If you’re looking to accrue a plethora of American Express Membership® Rewards points, it pays to learn about the Amex Trifecta. The heavyweight players in this power trio include: The Platinum Card® from American Express, the American Express® Gold Card and The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express*The information for the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. — and using a combination of all three cards can help you achieve your reward-accumulating goals.
All information about The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint.
Chances are, you may already have one of the three popular rewards cards in your wallet. But did you know that picking up another Amex card (or two!) can exponentially boost your earning potential?
Strategically opening cards within the Amex Trifecta can make the difference between earning hundreds and thousands more points on purchases you’re already making. Let’s take a closer look into the details and dynamics of the Amex Trifecta.
What is the Amex Trifecta?
The Amex Trifecta is a colloquial term to describe three of the issuer’s popular rewards cards that work exceptionally well together. These include The Platinum Card® from American Express, the American Express® Gold Card and The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express*The information for the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.. Here are some key details for each card:
All information about The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint.
| AMEX PLATINUM | AMEX GOLD | AMEX BLUE BUSINESS | |
|---|---|---|---|
Annual fee | $695 (terms apply, rates & fees) | $325 (terms apply, rates & fees) | $0 (terms apply) |
Welcome offer | 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 on eligible purchases in the first six months of card membership | 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases in the first six months of card membership. Plus, receive 20% back in statement credits on eligible restaurant purchases worldwide (up to $100 back) within the first six months of card membership. Offer ends 11/6/24 | 15,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $3,000 in eligible purchases in the first three months of card membership |
Rewards | 5 Membership Rewards® points per $1 for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 per calendar year, 5 points per $1 on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel and 1 point per $1 on other purchases | 4 Membership Rewards points per $1 at restaurants worldwide, up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per $1, 4 points per $1 at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1 point per $1), 3 points per $1 on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express travel and 1 point per $1 on other eligible purchases | 2 Membership Rewards® points per $1 on everyday business purchases up to the first $50,000 spent per year, then 1 point per $1 on all other purchases |
Key benefits | $1,500+ in annual statement credits, including airline incidental fees, Uber, CLEAR® Plus, prepaid hotels through Amex Travel and more; access to The Global Lounge Collection, including Amex Centurion lounges, Priority Pass lounges (enrollment required), Delta Sky Clubs (when flying same-day Delta) and more; travel and purchase protections¹; no foreign transaction fees | Up to $120 annual dining statement credit for eligible dining partners; up to $120 annual Uber Cash; annual up to $84 Dunkin’ credit (up to $7 in monthly statement credits), up to $100 annual Resy statement credit (up to $50 statement credit semi-annually for eligible U.S. Resy restaurants and other eligible Resy purchases); travel and purchase protections¹; no foreign transaction fees. Enrollment is required for select benefits. | 0% intro APR on purchases for the first 12 months, then a variable APR of 18.49% to 26.49% applies |
Since all three cards earn Membership Rewards points, you can use each card in the spending categories where it earns the most, then combine the earnings from all three cards together to redeem them for outsized value on travel, gift cards and more. The idea is that by owning all three cards, you’ll be able to tap into each card’s strengths and earn each welcome bonus to rack up as many points as possible.
Of course, shelling out the annual fees for the Amex Platinum and Amex Gold is a significant sum. While The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express*The information for the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. does not charge an annual fee, the ownership cost for the two other cards add up to nearly $1,000 in annual fees.
All information about The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint.
But when you consider the reward rates and unique benefits of each card, the earning potential increases exponentially. Later in this guide, we also crunch the numbers for you on how this strategy can result in a huge haul of extra points.
About The Platinum Card from American Express
For those looking to elevate their travels, The Platinum Card from American Express can unlock premium perks. Some of the card’s highlights include complimentary access to nearly 1,500 airport lounges worldwide, statement credits for CLEAR and your choice of a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee reimbursem*nt in the form of a statement credit (up to $100), plus best-in-class travel insurance benefits.
