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Mastercard® Black Card™ vs The Platinum Card® from American Express

Compare Rewards, Interest Rates, Fees, and Benefits

Luxury Card and American Express are CreditDonkey partners. We receive compensation if you apply and get approved for a card through links in our content. You do not have to use our links, but you help support CreditDonkey if you do. (read more)

Mastercard Black Card is a stainless steel and carbon card with luxury benefits. How does it compare to American Express Platinum, a travel and airline card? Read our comparison chart below.

 Mastercard Black CardThe Platinum Card from American Express
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Mastercard® Black Card™

The Platinum Card® from American Express

 

Credit Card Summary

 
  • Ideal for those seeking a premium travel card that doubles as an everyday workhorse, paired with elevated service beyond the ordinary. Leave behind the hassle of juggling various cards and monthly statements, while finding peace of mind with protection benefits that exceeds standard credit cards.
  • Flat-rate redemption value of 1.5% for cash back or 2% value for airfare redemption with no airline or seat restrictions and no blackout dates. Earn one point for every dollar spent. Straightforward redemption without needing a high-maintenance reward strategy. No foreign transaction fees, no earning caps, no rotating categories, and no need to chase down transfer partners to escape very low point values.
  • Annual Airline Credit—up to $100 in statement credits toward flight-related purchases including airline tickets, baggage fees, upgrades and more. Just pay for airline purchases with your Mastercard Black Card and we will automatically apply the credit to your account. That's it. No need to activate or designate an airline. The credit amount is available in full at the start of the calendar year.
  • Up to a $100 application fee credit for the cost of TSA Pre✓® or Global Entry. Also, enjoy automatic enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select with access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide with no guest or lounge limits. Includes credits at select airport restaurants for cardholder and one guest.
  • 24/7 Luxury Card Concierge®—Make requests the way you want by phone, email, SMS and chat in the app. Connect directly with a real agent and receive 24/7 assistance for tasks big and small. Requests do not require a purchase, incure no charge for making them, and do not involve department transfers.
  • Exclusive Luxury Card Travel® benefits—average value of $500 per stay (e.g., resort credits, room upgrades, free wifi, breakfast for two and more) at over 3,000 properties. Receive protection benefits like trip cancellation and interruption, auto rental car collision waiver, travel accident and baggage delay. Cell phone protection for eligible claims of up to $1,000 each year. Plus additional World Elite Mastercard® benefits.
  • Black PVD-Coated Metal Card: Weighing in at an industry-leading 22g. Designed for frequent shoppers, big ticket purchases and everything in between.
  • Annual Fee: $495 ($195 for each Authorized User). Terms and conditions apply.
  • Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card®, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
  • Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
  • $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
  • $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
  • $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card®. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Up Benefits are excluded.
  • $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card®.
  • $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Terms Apply.
  • $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 back in statement credits per calendar year on an Equinox membership, or an Equinox club membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you pay with your Platinum Card®. Enrollment required. Visit https://platinum.equinox.com/ to enroll.
  • $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR Plus at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card®. Learn more.
  • $100 Global Entry Credit: Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
  • Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $300 SoulCycle At-Home Bike Credit: Get a $300 statement credit for the purchase of a SoulCycle at-home bike with your Platinum Card®. An Equinox+ subscription is required to purchase a SoulCycle at-home bike and access SoulCycle content. Must charge full price of bike in one transaction. Shipping available in the contiguous U.S. only. Enrollment Required.
  • Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile.
  • $695 annual fee.
  • Terms Apply.
  • See Rates & Fees
 

Credit Card Interest Rates & Fees

Introductory APR for Balance Transfers0% introductory APR for the first fifteen billing cycles following each balance transfer that posts to your account within 45 days of account opening.N/A
Purchase APR21.24%, 25.43%, 28.24% (Variable) based on your creditworthiness and other factorsSee Pay Over Time APR
Balance Transfers APR21.24%, 25.43%, 28.24% (Variable) based on your creditworthiness and other factorsN/A
Foreign Transaction Fee0% of each transaction in U.S. dollars.No foreign transaction fee
Annual Fee$495 annual fee ($195 for each Authorized User added to the account)$695 annual fee
 

