Amex Business Platinum Card Review: Big Bonus, Huge Benefits

Link: Apply now for The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

The American Express Platinum cards are some of the most well-known premium cards out there. Many people are familiar with The Platinum Card® from American Express (review), which is one of the most popular personal premium cards on the market.

In this post, I wanted to take a close look at The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, which is the business version of the card (as the name suggests). Is this card worth it, and if so, under what circumstances?

Amex Business Platinum Card Basics For March 2024

The Amex Business Platinum Card offers some outstanding perks, though the card also has a steep annual fee.

In this post, I’ll take a detailed look at the Amex Business Platinum welcome offer, annual fee, return on spending, and perks, including the incredible lounge access benefits, as well as the variety of credits that the card offers. I’ll also talk a bit about how this compares to other business cards out there.

While the Amex Business Platinum has a hefty annual fee, it’s also a card that can make sense for many small businesses, in my opinion.

Welcome Offer: 120,000 Membership Rewards Points

The Amex Business Platinum Card is offering a great welcome offer of 120,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months. Personally, I value Membership Rewards points at 1.7 cents each, so to me those points are worth $2,040.

Once In A Lifetime Rule

The welcome offer on the Amex Business Platinum Card isn’t available to those who currently have the card or those who have had the card in the past, known as Amex’s “once in a lifetime” rule. If you’ve had the card in the past you’re still eligible to be approved, you just won’t get the bonus.

The standard rules of applying for Amex cards apply as well. Anecdotally speaking, I find Amex business cards to be quite easy to be approved for, at least for those with excellent credit.

Annual Fee: $695

The Amex Business Platinum Card has an annual fee of $695 (Rates & Fees). This is one of the highest annual fee cards out there.

Authorized User Fee: $300

While some cards let you add authorized users at a reasonable cost, unfortunately, this card isn’t one of them. The cost per authorized user on the Amex Business Platinum is $300 (Rates & Fees), which is steep.

Authorized users receive the lounge access perks of the card, as well as most of the hotel perks. However, authorized users do not receive additional credits (for airline fees, Dell, CLEAR, etc).

Earning Points With The Amex Business Platinum Card

Personally, I think the Amex Business Platinum Card may be worth having for the benefits it offers, though there are fairly limited circumstances under which it makes sense to spend money on the card if you’re looking to maximize your return on spending.

Some other Amex cards offer big bonus categories, and I’ll talk more about those cards in a bit. So, in what categories does this card offer bonus points?

5x Points On Select Flights & Hotels Through Amex Travel

The Amex Business Platinum offers 5x Membership Rewards points on prepaid hotels and flights that are booked through Amex Travel. This is fairly restrictive.

It could make sense to book flights through Amex Travel to earn 5x points, though for many small businesses that might not be the best option.

The downside to booking prepaid hotels through Amex Travel is that you generally won’t earn points with your preferred loyalty program for third-party bookings, which includes Amex Travel bookings.

The one exception is Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts, where prepaid reservations earn 5x points. That can be a good deal because of the perks you get, and also because you still earn points with your preferred hotel loyalty program. I’ll talk more about that in a bit.

1.5x Points In Select Categories

The Amex Business Platinum offers 1.5x Membership Rewards points for purchases that meet specific criteria. These include the following:

• Eligible purchases in key business categories, including U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers, U.S. electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and U.S. shipping providers
• Eligible purchases of $5,000 or more, regardless of the category

The earning rate of 1.5x points is valid for up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year. This will be useful for some small businesses, though for others won’t add much value.

1x Points On Other Purchases

The above are the only bonus categories — otherwise, the Amex Business Platinum offers 1x points per dollar spent, which isn’t especially good. There are other Amex cards offering 1.5-2x points per dollar spent, so I would much rather put my spending on those cards, or on another card that’s best for everyday spending for small businesses.

No Foreign Transaction Fees

The American Express Business Platinum Card offers no foreign transaction fees (Rates & Fees), should you find yourself making purchases abroad.

Redeeming Points With The Amex Business Platinum Card

The Amex Business Platinum Card earns Membership Rewards points. This is one of the four major transferable points currencies. There are two best ways you can redeem Amex points — you can transfer them to an airline or hotel partner, or you can redeem them as cash toward the cost of an airline ticket.

