AmEx Business Platinum Card: Comfort and Credits Come at a Cost
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Our Take
4.8
Lounge access, elite status and a slew of available travel and business credits make this card quite valuable — if you’ll use all of those perks. If not, the annual fee isn’t worth it. Especially with other travel cards offering elevated benefits that are easier to obtain (and justify).
on American Express' website
Quick Facts
Pros & Cons
Pros
Lounge membership
Transfer partners
Bonus categories
Automatic elite status
Premium travel protections
Cons
High annual fee
Complicated rewards
Requires good/excellent credit
Compare to Other Cards
Annual fee$695 | Annual fee$95 |
Regular APR21.24%-26.24% Variable APR | |
Intro APRN/A | Intro APRN/A |
Full Review
Business travelers aiming for luxury perks tend to gravitate to The Business Platinum Card® from American Express — and it’s no surprise why. The card delivers creature comforts like exclusive lounge access and travel credits. Plus, there’s automatic elite status with select hotel and rental car chains that promise upgrades, discounts and other enhancements.
Those elevated perks come with a lofty price tag, though. The Business Platinum Card’s $695 annual fee (terms apply) is the highest of any card we rate. While you may be able to deduct that fee on your taxes, whether the cost is justified depends entirely on how many of the card’s benefits you’ll actually use. Not sure? The annual fee calculator below will do the math for you.
Even if the benefits outweigh the fee for your business, it’s still worth considering other business travel cards that offer higher rewards for your spending. The Business Platinum Card earns a measly 1 point per $1 on most spending. Yes, you get a higher rate for prepaid hotels and flights booked via AmEx. But many less expensive business cards match or beat that, including the Capital One Venture X Business and the U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Connect World Elite Mastercard®.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is best for small-business owners who:
Regularly travel and use airport lounges.
Want to gain elite status with Hilton and Marriott.
Prioritize perks over spending rewards.
Will take advantage of the Business Platinum Card’s myriad statement credits.
Want to earn more travel points on your business spending? Consider the Capital One Venture X Business. You’ll earn twice as many points for a fraction of the cost: Earn 2x miles on all purchases (no limits), plus 10x miles on hotels and rental cars, and 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. The annual fee ($395) is mostly offset by a $300 annual travel credit for bookings through Capital One Travel. Other perks include extensive airport lounge access and a massive welcome offer: Earn 150,000 bonus miles once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months from account opening. (See rates and fees.)
Want a lower-fee option? The U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Connect World Elite Mastercard® is another worthy contender. The annual fee is low ($0 intro for the first year, then $95) and the welcome offer is easy to get: Limited Time Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points, worth $600 if you spend $6,000 on the Account Owner's card in the first 180 days from account opening.
The Business Altitude Connect lacks any real luxury perks, but you do get four free Priority Pass lounge visits per year and a monthly statement credit for taxi/rideshare trips. It also has high rewards rate: Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Rewards Center. Earn 4X points on travel, gas and EV charging stations on the first $150,000 in combined annual spend. Earn 2X points on dining, takeout, restaurant delivery and cell service providers. Earn 1X points on all other eligible spend.
Key features of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Card type: Business travel credit card.
Annual fee: $695.
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. Terms Apply.
Rewards:
5 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on flights and prepaid hotels booked through amextravel.com.
1.5 points per dollar on certain business categories (such as electronics and software) and eligible purchases of $5,000 or more for up to $2 million spent per calendar year.
1 point per dollar on all eligible purchases.
Terms apply.
Membership Rewards points are worth about 0.5 cents to 1 cent each depending on how you redeem them. Travel and gift card redemptions are generally the most valuable. Points are also transferable and can be worth even more if redeemed strategically after being transferred to other loyalty programs.
Interest rate: 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 19.49%-28.49% Variable APR. Although The Business Platinum Card® from American Express does not have a preset spending limit, it does 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.
Foreign transaction fees: None.
Why you'd want The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
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 — almost like it’s a membership card that unlocks a wide range of perks to make your traveling life easier.
Some benefits mitigate direct costs, like up to $200 a year in statement credit for incidental fees on an airline you choose, as well as a fee credit for CLEAR Plus and TSA Precheck or Global Entry. And many business owners can find something they need from Dell. The card provides up to $400 in statement credit — $200 in the first half of the year and another $200 in the second half — for purchases directly from Dell.
Other perks are harder to put a dollar figure on, but are clearly valuable — from automatic hotel elite status to concierge service.
Lounge access
A welcome perk for road warriors, airport lounges can be a refuge from the loud, teeming gate areas and come with free refreshments. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express offers access to several types, including the highly respected American Express Centurion Lounges and the more ubiquitous Delta Sky Clubs when flying Delta. In addition, you get access to International American Express Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, and lounges in the Plaza Premium, Airspace and Escapes networks, when enrolled in each.
All told, that’s access to more than 1,400 lounges across 140 countries. AmEx claims that collection is the largest to be offered by a card, making The Business Platinum Card® from American Express tough to beat when it comes to business credit cards with airport lounge access.
Potential for big bonus
The new-cardholder bonus offers an impressive haul of points — but earning the full bonus requires spending big bucks soon after receiving the card. Full details: 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. Terms Apply.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express isn't designed for the low-spending entrepreneur. If you won't spend enough to earn the bonus but still want a travel-friendly business credit card, try a different option, such as the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. This card delivers a massive welcome offer for a low annual fee: Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Why you might want a different card
Low rewards rate for a premium card
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express earns 1 point per $1 on most spending. You can get a better rewards rate (1.5 points per $1 spent) from the Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card, which has no annual fee, but also no travel perks.
These business travel cards also offer excellent reward rates:
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in the following categories each year: travel, shipping, select advertising and internet, cable and phone services. You’ll get 1X points on all other purchases.
U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Connect World Elite Mastercard®: Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Rewards Center. Earn 4X points on travel, gas and EV charging stations on the first $150,000 in combined annual spend. Earn 2X points on dining, takeout, restaurant delivery and cell service providers. Earn 1X points on all other eligible spend.
High annual fee
If you make full use of the perks offered by The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, the $695 annual fee is worth it. Notably, fully using the annual $200 airline fee credit mitigates the fee substantially. And it helps that the annual fee can be a deductible business expense if you use the card solely for business.
But if like many people you're dead-set against paying that much, consider the less pricey Capital One Venture X Business. With an annual fee of $395, it offers a bigger, more versatile $300 annual travel credit and complimentary access to more than 1,300 airport lounges.
You'll also get the following rewards:Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel, 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 rates and fees.)
Is The Business Platinum Card® from American Express right for you?
Light-traveling, cost-conscious small-business owners will likely struggle to get their money's worth from this high-end card. But if you’re a hard-core road warrior seeking luxury, you should be able to extract enough value from this card to make its hefty fee worthwhile.
To view rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, see this page. To view rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, see this page. View rates and fees of Capital One Venture X Business.
on American Express' website
