Apr 17, 2017, 12:45 pm
Last edit by: C W
General Information:
Please note this thread only currently applies to US-issued personal Platinum cards. There have been no official announcements of foreign-issued metal cards. It also applies to all co-branded personal Platinum cards such as Mercedes and Morgan Stanley.
All new and and replacement cards are now stainless steel, as of March 30, 2017.
Amex Press Release
This thread is for discussion of the physical metal card. Please see this thread for all other new Amex Platinum features:
USA: New personal Platinum benefits; Higher annual fee ($550)
Contactless
There are contactless (NFC) and non-contactless version of the Platinum Card.
If you previously had a contactless card and requested a replacement you will receive a contactless replacement.
If you previously had a non-contactless card and requested a replacement you will receive a non-contactless replacement unless you ask specifically for contactless.
Some reps do not know about contactless, HUCA or speak to a supervisor. If you are told you cannot request a contactless card because you requested another replacement within 10 days, ask to speak to fraud prevention and they will override this restriction.
When you apply for a new Platinum account you will be sent a non-contactless card by default.
The contactless and non-contactless cards are physically different. Detailed description and photos in Post 204.
Welcome Kit
Some members have received a Welcome Kit with a wooden display for the card that can be repurposed as a phone stand.
Pictures and description in Post 282.
All new cardmembers should receive the Welcome Kit whereas replacement cards generally seem to arrive in an envelope.
Please note this thread only currently applies to US-issued personal Platinum cards. There have been no official announcements of foreign-issued metal cards. It also applies to all co-branded personal Platinum cards such as Mercedes and Morgan Stanley.
All new and and replacement cards are now stainless steel, as of March 30, 2017.
Amex Press Release
This thread is for discussion of the physical metal card. Please see this thread for all other new Amex Platinum features:
USA: New personal Platinum benefits; Higher annual fee ($550)
Contactless
There are contactless (NFC) and non-contactless version of the Platinum Card.
If you previously had a contactless card and requested a replacement you will receive a contactless replacement.
If you previously had a non-contactless card and requested a replacement you will receive a non-contactless replacement unless you ask specifically for contactless.
Some reps do not know about contactless, HUCA or speak to a supervisor. If you are told you cannot request a contactless card because you requested another replacement within 10 days, ask to speak to fraud prevention and they will override this restriction.
When you apply for a new Platinum account you will be sent a non-contactless card by default.
The contactless and non-contactless cards are physically different. Detailed description and photos in Post 204.
Welcome Kit
Some members have received a Welcome Kit with a wooden display for the card that can be repurposed as a phone stand.
Pictures and description in Post 282.
All new cardmembers should receive the Welcome Kit whereas replacement cards generally seem to arrive in an envelope.
American Express personal Platinum (USA) metal card
May 18, 2017, 9:25 pm
#346
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: IPT
Programs: DL Diamond, Hilton Life Diamond, Hertz Presidents, former US former Charimans
Posts: 131
Contactless not working in metal cards
I'm now on to my 2nd metal AXP Platinum card with contactless. In both of them, the contactless chip is somehow defective. At terminals where the vendor lets me see the whole error, it says either "read failed" or "unknown card type". My blue cash amex also has contactless and works totally fine at the same merchants and same terminals.
My attempts to get an amex representative to even listen to what I was trying to explain have been futile. I literally just had one of them tell me "your card isn't contactless" <facepalm>!!
Has anyone had any luck actually using contactless in their new metal Platinum card? For reference both defective cards say card stock id 5528 CS 02/17 in bottom right on back, under the contactless logo.
My attempts to get an amex representative to even listen to what I was trying to explain have been futile. I literally just had one of them tell me "your card isn't contactless" <facepalm>!!
Has anyone had any luck actually using contactless in their new metal Platinum card? For reference both defective cards say card stock id 5528 CS 02/17 in bottom right on back, under the contactless logo.
May 19, 2017, 11:27 am
#348
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: IPT
Programs: DL Diamond, Hilton Life Diamond, Hertz Presidents, former US former Charimans
Posts: 131
Hmm.. Was your card rush-processing or arrived via normal mail, and is yours printed on the same card stock that I have? Both of mine were printed and delivered next-day emergency replacement, so I'm suspicious they are programming something wrong in their overnight creation of the metal cards.
May 20, 2017, 9:10 am
#349
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL Scattered Smothered Covered Medallion, Some hotel & car stuff, Kroger Plus Card
Posts: 10,745
Hmm.. Was your card rush-processing or arrived via normal mail, and is yours printed on the same card stock that I have? Both of mine were printed and delivered next-day emergency replacement, so I'm suspicious they are programming something wrong in their overnight creation of the metal cards.
