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The Amex Business Platinum Card – Full Review [2023]

Name: The Amex Business Platinum Card – Full Review [2023]
Item: The Amex Business Platinum Card
Rating: 4.58
Author: Jarrod West

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"Luxury Benefits and Perks for the Serious Traveler"

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

Learn More (at Amex's secure site)

Jarrod West

- Updated: June 1, 2023, 11:39am CDT

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.

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a huge welcome bonus offer of up to 150,000 points with the Amex Business Platinum card! The current public offer is 120,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)

Pros

5x Membership Rewards points per $1 on flights and prepaid hotels at Amex Travel
Up to $200 annual airline fee credit on your selected qualifying airline
Statement credits on select purchases with your card
35% airline bonus when using Pay With Points (up to 1,000,000 bonus points per calendar year)
Access to over 1,400 worldwide airport lounges as part of the American Express Global Lounge Collection
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
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)
Access to Amex’s Fine Hotels & Resorts program

Cons

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

Amex Business Platinum Card — Snapshot

Welcome Bonus & Info (Partner Content)
- Welcome Offer: Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with your Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
- Get 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 eligible purchases 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 everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
- Unlock over $1,000 in annual statement credits on a curation of business purchases, including select purchases made with Dell Technologies, Indeed, Adobe, and U.S. wireless service providers.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year for checked baggage fees, lounge day passes, and more at one selected airline.
- $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Use your Card and get up to $189 back per year on your CLEAR® Plus membership. CLEAR® lanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more lounge location options than any other credit card on the market as of 9/2021.
- $695 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
Card Categories:
Rewards Center
American Express Membership Rewards
Customer Service Number
800-519-6736
Login Link
https://www.americanexpress.com/
Related Articles

Great Card If

You travel often enough to take advantage of the many travel benefits provided to cardholders
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 — Fees

Annual Fee
- $695
Foreign Transaction Fees
None
Interest Rates
- 19.24% - 27.24% Variable
Late fees
- $39 or 2.99% of any past due Pay in Full amount, whichever is greater.
- Penalty APR: 29.99% Variable
Additional Info
Rates and Fees

Amex Business Platinum - Is It Worth It?

Amex Business Platinum Upgraded Points LLC 10 Large — Image Credit: Upgraded Points

The Amex Business Platinum card is made for small business owners who travel frequently enough to take advantage of the luxury travel perks that come with the card.

However, even though there is a steep annual fee — the card comes with perks like airport lounge access, hotel elite status, up to $200 airline incidental credit, a 35% rebate with Amex Pay With Points, and 5x points per $1 on flights and prepaid hotels on Amex Travel.

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.

Amex Business Platinum Card Top Benefits

Up to $200 Annual Airline Fee Credit

Each calendar year, you’ll be able to receive up to $200 in statement credits for incidental fees charged by your selected airline, such as checked bags and inflight refreshments. This fee credit does not apply to airfare.

Note that statement credits are per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Card or any of the Additional Cards on your Platinum Card account.

Airport Lounge Access

Having 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’ll be able to access with your card.

The American Express Global Lounge Collection features over 1,400 airport lounges across 130 countries worldwide, including Amex Centurion Lounges, International Centurion Lounges, Escape Lounges – The Centurion Studio Partner, Plaza Premium Lounges, Airspace Lounge, select Virgin Clubhouses, select Lufthansa lounges when flying with Lufthansa Group the same day, and Delta Sky Clubs when flying with Delta the same day.

You’ll also enjoy 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.

TSA PreCheck or Global Entry Fee Credit

Enjoying expedited security is a nice perk to have when traveling on business. It’s even better when it doesn’t affect your bottom line.

You’ll receive a fee reimbursement for a TSA PreCheck or a Global Entry fee that’s charged to your Amex Business Platinum card. Plus, this benefit extends to additional cards on your account!

TSA PreCheck: Up to $85 fee credit every 4.5 years
Global Entry: Up to $100 fee credit every 4 years

CLEAR Plus Credit

Cardmembers can zip through security screenings at select U.S. airports and sporting events with an up to $189 annual statement credit for CLEAR Plus membership.

Hotel Elite Status

Having 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 — Enjoy 2 bottles of water per stay, late checkout, and free breakfast daily.

Note that you must enroll in this benefit through your American Express account so be sure to get the most out your benefits!

Up to $400 Annual Dell Shopping Statement Credit

Each year you’re a cardmember you’ll be eligible to receive up to $400 in statement credits toward your U.S. purchases from Dell on your Amex Business Platinum card. You can get $200 in statement credits from January to June and another $200 in statement credits from July to December.

Up to $360 Annual Indeed Statement Credit

Get up to $90 each quarter, up to $360 each year, in statement credits towards eligible purchases with Indeed for your staffing needs.

