Lyle Daly is a personal finance writer who specializes in credit cards, travel rewards programs, and banking. He writes for The Ascent and The Motley Fool, and his work has appeared in USA Today and Yahoo! Finance. He was born in California but currently lives as a digital nomad with a home base in Colombia.
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The information for the Platinum Card® from American Express Exclusively for Morgan Stanley has been collected independently by The Ascent. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The Platinum Card® from American Express Exclusively for Morgan Stanley is a version of the card issuer's popular Platinum Card. It's available if you have a Morgan Stanley brokerage account, and offers the same card features plus a few new ones. Eligible clients can get an annual fee credit if they meet certain requirements (see rates and fees). Read our full Amex Platinum Card for Morgan Stanley review to find out more.
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
19.74% to 26.74%, variable
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5x points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel; 5x points on prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com; 1x points everywhere else.
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125,000 Membership Rewards Points after you spend $6,000 in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
125,000 Reward Points
The many travel and lifestyle benefits are hard to beat, but come with a costly annual fee. This card also provides additional benefits so Morgan Stanley clients can save more.
The information for the Amex Platinum Card for Morgan Stanley has been collected independently by The Ascent. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.
On Wells Fargo's Secure Website .
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars. 5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers
Purchases: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening
Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers
Regular: 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR
On Wells Fargo's Secure Website .
On Discover's Secure Website .
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars. 5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Purchases: 0%, 15 months
Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months
Regular: 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR
On Discover's Secure Website .
On Bank of America's Secure Website .
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars. 4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Intro: Circle with letter I in it.
0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 19.24% - 29.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers will apply. A 3% fee for 60 days from account opening, then 4% fee applies to all balance transfers.
Purchases: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases
Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days
Regular: 19.24% - 29.24% (Variable)
On Bank of America's Secure Website .
This credit card is a good fit for: Morgan Stanley investing clients who want high-end perks and savings on luxury travel. Platinum CashPlus clients can also get a sizeable annual engagement credit.
The Amex Platinum Card for Morgan Stanley includes one of the deepest benches of perks we've seen from any card.
The welcome offer for this American Express card is 125,000 Reward Points for spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. That's one of the biggest bonus offers currently available.
The Amex Platinum Card for Morgan Stanley earns:
Airport lounge access is a strong point with every version of The Platinum Card® from American Express, and this one is no exception. It includes access to multiple types of lounges, including Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges (enrollment required), Delta Sky Clubs, and several others. Terms apply.
Of all the travel credit cards we've reviewed, we haven't found any with access to so many lounge programs. And the American Express Centurion Lounges are some of the most luxurious.
An exclusive benefit for Morgan Stanley card members is the option to add one additional Platinum Card to your account for no additional fee. That means you can add an authorized user to your account and they get their own Platinum Card, free of charge.
With the standard version of The Platinum Card® from American Express, it costs $175 total for up to three additional Platinum Cards (see rates and fees). If you plan to add one person to your account, such as your spouse, the Morgan Stanley version of this card saves you money.
A big selling point of the Amex Platinum Card for Morgan Stanley card is that it offers a $695 annual engagement bonus, which is equal to the annual fee. Terms apply.
To qualify, you must have a Platinum CashPlus account with Morgan Stanley. This is a brokerage account designed for cash management. As of May 2022, it charges a monthly fee of $55, unless you meet the following monthly account fee avoidance criteria:
You need to tie up quite a bit of cash to meet the criteria. But if you don't mind doing that, it's a great way to get a free Platinum Card.
This card earns Membership Rewards points, which are some of the most flexible rewards. American Express has over 20 airline and hotel partners where you can transfer points, including Delta Air Lines, Emirates, and Singapore Airlines, to name just a few.
When you transfer your points, you can make an award booking with that travel provider. It's often possible to get a value of $0.03 per point or more this way. American Express also lets you redeem points at a fixed rate for purchases made through American Express Travel.
You can use points earned on this card for deposits by Morgan Stanley into your qualifying brokerage account. Rewards are worth $0.01 per point when you redeem them like this. Transferring points to travel partners is usually a better deal, but it's still nice to have this option.
It'd be hard to find a card with more spending credits than this one (trust us -- we've looked). Here are the annual spending credits you get as a Platinum card member:
As a Platinum card member, you get Marriott Bonvoy™ Gold Elite Status and Hilton Honors Gold Status. These elite statuses include several perks that can save you money and improve your stays with each hotel chain. Enrollment required.
American Express cards are known for offering great protections on eligible purchases. Here are the travel and purchase protections this card offers:
If you need help with anything from concert tickets to restaurant reservations, you can call the number on the back of your card for Platinum Concierge assistance. Terms apply.
Purchases you make abroad won't carry an additional charge, as this card doesn't have a foreign transaction fee (see rates and fees).
For all the features this American Express card offers, it also has a few notable drawbacks.
The Amex Platinum Card for Morgan Stanley is significantly more expensive than most credit cards, with a $695 annual fee (see rates and fees). However, it's at least possible to get a $695 annual engagement bonus if you have a Morgan Stanley Platinum CashPlus account. In that case, the card becomes an incredible deal.
If you don't have that type of account, carefully consider how much value you'll get from this card. All its spending credits and other perks can certainly make up for the annual fee, but only if you use them. If not, check out credit card reviews to find a more suitable card option.
A common criticism of The Platinum Card® from American Express is that the benefits aren't easy to use. Some have even compared it to a coupon book, with all the different spending credits.
For example, a $240 digital entertainment credit every year looks great on the surface. But let's be honest -- it loses a bit of luster when you see that it's a $20 monthly credit for a limited number of services. Terms apply. Look at the details of each benefit to see if it's actually a money-saver for you, or if it's just window dressing.
For such a high-end card, the Platinum Card doesn't exactly offer high-end rewards. Its bonus categories (flights booked directly with airlines and through American Express Travel, and prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel) are limited, and terms apply. There are plenty of rewards cards that cost much less and offer far better bonus categories.
A FICO® Score of 670 or higher is recommended to apply for the Amex Platinum Card for Morgan Stanley. As one of the top cards on the market, it's targeted at consumers who have scores in the good credit or excellent credit ranges.
To get the Amex Platinum Card for Morgan Stanley, you must have an eligible Morgan Stanley brokerage account. An eligible account is a brokerage account that fits one of these conditions:
You have a Morgan Stanley brokerage account, you travel often, and you want a card packed with premium benefits.
If you have a Platinum CashPlus account with Morgan Stanley, you should definitely get this American Express card. The annual engagement bonus is equal to the cost of the annual fee (see rates and fees). That's an incredible deal you won't find anywhere else.
At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.
We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.
Share This PageWe're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent, a Motley Fool service, does not cover all offers on the market. The Ascent has a dedicated team of editors and analysts focused on personal finance, and they follow the same set of publishing standards and editorial integrity while maintaining professional separation from the analysts and editors on other Motley Fool brands.
* Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please 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.
** Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
*** Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
*** Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
**** Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
American Express is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Lyle Daly has positions in Delta Air Lines. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Target, Uber Technologies, and Walmart. The Motley Fool recommends Delta Air Lines and Marriott International. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
For rates and fees for the Amex Platinum Card for Morgan Stanley, click here
The Motley Fool recommends Amex.
