The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is an industry leader among the best small business cards available today, thanks to a slew of valuable benefits.
Cardholders enjoy premium access to the world's best airport lounges, complimentary elite status with select hotel chains and rental car companies, and statement credits worth hundreds of dollars toward common workplace expenses.
$695
N/A
18.49% - 27.49% Variable
Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points
Good to Excellent
- More travel benefits than you'll find on any other business credit card
- Generous airport lounge access options, from American Express Centurion Lounges to Priority Pass (enrollment required)
- Complimentary hotel elite status (enrollment required)
- Access to Amex concierge services
- Very high annual fee
- Limited opportunities to earn bonus points
- Annual statement credits won't be useful for everyone
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is one of the best small-business cards with an elevated bonus and top-notch benefits (and a premium annual fee to match). It's an excellent offer if you like earning Membership Rewards points and you can maximize the bonus spending categories and perks — but be sure to assess whether the annual fee is worth it for you before you commit.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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®.
- Fly like a pro with a $200 Airline Fee Credit. Select one qualifying airline to receive up to $200 back per year on baggage fees and other incidentals.
- NEW! Make the Business Platinum Card® work even harder for you. Hilton For Business members get up to $200 back per calendar year when you make an eligible purchase at Hilton properties across the globe. Benefit enrollment required.
- 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.
- $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®.
- $695 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
Amex Business Platinum Review
If you're a small-business owner looking for a premium card with valuable benefits and rewards that are easy to earn and redeem, the Amex Business Platinum Card is an excellent choice.
The card comes with a generous welcome bonus offer — you can earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the card within the first three months of card membership. That's worth around $2,700 in travel, based on Business Insider's points and miles valuations of Amex points being worth an average of 1.8 cents apiece. Terms Apply.
You'll have to spend a lot of money to earn this bonus, but it's doable for many small businesses — especially if you get the card right before making a large purchase.
The card has a $695 annual fee rates and fees. This cost could be well worth the expense if you can maximize the card's valuable perks.
Amex Business Platinum Card Rewards
The Amex Business Platinum Card earns Membership Rewards points, and its earning structure offers bonus points for large purchases and in categories that appeal to small businesses.
Earning Rewards
The Amex Business Platinum Card earns:
- 5 points per dollar on flights and prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel
1.5 points per dollar on up to $2 million in combined purchases per card account per year in the following categories:
- Eligible purchases of $5,000 or more
- Eligible purchases in the U.S. at electronics goods retailers, software & cloud service providers
- Eligible U.S. shipping providers
- Eligible U.S. purchases of construction materials and hardware supplies
- 1 point per dollar on everything else
What Counts as a Bonus Category Purchase?
Instead of the standard 1 point per dollar on most purchases, Amex Business Platinum Cardholders can earn a 50% bonus on the rewards categories listed above.
However, many have fine-print restrictions and conditions:
U.S. Electronic Goods, Software, and Cloud Systems
Cardholders must purchase products or services directly from U.S. electronic goods retailers or U.S. software and cloud system providers to qualify for bonus rewards.
Electronic retailers such as Dell and Newegg primarily sell a range of electronic goods, while software and cloud system providers like Adobe or Salesforce primarily sell programs and data storage, whether downloaded or cloud-hosted.
Excluded businesses include:
- Online marketplaces that provide a variety of products outside of electronic goods (e.g., Amazon, eBay)
- Superstores (e.g., Target, Walmart)
- Purchases from wireless telephone and cellular service providers (e.g., AT&T, Verizon)
- Application purchases via aggregator platforms
- Consulting and management services
Shipping Services
Bonus-qualifying transactions must be made with courier, postal, and freight shippers located in the U.S. such as FedEx, UPS, or USPS.
Cardholders do not earn bonus rewards on shipping costs added to retail purchases (e.g., online or catalog purchases). The bonus rate doesn't apply to moving services, local trucking, and trash removal.
Construction and Hardware Supplies
Construction materials and hardware supplies must be purchased directly from a U.S. construction material or hardware supplier to qualify for the 50% point bonus per dollar spent.
Qualifying retailers include businesses like Builders FirstSource, Lowe's, Northern Tool, and Sherwin-Williams. Superstores like Walmart and Target, and warehouse clubs like BJ's and Costco, are not included.
Redeeming Rewards
The Amex Business Platinum Card earns valuable Amex points that can be redeemed many different ways.