Though the $695 annual fee may seem daunting, the lengthy list potential annual statement credits can add up to more than $1,500 in value. These statement credits range from travel must-haves to useful everyday benefits like Uber Cash and select digital entertainment partners.
Finally, the earning rate on flights and prepaid Amex Travel hotel bookings is stellar: The Amex Platinum earns 5 Membership Rewards® points per $1 for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 per calendar year, 5 points per $1 on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel and 1 point per $1 on other purchases.
Using government data and other publicly available information, we estimate that a household in the U.S. that would be in the market for this card has an annual income of $84,352. We also estimate they spend $2,376 in airfare and $1,736 in hotels. With the Amex Platinum, such a household could earn 20,560 points annually from these travel expenses thanks to this heavy-hitting 5-point multiplier.
About the American Express Gold Card
The American Express® Gold Card is our favorite rewards card for restaurant dining and a strong choice for grocery shopping as well. You’ll earn 4 Membership Rewards points per $1 at restaurants worldwide, up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per $1, 4 points per $1 at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1 point per $1), 3 points per $1 on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express travel and 1 point per $1 on other eligible purchases.
While the $325 annual fee is on the steeper side, the card comes with several statement credits that can nearly eradicate this cost if used. Every month, cardholders will receive $10 in Uber Cash credits for U.S. Uber rides and UberEats orders, as well as up to $10 in dining statement credits, valid for Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com and Five Guys (enrollment required).Additionally, cardholders can get an annual up to $84 Dunkin’ credit (up to $7 in monthly statement credits), up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year when using the card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases (up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually). Enrollment is required for select benefits.
When you stack these credits up — and use them up every month — you’re looking at up to $424 in annual reimbursem*nts.
Based on our estimates, the average U.S. household spends a combined $8,468 when dining or buying groceries. If using the Amex Gold Card exclusively for these purchases, you can earn 33,872 Membership Rewards points every year.
About the Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express
Last but not least, The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express*The information for the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. is the glue that holds the Amex Trifecta together. The card offers a strong earning rate of 2 Membership Rewards® points per $1 on everyday business purchases up to the first $50,000 spent per year, then 1 point per $1 on all other purchases. This rewards structure allows you to sweep up points on all life’s expenses that the Platinum and Gold don’t offer elevated earnings on, and at no annual fee.
All information about The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint.
If you need to tap into a low intro APR offer, the Amex Blue Business Plus delivers 0% intro APR on purchases for the first 12 months, then a variable APR of 18.49% to 26.49% applies.
Small business cards like the Amex Blue Business Plus aren’t limited to those with a physical storefront so you don’t need a formal LLC to qualify. You can apply as a sole proprietor with your Social Security number (SSN), and businesses of all sizes are eligible, including tutoring gigs, rideshare services, ownership of vacation rental properties and other alternative ways of earning income.
We estimate that there’s roughly $12,507 in other expenses you can charge to a card. The math here is simple: You can earn 25,014 rewards points every year with the Amex Blue Business Plus. However, keep in mind there’s really the potential to earn up 100,000 rewards points per year on this card with the $50,000 annual spending cap.
It’s worth noting that you may not want to use this card on your international travels, as the Amex Blue Business Plus charges a foreign transaction fee of 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to U.S. dollars. Still, The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express*The information for the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. is a key component to the Amex Trifecta that can help you earn the maximum number of Membership Rewards points every year.
All information about The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint.
How to maximize earning potential of the American Express Trifecta
Now, it’s time to put the pieces together. We’ve taken our household spending estimates into consideration to illustrate the annual rewards potential with — and without — the Amex Trifecta.
