Amex Platinum 100k, Amex Gold 50k offers available via CardMatch

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Editor’s note: This post has been updated to reflect recent CardMatch offers.

Check the CardMatch Tool to see if you’re targeted for a 100,000-point Platinum Card or 50,000-point Gold Card offer. These offers are subject to change at any time.

While there are some excellent credit card bonuses available right now, sometimes there are targeted credit card welcome bonus offers that are even higher than what’s available to the public on the same card. One of the best places to look for these offers is the CardMatch Tool.

Top cardmatch offers

If you haven’t visited recently, now’s an excellent time to check your CardMatch offers, because there are two great offers available on two of Amex’s top credit cards. The first of these is the return of the incredible 100,000-point offer on The Platinum Card® from American Express ($550 annual fee, see rates & fees). The particular offer that we’re seeing for lucky targeted folks requires $5,000 spending within the first three months of account opening to earn the 100,000-point welcome bonus:

Offer retrieved April 15, 2020

There’s also a targeted 50,000-point welcome bonus offer for spending $4,000 in purchases in the first three months on the American Express® Gold Card through the CardMatch Tool ($250 annual fee, see rates & fees).

Offer retrieved April 15, 2020

Both of these offers are better than the publicly available offer on these cards:

The Amex Platinum Card is currently offering a 60,000-point welcome bonus for spending $5,000 in purchases in the first three months. That means you can get an additional 40,000 bonus points for the same spending if you’re targeted for the CardMatch offer.
Meanwhile, the public offer on the Amex Gold Card is 35,000 bonus points for making $4,000 in purchases in the first three months. So, you’ll get a solid 15,000 extra bonus points if you’re targeted for the CardMatch welcome offer.

Note that American Express welcome bonuses are “not available to applicants who have or have had this product,” and that limitation is found on CardMatch offers as well. While there are some reports of being able to get a welcome bonus for the same card many years after closing the account, this “once per lifetime” welcome bonus limitation is an important restriction to keep in mind.

And, be sure to check your offer closely. Some potential cardholders have reported seeing different offers through the CardMatch Tool than those reported here.

How to use CardMatch

CardMatch is straightforward to use, but those who haven’t used the tool before might be curious about the process. Here are the easy steps to check your offers:

Go to the CardMatch tool.
Enter your first name, last name, home address, last four digits of your social security number, and your email address.
Click “Get Matches.”
Check the box to accept the terms & conditions and click “Submit.”
After a 60-second or less search, your preapproved offers will appear.

Note that this process creates a “soft” credit inquiry on your credit report. This means that the inquiry will show up on your credit report, but it’ll have no impact on your credit score — similar to if you checked your own credit report through a free annual check or a paid service.

Other ways to get targeted offers

No one knows the exact criteria that banks, airlines and hotels use to target certain accounts for elevated offers, but many people may not realize their accounts are eligible. You’ll want to make sure to go into your account settings for all of your credit cards and loyalty programs and opt in to marketing communications and emails, as this is often how targeted offers are distributed.

Opting in is just the first step though. While no one likes wasting time reading through junk mail, it’s important to at least skim emails or snail mail sent from banks, airlines and hotels to see if they contain any elevated offers. Some targeted offers require you to apply with a unique invitation code or at a unique link, and if you throw away the letter containing that code you might never be able to get it again.

Is the American Express Platinum Card worth it?

The Amex Platinum’s 100,000-point welcome bonus through CardMatch is spectacular. Based on TPG’s current valuation of 2 cents per Membership Rewards point, the welcome bonus alone is worth $2,000. Once you learn to maximize the value of your Membership Rewards points, you can potentially get even more value than that.

Even without the sky-high welcome bonus, the Platinum Card is one of the best cards available for frequent travelers. On the spending side, you’ll earn 5x points on airfare purchased directly through the airline or through American Express Travel, as well as 5x earnings on prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel. The card also rewards frequent Uber users with up to $200 per year in Uber credits, you’ll get up to $200 in statement credits for airline fees on your selected airline and up to $100 in credits for Saks purchases each year. The card has a $550 annual fee (see rates & fees) but it can be well worth it if you utilize these perks to their full extent. Terms apply.

And then there are the lounges. Cardmembers are granted access to twelve incredible Centurion Lounges — seven of which we pitted against each other in a battle royale. Three more Centurion Lounges are coming soon to New York’s Kennedy (JFK), Denver (DEN) and London (LHR).. Cardholders also get access to more than 1,200 lounges through a Priority Pass membership and access to Delta Sky Clubs when traveling with Delta.

Is the American Express Gold Card worth it?

The Amex Gold’s 50,000-point welcome bonus through CardMatch is also a solid bonus compared to the standard offer. Based on TPG’s current valuation of 2 cents per Membership Rewards point, you’ll get $1,000 in value.

With a lower annual fee and more varied bonus categories, the Amex Gold is a bit more versatile than the Amex Platinum. You’ll earn 4x on U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 spent annually; then 1x) and on worldwide dining, plus 3x on flights booked directly with the airline or through amextravel.com. You’re also getting a solid line-up of perks, including up to $120 in dining credits (broken down into a $10 monthly statement credit for eligible dining partners), a $100 airline fee credit, baggage insurance and access to the Amex Hotel Collection benefits. The card does come with a $250 annual fee (see rates and fees), but that is easily offset when you take advantage of the card’s perks. Terms apply.

OTHER CardMatch offers

You may also be able to score a $200 statement credit on the American Express Cash Magnet® Card for spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months through the CardMatch Tool. The current publicly available offer for the American Express Cash Magnet Card is $150 statement credit (after meeting the same minimum spend requirements, so you’ll get another $50 if you are targeted for a special welcome offer through the CardMatch Tool.

Offer retrieved April 15, 2020 (See rates and fees)

Similarly, you might be targeted through the CardMatch Tool to get a $200 statement credit on the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express for spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months. The current publicly available offer for the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express is also a $150 statement credit after meeting the same minimum spend requirements, meaning you’ll get $50 more for through the CardMatch Tool. We’ve also seen some targeted for a $300 statement credit on the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express for spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months, compared to the current $250 offer (after meeting the same minimum spend requirements).

In addition to the offers mentioned above, we’ve seen an elevated 45,000 point bonus offer (after meeting minimum spend requirements) available on the American Express® Green Card through CardMatch from time to time, so make sure to keep your eyes peeled for that as well. The public offer for the Amex Green is currently 30,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 in purchases in the first three months of account opening.

Other ways to find good welcome offers

Targeted offers can be a great way to get extra bonus points on a card you already planned to apply for, but they aren’t the only way to find a good deal. Often times banks will offer limited time elevated bonuses that are publicly available to anyone who wants to apply for them, so make sure to sign up for the TPG newsletter to stay on top of any deals like this.

You can also always check out our top cards page to see the best credit card offers that are currently available, or if you’re looking to plug a specific hole in your points and miles strategy you may want to consider the following:

Be sure to check the tool today to see what offers are available for you.

For rates & fees of the Amex Platinum, click here.
For rates & fees on the Amex Gold Card, click here.
For rates & fees of the Amex Cash Magnet, click here.

Featured image by Isabelle Raphael/The Points Guy.

Additional reporting by Madison Blancaflor.