The Amex Business Platinum Card vs. the Chase Ink Business Preferred [Detailed Comparison]

The value of having a business credit card is obvious. These cards can serve as a means to keep business and personal expenses separate, to keep track of expenses in real-time, and to offer annual reports that make it easier to gather needed information at tax time.

But over and above the practical aspects of using a business credit are the potential reward-earning possibilities. Rewards earned on a business credit card can help improve the bottom line of your business by offsetting business expenses such as travel.

Making the decision to secure a business credit card was probably easy, but now you may need to decide which card to select.

That’s why we’re focusing on a top Chase business credit card and an Amex Business credit card, and putting them head to head to make a fair comparison.

We’ll look at every aspect of the cards, including earning, redeeming, statement credits, benefits, and more.

Yes, the benefits of having a business credit card may be obvious, but it will also be clear as to which of these popular cards is a winner for your operation after you review our article today.

Let’s get started with our comparison of The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express versus the Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card.

Overview

Before we dive deeper into each of our featured cards, let’s look at a high-level overview of the major features of the Amex Business Platinum card and the Ink Business Preferred card, 2 of the best business credit cards out there:

Welcome Offer Comparison

Welcome bonuses are often used by the credit card issuer as an incentive to apply for a card. Bonuses vary in amount but they represent an opportunity to receive a lump sum of rewards upfront to jump-start your rewards account.

Bonuses can also be quite lucrative. You can receive hundreds, even thousands, of dollars in value when redeeming your welcome bonus points for travel.

These bonuses are deposited into your account after meeting minimum spending requirements that are required within the first 3 months after card approval.

Here is a snapshot of the current welcome bonuses for the 2 cards we’re comparing today:

ELEVATED OFFER

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

This card is ideal for business travelers who enjoy luxury travel and are looking for a card loaded with benefits!

Apply Now(at Amex's secure site)

The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express

This card is ideal for business travelers who enjoy luxury travel and are looking for a card loaded with benefits!

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.

150,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$3,300

Annual Fee

$695

APR

18.49% - 27.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express is a premium travel rewards card tailored toward business owners who are frequent travelers with a high number of annual expenses.

When you factor in the large number of perks that the card offers like the best airport lounge access at over 1,400 lounges, along with tons of annual credits, it’s easy to see why this card can is a top option for frequent traveling business owners.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5x Membership Rewards points per $1 on flights and prepaid hotels at Amex Travel
• Access to over 1,400 worldwide airport lounges as part of the American Express Global Lounge Collection
• Get 50% more Membership Rewards points (1.5 points per $1) on eligible purchases in key business categories, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more (cap applies)

Cons

• High annual fee of $695 (rates & fees)
• Airline fee credit does not cover airfare, only incidentals like checked bags

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• 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.
• 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.
• 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^®, here.
• $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 the Card.
• $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^®.
• 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.
• $695 Annual Fee.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 18.49% - 27.49% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 250k points with the Amex Business Platinum card. The current public offer is 150,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)

Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Ink Business Preferred card is hard to beat, with a huge welcome bonus offer and 3x points per $1 on the first $150,000 in so many business categories.

Apply Now(at Chase's secure site)

Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card

The Ink Business Preferred card is hard to beat, with a huge welcome bonus offer and 3x points per $1 on the first $150,000 in so many business categories.

Welcome Offer

Earn 90k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 cash back or $1,125 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠.

90,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,800

Annual Fee

$95

APR

20.49% - 26.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card is a powerhouse for earning lots of points from your business purchases, especially for business owners that spend regularly on ads.

Plus the card offers flexible redemption options, including access to Chase airline and hotel transfer partners where you can achieve outsized value.

