The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is a premium card that offers a wide array of benefits geared towards the needs and preferences of small business owners.
The card’s travel benefits are unmatched, providing cardholders with access to an expansive airport lounge network, including the exclusive Centurion Lounges, and elite status with major hotel chains such as Hilton and Marriott. Cardholders also receive special status and discounts with major rental car companies.
On the shopping front, the card offers over $1,400 in statement credits for purchases with select vendors, including Dell, U.S. wireless telephone providers, airlines, and more.
This article will cover everything you need to know about this card to determine if you should add this card or a different card to your wallet. Let’s dive right in.
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- 5X Points on Flights and Prepaid Hotels Booked Via AmexTravel.com
- Earn 1.5X points on eligible purchases 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 everywhere else (up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year).
- Airport Lounge Access at Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs when Flying Delta, Escape, Plaza Premium, and Priority Pass.
- $695 Annual Fee & No Foreign Transaction Fees (Rates & Fees)
Welcome Bonus
The Business Platinum Amex currently offers the following welcome bonus:
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Earning Points
The Business Platinum Amex earns 1.5 Membership Rewards points per dollar for purchases up to $2 million in spending per calendar year in these categories:
- U.S. electronic goods retailers;
- U.S. software;
- U.S. cloud service providers;
- U.S. construction materials and hardware supplies;
- U.S. shipping providers; and
- Eligible purchases of $5,000 or more, regardless of the category.
The Business Platinum also earns:
- 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels and flights that are booked through Amex Travel; and
- 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
Annual Fee
The Business Platinum Amex has a $695 annual fee (rates & fees), which you can offset with over $1,400 in annual statement credits, airport lounge access, elite status, and travel and purchase protections.
Authorized users cost $300 per person and receive perks like airport lounge access, but they do not receive the additional credits (airline fee, Dell, CLEAR, etc.)
Over $1,400 in Annual Credits
The Business Platinum Amex offers several credits that you can take advantage of for your business.
Just remember that enrollment is required for most benefits.
$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 card.
Your options for airlines for the credit are:
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- Hawaiian Airlines
- JetBlue Airways
- Spirit Airlines
- Southwest Airlines
- United Airlines
$400 Dell Credit
You can earn up to $400 each year in statement credits toward your U.S. purchases from Dell in the form of a $200 credit from January to June and another $200 credit from July to December.
$120 Wireless Telephone Services Credit
Get up to $120 in statement credits per year (up to $10 per month) for wireless telephone service purchases made directly with a wireless provider in the U.S. on your Business Platinum card.
$189 CLEAR® Plus Credit
Breeze through security with CLEAR® Plus at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues nationwide and get up to $189 back per year on your membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card®.
$150 Adobe Credit
You can get up to $150 in statement credits per year for eligible annual prepaid business plan purchases with Adobe on Creative Cloud for teams or Acrobat Pro DC with e-sign for teams on your Business Platinum Card.
$360 Indeed Credit
You can receive up to $360 in statement credits per year for purchases with Indeed in the form of a $90 credit per quarter.
Global Entry / TSA PreCheck Credit
Receive a $100 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®.
TSA PreCheck is a membership program offering dedicated airport security lines and faster security screening (typically 5 minutes or less) at more than 200 airports across the United States and includes over 81 airlines.
Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck and expedited immigration upon arrival from an international trip back to the United States.
Airport Lounge Access with the Business Platinum
The Business Platinum Amex offers top notch airport lounge access at over 1,500 lounges. Below are the lounges that you have access to.
Centurion Lounges
American Express Centurion Lounges are luxurious airport lounges that offer amenities such as complimentary food and cocktails, high-speed Wi-Fi, and comfortable seating.
The current U.S. locations include Charlotte, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York LaGuardia, New York JFK, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Seattle.
You can access these lounges up to three hours before departure or at any time at a connecting airport on your way to your final destination.
Guests cost $50 per adult, $30 for guests between ages 2-17, and free for babies under two. You can unlock free guest access for two people if you spend at least $75,000 per calendar year on an Amex Platinum card.
Delta SkyClub
Cardmembers can access Delta Sky Clubs when flying Delta Air Lines within three hours of departure or on arrival.
Guests are not free and cost $50 per guest, with a limit of two guests or immediate family members (spouse/domestic partner and kids under 21).
Plaza Premium
Plaza Premium Lounges are a global network of more than 135 airport lounges in more than 70 major international airports.
From their spacious seating to gourmet food and high-end beverages, these lounges deliver an unprecedented level of luxury to frequent flyers.
Priority Pass
This card offers Priority Pass membership, which gets you access to over 1,300 airport lounges.
However, this card doesn’t offer access to Priority Pass restaurants, unlike the card_name (review)
Escape Lounges
Cardmembers get access to Escape Lounges – The Centurion Studio Partner. These are similar to smaller versions of the Centurion Lounges.