Let’s look at those two options below. One awesome thing about the Amex Business Platinum is that having the card gives you special redemption rates when redeeming the points as cash toward an airline ticket. It’s the best rate you’ll get through any Amex card.

Transfer Points To Airline & Hotel Partners

The best way to redeem your Amex points is to transfer them to one of the Membership Rewards airline or hotel partners. Points can be transferred to the below 20 partners, including 17 airline partners and three hotel partners:

The reason this represents such a good option is that you can get outsized value toward premium airfare, especially for travel in first and business class. These tickets are often super expensive if paying cash, while they can be a good deal with points. On top of that, Amex often has transfer bonuses, which can get you even better value.

Redeem Points For Over 1.5 Cents Each Toward Airfare

Ordinarily, you can redeem Membership Rewards points for about a cent each toward the cost of an airfare purchase, which isn’t that great. However, if you have the Amex Business Platinum Card you can redeem points at a special rate.

If you book your flight through American Express Travel using the Membership Rewards Pay with Points feature, you get 35% of those points back:

• You need to either be booking a first or business class flight or book any cabin on your selected qualifying airline
• You can get up to one million points back per calendar year using this redemption method

In other words, you could book a $1,000 ticket for 100,000 points, and then you’d get 35,000 points back, meaning, in the end, you’re paying 65,000 points. That’s a value of ~1.54 cents per point, which is excellent.

Amex Business Platinum Card $1,409 In Credits

The Amex Business Platinum Card offers so many benefits just for being a cardmember, and some of the most valuable benefits are credits. The card potentially offers up to $1,409 in credits annually. Of course most cardmembers aren’t going to be able to maximize every single one of those, though hopefully on balance cardmembers use enough of these perks to more than justify the annual fee.

If you’re smart about how you use the card, this alone could make the card worthwhile. Let’s take a look at those benefits, in no particular order. (Enrollment is required for select benefits)

$200 Annual Airline Fee Credit

The Amex Business Platinum offers a $200 annual airline fee credit, which can be used toward airline incidentals and fees. One is offered every calendar year, so it follows a strict January 1 through December 31 calendar.

Every year you can designate on which airline you want to receive the credit, with the following choices:

• Alaska Airlines
• American Airlines
• Delta Air Lines
• Hawaiian Airlines
• JetBlue Airways
• Spirit Airlines
• Southwest Airlines
• United Airlines

You can change your airline selection in January of each year. If you don’t change your selection then you automatically keep the same airline choice as the previous year.

Unfortunately, you can’t use your credit toward the following:

Airline tickets, upgrades, mileage points purchases, mileage points transfer fees, gift cards, duty free purchases, and award tickets are not deemed to be incidental fees.

This is useful for airline ticket change fees (though there are fewer of these than in the past), baggage fees, and other costs you may incur with an airline. Personally, this is something I have no trouble maxing out.

$400 Dell Statement Credit

For having the Amex Business Platinum Card you get up to $400 in Dell credits annually. The way this is broken down, you get a $200 statement credit between January and June, and an additional $200 statement credit between July and December.

There’s no minimum required to activate this (you could make exactly a $200 purchase, for example), and the statement credits should post within two to four weeks of an eligible purchase.

Dell sells a surprising number of items from other companies. For example, you can buy Bose headphones through Dell, so this is more useful than you might assume.

$189 CLEAR Plus Credit

The Amex Business Platinum Card offers an annual credit of up to $189 toward a CLEAR membership. CLEAR offers expedited security at select airports in the United States — instead of lining up to have your ID checked, you can instead have your biometric data taken, and then you’re escorted to the front of the line.

Simply charge the membership fee to your card, and it will automatically be reimbursed. It doesn’t matter who the fee is being paid for, as long as you charge it to your eligible card.

$360 Indeed Credit

The Amex Business Platinum offers up to $360 in annual credits for Indeed purchases. This is broken up into a $90 per quarter credit. This can be used for all Indeed hiring and recruiting products, and products and services to post open positions and find talent.

$150 Adobe Credit

The Amex Business Platinum offers up to $150 in annual statements for Adobe purchases. This includes purchases for Adobe Creative Cloud, and Acrobat Pro DC with e-sign.