Redeeming for Travel
You'll typically get the most value from your points when you transfer them to Amex's airline and hotel partners, like Delta, Marriott, Air Canada Aeroplan, and British Airways.
If you'd prefer a simpler way to use your points for travel, you can also use them to book airfare, hotels, rental cars, and more through the Amex Travel portal.
One benefit exclusive to the Amex Business Platinum Card can be very lucrative for award travelers: Cardholders receive a 35% points rebate when they redeem points for first- or business-class tickets, or on any fare with their selected airline** through Amex Travel. This benefit is capped at up to 1 million points back per calendar year.
Amex points are worth 1 cent apiece when used to book flights through the Amex portal, so this rebate effectively boosts their value to 1.54 cents apiece.
**Amex Business Platinum Cardholders can designate an airline of choice (from a short list of Amex partners) for special benefits including a $200 annual credit toward incidental fees. We'll discuss this perk in more detail below, but the 35% point rebate applies to all award flights booked on their selected airline as well.
Non-Travel Redemptions
If you're staying close to home, you can still use Amex Membership Rewards points for many types of non-travel redemptions, including:
- Statement credits to cover charges on your account (0.6 cents per point)
- Merchandise — pay at checkout with Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and other merchants (0.7 cents per point)
- Food delivery with GrubHub and Seamless (0.7 cents per point)
- New York City taxi fare (1 cent per point)
- Charity donations (0.7 cents per point)
- Gift cards (variable value per point, most less than 1 cent per point)
Most of these options don't offer much value, especially considering how much Amex points can be worth when redeemed for premium flights and luxury hotels. However, there are times when these redemptions may make more sense for your personal needs.
Amex Business Platinum Benefits and Features
The Amex Business Platinum Card is packed with valuable benefits that can help offset its annual fee including statement credits, purchase protections, and perks to make your travel more enjoyable.
Here are some of the card's most important features:
Up to $400 in Dell Statement Credits Each Calendar Year
Amex Business Platinum Card members are eligible to enroll for up to $400 in statement credits toward U.S. Dell purchases each calendar year after enrolling in this benefit.
The benefit is divided into two $200 credits: up to $200 between January and June, and up to $200 between July and December. Terms Apply.
Up to $200 in Annual Airline Incidental Fee Credits
The Amex Business Platinum Card offers up to $200 in airline incidental fee credits after enrollment each calendar year on an airline you choose from a short list of Amex partner carriers. Terms Apply.
This airline fee credit doesn't cover airfare itself. Instead, you can use it toward expenses like checked bag fees, seat selection, pet fees, lounge day passes, and inflight food and drink.
Up to $360 Per Year in Indeed Credits
If your small business spends money on finding new employees, the Indeed credit on the Amex Business Platinum Card can save you up to $360 per year after enrollment. Terms Apply.
Cardholders can receive up to $90 per quarter in statement credits toward all Indeed hiring and recruiting products and services.
Up to $150 Per Year in Adobe Credits
The Amex Business Platinum Card offers up to $150 per calendar year in statement credits toward select Adobe purchases, including Adobe Creative Cloud and Acrobat Pro DC. Enrollment is required and terms apply.
$199 CLEAR® Credit
CLEAR® is an expedited security screening program that can save you time waiting in line at select U.S. airports and stadiums. A CLEAR® Plus membership normally costs $199 per year, but if you pay with your Amex Business Platinum Card, you can enroll to receive a statement credit back toward the cost. Terms Apply.
The downside is that CLEAR® screening is only in select locations, so if the airports you travel through don't participate, this benefit won't be of much use to you. However, the program is also available at a handful of stadiums, so if you're a sports fan who likes to attend live games, this could be a good deal.
Up to $120 Per Year in Wireless Credits
Amex Business Platinum Card cardholders can enroll to receive up to $10 per month in statement credits toward purchases made from any U.S. wireless telephone provider (up to $120 per calendar year). Terms Apply.
Cellphone Protection
Paying your monthly cellphone bill with the Amex Business Platinum Card will help you maximize your monthly wireless credit referenced above. There's an additional benefit: When you use the card to pay your wireless bill, you'll become eligible for the complimentary cellphone protection.
Cardholders can claim up to $800 in repair or replacement costs (less a $50 deductible per claim) if their covered cellphone is damaged or stolen. Terms Apply.
To be eligible for this benefit, your cellphone number must be listed on your wireless bill, and your previous month's bill must be paid with the Amex Business Platinum Card. Furthermore, you must file your claim within 90 days of the incident. Cardholders are limited to two approved claims per rolling 12-month period.
