Amex Platinum Card and Amex Business Platinum Card: Requirements, Ideal Credit Score, and Approval Tips

The Platinum Card^® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express are easily 2 of the most recognizable travel cards on the market. In addition, they’re often considered to be a symbol of luxury and status.

Since both cards offer fantastic benefits and lucrative point earnings, you might think that it can be exceptionally difficult to be approved for them. But are the Amex Platinum card and the Amex Business Platinum card as exclusive as they are made out to be?

As with credit cards, when you’re applying for the Amex Platinum card or the Amex Business Platinum card, the issuing company (American Express, in this case) considers factors such as your credit score, length of credit history, and your income. Keep in mind that these cards, unlike typical credit cards, allow you to carry a balance for certain charges, but not all.

Here’s a breakdown of those factors to help you determine your chances of being approved for the Amex Platinum card or the Amex Business Platinum card.

Amex Platinum Card (Snapshot)

+ NEW BENEFITS

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Platinum Card^® from American Express

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs 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 Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

Apply Now(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

Platinum Card^® from American Express

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

Welcome Offer

You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

As High As 175,000 Points. Find Out Your Offer.

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $3,850

Annual Fee

$895

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

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

Why We Like This Card

When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than the Platinum Card^® from American Express.

Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far) — enjoy access to over 1,550 worldwide lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges (enrollment required), Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
• 5x points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year)
• 5x points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com

Cons

• $895 annual fee (rates and fees)
• Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
• Get more for your travels with 5X Membership Rewards^® points on all flights and prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel^®, including Fine Hotels + Resorts^® and The Hotel Collection bookings. You earn 5X points on flights purchased directly from airlines or through American Express Travel^® on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
• More Value! With over 1,550 airport lounges - more than any other credit card company on the market* - enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection^®, over $850 of annual value, with access to Centurion Lounges, 10 complimentary Delta Sky Club^® visits when flying on an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations), Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required), and other select partner lounges. * As of 07/2025.
• More Value! $200 Uber Cash + $120 Uber One Credit: With the Platinum Card^® you can receive $15 in Uber Cash each month plus a bonus $20 in December when you add your Platinum Card^® to your Uber account to use on rides and orders in the U.S when you select an Amex Card for your transaction. Plus, when you use the Platinum Card^® to pay for an auto-renewing Uber One membership, you can get up to $120 in statement credits each calendar year. Terms apply.
• More Value! $300 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $25 in statement credits each month after you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card^® at participating partners. Enrollment required.
• More Value! $600 Hotel Credit: Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection* bookings through American Express Travel^® using the Platinum Card^®. *The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• New! $400 Resy Credit + Platinum Nights by Resy: When you use the Platinum Card^® to pay at U.S. Resy restaurants and to make other eligible purchases through Resy, you can get up to $100 in statement credits each quarter with the $400 Resy Credit benefit. Plus, with Platinum Nights by Resy, you can get special access to reservations on select nights at participating in demand Resy restaurants with the Platinum Card^®. Simply add your eligible Card to your Resy profile to book and discover Platinum Nights reservations near you, enrollment required.
• More Value! $209 CLEAR^® Plus Credit: CLEAR^® Plus helps get you to your gate faster by using unique facial attributes to verify you are you at 50+ airports nationwide. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR Plus Membership* with up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR Plus with the Platinum Card^®. *Excluding any applicable taxes and fees. Subject to auto-renewal.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to the Platinum Card^® Account*. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
• Start your vacation sooner, and keep it going longer. When you book Fine Hotels + Resorts^® through American Express Travel^®, enjoy noon check-in upon arrival, when available, and guaranteed 4PM check-out.
• New! $300 lululemon Credit: Enjoy up to $75 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card^® for eligible purchases at U.S. lululemon retail stores (excluding outlets) and lululemon.com. That’s up to $300 in statement credits each calendar year. Enrollment required.
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Receive a statement credit* for one monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) after you pay for Walmart+ each month with the Platinum Card^®.*Up to $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Ups not eligible.
• $100 Saks Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue or saks.com on the Platinum Card^®. That’s up to $50 in statement credits from January through June and up to $50 in statement credits from July through December. No minimum purchase required. Enrollment required.
• Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
• $895 annual fee.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: See Pay Over Time APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

Hot Tip: Apply and find out if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of as high as 175,000 points with the Amex Platinum. Welcome offers may vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

Amex Business Platinum Card (Snapshot)

ELEVATED WELCOME 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 ins and outs 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 150,000 200,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.

