Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
Business owners who value premium perks will appreciate what The Business Platinum Card® from American Express offers. You’ll receive access to more than 1,400 airport lounges, shopping and travel credits and much more. Few business cards can match the benefits provided by this premium card.
Below, CNBC Select breaks down the rewards, benefits and fees of The Business Platinum Card to help you decide if it’s the right choice for your business.
The Business Platinum Card from American Express is a premium business card loaded with statement credit offers for business services and travel that help justify its steep annual fee.
- Access to 1,400+ airport lounges, including Priority Pass (Enrollment required) and Amex Centurion lounges
- Statement credit offers worth over $1,400 every year
- Hotel and rental car elite status perks
- Earns flexible rewards you can transfer to 20+ airline and hotel loyalty programs (Enrollment required for select benefits mentioned; Benefits may be subject to auto-renewal)
- High annual fee
- Limited bonus spending categories
- Some statement credit offers are earned in small increments or only apply to purchases from a single brand
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select’s editorial staff.
- Welcome Offer: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
- 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases.
- Earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on each eligible purchase at US construction material, hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more, on up to $2 million per Card Account per calendar year. Purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus.
- Unlock over $1,000 in statement credits on select purchases, including tech, recruiting and wireless in the first year of membership with the Business Platinum Card®. Enrollment required. See how you can unlock over $1,000 annually in credits on select purchases with the Business Platinum Card®
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to the Card.
- $199 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Use your card and get up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year on your CLEAR® Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use the Business Platinum Card®.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market as of 03/2023.
- $695 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
Amex Business Platinum Card review
Welcome bonus
Benefits and perks
The Business Platinum Card® offers a long list of benefits. Even if you can’t use them all, it’s not difficult to justify paying the card’s $695 annual fee (see rates and fees).
Statement credits
- Up to $200 in credits semi-annually for Dell purchases you make through June 30, 2025 (enrollment required)
- Up to $360 in credits each year (up to $90 per quarter) for purchases made at Indeed.com
- Up to $200 in annual Hilton credit (up to $50 per quarter) for purchases you make directly with Hilton (Hilton for Business membership required; enrollment required)
- Up to $150 for select Adobe prepaid annual plans of Adobe Creative Cloud for teams or Adobe Acrobat Pro for teams through June 30, 2025 (enrollment required)
- Up to $120 each year (up to $10 per month) for purchases made directly with any U.S. wireless telephone provider (enrollment required)
- Up to $199 in CLEAR® Plus statement credits per calendar year for a membership (subject to auto-renewal; excluding applicable taxes and fees)
- Up to $200 in airline fee credits per calendar year to reimburse you for incidental fees charged by your selected qualifying airline (enrollment required)
- Up to $120 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fees. Receive either a statement credit every four years after you apply for Global Entry ($120) or a statement credit every 4.5 years after you apply for a five-year membership for TSA PreCheck® (up to $85 through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider)
Additional benefits
- Complimentary access to 1,400+ airport lounges with the American Express Global Lounge Collection®
- Earn 35% of your points back (up to one million points per calendar year) when you redeem points for a first-class or business-class flight with any airline or any flight with your selected airline (you must redeem at least 5,000 points to use the Pay with Points feature)
- Access to the Fine Hotels + Resorts program. Receive benefits including, room upgrades, late check-out, early check-in, complimentary breakfast for two and a $100 credit (some benefits are based on availability)
- Complimentary Gold status with Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy (enrollment required; terms and limitations apply)
- Travel insurance and *purchase protections
- *Car rental privileges with Avis, Hertz and National, including discounts and upgrades. Enrollment is required. Terms and limitations apply.
- No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees)
*Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
How to earn and redeem Membership Rewards® points
Earning
The Business Platinum Card® earns American Express Membership Rewards points at the following rates:
- 5X points for flights and pre-paid hotels booked directly through AmexTravel.com.