Airport Lounge Access
The Amex Business Platinum Card comes with access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection — some of the best airport lounge networks in the world.
Cardholders can visit:
Amex Centurion Lounges
The famed Amex Centurion Lounges offer complimentary cocktails, quality food created by award-winning chefs, and an upscale vibe. You'll find them in more than a dozen airports across the U.S., and numerous international locations including Hong Kong and London.
Delta Sky Clubs
When you fly with Delta, you have same-day access to more than 50 Delta Sky Club locations worldwide. These tasteful spaces offer premium food, complimentary soft and alcoholic drinks, high-speed WiFi, and a quiet place to work and relax.
Effective February 1, 2025, cardholders only receive 10 complimentary visits per calendar year.
Priority Pass
Amex Business Platinum Cardholders receive complimentary Priority Pass Select membership after enrollment, which offers you and up to two guests access (subject to capacity limits) to any of 1,500+ lounges worldwide. Priority Pass lounges typically offer free snacks, drinks, newspapers and magazines, and Wi-Fi.
Enrollment is required to activate this benefit, which you can complete through the Amex online dashboard for your credit card account.
Other Lounge Networks
Cardholders also have access to the following lounges:
- Plaza Premium Lounges
- Escape Lounges
- Lufthansa Lounges when flying same-day with Lufthansa, SWISS, or Austrian Airlines
Terms Apply.
Mid-Tier Hotel Elite Status With Hilton and Marriott
The Amex Business Platinum Card offers complimentary Gold Elite status for both Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors. Once you enroll in these benefits, you'll receive perks like upgrades, late checkout, and in Hilton's case, free breakfast (currently offered as a food and beverage credit). Terms Apply.
If you stay with either chain frequently, it's easy to get a ton of value from this complimentary status boost.
Up to $120 Toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
TSA PreCheck® and Global Entry are massive time-savers for travelers. Once approved, TSA PreCheck® members can use faster airport security lanes, and you won't have to remove shoes and light coats or remove your laptop from your bag. With Global Entry, you can use a special lane when you return to the U.S. from overseas for faster immigration and customs clearance.
Enrolling in Global Entry is, by far, the better strategy for travelers — because when you have Global Entry, you also get TSA PreCheck® benefits.
American Express will provide a statement credit of up to $120 for Global Entry application fees every four years, or four and a half years for a TSA PreCheck® five-year membership — whichever you pay first. Terms Apply.
Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts and The Hotel Collection
Amex Business Platinum Cardholders can access the Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts program through Amex Travel. These luxury properties offer perks including room upgrades, free breakfast, late checkout, free WiFi, and a unique amenity at each hotel such as a $100 property credit to use at spas or restaurants. Terms Apply.
Cardholders can also book upscale properties through The Hotel Collection and receive benefits that include property credits and room upgrades. When you book a minimum two-night stay with The Hotel Collection through Amex Travel, you'll receive a $100 credit to use during your stay towards eligible charges. When available, you'll also get noon check-in, late check-out, and a room upgrade upon arrival.
Car Rental Insurance
The Amex Business Platinum Card offers secondary rental car insurance when you use the card to pay for your rental in full and decline the rental company's collision damage waiver. Terms Apply.
Coverage is for theft or damage only (not liability). Some rentals, vehicle types, and countries such as Italy, Australia, and New Zealand are excluded, so be sure to read the fine print before you travel.
Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance
If you purchase a round-trip entirely with the Amex Business Platinum Card, and your travels are canceled or cut short for a covered reason, you could be reimbursed for non-refundable expenses: up to $10,000 per trip and up to $20,000 per card per consecutive 12-month period. Terms Apply.
Baggage Insurance
When you pay for a covered trip with your Amex Business Platinum Card, you may be eligible for baggage loss or damage coverage, up to $2,000 per person for checked bags and up to $3,000 per person for carry-on luggage.
There are exclusions for high-risk items, and some states such as New York have different coverage limits, so check the terms and conditions for specific details.
Trip Delay Insurance
You can get reimbursed up to $500 for meals, lodging, toiletries, medication, and other personal items if you've paid for a covered trip with your Amex Business Platinum Card and it's delayed by six hours or more, up to two times per consecutive 12-month period. Terms Apply.
This benefit is particularly generous, since many lesser credit cards only offer trip delay benefits after you've been delayed for 12 hours or more.
