Check to see if you’re targeted for 150k or 125k Amex Platinum offer, 75k Amex Gold offer via CardMatch
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Editor’s note: This post has been updated to reflect the most recent CardMatch offers.
Check the CardMatch tool to see if you’re targeted for an up-to-150,000-point Platinum Card® from American Express or 75,000-point American Express® Gold Card offer. These offers are subject to change at any time.
While there are some truly excellent and best-ever credit card bonuses available right now, sometimes the most lucrative offers are reserved for targeted individuals. One of the best places to look for these elevated targeted offers is by using the CardMatch tool, where you might find introductory bonuses that are much higher than those posted elsewhere. Here are two to look out for right now.
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Top CardMatch offers
If you haven’t visited the CardMatch site recently, now’s an excellent time to check your CardMatch offers. There are great offers available on two of Amex’s top cards, including the American Express® Gold Card and the perennial favorite, The Platinum Card® from American Express.
Amex Platinum 150,000- or 125,000-point offers
The first (and most incredible) of these offers is up to 150,000 points with the Amex Platinum Card ($695 annual fee, see rates and fees) after you spend $6,000 on purchases within your first six months of card membership. Plus, you can earn 10 points per dollar on up to $25,000 in combined spending at restaurants worldwide and when you “Shop Small” in the U.S. with your card during the first six months.
Based on TPG point valuations, the 150,000 Amex Membership Rewards points bonus is worth a staggering $3,000!
While that’s certainly the bonus you should hope to see appear in your CardMatch results, you might alternatively be targeted for a still-great 125,000-point offer with the same minimum spending requirement.
Either one of these astronomical bonus numbers is worth getting in on as the highest publicly available welcome offer for the card is 100,000 points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months plus 10 points per dollar on up to $25,000 in combined spending at restaurants worldwide and when you “Shop Small” in the U.S. during the first six months.
These particular welcome offers also make the Amex Platinum the best card for dining at the moment since, by TPG valuations, earning 10 Membership Rewards points per dollar is the same as getting a 20% return on your restaurant spending.
Amex Gold 75,000-point offer
There’s also a targeted welcome offer on the American Express Gold Card ($250 annual fee, see rates and fees) available for some through the CardMatch tool.
New cardmembers can earn 75,000 points after spending $4,000 on eligible purchases in the first six months of account opening. What’s more, if you’re targeted for this offer, you’ll have the option of the traditional Gold option or the swanky Rose Gold version.
Cardmatch offers vs. public offers
All of these offers through CardMatch are significantly better than those publicly available for these cards. Here’s a snapshot for comparison:
- The Amex Platinum Card‘s public offer is 100,000 Membership Rewards Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in your first six months of card membership. That means you can get an additional 25,000-50,000 bonus points for the same spending requirements if you’re targeted for one of the CardMatch offers.
- Meanwhile, the public offer on the Amex Gold Card is 60,000 bonus points for making $4,000 in purchases in the first six months of account opening. So, you’ll get 15,000 extra bonus points if you’re targeted for the CardMatch welcome offer.
Note that all offers are subject to change at any time.
American Express welcome offers are also “not available to applicants who have or have had this product,” and that limitation is found on CardMatch offers as well. So if you had either of these cards in the past, you might be out of luck, even if you are targeted for these offers through CardMatch.
While there are some reports of being able to get a welcome offer for the same card many years after closing the account, this “once-per-lifetime” welcome offer limitation is an important restriction to keep in mind.
Finally, be sure to check your offer closely. Some potential cardholders have reported seeing different offers through the CardMatch tool than those reported here.
How to use CardMatch
CardMatch is straightforward to use, but those who haven’t tried the tool before might be curious about the process. Here are the simple steps to check your offers:
- Go to the CardMatch tool.
- Enter your first name, last name, home address, last four digits of your social security number and your email address.
- Click “Get matches.”
- Check the box to accept the terms and conditions and click “Submit.”
- After a 60-second or less search, your preapproved offers will appear.
Note that this process generates a “soft” credit inquiry on your credit report. This means that the inquiry will show up on your credit report, but will have no impact on your credit score — similar to if you checked your credit report through a free annual check or a paid service.
Related: How to check your credit score absolutely free
Other ways to get targeted offers
No one knows the exact criteria that banks, airlines and hotels use to target certain customers for elevated bonus offers, but many people may not realize their accounts are eligible.
You’ll want to make sure to go into your account settings for all of your cards and loyalty programs and opt in to marketing communications and emails, as this is often how targeted offers are communicated.