- 1.5X points on up to $2 million in purchases per calendar year in eligible purchases made with electronics retailers, software and cloud service providers, construction materials, hardware suppliers and U.S. shipping services and providers, as well as any eligible business-related purchases over $5,000
- 1X points on all other eligible purchases
Redeeming
Unlike some travel cards that earn rewards tied to one airline or hotel, The Business Platinum Card® earns transferable rewards points. You can transfer Membership Rewards points to these airline and hotel loyalty program partners at a 1:1 ratio, except where noted otherwise:
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- AeroMexico Rewards (1:1.6)
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- AirFrance/KLM Flying Blue
- ANA Mileage Club
- Cathay Pacific
- Avianca LifeMiles
- British Airways Executive Club
- Delta Air Lines SkyMiles
- Emirates Skywards
- Etihad Guest
- Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles
- Iberia Plus
- JetBlue TrueBlue (1.25:1)
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- Choice Privileges
- Hilton Honors (1:2)
- Marriott Bonvoy
Once you have racked up a significant amount of points, you can start thinking about transferring them to any of the American Express transfer partners. Each airline or hotel program has different processing times and award prices. You may need to pay an excise tax to transfer points (depending on the partner), and your points may not transfer instantly.
You can also redeem points for gift cards, statement credits or to make purchases with eligible brands. However, these redemptions usually are less valuable than taking advantage of the best Amex transfer partners.
Rates and fees
Card comparison
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express vs. The Platinum Card® from American Express
The Platinum Card® from American Express is a premium card loaded with annual statement credits, entertainment benefits, extensive airport lounge access, elite status perks and more. (Enrollment required for select benefits mentioned)
- Access to 1,400+ airport lounges, including Priority Pass and Amex Centurion lounges (Enrollment required)
- Statement credit offers worth up to twice what the annual fee costs
- Elite status perks for hotels and rental cars (Enrollment required for select benefits mentioned)
- High annual fee
- Many statement credit offers are complicated and are earned in increments or limited to specific purchases
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select’s editorial staff.
- Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
- $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market. As of 03/2023.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Save on eligible delivery fees, shipping, and more with a Walmart+ membership. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes back on one membership (excluding Plus Ups) each month.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card®.
- $200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card® Members can get out and about and explore their local area with $15 in Uber Cash for US rides each month, plus a bonus $20 in December. That can be up to $200 in annual Uber savings. Simply download the Uber app and add your Platinum Card® to your Uber account to get started. Available to Basic Card Member only. Effective 11/8/2024, an Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit.
- $199 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps to get you to your gate faster at 50+ airports nationwide and get up to $199 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card. CLEARLanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues.
- Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
- Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile.
- $695 annual fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you’re approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you’re approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
Balance transfer fee
Foreign transaction fee
The Platinum Card® from American Express is similar to the Amex Business Platinum. Both cards earn Amex Membership Rewards® points and offer the same airport lounge access, hotel elite status benefits, luxury concierge services, statement credits for airline fees and CLEAR® membership credits.
However, the Amex Platinum is a personal card with a slightly different set of perks. It offers additional credits and benefits with *Uber, *Saks Fifth Ave., Walmart (subject to auto-renewal), hotels and *digital entertainment.
*enrollment required.
If you don’t qualify for a business card or don’t need a business card, the Amex Platinum Card gets you access to many of the same luxury benefits.
Learn more: The Platinum Card® from American Express
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express vs. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is an excellent business card with useful benefits, valuable rewards and a generous welcome bonus.
- Earns flexible travel rewards you can transfer to airline and hotel loyalty programs such as World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Valuable welcome bonus worth $1,125 in travel when redeemed through Chase Travel
- Strong travel and shopping protections
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select’s editorial staff.
- Earn 90k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $900 cash back or $1,125 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠
- Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
- Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
- With Zero Liability you won’t be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more – your points don’t expire as long as your account is open
- Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Travel℠
- Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has a more reasonable $95 annual fee and earns rewards that you can transfer to 14 travel partners at a 1:1 ratio.
It also earns more rewards than the Business Platinum for common business expenses, including travel, shipping, internet, cable and phone services, and advertising (with social media sites and search engines).
The Amex Business Platinum offers a better array of premium perks, such as airport lounge access. However, for many businesses, it may not be worth the additional expense.
Learn more: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Is the Amex Business Platinum Card right for you?
The Business Platinum Card is best for small business owners who can use its many travel benefits, such as airport lounge access and airline fee statement credits. Otherwise, the $695 annual fee (see rates and fees) may not be worth it.
Business owners who want to earn flexible rewards, but can’t justify paying a high annual fee will appreciate the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card ($95 annual fee). It earns transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, has a generous rewards structure and a long list of travel and shopping insurance benefits.
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For rates and fees of The Business Platinum® Card from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.