Select Lufthansa Lounges
Amex Platinum cardholders receive complimentary access to select Lufthansa lounges when flying on select Lufthansa Group airlines (including Lufthansa, SWISS, and Austrian):
- Platinum cardmembers have complimentary access to Lufthansa Business Lounges when flying in economy class.
- Platinum cardmembers have complimentary access to Lufthansa Senator Lounges when flying business class.
Elite Status with Business Platinum
You also receive Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold, Hertz President’s Circle, National Executive Club, and Avis Preferred Plus by just holding the Business Platinum Amex.
Below are the perks of each elite level:
Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status
Marriott Gold status gets you:
- 25% bonus points on stays
- Room upgrades to enhanced rooms (when available)
- 2 p.m. late checkout (when available)
- A welcome gift of 250 or 500 points,
- Enhanced internet.
Hilton Honors Gold Elite Status
Hilton Gold status offers nice benefits such as:
- Free breakfast credit and/or executive lounge access;
- Late checkout (subject to availability);
- Preferred rooms (higher floor, better view, and potentially on the executive floor);
- 80% points bonus;
- Fifth night free on award stays.
Hertz Gold Plus Rewards President’s Circle Status
Hertz President’s Circle gets you the following benefits:
- Ability to choose any card from the President’s Circle section of Hertz Ultimate Choice locations when you book an intermediate car or higher.
- Guaranteed car upgrades, a minimum of one-class, at participating locations.
- 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.
- A dedicated President’s Circle call center line.
National Emerald Club Executive Status
The benefits of National Emerald Club Executive include:
- Choose any car that’s a full size or above from the Executive section and you’ll only pay for a midsize (available in the U.S. and Canada).
- Guaranteed upgrade when you rent a midsize or above in the U.S. or Canada.
- A free 1 class car upgrade when renting at participating locations in the U.K., Ireland, France, Spain, and Germany.
- No second driver fees.
Avis Preferred Plus
The benefits of Avis Preferred Plus are:
- Free 1 car class upgrade when reserving a midsize or above (when available)
- Dedicated reservations number
- Access to exclusive offers and discounts
Other Card Benefits and Perks
We aren’t done yet with the benefits of the Business Platinum Amex.
Here are some more great benefits:
No Foreign Transaction Fees
This card has no foreign transaction fees on purchases outside the U.S., which is helpful if you travel internationally to help you avoid paying a 3% fee on those international purchases.
No Preset Spending Limit
American Express’s No Preset Spending Limit feature is a unique aspect of their credit cards that offers users flexible spending capacity.
Unlike traditional credit cards, there is no predetermined limit on the amount you can spend. Instead, the amount you can spend adjusts according to factors such as your purchase, payment, and credit history.
35% Airline Bonus
You can get 35% Membership Rewards® points back after you use points for all or part of an eligible flight booked through Amex Travel, up to 1,000,000 points back per calendar year.
Access to Fine Hotels and Resorts
The American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) program is a hotel benefit program that offers select American Express card members exclusive benefits at over 1,300 luxury properties.
The list is vetted and periodically reviewed to ensure every hotel and resort meets Amex’s exacting standards.
- Daily breakfast for two people.
- Room upgrade upon arrival (if available).
- A unique property amenity (typically a $100 property credit, spa credit, etc.)
- Guaranteed 4 PM check-out.
- Noon check-in (if available).
- Complimentary in-room Wi-Fi (exclusions apply)
Access to Amex Offers
This card has access to Amex Offers, which are deals that are linked to your card, allowing you to save money or earn extra points on shopping, dining, and travel.
For example, there could be an offer such as spending $200+ at Marriott Hotels and Resorts and receiving $50 cash back as a statement credit.
You can find all of your Amex Offers by signing into your American Express account. You will need to “Add to Card” each offer to be eligible for the special offer.
Baggage Insurance Plan*
Baggage insurance covers the cost to repair or replace your luggage and the contents inside if your bag is lost or damaged during a covered trip.
You must purchase the trip with this card, and it will also cover immediate family members traveling with you.
Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance*
Trip cancellation and interruption insurance reimburses you for non-refundable expenses if your trip is interrupted or canceled for a covered reason such as illness, severe weather, or an accidental injury when you pay for your travel expenses with this card.
Trip Delay Insurance*
This card offers trip delay insurance when you purchase your flight with this card.
This reimburses you for reasonable expenses things like hotels, food, transportation, and other necessary items.
Flights are increasingly delayed or canceled, and it is too risky to not use a card that offers free trip delay insurance.
Secondary Rental Car Insurance*
Secondary rental car insurance covers any damage to a rental car not covered by your primary insurance when you pay for the rental using this card.
Other credit cards offer primary rental car insurance, which pays before your insurance and saves you the hassle of filing multiple insurance claims.
You still need to maintain liability car insurance to cover damage to another person or property.
Extended Warranty*
Credit card extended warranty protection adds up to an additional year of coverage for eligible purchases on manufacturer’s warranties up to 5 years.
For example, if you bought a TV with a manufacturer’s warranty of three years, this card would extend the warranty for free to the fourth year.
