When American Express first announced a metal Platinum card I wasn’t that excited. Metal credit cards were definitely interesting when first introduced years ago, but so were clear credit cards years and years ago. The form factor of a credit card doesn’t really matter to me. I care more about what the card actually does for me, what benefits I can gain from the card. In the case of the American Express Platinum card it’s the $200 airline of choice benefit, $200 Uber Credits, Priority Pass membership, and 5X points on airfare which make the card worth the now $550 annual fee. Cleary with the latest round of ‘enhancements’ American Express is going after market share lost to the Chase Sapphire Reserve. American Express obviously thought one way to compete in the market is to make the card metal.
Requesting The Metal American Express Platinum Card
On March 30, 2017 all new American Express Platinum card applicants automatically receive the metal Platinum card. Existing card holders need to contact American Express to request the metal card. I called on March 30th and the entire call lasted only a few minutes. The customer service representative told me the card would be delivered within a few business days. Unfortunately I have been out-of-town until today, but the card has been here waiting for me since early last week. UPS delivered the metal card just 3 business days after I called.
Unboxing The Metal Platinum Card
Since I’m an existing American Express Platinum card holder the card sent to me is simply a ‘replacement’ card which means I did not receive the full welcome kit shown in this video. Instead my card arrived in an envelope inside of a UPS envelope. When I opened the envelope I found the metal Platinum card and some literature regarding the most recent improvements to the card. As with all new cards there was a sticker on the front of the card with activation instructions.
My Impressions
As I mentioned before, I really don’t think metal credit cards are that “impressive.” Ever since Chase started making the Chase Sapphire series of cards metal, metal cards are somewhat commonplace. That being said I think American Express did a fantastic job with the Platinum card’s metal facelift. At face value the card looks nearly identical to the old Platinum card, but the front notably lacks your account number which moved to the back. The metal card has a matte silver finish that still shines in the light. Additionally, the card is noticeably heavier than the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. I’ve read the metal American Express Platinum card weighs in at 18 grams. This makes the metal Platinum card approximately 5 grams heavier than the CSR.
Final Thoughts
I’m overall very impressed by the new look and feel of the metal American Express Platinum card. I expected the card to feel similar to the Chase Sapphire Reserve, but it’s actually a little heavier and I think it looks better. Sadly, at least for me, I’m not sure how many people are actually going to ever see mine. I generally only ever use my Amex Platinum card to pay for airfare, which I do online. I rarely use the American Express Platinum card to pay for everyday purchases. Maybe with the new design I’ll be more tempted to use the card, but that’s unlikely!
