AmEx Business Platinum Card: High Fee Pays Off for Big-Spending Travelers
Business owners enjoy a ton of perks with this card. The catch? A jumbo annual fee and low rewards on most non-travel spending.
Overview
The bottom line:
This card boasts lounge access, elite status and a slew of travel and business credits. It’s a valuable package — if you’ll use those perks. If not, the annual fee isn’t worth it. Other travel cards offer elevated benefits that are easier (and cheaper) to get.
Credit card details
Annual fee
$895
Regular APR
18.24%-28.99% Variable APR
Intro APR
N/A
Rewards rate
1x-5x
5X points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com. 2X points on purchases at U.S. construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more, up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year. Purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus. 1X points on other eligible purchases. Terms Apply.
Points
Foreign transaction fee
0%
Intro offer
200,000
Elevated Welcome Offer: Earn 200,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Business Platinum Card® within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Terms apply.
Points
Pros & Cons
Pros
Lounge membership
Transfer partners
Automatic elite status
Annual statement credit for travel, business expenses
New cardholder bonus offer
Cons
High annual fee
Low ongoing rewards rate
More details from American Express
- Elevated Welcome Offer: Earn 200,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Business Platinum 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 1,550 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card company on the market as of 07/2025.
- See how you can unlock over $3,500 in business and travel value annually after meeting qualifying spend thresholds on the Business Platinum Card. Terms apply.
- New! Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually for up to a total of $600 in statement credits per calendar year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using the Business Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- No Preset Spending Limit: The spending limit on the Business Platinum Card is flexible, so unlike a traditional credit card with a set limit, the amount you can spend adapts based on factors such as your purchase, payment and credit history.
- 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.
- 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.
- Use the Business Platinum Card and get up to $209 back per calendar year on your CLEAR® Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal).
- Maximize your time away with Fine Hotels + Resorts through Amex Travel™.
- New! Enroll and get up to $150 in statement credits on U.S purchases directly with Dell Technologies on the Business Platinum Card and an additional $1,000 statement credit after you spend $5,000 or more on that same Card per calendar year.
- New! Enroll and get a $250 statement credit after you spend $600 or more on U.S. purchases directly with Adobe per calendar year on the Business Platinum Card.
- Get up to $90 in statement credits quarterly for purchases with Indeed on the Business Platinum Card. That’s up to $360 back per year. Enrollment required.
- Get up to $10 in statement credits per month for wireless telephone service purchases made directly with a wireless provider in the U.S. on the Business Platinum Card. That’s up to $120 back per year. Enrollment required.
- Enhanced! 2X points on purchases at U.S. construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more, up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year. Purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus.
- 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com
- 1X points on other eligible purchases
- $895 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
Business travelers who like luxury have long used The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. That’s not surprising. The card packs exclusive airport lounge access and credits. You get perks like automatic elite status with select hotel and rental car chains, too.
But the premium business travel card space has gotten more competitive. AmEx rolled out updates in 2025 to keep up.
The highlights? There are new incentives for the biggest spenders, including a larger welcome bonus. AmEx added credits for its Fine Hotels & Resorts and The Hotel Collection properties. Some additional reward rates inched forward. (Read our full write-up of these changes
But those additions come at a cost. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express has always had a big annual fee. American Express seems intent on it having the highest fee, though. It bumped that cost from $695 to a sky-high $895 (terms apply).
Whether you can justify that expense depends on how many of the card’s benefits you’ll use. Use the annual fee calculator below to help figure that out.
Even if the math works, it’s still worth considering other business travel cards. The Business Platinum Card earns a measly 1 point per $1 on most non-travel spending. Many less expensive options match or beat that.
This card is best for:
✔️ Frequent travelers who value airport lounges.
✔️ Elite status with Hilton and Marriott.
✔️ Perks and statement credits.
Not a fit? Consider these business credit cards
Capital One Venture X Business
U.S. Bank Business Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card
IN THIS REVIEW
At a glance: The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
To view rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, see this page
💳 Card type: Business travel card
💲 Annual fee: $895.