Return Protection*
American Express offers return protection which allows you to return an item purchased in total with an eligible card when the retailer refuses to accept the item under its return policy.
Some items are excluded, such as jewelry, plants, perishable items, software, books, formal wear, tickets, and seasonal items.
This coverage is up to $300 per item with a maximum of $1,000 per cardmember year.
Purchase Protection*
Purchase protection could save you a lot of money if you bought an eligible item that is damaged or stolen within 90-days.
For example, if you accidentally dropped your new phone or laptop and broke the screen, you could file a claim to get it replaced if the item was purchased within the last 90 days.
Cell Phone Protection*
Breaking or losing your cell phone is never a pleasant experience, especially when cell phones cost over $800+ to replace.
You can avoid paying these steep costs when you pay your cell phone bill with this credit card.
There is no cost for cell phone insurance saving you about $10 per month per phone, but you will have to pay a small deductible if you make a claim.
*(Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/
Pros and Cons
Here’s a quick overview of this card’s advantages and disadvantages:
Pros:
- Over $1,400 in statement credits.
- Top-notch airport lounge access.
- Hotel and car rental elite status.
- Travel and purchase protections.
- Nice welcome bonus.
Cons:
- High annual fee.
- Not a great everyday spending card like the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express (review), which is great for small businesses that spend less than $50,000 per year, or the Capital One Spark Miles for Business (review) for businesses that spend more than that.
- Statement credits for Indeed and Adobe are not as valuable to most people like the credits for the The Platinum Card® from American Express (review).
Alternatives to Business Platinum
Now that you know about this credit card’s various benefits and pros and cons, it’s time to see its alternatives.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
More Useful Credits for Most People
The Platinum Card® from American Express (review) is a great premium travel rewards card for travelers who want airport lounge access, including Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs (when flying Delta), Escape Lounges, Priority Pass lounges.
The American Express Platinum has a $695 annual fee, but you receive many annual statement credits when you enroll your card to offset the fee, including:
- $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 Card.
- $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 in statement credits each month when you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card® at your choice of one or more of the following providers: Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
- $200 Uber Cash Credit: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Benefit renews annually.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) and receive a statement credit that covers the full cost each month.
- $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR® Plus at 45+ airports nationwide and get up to $189 back per year on your membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card®.
You also earn 5x Membership Rewards points when booking flights directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year) and 5x Membership Rewards points when booking prepaid hotels with American Express Travel.
On top of that, you automatically earn Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite and Hilton Honors Gold statuses, which offer points bonuses, room upgrades, late check-out, and other premier benefits.
American Express® Business Gold Card
Better for Earning Points
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- 4X Points on Purchases in Your Top 2 Business Categories (up to $150,000 in Combined Purchases Per Calendar Year)
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- $295 Annual Fee (Rates and Fees)
The American Express® Business Gold Card (review) is a good fit for business owners who want to earn much-coveted Membership Rewards points from business spending.
For a $295 annual fee, this card earns 4x points on up to $150,000 in combined purchases per year in your top two spending categories, with options including eligible airfare, U.S. advertising, U.S. shipping, U.S. cloud, software, and hardware, U.S. gas, and U.S. dining purchases.
You can also receive 25% points back after you use points for all or part of an eligible flight booked with Amex Travel, up to 250,000 points back per calendar year.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Lower Annual Fee
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- 3X Points on Travel, Shipping, Advertising (Social Media and Search Engines), Internet, Cable, and Phone on the First $150,000 Each Account Year
- 25% Additional Points Value in Travel Redemption
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance
- Cell Phone Protection
- Purchase Protection and Extended Warranty
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- $95 Annual Fee
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (review) is an excellent choice for business owners looking for a card that offers valuable rewards and benefits.
With this card, you’ll earn:
- 3 points per $1 spent on travel, shipping purchases, internet, cable, phone services, and advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines (up to $150,000 in combined purchases per account anniversary year).
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases, with no limit on the number of points you can earn.
Beyond the rewards, the Ink Business Preferred provides valuable benefits, including:
- Primary rental car insurance (when renting for business purposes).
- Cell phone protection (up to $600 per claim against theft or damage, with a maximum of three claims per year and a $100 deductible per claim).
- Purchase and extended warranty protection.
Is the Business Platinum Worth It?
The Business Platinum Amex can be worth it if you can take advantage of the cards many statement credits, airport lounge access, and elite status.
I value the $200 airline fee credit, $400 Dell credit, and $120 wireless telephone credit, and $189 CLEAR Plus credit at 80% of their value, which equals $909, which exceeds the card’s annual fee, without accounting for the other benefits.
But if you don’t travel at least a few times per year and can’t use the credits, then here’s some good options:
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- 5X Points on Flights and Prepaid Hotels Booked Via AmexTravel.com
- Earn 1.5X points on eligible purchases 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 everywhere else (up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year).
- Airport Lounge Access at Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs when Flying Delta, Escape, Plaza Premium, and Priority Pass.
- $695 Annual Fee & No Foreign Transaction Fees (Rates & Fees)
