The Amex Business Platinum Card: Full Review [2025]

Great Card If

• You travel often enough to use the card’s many travel benefits.
• You want a card with luxury perks like hotel elite status and airport lounge access.
• You want a card with purchase protection.
• You want a card that earns transferable rewards.

Don’t Get If

• You cannot afford the annual fee.
• You prefer a cash-back card.
• You don’t travel often.

Amex Business Platinum Card: Is It Worth It?

The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express is made for small business owners who travel frequently enough to take advantage of the luxury travel perks offered with the card.

Though there is a steep annual fee, the card comes with perks like airport lounge access, hotel elite status, an airline incidental credit of up to $200 (upon enrollment), an annual hotel credit of up to $600 (new benefit!), a 35% rebate with Amex Pay With Points on flights booked on your choice airline through AmexTravel.com (up to 1 million points per calendar year), and 5x points on eligible travel purchases like flights, prepaid hotels, and prepaid short-term rentals booked through AmexTravel.com.

If your business has turned you into a road warrior, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a business card that comes with better travel-related perks than this one.

As far as business cards go, the Amex Business Platinum card is a must-have for many of the Upgraded Points team members, including Senior Finance Contributor Christine Krzyszton, who stated:

“The Amex Business Platinum card is my go-to card for international airfare. I like getting the 35% rebate when I use Membership Rewards points to purchase select flights via AmexTravel.com. I can even use a combination of points and charge the remainder to my card. Plus, I earn 5x points for the entire transaction. I pay $10 on my wireless account, receive a statement credit each month, and always make qualifying purchases with Dell for that statement credit (enrollment required). Best of all, I enjoy a nice break in a Centurion Lounge during my travels.”

Christine Krzyszton, senior finance contributor

What Are the Benefits of the Amex Business Platinum Card?

Annual Credits

• Up to $1,150 annual Dell shopping statement credit *NEW BENEFIT*
• Up to $600 in prepaid hotel credit, with up to $300 between January and June and $300 between July and December, on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings through AmexTravel.com (Hotel Collection requires 2-night minimum) *NEW BENEFIT*
• Up to $360 annual Indeed credit
• $250 annual Adobe credit after qualifying purchases *NEW BENEFIT*
• Up to $209 in CLEAR^® Plus credit *UPDATED BENEFIT*
• Up to $200 in airline incidental fee credit (good toward expenses such as baggage and seat selection fees)
• Up to $200 annual Hilton credit
• Up to $120 annual wireless phone service credit
• Up to $85 TSA PreCheck fee credit every 4.5 years or up to $120 Global Entry fee credit every 4 years

Some credits require enrollment, so be sure to explore your American Express account to make the most of your card.

*NEW BENEFIT* Up to $3,600 in Credits Unlocked With Annual Spend

Additionally, cardholders who spend $250,000 on their Amex Business Platinum card in a calendar year can unlock additional statement credits with serious value:

• $1,200 Amex Travel credit for flights booked online directly through AmexTravel.com
• Up to $2,400 in statement credits toward American Express One AP monthly fees when you use your Amex Business Platinum card to pay suppliers

While we wouldn’t recommend that you go out of your way to spend $250,000 on the Amex Business Platinum card to receive these additional credits, if your business would organically meet this level of spending anyway, then receiving an extra up to $3,600 in statement credits, in addition to the points you’d earn for this spend, is excellent value.

Lounge Access

Access to an airport lounge can do wonders on a busy travel day. Whether you enjoy having a quiet workspace, complimentary food and drink, or even premium amenities like a shower room, you’ll love the lounges you can access with your card.

The American Express Global Lounge Collection features over 1,550 airport lounges across 140 countries worldwide and counting, including Amex Centurion Lounges in the U.S. and abroad, Escape Lounges – The Centurion Studio Partner, Plaza Premium Lounges, select Virgin Clubhouses, select Lufthansa Lounges when flying with Lufthansa Group the same day, and 10 visits a year to Delta Sky Clubs when flying with Delta the same day (and the ability to unlock unlimited visits by spending $75,000 on eligible purchases in a year).

You also get a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership upon enrollment. Just note that Priority Pass memberships from U.S.-issued American Express cards no longer include restaurants (“non-lounge airport experiences”).

