- Major 2025 Refresh: American Express hiked the Platinum Card’s annual fee from $695 to $895 (effective Sept 2025 for new applicants) and rolled out new perks like a $400 annual Resy dining credit and $300 in Lululemon credits to justify the increase thepointsguy.com nerdwallet.com. Existing cardholders won’t be charged $895 until renewals after Jan 2026 thepointsguy.com. This is the Platinum’s first fee hike since 2021’s jump from $550 to $695 1 .
- Huge Perks Value (If You Use Them): Amex claims cardmembers “can unlock $3,500+ in annual value” with the refreshed Platinum investopedia.com. That includes at least $850 worth of lounge access (Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs, Priority Pass, etc.) and $600 in hotel credits (now $300 every six months for prepaid luxury hotel bookings) investopedia.com. The card still offers a stack of travel and lifestyle credits – from up to $200 in airline fee rebates to $200 in Uber rides/Uber Eats credits and elite hotel statuses (Hilton & Marriott Gold) – which can offset the hefty fee if you maximize them thepointsguy.com 2 .
- Premium Travel Rewards & Features: Earn 5X Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines (or via Amex Travel) and on prepaid hotels booked through Amex, and 1X point on other purchases thepointsguy.com. Points are highly flexible, transferable to 20+ airline and hotel partners for potentially outsized value. The Platinum shines in travel luxury: it grants access to 1,500+ airport lounges worldwide (the broadest lounge network of any card) nerdwallet.com, top-tier travel protections (trip delay/cancellation insurance, baggage insurance, rental car status/coverage), and perks like Fine Hotels & Resorts benefits (hotel upgrades, free breakfast, late checkout) at luxury properties. Cardholders also get annual credits for Global Entry/TSA PreCheckfees and elite status with rental car agencies and even Walmart+ membership credits 3 .
- “Bougie Coupon Book” Drawbacks: The Platinum Card is often dubbed a “bougie coupon book” of perks nerdwallet.com – amazing only if you’ll actually use them. At $895/year (plus $195 per authorized user) thepointsguy.com, it’s one of the priciest cards on the market. Many benefits require activation or have narrow redemption windows (e.g. credits parceled out monthly or quarterly, specific partner merchants) thepointsguy.com thepointsguy.com. Everyday spending rewards are underwhelming for such a premium card – non-travel purchases earn just 1X point thepointsguy.com, so this is not a great daily driver for rewards on groceries or dining. You’ll likely need a companion card (like Amex Gold for groceries/dining) to maximize points earning thepointsguy.com. Bottom line: if you can’t reliably use a large share of the credits and travel perks, the Platinum’s cost is hard to justify. As The Points Guy puts it, “this refresh is credits-heavy — and while that can be lucrative, it also adds friction… if you don’t plan for them.” 4
- 2025 New Perks in Detail: The September 2025 refresh added or enhanced a slew of benefits. Key new credits for personal Platinum include: $400/year in dining credits via Resy (up to $100 quarterly at 10,000+ Resy network restaurants) nerdwallet.com nerdwallet.com, $300/year at Lululemon workout apparel (up to $75 quarterly) 5
Amex Platinum’s $895 Shake-Up: Luxe Perks Galore – But Is It Still King of Premium Cards in 2025?
Stock Market Today
Suzhou TFC Optical (300394.SZ) stock: 3 signals to watch before China’s short, pre-holiday week
Suzhou TFC Optical closed up 0.4% at 252.97 yuan Friday after heavy trading and sharp swings, ranking as the No. 2 most-traded Shenzhen stock via Stock Connect. Margin financing and securities lending fell, with net margin selling of 419 million yuan. Shanghai and Shenzhen markets will close Feb. 16–23 for the Spring Festival. The company expects 2025 net profit to rise 40–60% year-on-year.
GigaDevice Semiconductor stock price: What to watch for 603986 A-shares as memory crunch bites
GigaDevice Semiconductor’s Class A shares closed at 276.17 yuan in Shanghai, down 0.6% Friday. The company faces a Feb. 11 shareholder vote on related-party transaction limits and an overseas auditor. Investors are watching for fallout from the global memory-chip shortage, which has pushed prices higher across the supply chain. GigaDevice’s shares have nearly doubled over the past year.
Astera Labs (ALAB) stock closes near $170 after 19% jump as earnings week looms
Astera Labs shares jumped 18.9% to $169.85 Friday, trading as high as $170.01 on volume of 7.3 million. The move followed Amazon’s AI spending forecast and a nearly 6% gain in the PHLX Semiconductor Index. Astera reports fourth-quarter results Tuesday after market close, with revenue guidance at $245–$253 million.
Sungrow Power Supply (300274.SZ) A-shares: Monday watch after “commercial space” denial
Sungrow closed at 144.50 yuan, down 1.03%, after stating it has no plans in the commercial space sector. Mainland China trading resumes Monday, with Spring Festival closures set for Feb. 15–23. Major funds were net sellers of 5.46 billion yuan on Feb. 6. The Shenzhen-listed solar firm remains under scrutiny as investors await further filings before the holiday.