Opting in is just the first step, though. While no one likes wasting time reading through junk mail, it’s important to at least skim emails or snail mail sent from banks, airlines and hotels to see if they contain any elevated offers. Some targeted offers require you to apply with a unique invitation code or at a specific link, and if you throw away the letter containing that code, you might never be able to get it again.
Is the American Express Platinum Card worth it?
The Amex Platinum’s 150,000- or 125,000-point welcome bonus through CardMatch (along with the 10 points per dollar on eligible dining purchases) is, quite simply, spectacular.
Based on TPG’s current valuation of 2 cents per Membership Rewards point, the 150,000-point welcome bonus alone is worth $3,000. Once you learn to maximize the value of your Membership Rewards points, you can potentially get even more value than that.
Even without the sky-high welcome offer, the Platinum Card is one of the best cards available for frequent travelers.
On the spending side, you’ll earn 5 points per dollar on airfare purchased directly through the airline or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year) as well as 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels bookings made with American Express Travel.
The card rewards frequent Uber users with up to $200 per calendar year in Uber credits (only in the U.S.). You’ll get up to $200 in statement credits for airline fees on your selected airline and up to another $200 in annual statement credits toward prepaid hotel bookings made through Amex Travel, plus a slew of newly added benefits.
Then there are the lounges. Cardmembers are granted access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, including Amex’s own fantastic Centurion Lounges, and can use Priority Pass lounges, Airspace lounges, Escape lounges and Delta Sky Clubs (when traveling on same-day Delta flights).
The card has a $695 annual fee, but it can be well worth it if you utilize these perks to their full extent. Terms apply and enrollment is required for select benefits.
Related: Guide to lounge access with the Amex Platinum
Is the American Express Gold Card worth it?
The Amex Gold’s 75,000-point welcome bonus through CardMatch is also much better than the current public offer of just 60,000 points and is worth around $1,500 based on TPG’s valuations.
With a lower annual fee and more varied bonus earning categories, the Amex Gold is a bit more versatile than the Amex Platinum for ongoing everyday spending once you get past the 10-points-per-dollar bonus categories in the first six months with the current Amex Platinum offer.
With the Gold, you’ll earn 4 points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 spent in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar) and on dining at restaurants, plus 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel, then 1 point per dollar on other purchases.
You’re also getting a solid lineup of perks, including up to $120 in annual dining credits (broken down into an up-to-$10 monthly statement credit for eligible dining partners), $10 per month in Uber Cash credit (up to $120 Uber Cash annually) that you can use for U.S. Uber rides and Uber Eats orders, baggage insurance when you’re traveling and access to Amex Hotel Collection booking benefits. Just make sure you add the card to your Uber app to receive the Uber Cash benefit. Enrollment is required for select benefits.
The card does charge a $250 annual fee, but that is easily offset when you take full advantage of the card’s built-in perks. Terms apply.
Related: Maximizing the American Express Gold Card
Other CardMatch offers
There are several other offers currently available through CardMatch that might be of interest.
You may be able to score a $200 statement credit on the American Express Cash Magnet® Card for spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months through the CardMatch tool. The current publicly available offer for the American Express Cash Magnet Card is a $150 statement credit after meeting the same minimum spending requirements, so you’ll get another $50 if you are targeted for this special welcome offer.
We have also seen an elevated 45,000-point bonus offer (after meeting minimum spending requirements) available on the American Express® Green Card through CardMatch from time to time, so make sure to keep your eyes peeled for that. The public offer for the Amex Green is currently 30,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 in purchases in the first three months of account opening.
The information for the Amex Green Card and Amex Cash Magnet Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Other ways to find good welcome offers
Targeted offers can be a great way to get extra bonus points on a card you already planned to apply for, but they aren’t the only way to find a good deal. Banks will often extend limited-time elevated bonuses that are publicly available to anyone who wants to apply for them, so make sure to sign up for the TPG newsletter to stay on top of any deals like this.
You can also always check out our top cards page to see the best credit card offers that are currently available, or if you’re looking to plug a specific hole in your points and miles strategy, you may want to consider the following curated lists:
- Best credit cards for travel.
- Best credit cards for dining.
- Best credit cards for groceries.
- Best credit cards for everyday spending.
Be sure to check the CardMatch tool today to see what offers are available for you.
Additional reporting by Madison Blancaflor, Summer Hull and Eric Rosen.
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum Card, click here.
For rates and fees on the Amex Gold Card, click here.
Featured photo by John Gribben/The Points Guy.
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