💰 Welcome offer: Elevated Welcome Offer: Earn 200,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Business Platinum Card® within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Terms apply.
🎉 Rewards: 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com. 2X points on purchases at U.S. construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more, up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year. Purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus. 1X points on other eligible purchases. Terms Apply.
📈 APR: Purchases made with The Business Platinum Card® from American Express are classified as either "Pay Over Time" or "Pay In Full":
- Pay Over Time: This is an optional feature that allows you to carry a balance from one month to the next, just like purchases on a regular credit card. If you have this option activated, purchases of $100 or more are automatically classified as Pay Over Time. The ongoing APR is 18.24%-28.99% Variable APR. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express does not have a preset spending limit, meaning your spending limit is flexible. Unlike a traditional card with a set limit, the amount you can spend adapts based on factors such as your purchase, payment, and credit history. The card does, however, impose a limit on your Pay Over Time balance; any purchases above that limit become Pay In Full. Terms apply.
- Pay In Full: These purchases must be paid off completely each month, so they do not incur interest. All purchases of less than $100 are Pay In Full, as are any purchases over your Pay Over Time balance limit. If you choose not to use Pay Over Time, then all purchases are Pay In Full. Terms apply.
📍 Minimum credit limit: Not disclosed.
💷 Foreign transaction fee: 0%.
🎆 Other benefits:
- Hotel credit. Up to $300 twice per year for prepaid stays at Fine Hotels & Resorts or The Hotel Collection rooms booked through American Express Travel.
- Airline fee credit. Up to $200 a year in credit for incidental fees on one airline, such as checked bag fees or in-flight refreshments or entertainment, but not airfare or seat upgrades. Each year, you select an airline to use this credit with. Enrollment required.
- CLEAR Plus credit. Receive a statement credit of up to $209 annually toward the cost of a CLEAR Plus membership when you pay for it with your Business Platinum Card.
- Trusted traveler program application fee credit. When applying for the
Global Entry or TSA Precheck - Global Lounge Collection. Get access to
more than 1,550 airport lounges - Hotel status. Automatically qualify for Hilton Honors™ Gold Status and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status, and reap upgrades elsewhere. Enrollment required.
- Airline redemption bonus. When you redeem points for eligible flights through American Express Travel, get back 35% of those points, up to 1 million, per calendar year. Eligible flights include all fare classes on your selected qualifying airline or first- or business-class fares on any airline.
- Dell statement credit: Enroll and get up to $150 in statement credits on U.S. purchases directly with Dell Technologies and an additional $1,000 statement credit after you spend $5,000 or more on that same card per calendar year.
- Adobe credit: $250 Adobe Credit when you spend $600 or more at Adobe.
- Terms and conditions apply.
NerdWallet values Membership Rewards points at 1 to 1.6 cents each, depending on how you redeem them. Travel and gift card redemptions are generally the most valuable. You can also transfer points to other loyalty programs. This may increase their worth if you redeem them strategically.
Full list of AmEx transfer partners
Benefits and perks
Luxury perks and benefits
The value of most business travel credit cards lies in the points you earn for using them. But the value of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is tightly tied to its benefits. It’s almost like a membership card that unlocks a wide range of perks to make your traveling life easier.
Some benefits mitigate direct costs. For instance, you get a statement credit for up to $200 a year for incidental fees on an airline you choose. Booking certain hotels through AmEx Travel gives you a $300 statement credit twice a year. You can also get a fee credit for CLEAR Plus and TSA Precheck or Global Entry
The card provides up to $150 in statement credits on U.S. purchases made directly from Dell and an additional $1,000 statement credit after you spend $5,000 or more on the card per calendar year. Enrollment is required. And you can get $250 in statement credit when you spend $600 at Adobe.
Other perks are harder to put a dollar figure on. But benefits like automatic hotel elite status to concierge service are clearly valuable.
Lounge access
Airport lounges can give road warriors a refuge from teeming gate areas, plus free refreshments. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express offers access to several types.
