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popular Posted by WolfTheCat • May 13, 2025
popular Posted by WolfTheCat • May 13, 2025

AMEX/Schwab Platinum Card - 125,000 point sign-up bonus

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Note: A regular AMEX platinum card will get you more bonus points, but normal MR points only pay $0.006 in cash per point as statement credit, but schwab platinum pays $0.011 in cash per point as deposit to a Schwab account. This makes this deal better for cash, but the other better for travel.
(Plain AMEX platinum deal here: https://slickdeals.net/f/18241999-amex-platinum-elevated-welcome-offer-of-175-000-points-instead-of-80-000)

Main Facts:
  • $695 annual fee, NOT waived for the first year.
  • Spend $8k on card in first 6 months for 125,000 membership rewards point bonus.
  • Rewards points may be redeemed as cash at $0.011 per point, deposited to Schwab account.
  • Requires a Schwab account.
  • Additional statement credits based on balance in Schwab account. $100 bonus for $250k balance, $200 bonus for $1M balance, $1k bonus with $10M balance. I'm assuming most folks won't get this bonus.
  • Earn one MR point per dollar in spend.
  • 2-5MR points per dollar spend on AMEX travel
  • $200/year back on fancy hotels
  • $200/year back on airline fees like luggage fees and such
  • $20/month streaming credit with streaming partners.
  • $199 CLEAR+ credit
  • Airport lounge access
  • Cellphone insurance
  • Global Entry/PreCheck fee credits
  • Hilton/Marriott gold status
  • Airline transfer deals
  • Trip cancellation and delay insurance
  • Baggage insurance
  • Includes Walmart+
  • A $200 Uber cash bonus I don't understand.
  • $300 Equinox credit (no idea what that is)
  • Other stuff
Cash value of bonus:
I don't travel, so I look at this as a pure cash play. Here's my math as to what the 125k points are worth "as cash" assuming you don't use any other benefits:
  • 125k points x $0.011 per point = $1,375
  • Less $695 annual fee
  • Less 0.9% to 1.9% opportunity cost for spending $8000 on this card for 1.1% cash back when you could have got 2-3% cash back:
Cash value: $528-$608

Realistically, some of those benefits will probably give you additional value. I'll probably take the streaming credit.

https://www.schwab.com/credit-cards
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
Note: A regular AMEX platinum card will get you more bonus points, but normal MR points only pay $0.006 in cash per point as statement credit, but schwab platinum pays $0.011 in cash per point as deposit to a Schwab account. This makes this deal better for cash, but the other better for travel.
(Plain AMEX platinum deal here: https://slickdeals.net/f/18241999-amex-platinum-elevated-welcome-offer-of-175-000-points-instead-of-80-000)

Main Facts:
  • $695 annual fee, NOT waived for the first year.
  • Spend $8k on card in first 6 months for 125,000 membership rewards point bonus.
  • Rewards points may be redeemed as cash at $0.011 per point, deposited to Schwab account.
  • Requires a Schwab account.
  • Additional statement credits based on balance in Schwab account. $100 bonus for $250k balance, $200 bonus for $1M balance, $1k bonus with $10M balance. I'm assuming most folks won't get this bonus.
  • Earn one MR point per dollar in spend.
  • 2-5MR points per dollar spend on AMEX travel
  • $200/year back on fancy hotels
  • $200/year back on airline fees like luggage fees and such
  • $20/month streaming credit with streaming partners.
  • $199 CLEAR+ credit
  • Airport lounge access
  • Cellphone insurance
  • Global Entry/PreCheck fee credits
  • Hilton/Marriott gold status
  • Airline transfer deals
  • Trip cancellation and delay insurance
  • Baggage insurance
  • Includes Walmart+
  • A $200 Uber cash bonus I don't understand.
  • $300 Equinox credit (no idea what that is)
  • Other stuff
Cash value of bonus:
I don't travel, so I look at this as a pure cash play. Here's my math as to what the 125k points are worth "as cash" assuming you don't use any other benefits:
  • 125k points x $0.011 per point = $1,375
  • Less $695 annual fee
  • Less 0.9% to 1.9% opportunity cost for spending $8000 on this card for 1.1% cash back when you could have got 2-3% cash back:
Cash value: $528-$608

Realistically, some of those benefits will probably give you additional value. I'll probably take the streaming credit.

https://www.schwab.com/credit-cards

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2d ago
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Joined Oct 2008
2d ago
California-Boy
2d ago
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Quote from CreepyLilBeast :
CapitalOne Venture-X
Quote from WolfTheCat :
If you don't need unlimited access...

US Bank Altitude has no fee and gives four visits a year.

United explorer has a $95 fee waived for the first year and two visits a year.

Hilton hhonors AMEX has $150 annual fee and ten visits a year.

Venture X has unlimited visits and a $395 fee, but it also comes with an annual $300 travel credit and 10k bonus points on your card anniversary. If you travel enough to use the lounges, that will have real value to offset the fee.
Thanks guys. +Rep

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