True sad face today (H/T Frequent Miler) when I learned the news that the long-standing American Express Ameriprise Platinum card offer of no Membership Rewards at card signup but also a WAIVED annual fee the first year is now gone.
It’s been replaced with a “standard” offer of 60,000 Membership Rewards but the $550 (recently increased) annual fee is NOT waived the first year.
What made this so awesome
There were 2 things that made the American Express Ameriprise Platinum offer so great – it was one of my 5 cards I chose in my credit card mock draft last year.
- Because there was no annual fee the first year, you could alternate with a spouse and constantly have the benefits of the Platinum card (including 3 fee-free authorized users!) without ever having to pay the annual fee
- Because there was no welcome offer, American Express’s once-per-lifetime restriction didn’t apply (SEE ALSO: One bonus per lifetime? I just applied for a 2nd American Express card)
I believe technically it was marketed to clients of Ameriprise Financial but that requirement was not ever enforced.
Best luxury cards now?
So now what? If you’re looking for one of those luxury cards? Here are a few options you might consider – you can always check out my top credit cards page.
- All of the other varieties of the American Express Platinum cards
- The Chase Sapphire Reserve card
- Citi Prestige card
(SEE ALSO: Chase Sapphire Reserve vs The Platinum Card® from American Express vs Citi Prestige® Card)
But I think my favorite luxury card might be the American Express Hilton Aspire card – current welcome offer of 150,000 bonus Hilton Honors points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. Check out our full review here.
RIP Ameriprise Platinum fee-free offer – leave your eulogies in the comments 😀
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Dan Miller travels with his wife and 6 (SIX!) children. He loves to help families travel for free / cheap, especially larger families. If you are looking for help, drop him an email at 
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