Return Protection
If you purchased an eligible item with the Amex Business Platinum Card and the merchant won't accept your return, you may get a refund of the full purchase price (excluding shipping and handling), up to $300 per item and a maximum of $1,000 per calendar year. Terms Apply.
Purchase Protection
When you pay for an eligible item with the Amex Business Platinum Card, you can be covered for loss or damage up to 90 days from the date of purchase, up to a maximum of $10,000 per occurrence and $50,000 per year. Terms Apply.
Extended Warranty
Cardholders can also get an extended warranty on eligible items when they use their Amex Business Platinum Card to pay — up to one additional year added to eligible U.S. manufacturer's warranties of five years or less. Exclusions and conditions apply, so be sure to read the fine print.
Premium Global Assist Hotline
The Amex Business Platinum Card comes with an underrated perk that can be a lifesaver if you have an emergency whenever you're more than 100 miles away from home. Cardholders get access to Amex's Premium Global Assist Hotline, which can help arrange things like passport replacement, medical referrals, and translation services. Terms Apply.
The service itself is complimentary, but you may be responsible for any third-party costs. One big difference from the regular (versus premium) Global Assist Hotline is emergency medical evacuation coverage — Amex may provide emergency medical transportation assistance at no cost if it's approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline.
Amex Offers
Like other American Express cards, the Amex Business Platinum Card includes targeted discounts and bonus rewards at participating merchants through Amex Offers.
Many of these offers are geared toward small-business spending and can save you a ton of cash when you activate an offer and make a qualifying purchase. Enrollment is required and terms apply.
Amex Business Platinum Fees
Annual Fee
The Amex Business Platinum Card has a hefty $695 annual fee, so you'll want to make sure you can take advantage of its money-saving benefits before you apply (rates and fees).
You can effectively offset the yearly cost just by maximizing the credits for Dell, airline incidental fee, and monthly wireless bills. Beyond that, other credits and perks like airport lounge access and hotel elite status can be worth hundreds of dollars annually if you use them.
Other Fees and Costs
You won't pay foreign transaction fees with the Amex Business Platinum Card, which can translate into big savings if your business frequently makes international purchases or if you travel overseas (rates and fees).
Like most cards, you'll pay fees for late and returned payments.
With The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, you're required to pay your balance in full each month. However, the card offers a Pay Over Time option which allows you to carry a balance, with interest, on eligible purchases.
Amex Business Platinum Alternatives
When evaluating the Amex Business Platinum Card, compare it to other business rewards cards that offer strong welcome bonuses and spending categories.
Depending on your typical business expenses and need for premium perks, cards like the American Express® Business Gold Card or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card could be a better fit for your budget or workplace habits. Or if you value airport lounges but want to pay less per year for access, the Capital One Venture X Business Card† also offers this benefit for nearly half the cost in annual fees.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express vs. American Express® Business Gold Card
Amex Business Platinum Card isn't the only premium business card from Amex. There's also the mid-tier American Express® Business Gold Card, with an annual fee that's several hundred dollars lower.
The Amex Business Gold Card has a welcome bonus of 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the card within the first three months of card membership. The card also earns bonus rewards differently than the Amex Business Platinum Card.
While the American Express® Business Gold Card has a lower annual fee of $375 (rates and fees) compared to that of the Amex Business Platinum Card, it's also missing many of the premium card's benefits such as complimentary hotel elite status, airport lounge access, and various annual statement credits.
The American Express® Business Gold Card may be a good fit for you if you're budget-conscious about annual fees, don't travel often, and your business doesn't utilize products or services from Dell, Adobe, and Indeed. If you fly even a couple of times a year for work, or can use most or all of the Amex Business Platinum Card's annual credits, you will come out ahead by choosing the premium version.
Read our Amex Business Gold card review.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express vs. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card from Chase is our overall pick for the best small business credit card, and it could be a good alternative if you don't want to pay the steep annual fee on the Amex Business Platinum Card.
The Ink Business Preferred Card has an annual fee of just $95. And while it doesn't offer as many premium benefits, you can earn a significant number of points on business purchases. Cardholders also get to take advantage of cellphone insurance, which is a rare and valuable benefit from a card with such a low annual fee.
The Ink Business Preferred Card earns 3 points per dollar on travel, shipping, advertising expenses, internet, cable, and phone services on the first $150,000 in combined purchases spent each account anniversary year (then 1 point).