The list includes the highly respected American Express Centurion Lounges Delta Sky Clubs Priority Pass
All told, that’s access to more than 1,550 lounges across 140 countries.
Potential for big bonus
The new-cardholder bonus offers an impressive haul of points — but it requires spending big bucks. Full details: Elevated Welcome Offer: Earn 200,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Business Platinum Card® within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Terms apply.
AmEx increased this offer in September 2025. You’d previously get 150,000 points for the same spend.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is designed for big spenders. If that isn’t you, try a travel card with a lower annual fee to start.
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Drawbacks and alternatives
High annual fee
If you make full use of the perks offered by The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, the $895 annual fee is worth it. Just the $600 Fine Hotels & Resorts/The Hotel Collection credit and $200 airline fee credit almost mitigate the annual fee. And it helps that the annual fee can be a deductible business expense
But if (like many people) you're dead-set against paying that much, consider the less pricey Capital One Venture X Business
That card offers the following rewards: Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One's travel booking site, where you'll get the best prices on thousands of options. Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions. (See )
Annual fee calculator
Divisive “coupon book” approach
When you add up all the possible rewards from The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, you’ll get a big number — potentially thousands of dollars per year in credits and perks and even more in miles. But they aren’t necessarily easy to earn.
Getting the bonus should be pretty straightforward, since you only have to spend a certain amount. Beyond that, the credits act like coupons. You have to spend on specific brands — like the Fine Hotels & Resorts Collection, Dell and AmEx’s own travel portal — to get money back. If you don’t, it’s much harder for the card to pay for itself.
Don’t mind the coupon book? Compare this card to the Sapphire Reserve for Business℠
| Sapphire Reserve for Business | AmEx Business Platinum |
|---|---|
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Mediocre flat-rate rewards
The highest rewards rate on non-travel spending from The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is 2X. That kicks in when you spend more than $5,000 on a single purchase or with U.S. retailers in the following categories (up to $2 million per calendar year):
- Construction materials.
- Hardware suppliers.
- Electronic goods retailers.
- Software and cloud system providers.
- Shipping providers.
All cards with category-specific rewards are better for business owners who spend lots in those categories, of course. You should always choose a card that aligns with your spending. But the Bustiness Platinum’s rewards categories are narrower than other options.
For instance, the U.S. Bank Business Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card
How we evaluated The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
NerdWallet's business credit card experts compared The Business Platinum Card® from American Express to other travel business cards, evaluating how the card's rewards, perks, fees and features stack up to its peers. We also surveyed AmEx, the card's issuer, gathering information about employee cards, spending controls, credit limits and how often cardholders are considered for a credit limit increase. This data, alongside feedback from business owners — solicited directly and gathered via online forums like Reddit — helped inform our review of the American Express Business Platinum.
Notes from card issuers
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
You’ll need at least good credit to qualify for The Business Platinum Card® from American Express.
Generally speaking, “good credit
The annual fee is $895.
5X points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com. 2X points on purchases at U.S. construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more, up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year. Purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus. 1X points on other eligible purchases. Terms Apply.
The card comes with a broad array of benefits. Among the most valuable are access to airport lounges worldwide, a $200 annual airline fee credit, an application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck programs; and elite status in the Marriott Bonvoy Hilton Honors
The Amex Business Platinum is aimed at frequent travelers who want to go in style; Gold is a better choice for rewards in select bonus categories, like on gas, advertising or at restaurants. See NerdWallet’s comparison
You don’t need a formal business structure, like an LLC, partnership or corporation to get a business credit card
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express offers access to several types of lounges, including American Express Centurion Lounges Delta Sky Clubs Priority Pass lounges
It works like any other credit card for making business purchases. But to fully use its myriad of benefits and to optimize Membership Rewards points? Yes, there is a learning curve.
This card was originally introduced as a charge card, meaning your full balance was due every month. However, cardholders are now able to carry a balance on certain purchases using the American Express "Pay Over TIme"