$120 Wireless Credit

The Amex Business Platinum offers a $120 annual wireless credit. This comes in the form of a $10 monthly statement credit toward purchases made directly from any U.S. wireless telephone provider. For most cardmembers, this credit should be (almost) good as cash.

Amex Business Platinum Travel Benefits

The Amex Business Platinum Card offers a variety of valuable travel perks, ranging from hotel elite status, to rental car status, to discounts on premium airfare. Let’s go over these below. (Enrollment is required for select benefits)

Hilton Honors Gold Status

You receive complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status for as long as you have the Amex Business Platinum. This status is useful, and offers the following perks:

• Free breakfast, a hotel credit, and/or executive lounge access
• Late check-out, subject to availability
• Preferred rooms
• 80% points bonus
• Fifth night free on award stays

Marriott Bonvoy Gold Status

You receive complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold status for as long as you have the Amex Business Platinum. That status offers the following perks, among other things:

• 25% bonus points on hotel stays
• 2PM late check-out
• A room upgrade, subject to availability

Hertz Gold Plus Rewards President’s Circle Status

The Amex Business Platinum offers Hertz President’s Circle elite status, which is Hertz’s top-tier status. Status is valid for as long as you’re a cardmember. This should take the pain out of renting cars, and offers the following perks:

• Guaranteed car upgrades, a minimum of one-class, at participating locations
• Freedom to choose any vehicle in the President’s Circle section of the Hertz Ultimate Choice lot on the spot at no extra charge
• No additional driver fee for a spouse or domestic partner in the United States
• 50% bonus on Gold Plus Rewards points on all qualified rentals
• Expedited vehicle pick-up at over 1,000 locations worldwide
• No stopping at the counter at over 50 airports
• eReturn, whereby you don’t have to wait when returning your car
• Hertz Valet, whereby you can take advantage of a terminal drive-back service at participating locations up to four times per year
• A dedicated President’s Circle call center line

National Emerald Club Executive Status

The Amex Business Platinum offers National Emerald Club Executive status. You have to enroll to take advantage of this, and it’s valid for as long as you have your card. National is my favorite rental car company, and Executive status lets you pick out your car from the lot, and skip the counter altogether.

TSA PreCheck/Global Entry Credit

The Amex Business Platinum Card offers a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit (every 4.5 years for the application fee for TSA PreCheck, or every four years for the application fee for Global Entry). Just charge the enrollment fee to your card, and it will automatically be reimbursed. It doesn’t matter who the fee is being paid for, as long as you charge it to your eligible card.

Since I have quite a few cards offering this perk, I simply use it for friends and family members.

Amex International Airline Program

With the Amex International Airline Program, you can save on the cost of international first-class, business class, and premium economy airfare, on nearly two dozen airlines. This typically provides discounts even on already discounted tickets, so is a spectacular value.

If you book paid international premium cabin travel with any frequency, this could cover the card’s annual fee over and over.

Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts

With the Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts program, you can receive extra perks for stays at over 1,000 luxury hotels around the world. These benefits include the following:

• Daily breakfast for two people
• Room upgrade upon arrival, when available
• A unique property amenity (usually a $100 property credit, free massage, car transfer, etc.)
• Guaranteed 4PM check-out
• 12PM check-in, subject to availability
• Complimentary in-room Wi-Fi (exclusions apply)

Best of all, the rate is typically in line with the best available rate. Having the Amex Business Platinum Card gets you access to this, and if you prepay your reservation you even earn 5x points. Then again, Virtuoso offers similar perks, and doesn’t require any specific credit card.

Amex Business Platinum Card Lounge Access

The Amex Business Platinum Card offers one of the most comprehensive lounge access benefits of any card. This perk is called the Global Lounge Collection which includes proprietary Amex lounges, as well as access to lounges run by other airlines and companies.

Amex Centurion Lounge Access

Amex is well known for its Centurion Lounges. These are significantly better than what you’ll find in most US airline lounges. The lounges have hot food, cocktails, and some even have complimentary spa treatments.

Currently, US locations include Charlotte, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York JFK, New York LaGuardia, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Seattle, with more to come. There are also Centurion Lounges in Hong Kong and London, among other international destinations.