The card also comes with a welcome bonus of 90,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
If you're looking for a basic business card for your company, you can't go wrong with the Ink Business Preferred Card. Only get the Amex Business Platinum Card if you can use most or all of the annual statement credits, or value airport lounge access and hotel elite status highly enough to pay several hundred dollars a year for these benefits.
Read our Chase Ink Business Preferred card review.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express vs. Capital One Venture X Business Card†
The Venture X Business Card† is a relative newcomer on the premium business credit card scene, with an annual fee of $395 — just barely higher than that of the Amex Business Gold Card and several hundred dollars lower than that of the Amex Business Platinum Card.
But lower cost doesn't equal lesser value, especially if you're a business owner who doesn't need the company-specific statement credits offered on the Amex Business Platinum Card.
The Venture X Business Card† is packed with easy-to-use benefits such as a $300 annual statement credit toward travel booked through Capital One Travel. This credit broadly applies to various expenses, from flights to hotels, rental cars, and more.
The card also offers the same complimentary Priority Pass Select membership you'll find on the Amex Business Platinum Card (enrollment required for both cards), plus access to Capital One's growing network of Capital One Lounges. These lounges are relatively new, and there are fewer locations than Centurion Lounges, but they also offer premium food and beverages and thoughtfully designed spaces to relax before flying.
If you want airport lounge access but aren't tied to Amex rewards or Dell, Adobe, and Indeed, the Venture X Business Card† may meet all your needs without requiring as much of a financial investment as the Amex Business Platinum Card.
Read our Capital One Venture X Business card review.
Amex Business Platinum Cardholder Insights
In addition to compiling our expert research on this card, we skimmed online forums such as Reddit and Facebook to see what everyday cardholders think of the Amex Business Platinum Card.
Cardholders are torn on this card, with two strong camps both for and against.
Those in favor of the Amex Business Platinum Card emphasize its 35% points rebate on flights booked using Pay with Points, as well as the 50% bonus earnings on large transactions and select industry purchases. And those who travel frequently sing the praises of the Amex Global Lounge Collection's airport network.
However, cardholders who don't live near airports with Amex-accessible lounges found far less value from this expensive card. Others found that alternative credit cards and rewards offered more flexibility and higher value when redeeming points through the respective issuers' travel portals.
Finally, some accused Amex of turning the premium card into a "coupon book" of benefits that sound generous when summarized, but require monthly or periodic attention. Examples include the wireless credit of up to $120, doled out in monthly increments of up to $10, or the Indeed credit of up to $360, which maxes out at $90 per quarter on qualifying purchases.
Amex Business Platinum Frequently Asked Questions
The Amex Business Platinum Cardis very much worth it if you can maximize the benefits and bonus reward categories. Valuable perks like statement credits, airport lounge access, and top-notch travel and purchase protection offset the high annual fee. But if you can't maximize the card's benefits or don't want to shell out such a high annual fee upfront, consider business card alternatives like the American Express® Business Gold Card, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Cardor the Capital One Venture X Business Card†.
The Amex Business Platinum Card can be hard to get if you don't have good to excellent credit. Furthermore, you'll need to own a business to get this card, although you don't have to have a large corporation or full-time venture. Side gigs like driving for Uber, delivering for Instacart, or freelancing all count toward the business requirement.
No, the Amex Business Platinum Card doesn't come with Uber Cash credits like the Amex Platinum Card and Amex Gold Card. It does offer business-centric credits toward merchants like Dell, Adobe, Indeed, and U.S. wireless providers. Terms Apply.
The Amex Business Platinum Card has an annual fee of $695 (rates and fees).
No, you can't switch (called a product change) from the Amex Platinum Card to the Amex Business Platinum Card or vice versa. That's because one is a personal card, and the other is a small business card, and each have different qualification requirements.
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed This Card
We focused on the following factors when reviewing the Amex Business Platinum Card:
- Ease of use — Does the card have a rewards program and benefits that are easy to use and navigate? Is it easy to redeem rewards?
- Rewards earning — If there's a welcome bonus, is it competitive with other cards? Are there ongoing bonus categories, and are any capped at a maximum spending amount?
- Benefits — Are the card's benefits useful, especially to business owners, and do they justify the card's annual fee if there is one?
- Annual fee — If the card has an annual fee, is it offset by the value of the rewards and perks it offers?
Here's Business Insider's guide to how we rate credit cards for more details about our methodology.
