City Bank Amex Platinum Reserve Credit Card Review: Fees, Benefits and Is the BDT 50,000 Metal Card Worth It?

City Bank’s American Express Platinum Reserve is the first metal Amex card in Bangladesh and one of the most expensive cards in the country, at BDT 50,000 plus VAT a year. In return it offers unlimited lounge access at home and abroad, a BDT 20,000 gift voucher every year, airport services, a long list of dining and hotel offers, and built-in insurance. We went through every published benefit and charge to see who really gets their money’s worth.

How we reviewed this card

This review is based on City Bank’s product page for the American Express Platinum Reserve credit card, its published fees and charges schedule, and press coverage of the card’s launch in April 2025, all checked in October 2026. We did not hold the card or test it on real spending. All cost examples are our own calculations from the published figures. Where City Bank’s own documents give different numbers for the same benefit, we point it out.

The card at a glance

City Bank is the sole issuer of American Express cards in Bangladesh, and the Platinum Reserve sits at the top of its range. The Daily Star reported its launch in April 2025 as the first American Express metal card in the country. It is built for high spenders who travel often and eat out at premium restaurants.

• Annual fee: BDT 50,000 + VAT, charged once the card is activated.
• Supplementary cards: first three free; after that 50% of the primary annual fee.
• Interest rate: 25% a year on purchases and cash advances.
• Welcome and anniversary gift: a BDT 20,000 voucher every year.
• Rewards: 3 Membership Rewards points per BDT 50 or USD 1, with 10x points on airlines and leading groceries in the first and last week of each month.
• Headline perks: unlimited Priority Pass visits abroad, unlimited Amex lounges at Dhaka airport, meet and greet, airport pick and drop, dedicated relationship manager, global concierge, insurance cover and extensive dining offers.

City Bank’s page does not publish a credit limit range or minimum income requirement. Given the fee, expect the bank to look for high, well-documented income; ask your relationship manager before applying.

Costs and fees in full

With 15% VAT, the annual fee comes to about BDT 57,500 a year (our calculation). If you use the yearly BDT 20,000 voucher, the effective cost falls to roughly BDT 37,500, but only if the voucher is for something you would have bought anyway.

Several of these deserve a closer look:

• 25% interest is steep. Carrying BDT 1 lakh for a month costs about BDT 2,083 in interest (our calculation). And if you do not pay the full bill by the due date, interest is charged on purchases and fees from the day after the previous due date, not just on the unpaid part. Cash advances attract interest from the day you withdraw.
• The EMI rate is flat. City Bank says a flat rate is used for EMIs. An 11.99% flat rate over 12 months works out to an effective rate of roughly 21.4% a year on a reducing balance (our calculation). It is still cheaper than revolving at 25%, but not as cheap as “11.99%” sounds.
• Losing the card is expensive. Replacing the metal primary card costs BDT 20,000.
• The 3% markup does not apply to USD. City Bank adds 3% to international transactions in currencies other than US dollars, even if they appear in taka on your statement. Spending in euros, pounds, baht or ringgit will cost 3% extra.
• The relationship manager fee is unclear. The schedule lists a “Dedicated Relationship Manager Service Fee” of 3% of the transaction amount without explaining which transactions it covers. Ask before asking your RM to make payments or bookings on your behalf.
• Government excise duty applies. On top of bank fees, excise duty is charged on high card balances: nil up to BDT 4 lakh, BDT 150 for BDT 4 to 5 lakh, BDT 500 up to BDT 10 lakh, BDT 3,000 up to BDT 50 lakh and BDT 5,000 up to BDT 1 crore.

For a general explanation of how card interest, minimum payments and annual fees add up, read our guide to the real cost of a credit card in Bangladesh.

The BDT 20,000 welcome and anniversary voucher

Every year of membership you can choose one BDT 20,000 gift from:

• BDT 20,000 savings at Gadget & Gear
• A one-night stay worth BDT 20,000 at Bhawal Resort
• BDT 20,000 cashback at Singapore Airlines
• BDT 20,000 savings on an executive health checkup at Continental Hospital

For a regular flyer, the Singapore Airlines cashback is the most cash-like option. Either way, this voucher alone offsets about a third of the fee each year.

Membership Rewards points

You earn 3 Membership Rewards points for every BDT 50 or USD 1 spent on purchases. That is 6,000 points for every BDT 1 lakh of spending (our calculation). City Bank also advertises 10x points for spending at airline merchants and leading grocery merchants during the first and last week of each month. The listed grocery partners include Unimart, Lavender, Adi New Dhali Super Shop, CSD, DDS, Prince Bazar, Khulshi Mart, Apon Family Mart and others.

You can use points to pay your card bill or card fees, or swap them for vouchers for dining, electronics, groceries and lifestyle brands. Points are not earned on MFS or digital wallet loads, fuel stations or government fees.

The weak spot: City Bank does not publish how much a point is worth when redeemed against your bill. Without that number you cannot calculate your real return. Ask for the conversion rate before you compare this card with others.

Travel benefits

Priority Pass: unlimited, with conditions

The primary cardmember gets unlimited complimentary Priority Pass visits a year, with two companions, at airport lounges abroad. The fine print matters:

• Priority Pass works at foreign airport lounges only.
• You must keep at least USD 200 available in the travel quota on your Amex card to be eligible, and keep it every year. Lounge charges are taken from your travel quota.
• Only one supplementary cardmember gets a Priority Pass, and each of their visits costs USD 32. The fee schedule separately lists USD 35 per visit per person for extra visits, so confirm which applies.
• The launch coverage mentioned 1,700+ lounges; check the Priority Pass app for current numbers.