With the Amex Trifecta
| AMEX PLATINUM | AMEX GOLD | AMEX BLUE BUSINESS PLUS | |
|---|---|---|---|
Flights: $2,376 | 5 points per $1 = 11,880 points | – | – |
Hotels: $1,736 | 5 points per $1 = 8,680 points | – | – |
Dining: $3,526 | – | 4 points per $1 14,104 points | – |
Groceries: $4,942 | – | 4 points per $1 = 19,768 points | – |
All other eligible purchases: $12,507 | – | – | 2 points per $1 25,014 points |
Total spending: $25,087 | Total earned: 79,446 Membership Rewards points |
With the Amex Trifecta, you’ll pay for purchases using whichever card that offers the highest bonus category earnings for the type of purchase you’re making. That is to say, flights and hotel bookings on the Platinum, dining and groceries at U.S. supermarkets on the Gold, and other spending on The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express*The information for the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer..
All information about The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint.
Following this strategy, we estimate that a household could earn 79,446 Membership Rewards points from annual spending. Coupled with the potential to earn welcome offers, you could be looking at a tremendous haul of rewards from this Amex card combination.
Amex Membership Rewards points are arguably the most valuable when transferring them to the issuer’s partner airline and hotel loyalty programs, which include favorites like Air Canada Aeroplan, Delta SkyMiles, British Airways Avios and Marriott Bonvoy.
However, you’ll want to space out your applications so that you’re not applying for three cards in the same day. In general, we recommend that you wait at least six months per application so that your credit score has time to recover after a hard inquiry.
Without the Amex Trifecta
We also wanted to demonstrate the rewards potential if you stick to owning just one of the cards in the Amex Trifecta.
| AMEX PLATINUM | AMEX GOLD | AMEX BLUE BUSINESS PLUS | |
|---|---|---|---|
Flights: $2,376 | 5 points per $1= 11,880 points | 3 points per $1= 7,128 points | 2 points per $1= 4,752 points |
Hotels: $1,736 | 5 points per $1= 8,680 points | 1 points per $1= 1,736 points | 2 points per $1= 3,472 points |
Dining: $3,526 | 1 points per $1= 3,526 points | 4 points per $1= 14,104 points | 2 points per $1= 7,052 points |
Groceries: $4,942 | 1 points per $1= 4,942 points | 4 points per $1= 19,768 points | 2 points per $1= 9,884 points |
All other eligible purchases: $12,507 | 1 points per $1= 12,507 points | 1 points per $1= 12,507 points | 2 points per $1= 25,014 points |
Total Membership Rewards points earned | 41,535 points | 55,243 points | 50,174 points |
As you can see, you’re leaving about 30,000 to 35,000 Membership Rewards points on the table every single year if you don’t have the Amex trifecta in hand. Not to mention, you won’t be earning the welcome offers from opening multiple cards.
American Express Trifecta vs. Chase Trifecta
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that American Express provides a lineup of cards that work seamlessly together, as it only benefits the issuer to keep you as a loyal customer. However, Amex isn’t the only bank to offer an appealing match-up of rewards cards. You may also want to compare the earning potential with Chase credit cards.The Chase Trifecta works similarly, but the sum of annual fees is considerably lower.
There’s a bit more wiggle room with which cards make up the threesome, but for simplicity, we’ll take a look at wielding the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card with the Chase Freedom Unlimited® and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card*The information for the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.. Here’s a quick summary of the cards in action.