200,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $4,400

Annual Fee

$895

APR

18.24% - 28.99% 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

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 1,550 lounges, along with tons of annual credits, it’s easy to see why this card is a top option for frequent traveling business owners.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Earn 5x Membership Rewards points per $1 on eligible travel purchases like flights, prepaid hotels, and prepaid short-term rentals booked through AmexTravel.com
• Access to over 1,550 worldwide airport lounges as part of the American Express Global Lounge Collection
• Earn 2x Membership Rewards points on eligible purchases in key business categories, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more (on up to $2 million per calendar year)

Cons

• High annual fee of $895 (rates & fees)
• Airline fee credit does not cover airfare, only incidentals like checked bags

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• 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.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 18.24% - 28.99% 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 250,000 points with the Amex Business Platinum card. The current public offer is 150,000 200,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)

Credit Score Factors 

One of the most important factors, if not the most important, for any bank or credit issuer is your credit score, which goes from 300 (the worst score) to 850 (the best). It’s important to know the 5 factors that make up your score:

• Payment history — 35%
• Credit utilization — 30%
• Length of credit history — 15%
• New credit — 10%
• Credit mix — 10%

Understanding these factors can help you understand how they affect your score and what that overall score means.

Payment History

Your payment history is the most important aspect of your credit, as it is responsible for 35% of your overall score. To receive a high credit score, you need to show a consistent history of on-time monthly payments. If you have a history of late payments (especially recently), you’re unlikely to get approved for a card like the Amex Platinum card or the Amex Business Platinum card.

Hot Tip:

Avoid missing a credit card payment by setting up autopay! This ensures you’ll never miss a payment and your account remains in good standing. Just make sure you’re spending responsibly and don’t go into overdraft.

Credit Utilization

The second most important aspect of your credit score is your credit utilization. It accounts for 30% of your overall score.

Credit utilization is the percentage of available credit that you have currently borrowed. For example, if you have a credit card with a $5,000 limit and make $2,000 in charges, your credit utilization will be 40% when the statement posts.

The lower you keep your credit utilization, the better. If you’re constantly maxing out your credit cards each month (even if you’re paying off the balance in full), it will hurt your credit. Try to pay most or all of your balance off before your statement posts. This will help keep your overall credit utilization low and improve your credit score.

Hot Tip:

You may have heard that it is good for your credit score to leave a small balance on your credit card every month. This is absolutely not true. Keeping a small balance on your card will only cost you money in interest. Always pay your credit card bills off in full and on time!

Average Age of Accounts

Your average age of accounts is how long you’ve had all of your credit card accounts open, averaged out. The average age of accounts is calculated by totaling the monthly ages of all accounts, then dividing this sum by the number of accounts. For example, if you have had a credit card open for 4 years and another for 3 years, your average age of accounts is 3.5 years.

The average age of accounts accounts for 15% of your total credit score.

New Credit

If your credit history is relatively new, it is important not to open up too many new accounts in a short timeframe. New accounts will lower your average account age, which will have a bigger effect on your score if you don’t have a lot of other credit information.

The impact is not as significant as other categories, though — new credit makes up just 10% of your overall score.

Credit Mix

Your credit mix makes up the final 10% of your credit score. Though this category is often the most confusing for people, borrowers with a good mix of revolving credit and installment loans generally represent less risk for lenders.

In other words, if you have multiple forms of credit extended to you — say in the form of credit cards, car notes, student loans, or housing loans — you appear less risky to credit lenders.

Bottom Line:

As you can see, just 3 factors make up 80% of your credit score. While it is true that opening a new credit card can lower your overall age of accounts, many other factors can actually improve with a new account if it’s used responsibly.

How Hard Is It To Get the Amex Platinum Card?

For the most part, getting approved for the Amex Platinum card is not as difficult as you might think. As long as your credit score is considered “Good” or higher and you have a couple of years of clean credit history, you’ve got a strong chance of being approved.

How To Check Your Credit Score

To know if your credit score is high enough for the Amex Platinum card or the Amex Business Platinum card, you need to know what your credit score is in the first place. But how do you find your credit score?

If you already have a credit card account open, then you likely already have access to your credit score. Most credit card issuers offer a free monthly credit monitoring service that informs you how your score fluctuates month to month.

You can also easily open an account on a site like Credit Karma. Credit Karma is a free online service that helps you keep track of your credit score, gives you a breakdown of each factor, and monitors for fraudulent activity. You can also check your credit score for free at each of the 3 credit bureaus (TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian).

Business Credit Scores

If you’re applying for the Amex Business Platinum card using an employer identification number (or EIN), as opposed to your Social Security number, then Amex will perform a check of your business credit score. But what is a business credit score, and what makes it different from your personal credit score?