Credit Card Rewards & Benefits

Introductory Bonus Offer Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Cash Back Rewards1.5% value for cash back redemptions 
Travel Rewards Travel Rewards
Airline Rewards2% value for airfare redemptions with no blackout dates or seat restrictions.Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
Hotel Rewards Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
Point Rewards 1 point for virtually every dollar spent.
Airline StatusAnnual Airline Credit—up to $100 in statement credits toward flight-related purchases including airline tickets, baggage fees, upgrades and more. Just pay for airline purchases with your Mastercard Black Card and we will automatically apply the credit to your account. That's it. No need to activate or designate an airline. The credit amount is available in full at the start of the calendar year.
Up to a $100 application fee credit for the cost of TSA Pre✓® or Global Entry. Also, enjoy automatic enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select with access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide with no guest or lounge limits. Includes credits at select airport restaurants for cardholder and one guest.
$200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card®.
Complimentary access to 5 airport lounge networks including The Centurion® lounge network, The International American Express lounges, Delta Sky Club® lounges, Priority Pass™ Select, and Airspace Lounge. Enrollment required for Priority Pass Select.
Hotel Status $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
Enroll for complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status.
Enroll for complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status.
Airline Transfer Partners Airline transfer partners include Delta, Hawaiian Airlines, Aeromexico, Air Canada, Air France, Emirates, Cathay Pacific (Asia Miles), Virgin Atlantic, Singapore Airlines, Etihad, Alitalia, All Nippon Airways and more.
 Go to issuer's official application, terms, and detailsGo to issuer's official application, terms, and details
 

CreditDonkey® Credit Card Reviews

 Mastercard Black CardThe Platinum Card from American Express
Pros & ConsPros:
  • Stainless steel and carbon card
  • Concierge service
  • Travel benefits
Cons:
  • $495 annual fee
  • No signup bonus
Pros:
  • Travel benefits
  • 80,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 in first 6 months
  • Concierge service
Cons:
  • $695 annual fee
Bottom LineStainless steel and carbon card with luxury benefits... Read full reviewExcellent card for frequent travelers... Read full review
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See issuer's website for details including terms and conditions. While reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate and updated information, the information shown on this site may vary, be out of date, or not applicable to you. All information is provided without warranty. When you click on the Apply Now button, you can review the terms and conditions on the issuer's website.

Blank fields may indicate the information is not available, not applicable, or not known to CreditDonkey. Please visit the issuer's website for details.

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.

Which is Better: Mastercard Black Card or American Express Platinum?

Still need help deciding which travel credit card is better? Read the in-depth reviews below. You may also be interested in comparing Mastercard Black Card or Chase Sapphire Preferred.


Articles on Mastercard® Black Card™

Mastercard Black Card Review

Want to know if the Mastercard® Black Card™ is worth its cost? Discover the privileges and requirements in this in-depth review.

Articles on The Platinum Card® from American Express

AMEX Platinum Benefits

Are the benefits of the Platinum Card® from American Express worth it? Read this in-depth guide to make the best use of the perks.

Do You Need a Good Credit Score for an Amex Platinum

The Platinum Card® from American Express average cardholder has a great credit score. But credit requirements may not be as tough as you think. Find out how to improve your odds.

American Express Platinum Credit Score Needed

The Platinum Card® from American Express requires great credit, which usually means 720+. But some can be approved with a lower credit score. Learn what it takes to improve your approval odds.

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Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed on this page are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.

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*See the card issuer's online application for details about terms and conditions. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information. However, all information is presented without warranty. When you click on the "Apply Now" button you can review the terms and conditions on the card issuer's website.

CreditDonkey does not know your individual circumstances and provides information for general educational purposes only. CreditDonkey is not a substitute for, and should not be used as, professional legal, credit or financial advice. You should consult your own professional advisors for such advice.

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