Business owners will also love the protections the card provides like excellent cell phone insurance, rental car insurance, purchase protection, and more.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 3x Ultimate Rewards points per $1 on up to $150,000 in combined purchases on internet, cable and phone services, shipping expenses, travel, and ads purchased with search engines or social media sites
• Cell phone protection
• Purchase protection

Cons

• No elite travel benefits like airport lounge access

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 90k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 cash back or $1,125 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠
• Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
• Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
• With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
• Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
• Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Travel℠
• Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.49% - 26.49% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: $0

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Membership vs. Ultimate Rewards Points

The Amex Business Platinum card earns valuable Membership Rewards points while the Ink Business Preferred card earns equally valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

You’ll find extraordinary value with either type of rewards points, especially when redeeming for travel.

Earning Potential

When we compare earning potential, it’s clear that the Amex Business Platinum card rewards heavily on travel purchases while the Ink Business Preferred card adds additional bonus earning categories for other business-related purchases.

When selecting a business credit card, it’s important to identify your largest purchases and apply the earning rates to determine which card gives you the highest return for your mix of spending.

Bottom Line: It’s important to estimate your largest expenses before selecting a business credit card. Your mix of business spending determines which card will ultimately deliver the highest earnings for your business.

Redemption Options

Both Membership Rewards points and Ultimate Rewards offer flexible redemption options and have similar processes for doing so.

Each rewards program has a proprietary travel portal that offers incentives for redeeming points via these sites.

Redeeming points earned on either card via the associated travel portal results in fixed values of 1 cent for Membership Rewards and 1.25 cents for Ultimate Rewards. The Amex Business Platinum card also rebates 35% of your points back when booking flights on your selected qualifying airline through AmexTravel.com.

It is possible to receive even greater value, however, by transferring Membership Rewards or Ultimate Rewards to travel partners.

American Express transfer partners include 17 airlines and 3 hotel programs, while Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners include 11 airline partners and 3 hotel partners.

Each program offers its own set of valuable opportunities — learn how to maximize your Membership Rewards redemptions and Ultimate Rewards redemptions in our complete guides.

Bottom Line: Each card offers the best potential value for your points when the points are redeemed for travel, either through the card’s proprietary travel portal or by transferring points to airline and hotel travel partners.

Statement Credits Comparison

The Amex Business Platinum card offers several additional benefits that translate into economic value if your business can use them.

• $200 annual statement credit for airline incidentals purchases (enrollment required)
• Up to $120 Global Entry or up to $85 TSA PreCheck application fee statement credit
• Up to $400 annual statement credits for Dell purchases per year
• Up to $360 in Indeed credits per year (up to $90 quarterly)
• Up to $150 in Adobe credits per year
• Up to $120 in wireless statement credits per year
• An up to $199 CLEAR Plus membership credit

The Ink Business Preferred card does not offer any statement credits.

Both cards offer the additional business-related benefits of annual statements, zero liability and fraud protection, employee cards, and card management to track employee spending.

Airport Lounge Access Advantages

The Amex Business Platinum card is the clear winner for lounge access as the Ink Business Preferred card doesn’t offer any complimentary lounge access benefit.

The Amex Business Platinum card provides access to over 1,400 lounges worldwide including the prestigious Centurion Lounges. The value of lounge access alone justifies this card’s annual fee.

Enjoy complimentary access to the following lounge networks:

Hotel Program Benefits

Each of the cards we’re comparing offers benefits with select resort and hotel programs. In addition, the Amex Business Platinum card offers hotel elite status.

You’ll also receive member discounts, vehicle upgrades, and other benefits with each card’s rental car program perks.

Amex Business Platinum Card

• Gold Elite status with Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy (enrollment required)
• American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts benefits, including:
  • Room upgrades when available
  • Breakfast for 2 guests each day
  • Early check-in and late checkout
  • Free Wi-Fi
  • A unique property amenity (such as a spa, or food and beverage credit) worth a minimum of $100
• The Hotel Collection benefits on 2-night stays:
  • $100 room credit per stay to use on spa, dining, or activities
  • Upgraded room if available

Ink Business Preferred Card

Book your hotel directly through the Chase Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection and receive several benefits at over 900 properties worldwide:

• Complimentary daily breakfast for 2
• Early check-in and late checkout
• Upgraded room if available
• Free Wi-Fi
• A local amenity specific to the property

Rental Car Program Perks

Amex Business Platinum Card

The Amex Business Platinum card offers the following rental car program benefits:

• Avis Preferred status benefits
• Hertz Gold Plus Rewards President’s Circle status
• National Emerald Club Executive status

Ink Business Preferred Card

The Ink Business Preferred card offers discounts with several car rental companies, including Dollar, Hertz, and more, through Visa Signature benefits.

