Jasmin Baron’s daughter is getting a Staub baking dish set for Christmas, thanks to American Express. Another one of her children got the same gift last year, courtesy of Amex. Baron has held The Platinum Card® from American Express for the last four years, and the card’s semi-annual $50 Saks Fifth Avenue credit has pitched in for plenty of holiday gifts, not to mention helped take the sting out of the card’s $695 annual fee.
Baron would know: She’s a journalist and credit cards expert. She also knows that Amex’s marketing promises over $1,500 in annual value from the card. The trouble is that the company makes you earn it by doling out credits incrementally, meaning that most customers see far less.
