You can’t use your 2025 Amex Platinum dining credits yet

The Platinum Card from American Express is very popular with Head for Points readers, despite the £650 annual fee.

(It may, of course, become even more popular soon now that British Airways is culling many Silver and Gold cardholders, since Platinum cardholders get free access for up to four people to the two independent lounges in Heathrow Terminal 5.)

Until 14th January there is a generous sign-up bonus (80,000 Membership Rewards points, worth 80,000 Avios) which you qualify for even if you already have a British Airways American Express card. Some people may see a higher offer – click through and look at the application page.

What tends to keep people paying the fee is the generous benefits package. You can recoup much of your fee in almost-cash benefits, even without considering ‘soft’ benefits like airport lounge access and hotel elite status.

One of these is the Platinum Dining credit.

This has been upgraded for 2025, and the total annual dining credit will now be £400 per calendar year.

You will receive:

• £200 per year to spend at participating UK restaurants, with a maximum credit of £100 every six months

• £200 per year to spend at participating restaurants outside the UK, with a maximum credit of £100 every six months

This means that you will need to eat out at least four times to earn the maximum credit.

Your 2025 dining credit is NOT active yet

Because 2025 sees revised terms for Platinum Dining, you will need to opt-in again. Your existing registration for 2022-2024 is no longer valid.

However, registration is not yet available.

Do NOT go out for a meal this week, or this weekend, hoping to use your £100 of January to June dining credit because you can’t.

Registration will not be available by this weekend. You might have more luck the following weekend ….

You CAN nip out to Harvey Nichols and spend your final £50 credit, however. Registration for that promotion DID rollover, so as long as you were opted in to the 2022-2024 version it remains active. Remember that the Harvey Nichols partnership ends on 30th June 2025.

PS. If you get the Financial Times at the weekend (UK edition only), you’ll find a little story there this Saturday about how I finally blew my £150 of non-UK dining credit for 2024. Barry (from the SAS million points challenge) makes an appearance too.

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Want to earn more points from credit cards? – April 2025 update

If you are looking to apply for a new credit card, here are our top recommendations based on the current sign-up bonuses.

In 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.

You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:

Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard

Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review

Barclaycard Avios Mastercard

Get 5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review

You can see our full directory of all UK cards which earn airline or hotel points here. Here are the best of the other deals currently available.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

30,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard

18,000 bonus points and 1.5 points for every £1 you spend Read our full review

Earning miles and points from small business cards

If you are a sole trader or run a small company, you may also want to check out these offers:

American Express Business Platinum

50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

American Express Business Gold

20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review

Capital on Tap Pro Visa

10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review

Capital on Tap Visa

NO annual fee, NO FX fees and points worth 1 Avios per £1 Read our full review

British Airways American Express Accelerating Business

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review