Amex Platinum Card vs. Amex Platinum Card for Morgan Stanley [Detailed Comparison]

One of the best travel rewards cards you can get your hands on is The Platinum Card^® from American Express, a top-notch product that has captured the hearts of luxury travelers worldwide. But one of the least-known cards is The Platinum Card^® from American Express Exclusively for Morgan Stanley.

Morgan Stanley is best-known as one of the premier investment and wealth management companies in the U.S. Headquartered in New York, this financial services company has a strategic relationship with Amex, resulting in a unique co-branded flavor of the ultra-premium Amex Platinum card.

So in this guide, we’ll take a deep dive into these 2 cards, calling out the differences between the 2 through a head-to-head examination.

As you’ll find out, there are plenty of similarities between the Amex Platinum card and the Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley, but there are a few crucial differences that could influence which product is best for you.

Let’s get into it!

Amex Platinum Card vs. Amex Platinum Card for Morgan Stanley — Overview

At a high level, we’d say that the Amex Platinum card and Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley share 95% of the same rewards, benefits, and features.

However, there are a few distinct areas where the Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley offers incremental benefits over the Amex Platinum card; the main drawback, though, is that qualifying for the Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley is significantly harder.

Check out this chart that summarizes the benefits of each card:

The Value of a Welcome Offer

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 125k (or 150k) points with the Amex Platinum. The current public offer is 80,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)

The Amex Platinum card and Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley both offer a superior welcome bonus after meeting some reasonable spending requirements after opening the new card.

Both cards earn Amex Membership Rewards points, which we value at 2.2 cents each, though it’s possible to get upwards of 10 cents per point of value with these points when booking travel through transfer partners.

Just keep in mind that the welcome bonuses for the Amex Platinum card may be different from the welcome bonus offered on the Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley.

Hot Tip: The Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley offers up to $695 in statement credits if you have a qualifying Morgan Stanley deposit account as a Platinum CashPlus client. 

Application Requirements

In general, the qualification requirements for the Amex Platinum card or the Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley are the same.

You’ll want to have a good-to-excellent credit score before applying, which generally puts you at a 700 credit score or above. We’ve seen some applicants with credit scores in the high 600s get approved for this card, but this is more the exception than the norm.

A higher credit score generally translates to a high likelihood of approval, but other factors can help, too, including having a high income, an existing relationship with Amex, and more.

To qualify for the Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley, though, you’ll need an eligible Morgan Stanley account to apply. The easiest way to get an eligible Morgan Stanley account is to open a Morgan Stanley Access Investing account, which has a minimum investment amount of $5,000, plus an annual asset-based advisory fee of 0.30%. The annual returns from automated investing generally pay for the 0.30% annual fee, so this is a great way to kill 2 birds with 1 stone:

• Access automated investing with a world-class investment management firm
• Qualify for the Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley

Bottom Line: The application for the Amex Platinum card is open to the public, while the Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley requires you to have an eligible Morgan Stanley account open before applying.

Earning Potential

There are plenty of similarities between the Amex Platinum card and the Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley, starting with the earning structure:

• Earn 5x Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with the airline or via Amex Travel (up to $500,000 in purchases every calendar year)
• Earn 5x Membership Rewards points on prepaid hotel stays booked through Amex Travel

All other purchases earn 1x Membership Rewards points.

Additional Earnings — Amex Platinum Card for Morgan Stanley

If you hold the Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley, you can qualify for a $695 annual engagement bonus, provided you meet some terms and conditions.

To qualify, you’ll not only need to have an eligible Morgan Stanley investment account, but you’ll also need to have a cash management account.

Specifically, you’ll need to have a Platinum CashPlus account, which has a monthly fee of $55, unless you meet both of these criteria:

• $5,000 in total monthly deposits (or a Social Security deposit of any amount)
• $25,000 average daily cash balance in your Platinum CashPlus account

Redemption Options

As we mentioned before, both the Amex Platinum card and the Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley earn American Express Membership Rewards points.

Amex Membership Rewards points are worth an astonishing 2.2 cents each, making it the most valuable transferrable rewards currency available.

The Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley has 1 distinct redemption option that sets it apart from the Amex Platinum card, but before we get into that, let’s look at the ways you can use Amex points with both cards:

• Amex Transfer Partners — This is the most valuable way to redeem your points. By booking luxury award travel through Amex’s travel partners, you can get upwards of 10 cents per point in value.
• Book Travel Through Amex Travel — If searching for award space doesn’t suit you, Amex points can be used to book travel at a flat value of 1 cent per point through Amex Travel.
• Gift Cards — Redeem points at a value of 0.5 to 1.0 cents per point towards gift cards.
• Statement Credits — You can get statement credits at a value of 0.6 cents per point.
• Charitable Donations — Charitable donations net you a value of 0.7 cents per point.
• Online Shopping — This redemption gets you a flat value of 0.6 cents per point
• Upgrade With Points — When redeeming your points to bid for flight upgrades, you’ll get around 1 cent per point of value.