You can access these lounges up to three hours before departure if your flight (if you’re connecting, then the three hour limit doesn’t apply). As of February 1, 2023, the only cardmembers who can bring guests are those who spend at least $75,000 per calendar year on the card. These new access restrictions are intended to help with lounge crowding.

Delta Sky Club Access

Those with the Amex Business Platinum can access Delta Sky Clubs within three hours of departure of their flight, or upon arrival. You aren’t allowed to bring in guests for free, though can pay $50 per guest. Delta Sky Clubs are among the best membership lounges of any airline in the United States, in my opinion, and this is arguably the best way to access Sky Clubs.

Priority Pass Membership

The Amex Business Platinum Card offers a Priority Pass membership, which gives you access to lounges around the world. You can bring up to two guests into these lounges. Do note that those with the Amex Business Platinum don’t get access to Priority Pass restaurants.

Escape Lounge Access

The Amex Business Platinum offers access to the growing network of Escape Lounges. Just present your Amex Platinum Card and you’ll be admitted, and you can even bring in guests.

Select Lufthansa Lounge Access

The Amex Business Platinum also offers access to select Lufthansa Business & Senator Lounges. Cardmembers receive access to lounges when flying on a Lufthansa Group flight (Lufthansa, SWISS, and Austrian).

In addition to access to lounges in Frankfurt and Munich, several other lounges are also part of this agreement, including in North America and Europe. You can find all the eligible lounges through Amex’s lounge finder webpage.

Is The Amex Business Platinum Card Worth It?

Like most cards, the answer here is that it depends on the circumstances. In general, I would say that the Amex Business Platinum Card is a business card that you get in the long run for the benefits that it offers, rather than for the return on spending that it directly offers.

It could make sense to spend money on the card if your business consistently makes $5,000+ purchases, other than that, there are better cards for everyday spending.

The card offers big benefits but also has a steep annual fee. When it comes to accounting for the value of the card, I recommend considering the following:

• How much do you value the various credits?
• How much do you value the Marriott and Hilton Gold status, as well as the Hertz and National elite status?
• How much value will you get from Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts and the International Airline Program?
• How much do you value the lounge access perks offered by the card?

The Best Amex Business Cards For Spending

If you want to rack up as many Amex Membership Rewards points as possible through business spending, then there are two best cards you should be considering.

The first is The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express (review). The card has no annual fee and offers 2x Membership Rewards points on the first $50,000 spent every calendar year (1x after that). This is one of the best cards out there for non-bonused spending up to that limit.

Then if you’re looking for an Amex card with big bonus categories, the American Express® Business Gold Card (review) is excellent. The card has a $375 annual fee (Rates & Fees), and earns 4X Membership Rewards® points on the 2 categories where your business spends the most each billing cycle from 6 eligible categories. You will earn 4X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year (then 1X thereafter). The eligible categories are as follows:

• Purchases at US media providers for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio)
• U.S. purchases made from electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers
• U.S. purchases at restaurants, including takeout and delivery
• U.S. purchases at gas stations
• Transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways
• Monthly wireless telephone service charges made directly from a wireless telephone service provider in the U.S.

The Best Business Credit Card For Spending

If you’re looking for the single best and most well-rounded business credit card out there, I highly recommend the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (review). The card has a bonus of 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending $8,000 within 3 months, a reasonable $95 annual fee, offers 3x points in useful categories, offers great cell phone and rental car coverage, and more.

You simply can’t go wrong with this as your business rewards card.

Bottom Line

The Amex Business Platinum Card is a perks-rich card that also has one of the highest annual fees of any business card.

If you’re considering applying for this card, I’d do so if you think you’d get value out of the perks. This includes an incredible lounge access benefit, a $200 annual airline fee credit, $400 annual Dell credit, $189 CLEAR credit, hotel and rental car elite status, and much more. (Enrollment is required for select benefits)

Personally, if I were looking for a single well-rounded business card that maximizes value with everyday spending, I’d instead consider something like the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, which has a more reasonable annual fee, better rewards structure, and a massive welcome offer. Still, business cards don’t come with better perks than this…

If you want to learn more about the Amex Business Platinum Card or want to apply, follow this link.

The following links will direct you to the rates and fees for mentioned American Express Cards. These include: American Express® Business Gold Card (Rates & Fees), and The Business Platinum® Card from American Express (Rates & Fees).