Best Strategy to Achieve Amex Platinum Travel Milestone with Car Purchase?

[atom008]

Hello everyone,

I recently got my Amex Platinum Travel card and am looking to hit the spending milestones for rewards. I’m planning to buy a car from Maruti Nexa, and I’ve already negotiated the price down. After including road tax and insurance, the total cost is ₹10,000 less than the ex-showroom price, thanks to the slow car market and high dealer stocks.

The showroom uses an ICICI machine and charges a 2% fee for credit card payments. I’m unsure if this fee might be higher for Amex.

I’m hoping the ₹4 lakh purchase will help me earn 48,000 rewards points and a ₹10,000 Taj voucher:
- 15,000 for the ₹1.9 lakh milestone,
- 25,000 for the ₹4 lakh milestone, and
- 8,000 regular rewards points.


However, I’m concerned that some of this spending—especially the insurance—might fall under Amex’s exclusion categories (like insurance, utilities, fuel), which could impact my rewards calculation.


Additionally, I need to make around ₹8 lakh in spending overall. I also have the following cards:

• Credit Cards: Tata Neu Infinity, Axis Ace, SBI Cashback, Flipkart Axis, HDFC Millenia.
• Debit Cards: IDFC Wealth, HDFC Platinum, HDFC Millenia.

I’m considering further increasing my rewards by paying credit card bills with my debit cards.

My question is: Should I pay for the car using my Amex to achieve the spending milestone, or is there a better option? I’ve heard about apps like EaseMyDeal, which claim to charge 1.18% for transferring credit card amounts to a bank account, but I haven’t used these services before.

I’m looking for the most cost-effective way to reach my spending target. Should I consider using credit card-to-bank apps, or stick with the car purchase using Amex and try to negotiate the fees further (though this might be challenging given that I’ve already negotiated the main price)?


Thanks in advance for your advice!

 

[350modena]

regular 8k plus 40k MR right on 4 lac spends ? also 10k taj on hitting 4lac milestone ?

8k I think depends on MCC (if not in excluded category like insurance utility etc)

Yes for the rest of the points.

 

[KLB@96]

8k I think depends on MCC (if not in excluded category like insurance utility etc)

Yes for the rest of the points.

Perfect, I will do a test transaction and contact support and ask if I get regular points. Thanks for your info

 

[350modena]

Perfect, I will do a test transaction and contact support and ask if I get regular points. Thanks for your info

Sure. And if you have the ability to wait then you'll know in 1-2 days in on settlement.

For me, no MDR and straight 40k MR + 10k Taj Voucher is sufficient reason to swipe the card !

 

[navdeep22]

Can you first check with the dealer whether he accepts Amex? If yes, then what are charges for Amex? Isn't this a starting point of this whole discussion?

Also don't think there are any platforms providing Amex to bank at 1.18%. Charges will be in the range of 2-3%. There also scrutiny has increased as these platforms ask for receiver's PAN

1.18% is nowhere available for amex or diners but is available for mastercard and visa

 

[Infamous]

Perfect, I will do a test transaction and contact support and ask if I get regular points. Thanks for your info

If you get points on this purchase, pay 4L through Plat Travel and the remaining balance from some other card.

Maybe you can get a family member to apply for Plat Travel with your referral, to maximise benefits.

 

[KLB@96]

If you get points on this purchase, pay 4L through Plat Travel and the remaining balance from some other card.

Maybe you can get a family member to apply for Plat Travel with your referral, to maximise benefits.

single swipe of 4lacs will do fine right or multiple ?

 

[350modena]

single swipe of 4lacs will do fine right or multiple ?

Someone suggested recently that chatting with Amex to give them a heads-up of the impending transaction would help ensure it does not trigger fraud warnings on their system and cause issues. You can try that via your amex app.

 

[Infamous]

Someone suggested recently that chatting with Amex to give them a heads-up of the impending transaction would help ensure it does not trigger fraud warnings on their system and cause issues. You can try that via your amex app.

@KLB@96 this explains it. It’s always a good thing to give the bank a heads up before such transactions to avoid failure and card blocking.

 

[Chacha_vidhayak]

Hello everyone,

I recently got my Amex Platinum Travel card and am looking to hit the spending milestones for rewards. I’m planning to buy a car from Maruti Nexa, and I’ve already negotiated the price down. After including road tax and insurance, the total cost is ₹10,000 less than the ex-showroom price, thanks to the slow car market and high dealer stocks.

The showroom uses an ICICI machine and charges a 2% fee for credit card payments. I’m unsure if this fee might be higher for Amex.

I’m hoping the ₹4 lakh purchase will help me earn 48,000 rewards points and a ₹10,000 Taj voucher:
- 15,000 for the ₹1.9 lakh milestone,
- 25,000 for the ₹4 lakh milestone, and
- 8,000 regular rewards points.


However, I’m concerned that some of this spending—especially the insurance—might fall under Amex’s exclusion categories (like insurance, utilities, fuel), which could impact my rewards calculation.


Additionally, I need to make around ₹8 lakh in spending overall. I also have the following cards:

• Credit Cards: Tata Neu Infinity, Axis Ace, SBI Cashback, Flipkart Axis, HDFC Millenia.
• Debit Cards: IDFC Wealth, HDFC Platinum, HDFC Millenia.

I’m considering further increasing my rewards by paying credit card bills with my debit cards.

My question is: Should I pay for the car using my Amex to achieve the spending milestone, or is there a better option? I’ve heard about apps like EaseMyDeal, which claim to charge 1.18% for transferring credit card amounts to a bank account, but I haven’t used these services before.

I’m looking for the most cost-effective way to reach my spending target. Should I consider using credit card-to-bank apps, or stick with the car purchase using Amex and try to negotiate the fees further (though this might be challenging given that I’ve already negotiated the main price)?


Thanks in advance for your advice!

Negotiate with the mdr rate also …. My uncle recently paid half amt using amex cc for buying car @1% mdr …

 

[atom008]

I tried to negotiate but he said not possible saying he has already provided good discount on car. also i have to take delivery on this Ganesh Chaturthi.
he said 2.85% charges for amex and 2.2% for idfc vistara.

so i'm planning to send some amount through housing.com(1%). I have shared him transaction account statement of tuition fees, he said ok as it contains my name on transaction.
however, i'm worried if using IDFC vistara in housing.com's booking token category will be counted as utility or not. can anyone confirms this?

 

[Chacha_vidhayak]

I tried to negotiate but he said not possible saying he has already provided good discount on car. also i have to take delivery on this Ganesh Chaturthi.
he said 2.85% charges for amex and 2.2% for idfc vistara.

so i'm planning to send some amount through housing.com(1%). I have shared him transaction account statement of tuition fees, he said ok as it contains my name on transaction.
however, i'm worried if using IDFC vistara in housing.com's booking token category will be counted as utility or not. can anyone confirms this?

I don’t know abt idfc vistara one … but be alert for using amex on housing.com … card may get blocked…

 

[atom008]

I don’t know abt idfc vistara one … but be alert for using amex on housing.com … card may get blocked…

Thank you for the heads-up! Have you come across any specific instances where this has happened?

 

[Chacha_vidhayak]

Thank you for the heads-up! Have you come across any specific instances where this has happened?

… watch this vdo