Additional Redemption Options — Amex Platinum Card for Morgan Stanley

In addition to the other redemption options above, the Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley has the exclusive benefit of being able to redeem your points for deposits into your Morgan Stanley investment account through a perk called Invest with Rewards.

You’ll get a value of 1 cent per point when using Invest with Rewards, which means you’ll get $1,000 deposited into your Morgan Stanley investment account when you redeem 100,000 points through this method.

Bottom Line: In general, we wouldn’t recommend using Invest with Rewards since you can use your points for spectacular value through transfer partners. For this reason, the Amex Platinum card is more or less identical to the Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley, in terms of redemption options. 

Travel Benefits and Protections

The Amex Platinum card is one of the most essential cards you should have if you’re a frequent or luxury traveler.

This card happens to offer a ton of travel benefits and protections that come in handy whether you’re flying within the U.S. or across the world. These benefits offer tremendous real value, in addition to intangible value through peace of mind and insurance.

Let’s get right into all of the benefits and protections offered by both the Amex Platinum card and the Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley:

• The best airport lounge access from a card through the Amex Global Lounge Collection, including Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs (when flying on Delta), Priority Pass lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, and more
• The ability to get VIP-like benefits when booking eligible stays at Fine Hotels & Resorts and The Hotel Collection
• Complimentary hotel elite status with Hilton Honors (Gold) and Marriott Bonvoy (Gold Elite), upon enrollment
• Rental car status and benefits with Avis, Hertz, and National, upon enrollment
• Up to $200 in airline fee credits, up to $200 in prepaid hotel credits, up to $189 in CLEAR Plus credits
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee reimbursements
• No foreign transaction fees

Both the Amex Platinum card and Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley offer some of the best travel insurance available:

• Secondary Rental Car Coverage — When you pay for your entire car rental using your card and decline the rental company’s CDW/LDW, you’ll get secondary rental car insurance for up to $75,000 in damages or theft of the car. You can also purchase primary rental car insurance for a maximum of $24.95 per eligible rental (maximum of 42 days)
• Trip Interruption and Cancellation Insurance — If your trip is canceled or delayed under a covered incident, you can get up to $10,000 per trip in reimbursement with a maximum of $20,000 per rolling 12-month period.
• Trip Delay Insurance — If your trip is delayed by 6 hours or more under a covered reason, you can get up to $500 in reimbursement per trip with up to 2 claims per rolling 12-month period.
• Baggage Insurance Plan — If your baggage is damaged, lost, or stolen, you can qualify for up to $2,000 in coverage for checked baggage or $3,000 in coverage for carry-on baggage when traveling on a common carrier.

Remember, the Amex Platinum card and Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley offer benefits beyond this, so consult your card’s Guide to Benefits for the full offering.

Additional Travel Benefit — Amex Platinum Card for Morgan Stanley

One of the ways you can qualify for the Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley is to open a Morgan Stanley CashPlus account. Benefits of this account include unlimited ATM fee reimbursements around the world and access to debit card services.

To be clear, you should not attempt a cash advance at an ATM using your Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley as this will incur cash advance fees. Instead, when you need to withdraw money from an ATM, use your Morgan Stanley CashPlus debit card.

Bottom Line: Travel benefits and perks are the name of the game when it comes to the Amex Platinum card. The Morgan Stanley CashPlus account, which is one of the most popular accounts to open for the purposes of qualifying for the Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley, offers unlimited ATM fee reimbursements in addition to debit card services.

Shopping Benefits and Protections

One of the most appealing aspects of the Amex Platinum card and the Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley is the fact that you can benefit tremendously during your everyday life when using these cards, not just when you’re traveling.

Here are some of the most notable shopping benefits available on both cards:

• Up to $240 in digital entertainment credits ($20 per month) on eligible purchases made with your card on Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The Wall Street Journal (enrollment required)
• Up to $200 in Uber Cash ($15 per month from January through November and $35 in December) usable towards Uber Eats or Uber rides in the U.S.
• Up to $100 in Saks Fifth Avenue credits ($50 from January to June and an additional $50 from July to December) when you pay for your Saks Fifth Avenue purchase using your card
• Up to $300 in Equinox credits when you use your card to pay for a qualifying Equinox or Equinox+ membership
• Up to $155 in Walmart+ credits towards the $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership fee
• Complimentary ShopRunner membership, which includes free 2-day shipping and returns, plus promotional offers (enrollment required)
• Access to Amex Offers for exclusive discounts and bonus rewards at select partners

You’ll also note that each of these benefits possesses terms and conditions unique to each perk, so be sure to reference the relevant information in your benefits guide. You can also read up on the terms and conditions by accessing the Benefits section in your online account.