For starters, your business is tracked by its name, address, and EIN. Personal credit scores are private, but business credit scores are publicly available and can be viewed by anyone by visiting business credit reporting agencies like Dun & Bradstreet, Equifax Business, and Experian Business. Finally, your business credit score is on a scale of 1 to 100.

Though business and personal credit scores use different numbering systems, they effectively function the same as having a great business credit score will help you get approved for small business credit cards, take out business loans at lower rates, and qualify for lower insurance premiums.

What Credit Score Is Needed for the Amex Platinum Card and Amex Business Platinum Card?

We recommend a credit score of “Good or Higher“ for the Amex Platinum card and the Amex Business Platinum card.

These scores may be lower than you were expecting, but the truth is you don’t need a credit score of Excellent to get approved for premium credit cards!

Keep in mind that, while this is a general recommendation, there is technically no minimum required score for the card. Likewise, there is no score that will guarantee your approval, either.

Remember: Your credit score is just a single factor that Amex considers before it will approve or reject you for the Amex Platinum card or the Amex Business Platinum card. So what else matters when banks are determining whether or not to approve you?

Hot Tip:

Not sure what your credit score is considered? Learn what good and low credit scores are, along with 5 ways to boost your score.

Other Approval Considerations

Aside from your credit score, there are several other factors that can heavily influence whether a bank will approve you for a new card.

Personal Income and Business Income

Your stated income on your application plays a large role in your approval odds. On average, those with an Amex Platinum card or Amex Business Platinum card tend to have high incomes — though a high income is by no means a requirement. We recommend that your annual income be at least $50,000 or higher before applying for the Amex Platinum card.

The Amex Business Platinum card gives you a little more wiggle room because even if you have a low business income or are just starting your business, you can still qualify for an Amex small business card. Even part-time business owners, freelancers, side hustlers, and sole proprietors are eligible for the Amex Business Platinum card.

Length of Credit

Let’s say you’ve just been denied for a new credit card despite having a relatively high score. Confusing and frustrating, right? The reason may be that you haven’t had a credit history for long enough.

What’s happening is that credit issuers deem people new to credit riskier than those who have been responsibly using credit for many years. So don’t take it as a personal insult. Keep your credit high and try again later — you’ll likely get a better result if you wait a bit.

We recommend that you have at least 2 years or more of blemish-free credit history before applying for the Amex Platinum card or the Amex Business Platinum card.

Tips To Boost Your Credit Score

If your credit score isn’t high enough to get approved for the Amex Platinum card or the Amex Business Platinum card, there are several ways to improve your credit score. Keep in mind that low or no credit is by no means a permanent state.

Your credit can be improved by following these steps:

Get a Starter Credit Card

If you have a low credit score or have never had a credit card at all, you’ll likely struggle to get approved for most credit cards.

In this case, opening a secured credit card or a card with a low limit is usually the best option. If you successfully manage the card by making payments on time, your score will begin to improve relatively quickly.

Hot Tip:

Do you need to repair or build your credit score? The Capital One Platinum Credit Card*×Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One. is a great option with fraud coverage for unauthorized charges and access to a higher credit limit after you make the first 5 monthly payments on time.

Get Added as an Authorized User

One easy option that can make a big difference to your score is being added as an authorized user on someone else’s credit card, which shows that someone else trusts you with their credit. It can help lower your credit utilization, improve your payment history, and increase the average age of your accounts.

But you should only ask someone to add you as an authorized user if they themselves are responsible with their credit. If you’re an authorized user on the account of someone who regularly carries a high balance and misses payments, this can damage your score — even though you aren’t the main account holder!

We’ve previously gone into detail about being added as an additional cardholder for the Amex Platinum card (rates & fees).

Get Errors Removed

This step is helpful for everyone, even if you already have a fantastic score. Inaccuracies and potential fraud cases on your credit report can greatly decrease your score. (How much your credit changes depends on how severe the error is.) What’s worse, you may not even know about it!

Regularly monitor your credit report. If you see anything that seems suspicious or inaccurate, or if you receive an alert for a new account that’s unfamiliar to you, dispute the credit error immediately.

Final Thoughts

If you’re in the market for a premium travel credit card, the Amex Platinum card and the Amex Business Platinum card are definitely 2 of the best options on the market, but they function differently than a typical credit card — they allow you to carry a balance for certain charges, but not all. Both cards offer airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and earn one of the most lucrative points currencies, Membership Rewards points.

Check out this fantastic Amex Platinum offer to take advantage of the benefits mentioned.

If you have a solid annual income, a good credit score, and a few years’ worth of great credit history, you stand a solid chance of being approved for either the Amex Platinum card or the Amex Business Platinum card. If not, follow the tips outlined in this post and you’ll be on your way there in no time!

Read our guide on the best Amex business cards to find more details and discover other options available to your business.