Access to these lounges could cost hundreds of dollars if purchased separately, so this benefit is incredibly valuable.

Hotel Elite Status

Hotel elite status can make frequent business trips (or even leisure vacations) much more comfortable. As an Amex Business Platinum cardholder, you’ll receive elite status at 2 major hotel chains:

• Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status: Receive a 25% points bonus on your stays, a room upgrade (subject to availability), 2 p.m. late checkout, and a welcome gift of 250 to 500 Marriott Bonvoy points.
• Hilton Honors Gold status: Get 2 bottles of water per stay, late checkout, and a daily food and beverage credit.
• *NEW BENEFIT* Leaders Club Sterling status: Receive 5% bonus points on stays, 5 prearrival upgrades annually, upgrade priority at arrival, daily continental breakfast for 2, Sixt rental car Platinum status, early check-in, and late checkout.

You must enroll in this benefit through your American Express account.

Rental Car Elite Status

With the card, you get automatic elite status and special privileges with Avis, Hertz, and National upon enrollment.

• Avis Preferred Plus: You get a 1-class upgrade when available, special savings, and a free weekend rental certificate when you rent twice in 6 months.
• Hertz Gold Plus Rewards President’s Circle: You get a complimentary upgrade when renting an intermediate through full-size car (if available).
• National Emerald Club Executive: You receive guaranteed vehicle upgrades and can choose your car from the Executive Aisle when picking up your rental.

Travel Protections

• Trip delay insurance: When you purchase a round-trip ticket with your card and the flight is delayed by more than 6 hours, you’re covered for up to $500 in reasonable expenses, such as meals, lodging, and personal use items.
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance: Flights purchased with your card that are canceled or interrupted for a covered reason, like inclement weather or accidental injury, are covered up to $10,000 per trip and $20,000 per year.
• Rental car insurance: Your card’s secondary rental car insurance covers up to $75,000 toward accidental damage or theft of the vehicle. That means you need to file a claim with any other insurance you may have first.
• Baggage insurance: If your baggage is lost, damaged, or stolen, you’re covered for up to $2,000 for checked baggage and a combined maximum of $3,000 for checked and carry-on baggage.

Consumer Protections

• Cell phone insurance: Receive up to $1,600 in cell phone protection (2 claims per year with up to $800 for each claim) against theft and damage, including cosmetic damage (like a cracked phone screen). Each claim has a $50 deductible
• Purchase protection: When you purchase an item with your card, that purchase is covered for up to 90 days from the purchase date, up to $10,000 per item, and $50,000 per year, in the event of theft, loss, or damage.
• Return protection: If you try to return an item within 90 days of purchase and the merchant won’t accept it, you can be refunded by Amex for up to $300 per item and up to $1,000 per year.
• Extended warranty coverage: Any items purchased with your card that have a manufacturer’s warranty of 5 years or less can be extended up to 1 additional year.

How Much Is the Amex Business Platinum Card Annual Fee?

The annual fee is $895. It’s important to consider whether all of the perks and benefits offered with the card will give you more than that in value.

For most cardholders, the answer to that is unequivocally yes, thanks to tremendous business value in annual credits offered, along with perks like airport lounge access, hotel elite status, the 35% Pay With Points rebate, a complimentary CLEAR membership, and much more.

How To Earn and Redeem Your Amex Points

Since the Amex Business Platinum card offers just a single bonus category, you’ll want to utilize other ways of earning Membership Rewards points. Fortunately, there are plenty of great ways to do just that!

Once you’ve earned those points, you’ll then want to strategize about how you want to redeem your Membership Rewards points for future trips.

Our favorite use of Amex Membership Rewards points is utilizing the Amex transfer partners, as they allow you to book amazing first and business-class flights for a fraction of what they’d usually cost!

What Is the Difference Between the Platinum Card^® from American Express and the Amex Business Platinum Card?

While their names are similar, there are many differences between the Amex Platinum card and the Amex Business Platinum card. They are 2 of the best cards for airport lounge access, but they offer separate bonus categories, annual credits, and more.

Hot Tip:

For an in-depth comparison, check out our head-to-head matchup: Amex Business Platinum card vs. Amex Platinum card.

Alternatives to the Amex Business Platinum Card

Sapphire Reserve for Business℠

Frequent traveling business owners in the market for a premium credit card should consider the Chase Sapphire Reserve Business card.