May 20, 2017, 12:51 pm
#350
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: RDU
Programs: DL(PM), UA(Silver), AA(EXP) Marriott(Ti), HH(Gold), Hertz(PC)
Posts: 2,667
Hmm.. Was your card rush-processing or arrived via normal mail, and is yours printed on the same card stock that I have? Both of mine were printed and delivered next-day emergency replacement, so I'm suspicious they are programming something wrong in their overnight creation of the metal cards.
May 20, 2017, 11:30 pm
#352
Join Date: Mar 2017
Programs: HHonors, TrueBlue, Delta SkyMiles, Hyatt Discoverist, Starwood Preferred Guest, American Airlines.
Posts: 2,035
A customer service rep needs to understand that customers know what card they have.
May 20, 2017, 11:53 pm
#353
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: GE, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 15,507
Not sure why companies hire people, fail to train them, and are willing to embarrass themselves to save a few bucks. The people who help customers with inquiries on chat and on the phone represent the company.
A customer service rep needs to understand that customers know what card they have.
A customer service rep needs to understand that customers know what card they have.
May 24, 2017, 12:16 pm
#355
Join Date: Oct 2005
Programs: DL 2MM PM;VSGld;EKGld; HilDia; HrtzPC; AvisPC; PP; AmbPlt; JumeiGld; MeliaPlt; TajPlt; ShangriDia
Posts: 953
I'm now on to my 2nd metal AXP Platinum card with contactless. In both of them, the contactless chip is somehow defective. At terminals where the vendor lets me see the whole error, it says either "read failed" or "unknown card type". My blue cash amex also has contactless and works totally fine at the same merchants and same terminals.
My attempts to get an amex representative to even listen to what I was trying to explain have been futile. I literally just had one of them tell me "your card isn't contactless" <facepalm>!!
Has anyone had any luck actually using contactless in their new metal Platinum card? For reference both defective cards say card stock id 5528 CS 02/17 in bottom right on back, under the contactless logo.
My attempts to get an amex representative to even listen to what I was trying to explain have been futile. I literally just had one of them tell me "your card isn't contactless" <facepalm>!!
Has anyone had any luck actually using contactless in their new metal Platinum card? For reference both defective cards say card stock id 5528 CS 02/17 in bottom right on back, under the contactless logo.
Just curious if others have a similar experience...
Last edited by LAXRuss; May 24, 2017 at 12:30 pm
May 24, 2017, 12:49 pm
#356
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SJC
Programs: AA, AS, Marriott
Posts: 6,060
Hello LAXRuss, I believe it's because AmEx enforces EMV contactless payments and will reject if it's MSD contactless. Check on this thread. There were some posts about AmEx contactless payments having issues in the US.
May 24, 2017, 6:41 pm
#357
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: GE, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 15,507
Over time, I have come to the following assumptions: (a) some terminals may advertise the contactless payment but may have it turned off; (b) some terminals may advertise contactless payment but it does not activate until the cashier presses the right button; if I try too early, it does not work; (c) some terminals may possibly be rejecting me because I am making a high cost transaction and it reverts to Chip & PIN while it may accept a contactless payment if the cost had been lower. Even McDonald's used to advertise contactless payment at every terminal; now that I have the contactless card, it appears they are dropping the technology at many locations...
Just curious if others have a similar experience...
Just curious if others have a similar experience...
As for "dropping" support it's more that they're putting the reader inside the display now instead of having an external attachment. Which would be fine except that a lot of these places don't obviously show that you can still tap.
Hello LAXRuss, I believe it's because AmEx enforces EMV contactless payments and will reject if it's MSD contactless. Check on this thread. There were some posts about AmEx contactless payments having issues in the US.
Jun 3, 2017, 4:01 pm
#358
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: IPT
Programs: DL Diamond, Hilton Life Diamond, Hertz Presidents, former US former Charimans
Posts: 131
I'm now on to my 4th physical card that still isn't working. I even got to try this one at a new kind of point of sale, a handheld device connected to Ethernet. As usual, it reported "unknown card type" for any taps of the Platinum, while my amex blue cash card then proceeded to work just fine via contactless.
Jun 3, 2017, 6:29 pm
#359
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: RDU
Programs: DL(PM), UA(Silver), AA(EXP) Marriott(Ti), HH(Gold), Hertz(PC)
Posts: 2,667
I'm now on to my 4th physical card that still isn't working. I even got to try this one at a new kind of point of sale, a handheld device connected to Ethernet. As usual, it reported "unknown card type" for any taps of the Platinum, while my amex blue cash card then proceeded to work just fine via contactless.