| CHASE SAPPHIRE RESERVE | CHASE SAPPHIRE PREFERRED | CHASE FREEDOM UNLIMITED | INK BUSINESS PREFERRED | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Annual fee | $550 | $95 | $0 | $95 |
Welcome offer | 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening | 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening | 1.5% back on everything bought in the first year on up to $20,000 in spending, which is worth up to $300 | 90,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening |
Rewards | 5 points per $1 on flights and 10 points per $1 on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase Travel℠ after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3 points per $1 on other travel and dining and 1 point per $1 on other purchases | 5 points per $1 on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3 points per $1 on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2 points per $1 on all other travel purchases and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases | 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on eligible dining and drugstore purchases and 1.5% cash back on all other purchases | 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases |
Key benefits | $300 annual travel statement credit; airport lounge access, including Chase Sapphire and Priority Pass (enrollment required) locations; 50% more redemption value when booking travel through Chase Travel℠; Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS application fee credit; travel and purchase protections; no foreign transaction fees | $50 annual hotel statement credit for bookings through Chase Travel; 25% more redemption value when booking travel through Chase Travel; travel and purchase protections; no foreign transaction fees | 0% intro APR for the first 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 20.49% to 29.24%. An intro transfer fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, applies in the first 60 days. After that, a fee of either $5 or 5% of each transfer applies | 25% more redemption value when booking travel through Chase Travel; travel and purchase protection; no foreign transaction fees |
Similarly, the Chase trifecta can boast a significantly greater number of points through its Ultimate Rewards® program than you’d earn with any one card alone. You’ll want to use the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Sapphire Preferred for purchases like travel and dining, the Ink Business Preferred for categories like internet, phone and cable services and the Chase Freedom Unlimited for all other purchases that don’t earn bonus rewards on the other cards.
Note that even though the Chase Freedom Unlimited is marketed as earning cash back, you’ll still earn rewards as Ultimate Rewards points — and you can pool those rewards together, then redeem for more value by using one of the premium Chase cards to book travel in the issuer’s portal or transferring your points to Chase’s airline and hotel partners.
When choosing between the Amex Trifecta or the Chase Trifecta, you’ll want to consider the cards you already have in your wallet, as well as the type of rewards points you prefer to earn. Remember that Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to nearly a dozen airline and hotel loyalty partner programs, including United MileagePlus, Southwest Rapid Rewards and World of Hyatt.
If you choose to apply for cards in the Chase trifecta, make sure you don’t run afoul of the Chase 5/24 rule, which will result in denials for Chase’s cards if you’ve opened five or more cards from any issuer in the past 24 months.
How to manage multiple credit cards
Managing multiple credit cards may seem like a daunting task. However, opening cards from the same issuer is actually quite simple, as the issuer already has your personal information on file. Once you’re approved for that second or third card, you can manage your finances and rewards all on one dashboard.
The whole point of the Amex Trifecta is to use each card in specific scenarios where you can earn points. To start out, you may want to make a note on your phone or add a sticky note on the card to help you remember the bonus categories. Over time, juggling multiple cards will become second nature.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
By opening each card in the Amex Trifecta — the Amex Platinum, Amex Gold and The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express*The information for the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. — you can leverage each card’s earning rates. For airline and prepaid hotels via Amex Travel, you’ll want to use the Amex Platinum to earn the elevated rate on purchases in those categories, while you should defer to the Amex Gold for dining and grocery shopping at U.S. supermarkets. For all other purchases, the Amex Blue Business Plus helps you earn a strong flat rewards rate (up to the annual spending cap).
Since all three cards earn Amex Membership Rewards points, they’ll pool into the same rewards balance. When you log into your online Amex account, your points from these three cards will be there, ready for you to redeem as you please.
All information about The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint.
American Express offers a variety of excellent rewards cards that earn bonus points on travel, dining and more. While there isn’t a single best Amex card for earning points, setting your sights on the Amex trifecta can be a great way to maximize the earning potential across multiple rewards categories. That said, there are Amex cards other than those in the trifecta that earn Membership Rewards points, such as the American Express® Green Card*The information for the American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer..
All information about American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by Blueprint.
When you log into your online account, you can request to increase your credit limit or transfer your credit limit to another Amex card under the “Account Services” tab. You can also call American Express with the customer service number on the back of your card to request a credit limit increase.
While the credit requirements will depend on the specific Amex card you’re interested in, we generally recommend that you have a good to excellent FICO Score — typically meaning one between 670 and 850 — for the best chances of approval.
For rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express please visit this page.
For rates and fees for the American Express® Gold Card please visit this page.
¹Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
*The information for the American Express® Green Card, Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card and The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint.The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