Bottom Line: While both cards provide benefits at resort and hotel program collection properties, the Amex Business Platinum card provides elite status with Hilton and Marriott. The Amex Business Platinum card also offers broader rental car program benefits. 

Travel Protection and Benefits

Travel benefits and protections can save you money and assist you in getting help when something goes wrong during your travels.

Here’s how the 2 cards compare when we look at key travel coverages:

Note that this is not an all-encompassing list of benefits and protections, just key coverages for comparison purposes. You can view full descriptions and the terms and conditions for each coverage in each card’s guide to benefits.

Bottom Line: The Ink Business Preferred card shines with primary rental car coverage, baggage delay coverage, travel accident insurance, and more, which makes it quite attractive when compared to the Amex Business Platinum card.

Shopping Benefits and Protections

Here’s how shopping benefits and protections compare with the Amex Business Platinum card and the Ink Business Preferred card:

• Purchase Protection — Both cards offer 120 days of theft or damage protection of $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per calendar year.
• Return Protection — If an eligible item you purchase on the Amex Business Platinum card declines in price within 90 days of the purchase date, you could receive up to $300 per item and $1,000 per year. The Ink Business Preferred card does not have return protection.
• Extended Warranty — The Amex Business Platinum card extends the U.S. manufacturer’s warranty for eligible items for 2 additional years on warranties less than 5 years. The Ink Business Preferred card extends for 1 year on warranties of 3 years or less.
• No Preset Spending Limit* — The Amex Business Platinum card has no preset spending limit, which makes it much easier to make large transactions. The Ink Business Preferred card has a traditional credit limit.

Fees and Adding Additional Users

No Foreign Transaction Fees

Neither card charges foreign transaction fees.

Annual Fees

While annual fees can change, you’ll find that the Amex Business Platinum card has a much higher fee than the Ink Business Preferred card. The difference in annual fees, however, also parallels the difference in benefits.

As you read through the benefits of each card, keep track of the ones that will provide value to your business. In the end, the value of the benefits you will use should exceed the cost of the annual fee, regardless of the card you choose.

Adding Additional Users

Adding authorized users to your card can increase your rewards earning and grant card benefits to the additional user.

The Amex Business Platinum card charges $350 per additional authorized user (rates & fees). The additional person receives their own card, complimentary worldwide lounge access, hotel/car rental elite status and benefits upon enrollment, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit, and more.

The Ink Business Preferred card does not charge a fee for adding an authorized user. The additional user can share in the card benefits provided, including cell phone coverage when their bill is paid for with the card.

Final Thoughts

Premium travel rewards cards come with high annual fees but they also come with premium benefits. If you’ll use the associated benefits, you can receive value beyond the cost of the annual fee.

The Amex Business Platinum card comes with enough luxury travel benefits to make it worthy of the annual fee.

And while the Ink Business Preferred card does not have all those luxury travel perks, it does come with a much lower annual fee. It also has strong earning power, flexible redemption options, and a nice chase ink business bonus.

The best card for you will be the one that matches your tolerance for an annual fee, provides value in the form of usable benefits, and aligns with your business spending patterns in order to maximize earning potential.

*No Preset Spending Limit on an American Express card means 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.

For the car rental collision damage coverage benefit of The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. 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 trip cancellation and interruption insurance and trip delay insurance benefits of The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. 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, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the extended warranty and purchase protection benefit of The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. 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, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. 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, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.

For the Premium Global Assist Hotline benefit of The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. If approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline, emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost. In any other circumstance, card members may be responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.