1X
Year One vs Ongoing Value
Modeled net value (bonus categories at unconditional rates, caps applied). Spend mix: dining 15%, groceries 15%, gas 10%, travel 10%, everything else 50%. Statement credits use the same recurring usable estimates as each card's detail page; first-year-only credits count in year one only. Welcome offers valued at each card's program rate shown on this page.
Close — depends on how much of the credits you use
| Scenario | The Platinum Card from American Express | United Club Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $180 Credits (our usable estimate): $1,356 − Annual fee ($895) Ongoing: $641 Year one: $641 | Rewards: $180 Credits (our usable estimate): $440 − Annual fee ($695) Ongoing: -$75 Year one: $1,005 | The Platinum Card from American Express | Close — depends on how much of the credits you use |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $720 Credits (our usable estimate): $1,356 − Annual fee ($895) Ongoing: $1,181 Year one: $1,181 | Rewards: $720 Credits (our usable estimate): $440 − Annual fee ($695) Ongoing: $465 Year one: $1,545 | The Platinum Card from American Express | Close — depends on how much of the credits you use |
Is the Fee Difference Worth It?
The The Platinum Card from American Express costs $895/yr — that's $200 more than the United Club Card ($695/yr). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $200 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.
The The Platinum Card from American Express includes travel credits, dining credits, lounge access, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit, complimentary hotel status. Those perks are not included in the earn-rate scenario table above — compare their dollar value to the $200 fee gap for your own usage.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $200 fee gap means the The Platinum Card from American Express needs roughly $200 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on hotels and flights and everyday spend.
What You Give Up
Choosing one card means missing out on these benefits from the other.
Choosing The Platinum Card from American Express means losing:
- -Free checked bags
Which Card Is Right for You?
Get the United Club Card if you:
- +Spend $300+/month on restaurants and dining out
The Bottom Line
Close — depends on how much of the credits you use
Published annual fees: The Platinum Card from American Express $895/yr, United Club Card $695/yr — a $200 difference before welcome offers and credits.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the The Platinum Card from American Express worth the higher annual fee?
- The The Platinum Card from American Express costs $895/yr vs $695/yr for the United Club Card. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $200 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use (the The Platinum Card from American Express also lists lounge access, travel credits, dining credits).
- Which card earns more rewards, the The Platinum Card from American Express or United Club Card?
- Both cards earn 1X on everyday purchases. The difference is in bonus categories — check the earn rate comparison above for a full breakdown.
- What benefits does the The Platinum Card from American Express have that the United Club Card doesn't?
- The The Platinum Card from American Express offers lounge access, travel credits, dining credits, cell phone protection. The United Club Card offers lounge access, travel credits.
- Should I get the The Platinum Card from American Express or the United Club Card?
- Use the spend scenarios on this page: the United Club Card has a lower $695/yr fee; the The Platinum Card from American Express must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $895/yr.
Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; catalog last published October 12, 2026, and each card page shows when its terms were last checked. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.