American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card VS American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card
Fees & Charges
Rewards & Benefits
Travel & Lifestyle
Security & Other
American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card
American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card
Who is it for?
Who is it for?
Pros
Key benefits and features.
High-value reward points: Membership Rewards points never expire and offer excellent value when transferred to travel partners like Marriott Bonvoy.
Generous monthly milestones: Cardholders can earn up to 2,000 bonus MR points monthly by meeting specific spend and usage criteria.
Flexible redemption options: Points can be redeemed for premium vouchers from the Gold Collection or transferred to various loyalty programs.
Spend-based fee waiver: The annual renewal fee can be fully waived by achieving a reasonable annual spending threshold of ₹1.5 Lakhs.
Strong customer support: Benefits from American Express's renowned 24/7 customer assistance and dispute resolution services.
Pros
Key benefits and features.
Attractive milestone benefits, including substantial bonus MR points and Taj vouchers.
Provides 8 complimentary domestic airport lounge accesses per year (2 per quarter).
Complimentary Priority Pass membership with annual fee waived for international travel.
Membership Rewards points do not expire as long as the card remains active.
Offers up to 20% discount at select dining establishments and food delivery deals.
Cons
Key drawbacks and limitations.
Limited points earning: Points are not earned on essential categories like fuel, insurance, and utilities, reducing overall rewards.
High foreign currency markup: A 3.5% markup plus service tax makes international transactions expensive compared to other cards.
No complimentary lounge access: The card does not offer any domestic or international airport lounge access, a common perk on similar cards.
High renewal fee: The annual fee of ₹4,500 plus taxes is substantial if the spend-based waiver criteria are not met.
Specific EMI exclusions: Points are not earned on EMIs selected at merchant websites or terminals, only on Amex SafeKey/post-purchase conversions.
Cons
Key drawbacks and limitations.
No complimentary international airport lounge access; Priority Pass visits are chargeable.
High foreign currency markup fee of 3.5% on international transactions.
Annual fee is not automatically waived based on spending; retention offers are discretionary.
Reward point value is lower for shopping vouchers or cash credit compared to travel.
Acceptance can be an issue at smaller merchants outside premium establishments.