American Express have tweaked one of the core benefits of the Platinum Edge card, removing the free Virgin Australia flight each year – but for new cardholders only, at least for now.

The Platinum Edge is a staple card for serious points collectors from day to day spend, and offers 3x bonus Membership Rewards points at Supermarkets and 2x on Fuel with a standard annual fee of $195.

The $200 travel credit each year can be used for any single eligible booking through Amex Travel- we have a guide to using Amex Travel credits here, and the same tips apply for the Edge card.

Existing cardholders of the Platinum Edge still continue to have the free Virgin Australia flight as an ongoing benefit, at least for now. On checking with Amex, we’re told that there are no immediate plans to change this. It’s also unlikely that existing cardholders can switch to the $200 travel credit although we’ll let you know if and when this becomes possible.

Is this a move for the better? Well, as usual, that depends – I personally have found the free flight credit more difficult to use than a travel credit – it required some planning as to when would be best to use it, and it could only be used on Virgin Australia flights on a selection of domestic routes – and often with no points or status credits on offer.

So I appreciate the simplicity of using a travel credit instead of a free flight. However, many people do personally get a decent amount of value out of the domestic flight – especially those who used the Perth -> East Coast flight route. But at least if you hold the card already, that isn’t changing in the short term.

Why Platinum Edge?

The key benefit of the Platinum Edge this card is opening the door to more points earned from your everyday spend rather than an offering to reduce fees or a large number of signup bonus points.

The American Express Platinum Edge credit card is one of the cards that can maximise your points-return over the long-run. Thanks to the bonus points on offer at supermarkets and for fuel, it can be one of the best cards to hold for those trying to collect points outside of Qantas Frequent Flyer – points can be transferred to Velocity, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, and more.

There’s also a $200 Travel Credit that can be used through Amex Travel which can offset some of the annual fee.

The earn rate on everyday spend of 1 point per $ is good, but it’s the 3 points per $ spent in supermarkets, 2 points per $ on fuel and the number of transfer partners that American Express Membership Rewards offer that make it a potentially great points earner.

Digging into the American Express Platinum Edge benefits – Earning Membership Rewards Points

The Platinum Edge accrues points in American Express Membership Rewards, which is one of the most versatile and flexible points program in Australia.

You can earn 3 points per $ on spend at Supermarkets, 2 points per $ at petrol stations, and 1 point per $ everywhere else, with 0.5 points per $ for ATO, other government charges and utilities.

For regular credit card users, this is one of the best points earning cards out there, given the potential to triple your points haul on your everyday shopping.

Here’s where you’ll be able to earn triple and double points:

You can earn and transfer Membership Rewards points from your daily spend to Virgin Australia’s Velocity program, Singapore Airlines Krisflyer, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, Malaysia Airlines Enrich, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and the Starwood Hotels Preferred Guest programs. Qantas is not a partner.