Easy Way to Get a 150K Bonus on the Amex Platinum Card via Referrals

The Platinum Card® from American Express is one of the best all-around travel cards out there, with unbeatable lounge access and a ton of other great perks that can easily outweigh its hefty annual fee. A new, easy path to earn a huge welcome bonus makes it even better.

Unlike the usual credit card links you see on travel sites, this one is only available through personal referral links you can get from friends or family members (or from us – keep reading). But it's a doozy: You can earn currently 150,000 American Express Membership Rewards points after spending $8,000 in the first six months of card membership.

That easily trumps the standard 80,000-point bonus for the same spending requirement. And if you want to get that higher offer, you'll likely need to open the link in an incognito or private browser.

Many travelers hope to get targeted for the 150,000-point offer available via CardMatch, but the reality is that few actually do. That makes this offer the biggest and easiest way to earn 150,000 Membership Rewards points from the Platinum Card.

Click here to apply for this targeted referral offer. We'd encourage any traveler who's been considering the Amex Platinum Card to apply sooner rather than later. Again, you might need to open it in an incognito window in order to pull up the 150,000-point offer, or even try a different device.

Just remember: Credit cards are serious business. Sure, a 150,000-point bonus sounds great … but those points aren't worth a dime if it means you're digging yourself into debt to earn them. If you can't afford to pay off every dollar you charge to your card to earn these points, it's not worth it.

All information about The Platinum Card® from American Express has been collected independently by Thrifty Traveler and has not been reviewed by the issuer.

 

 

Related reading: A Full Review of the Platinum Card from American Express

We've seen these eye-popping 150,000-point bonuses via referrals a few times over the last year on the Platinum Card. It follows suit with some 90,000-point targeted referral offers that come and go on the Amex Gold Card.

But it's an insanely lucrative offer for new cardholders … and there's still something in it for the person referring the card, too. By having a friend or family member apply for the Platinum card through your referral link, you'll get 15,000 Membership Rewards points as well.

These personal referral bonuses through Amex are typically capped at 55,000 bonus points a year. That means you could max out this bonus with only four referrals to friends or family members.

Unfortunately, these referral offers are targeted so not every current cardholder will have this 150,000-point offer to send to new applicants – some may have the standard 80,000-point or even a 100,000-point bonus available. If you've already got the Amex Platinum Card and want to check, you can head to the American Express Refer a Friend homepage to see if you have the offer.

Read more: 10 Amazing Ways to Redeem Amex Membership Rewards Points

 

How to Check for the 150K Referral Offer

Just because you have the Platinum Card® from American Express doesn't mean you will have this offer.

Of the Thrifty Traveler staff members who hold the Platinum Card, just a pair of us had a 150,000-point referral link available.

To see if you are eligible, head to the American Express Refer a Friend Homepage and log in to your Amex account. If you have more than one American Express card, make sure you select your Amex Platinum Card. If you don't have this offer, you'll see the standard 80,000-point offer that is also available through all of the public channels.

If you have the offer, you'll be able to refer as many friends and family members as you would like. However, you'll only get a max of 55,000 Amex points for doing so – you'll get 15,000 points for your first three successful referrals, and another 10,000 for your fourth referral.

But be warned: Starting back in 2018, American Express started treating points earned from referral bonuses as taxable income. For tax purposes, Amex values each point earned at one cent each. So earning 55,000 points from referrals means you are going to get a 1099 tax form for $550 early next year.

 

 

Don't have the American Express Platinum yet? You can use our personal referral link to pull up the 150,000-point offer. You may need to open the link in an incognito or private web browser.

This is truly one of the best offers we have ever seen on this card – and the best way to get the Amex Platinum Card if you're in the market for it. And it isn't particularly close.

 

Bottom Line

American Express is out once again with a massive targeted referral offer on the Amex Platinum Card to earn 150,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $8,000 in the first six months of card membership.

If you have the Platinum Card already and have this referral offer, you'll also get 15,000 for each successful approval (up to 55,000 points a year).

This is truly an incredible offer for both the referrer and whichever friend or family member may benefit. If you don't yet have the Amex Platinum Card, you can use our personal referral link here to earn a welcome bonus of 150,000 points!

 

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