Plus, there are a handful of other worthwhile shopping benefits we should mention:

• Cell phone protection when you pay for your monthly cellular bill, which offers up to $800 per claim for damage or theft with a $50 deductible per claim (up to 2 approved claims per 12-month period)
• Purchase protection to protect against loss, damages, or theft on eligible items within 90 days of purchase (up to $10,000 per item and $50,000 per calendar year)
• Extended warranty to enjoy 1 additional year of coverage on covered items with a manufacturer’s warranty of 5 years or less (up to $10,00 per item and $50,000 per calendar year)
• Return protection to reimburse you in the event that the original merchant you made a purchase with will not accept your return (up to $300 per item and $1,000 per calendar year for returns made within 90 days after the original purchase date)

Annual Fees and Authorized Users

Now, let’s take a look at all of the annual fees associated with the Amex Platinum card and Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley.

Annual Fee

Both the Amex Platinum card and Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley have annual fees of $695.

Authorized Users

With the Amex Platinum card, you’ll pay $195 per card.

You can also add an authorized user Amex Gold card for no additional annual fee (rates and fees), but you will not earn the same rewards as the Amex Gold card — you’ll earn rewards based on the primary account’s rewards structure, which is the Amex Platinum card.

Meanwhile, the Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley boasts a fantastic complimentary first authorized user, which is huge! In addition, you’ll pay $195 per card.

Just like the Amex Platinum card, you can add authorized user Amex Gold cards for no additional annual fee to your Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley.

Final Thoughts

Most of the benefits are shared between the Amex Platinum card and Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley. That being said, there are a few differences that are worth noting between the 2 products.

For starters, you need to have an eligible Morgan Stanley account open in order to apply for the Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley. No such requirements exist for the Amex Platinum card since this card is available for public applications.

Another difference is that the Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley comes with the ability to earn a $695 annual engagement bonus when you also hold a qualifying cash management account, which is usually known as Platinum CashPlus. This effectively nullifies the normal annual fee.

Also, the Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley offers a perk called Invest with Rewards whereby you can redeem your points at 1 cent each towards deposits into your Morgan Stanley brokerage account.

On the travel benefits side, Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley cardmembers with a Morgan Stanley CashPlus account also have the ability to access unlimited ATM fee reimbursements.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the Amex Platinum card for Morgan Stanley offers 1 complimentary authorized user for no additional annual fee. After that, the normal annual authorized user fees apply.

The information regarding The Platinum Card^® from American Express Exclusively for Morgan Stanley was independently collected by Upgraded Points and was not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

For the car rental collision damage coverage benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, car rental loss and damage insurance can provide coverage up to $75,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the commercial car rental company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car rental loss or damage coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. For the trip cancellation and interruption insurance coverage benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, the maximum benefit amount for trip cancellation and interruption insurance is $10,000 per covered trip and $20,000 per eligible card per 12 consecutive month period. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company. For the trip delay insurance benefits of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, up to $500 per covered trip that is delayed for more than 6 hours; and 2 claims per eligible card per 12 consecutive month period. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company. For the baggage insurance plan benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, baggage insurance plan coverage can be in effect for covered persons for eligible lost, damaged, or stolen baggage during their travel on a common carrier vehicle (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus) when the entire fare for a ticket for the trip (one-way or round-trip) is charged to an eligible card. Coverage can be provided for up to $2,000 for checked baggage and up to a combined maximum of $3,000 for checked and carry-on baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the common carrier. The coverage is also subject to a $3,000 aggregate limit per covered trip. For New York State residents, there is a $2,000 per bag/suitcase limit for each covered person with a $10,000 aggregate maximum for all covered persons per covered trip. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. For the extended warranty benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, when an American Express^® card member charges a covered purchase to an eligible card, extended warranty can provide up to one extra year added to the original manufacturer’s warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per card member account per calendar year. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. For the purchase protection benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, purchase protection is an embedded benefit of your card membership and requires no enrollment. It can help protect covered purchases made on your eligible card when they’re accidentally damaged, stolen, or lost, for up to 90 days from the covered purchase date. The coverage is limited up to $10,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per card member account per calendar year. Coverage limits apply. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express^® Gold Card, click here.