Amex lounges at Dhaka airport

Cardmembers get unlimited access to the City Bank American Express international and domestic lounges at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, for departures only. The primary cardmember can bring up to three companions and a supplementary cardmember up to two. Extra guests are charged at BDT 2,500 per adult in the international lounge and BDT 850 in the domestic lounge.

Meet and greet, and pick and drop

• Meet and greet at Dhaka airport on departure and arrival, free for the cardmember and up to three family members. Book at least 12 hours ahead on 01822991111 or 01974444555, or by email.
• Airport pick and drop at Dhaka airport for international flights, booked through your personal relationship manager. City Bank does not publish a usage limit on its page.
• Fastrack VIP meet and greet abroad: 10% off at selected airports worldwide when you pay with the card.

Flight and travel discounts

• GoZayaan: up to 18% off international base fares, capped at BDT 30,000 per transaction, up to 5 transactions a month and 15 a year.
• ShareTrip: up to 18% off domestic base fares, capped at BDT 5,000 per transaction.
• Airlines: discounts with US-Bangla, Biman, NOVOAIR and Air Astra, mostly 7% to 15% on base fares, valid until 31 December 2026.
• Tablet Plus: a two-year complimentary membership to the Michelin Guide’s hotel programme, with access to more than 4,000 boutique hotels and perks like free breakfast, early check-in or late check-out and hotel credits.
• SIXT car rental: up to 15% off, free upgrades when available and a free additional driver in the US.
• Booking.com: up to 30% off selected hotels.
• Club Avolta: 12-month complimentary Platinum status for airport duty-free shopping, with up to 10% off in selected stores.

Dining benefits

Dining is where this card is strongest for people living in Dhaka.

• Buy 1 Get 1 companion buffet every day at a long list of hotels, including Sheraton, Le Meridien, The Westin, InterContinental, Pan Pacific Sonargaon, Radisson Blu, Amari, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Hyatt Place in Dhaka, and The Peninsula and Radisson Blu in Chattogram.
• Buy 1 Get 2 companion buffet on weekends (Friday and Saturday) at one hotel chosen by the bank each month. For November 2026, it is Radisson Blu Chattogram Bay View. You cannot combine the BOGO and B1G2 offers at the same hotel on the same day.
• 25% weekend savings at Daily Treats (The Westin), Favola (Le Meridien) and Amber Room (InterContinental), up to BDT 2,000 per transaction, and 15% at Tastebud every day.
• 10% to 25% savings at 20 premium restaurants, including Izumi, Oro, Holey, Laam, Manzo, Tudo, Yumi, Favola and Amber Room. Reservations must be made through your relationship manager at least one hour before you arrive.
• Global dining: up to 20% to 30% savings at hundreds of restaurants in Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka, plus booking access to more than 800 top restaurants in Japan through Pocket Concierge.

A rough illustration: if a hotel buffet costs around BDT 7,000 per person, a couple using the daily Buy 1 Get 1 offer twice a month would save about BDT 1.68 lakh a year (our estimate, using an assumed buffet price). Even a fraction of that comfortably covers the annual fee. Check current buffet prices, which vary by hotel and day.

Lifestyle and global privileges

• Amex Privilege Access: early or invitation-only tickets to events such as Wimbledon, the US Open, Formula 1 and major music festivals.
• Theme parks and shopping: 10% cashback at Disneyland and Universal Studios and 15% off at Bloomingdale’s.
• Dedicated relationship manager and 24/7 service in Bangladesh.
• Global Amex assistance for medical, legal and financial help while travelling, reached on +91 022 42320250.
• Concierge for travel bookings, restaurant reservations and event access.
• “Limitless spending” by auto-debit: your credit limit can be restored to full automatically after a set level of spending, according to your instructions. Terms apply, and this works by debiting your account, so it is not extra credit.

Insurance cover

• All Accidental Death Insurance: free, BDT 5 lakh per cardmember, paid to your nominee.
• Critical Care Insurance: up to BDT 3 lakh a year towards treatment of 18 critical illnesses, including cancer, stroke, heart attack, kidney failure and organ transplant.
• Travel insurance during foreign travel. The page does not give the coverage amounts.
• Double Benefit Insurance (City Shield): optional. If enrolled, it pays off your card balance and an equal amount to your nominee on death or permanent total disability, up to BDT 20 lakh or twice the balance, whichever is lower. It costs 0.40% of your monthly card balance and does not apply to accounts two months overdue.

Is it worth BDT 57,500 a year?

It depends almost entirely on how much you travel and eat out.

Good fit: frequent international travellers who will use Priority Pass and the Dhaka Amex lounges often, couples or families who dine at hotel buffets and premium restaurants several times a month, people who will actually redeem the BDT 20,000 voucher, and anyone who always pays the full bill on time.

Poor fit: anyone who carries a balance (25% interest erases the perks quickly), people who travel abroad once a year or less, and those who would rarely use the dining offers. A cheaper premium card may give you most of what you use for a fraction of the fee. Compare with our review of the DBBL Nexus Mastercard World, which costs BDT 20,000 + VAT, and our guide to premium card tiers.

Things City Bank does not publish on the page and that you should ask about: the minimum income or credit limit range, the value of a reward point, the travel insurance cover amount, the airport pick and drop usage limit, and what the 3% relationship manager service fee applies to.

How to apply

You can apply through the “Apply now” button on City Bank’s product page or through a City Bank relationship manager. Expect to provide your NID, tax return proof, photographs, and income documents such as salary certificates and bank statements or business papers. Approval and your limit depend on your income and credit history.

This review is for general information only and is not financial advice. Fees, rates and offers change, and many dining and airline offers have end dates. Check City Bank’s current terms before applying.