With it, you earn 8x points on Chase Travel purchases, 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly, and 3x points on advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines.

While the card does have a large annual fee, it also comes loaded with great credits and perks like a $300 annual travel credit, a $500 annual credit for The Edit by Chase Travel, $400 annual ZipRecruiter credit, $200 annual Google Workspace credit, access to Chase Sapphire lounges and Priority Pass lounges, complimentary IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status, and more.

Capital One Venture X Business Card

If you like the idea of adding a premium business credit card to your wallet but prefer a card with a more reasonable annual fee, then the Capital One Venture X Business card is one to consider.

It earns 10x miles on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Business Travel, 5x miles on flights and vacation rentals purchased through Capital One Business Travel, and an uncapped 2x miles on all other purchases.

Plus, it comes with a $300 annual travel credit on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel, 10,000 bonus miles on your account anniversary each year, and complimentary access to Capital One lounges and Priority Pass lounges, all for a much lower annual fee than competitor cards.

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We’ve compared the card to a couple of other popular alternatives:

• Amex Business Platinum card vs. American Express^® Business Gold Card
• Amex Business Platinum card vs. Capital One Venture X Business Card
• Amex Business Platinum card vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve^®
• Amex Business Platinum card vs. Ink Business Premier^® Credit Card

UP’s Card Review Methodology

Every card we review is assigned a "U.P. Rating" – our star-based system that encompasses all the key details to showcase a card’s standout features, where it falls short, and how it stacks up for travelers to maximize rewards.

These ratings range from 0 to 5 stars and are determined by carefully weighing crucial factors like:

• Bonus categories
• Benefits and perks
• Quality of associated loyalty programs
• Annual fees and other costs
• Size of the welcome bonus (and relative to the annual fee)
• And several more

You can learn more about how Upgraded Points reviews and rates credit cards.

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For the trip delay insurance benefit of The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, up to $500 per covered trip that is delayed for more than 6 hours; and 2 claims per eligible card per 12 consecutive month period. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

For the trip cancellation and interruption insurance benefit of The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, the maximum benefit amount for trip cancellation and interruption insurance is $10,000 per covered trip and $20,000 per eligible card per 12 consecutive month period. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

For the baggage insurance plan benefit of The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, baggage insurance plan coverage can be in effect for covered persons for eligible lost, damaged, or stolen baggage during their travel on a common carrier vehicle (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus) when the Entire Fare for a ticket for the trip (one-way or round-trip) is charged to an eligible card. Coverage can be provided for up to $2,000 for checked baggage and up to a combined maximum of $3,000 for checked and carry-on baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the common carrier. The coverage is also subject to a $3,000 aggregate limit per covered trip. For New York State residents, there is a $2,000 per bag/suitcase limit for each covered person with a $10,000 aggregate maximum for all covered persons per covered trip. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the car rental loss and damage insurance benefit of The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, car rental loss and damage insurance can provide coverage up to $75,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the commercial car rental company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

For the purchase protection benefit of The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, purchase protection is an embedded benefit of your card membership and requires no enrollment. It can help protect covered purchases made on your eligible card when they’re accidentally damaged, stolen, or lost, for up to 90 days from the covered purchase date. The coverage is limited up to $10,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per card member account per calendar year. Coverage limits apply. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the extended warranty benefit of The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, when an American Express^® card member charges a covered purchase to an eligible card, extended warranty can provide up to one extra year added to the original manufacturer’s warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per card member account per calendar year. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the cell phone protection benefit of The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, coverage for a stolen or damaged eligible cellular wireless telephone is subject to the terms, conditions, exclusions and limits of liability of this benefit. The maximum liability is $800, per claim, per eligible card account. Each claim is subject to a $50 deductible. Coverage is limited to two (2) claims per eligible card account per 12 month period. Eligibility and benefit level varies by Card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

For the return protection benefit of The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, with return protection, you may return eligible purchases to American Express if the seller won’t take them back up to 90 days from the date of purchase. American Express may refund the full purchase price excluding shipping and handling, up to $300 per item, up to a maximum of $1,000 per calendar year per Card account, if you purchased it entirely with your eligible American Express^® Card. Purchases must be made in the U.S. or its territories. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.