Up to $150 Annual Adobe Statement Credit

Cardholders receive up to $150 in statement credits each year for select prepaid subscriptions with Adobe. If you use any Adobe programs like Adobe Premiere, Adobe Lightroom, or even if you have the full set of Adobe Creative Cloud, then this can save you quite a bit each year.

Up to $120 Annual Wireless Phone Services Statement Credit

You can get up to $10 each month, for a total of $120 in statement credits each year, for wireless phone services purchased directly with a U.S. wireless provider. An easy way to take advantage of this is to pay your monthly phone bill with your Amex Business Platinum card.

Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts

As a cardholder, you’ll get access to the Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts program. When you book one of these select properties you’ll receive perks like:

Room upgrade upon arrival (when available)
Daily breakfast for 2
Noon check-in (when available)
Guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout
Complimentary Wi-Fi
A unique amenity valued at $100 like a food and beverage credit

Global Dining Access by Resy

Add your Amex Business Platinum card to your Resy profile to unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences.

Wheels Up (Premium Private Jet Program)

Enjoy up to 40% off a Wheels Up membership and up to $2,000 in-flight credit towards your initial flight within your first year (depending on membership).

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 like meals, lodging, and personal use items.

Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance

Flights purchased with your card that are canceled or interrupted due to a covered reason, like inclement weather or accidental injury, are covered up to $10,000 per trip and $20,000 per year.

Baggage Insurance

You’ll love knowing you’re covered if your baggage is lost, damaged, or stolen. To be eligible, you need to pay for your entire fare using your Amex Business Platinum card or American Express Membership Rewards points. Coverage is capped at $2,000 for checked baggage and a combined maximum of $3,000 for checked and carry-on baggage.

Car Rental Insurance

When you pay for your entire rental with your Amex Business Platinum card and decline the coverage offered by the car rental agency, you’ll be covered if your rental car is damaged or stolen. This coverage doesn’t cover damage to other vehicles or any injuries.

The card comes with secondary car rental loss and damage insurance. That means you’ll need to file a claim with any other insurance you may have first.

This applies to cars rented in most countries but excludes cars rented in Australia, Italy, and New Zealand.

This coverage is capped at $75,000 per rental agreement.

Rental Car Elite Status

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

Avis Preferred: You’ll 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: You’ll get a complimentary upgrade when you rent an intermediate through full-size car (if available).
National Emerald Club: You’ll receive a complimentary upgrade to Emerald Club Executive status and can choose your own car from the Executive Aisle when picking up your rental.

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.

Extended Warranty Protection

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.

Cell Phone Protection

Cardholders now 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 and your monthly phone bill should be paid with your Amex Business Platinum card to receive coverage.

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’ll want to redeem your Membership Rewards points for future trips.

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

Alternatives to the Amex Business Platinum Card

American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

Similar to the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, the Amex Blue Business Cash card offers 2% cash-back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%.

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

This card is a great choice for those looking for a more well-rounded option.

While it doesn’t feature any of the luxury perks that come with the Amex Business Platinum card, it has a fantastic earn rate of 3x points per $1 on up to $150,000 in combined purchases on travel, shipping, ad purchases made with social media sites or search engines, and internet, cable, and phones services.

It makes for a compelling option for those who just want a strong point-earning card without any extras.

Check out our direct comparison of the Amex Business Platinum vs. the Ink Business Preferred card.

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

The information regarding the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, click here.

Featured Image Credit: American Express

Frequently asked questions

Is the Amex Business Platinum card worth it?

Truthfully, the answer is --- it depends. We definitely believe the card is worth it given the large number of benefits that come with it. $695 is certainly a large annual fee and can be hard to stomach.

However, when you factor in your $200 airline incidental credit, access to over 1,400 airport lounges, elite hotel status, and much more, you're coming out way ahead if you're able to utilize those benefits often.

Does the Amex Business Platinum card have an annual fee?

The annual fee is $695. 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."

Do the Membership Rewards points earned from the Amex Business Platinum card ever expire?

Your Membership Rewards points will never expire as long as your account with American Express remains open.

How do you qualify for the Amex Business Platinum card?

If you're a business owner, even just as a sole-proprietor or freelancer, you're eligible to apply for a business card. Whether or not you will be approved depends on your creditworthiness which is determined by your credit score as well as other factors like your income.

There is no guaranteed way to know for certain whether or not you'll be approved. But any business owner with a great credit score will be a strong applicant.

Does the Amex Business Platinum card have a credit limit?

You will still have a spending limit on the card --- it just isn't preset in advance. American Express will still limit your spending month-to-month based on your spending habits and will begin declining charges if they believe your balance is becoming higher than you can afford to pay.

What are the differences between the personal and business Platinum cards from American Express?

While their names are similar, there are lots of differences between the Amex Platinum card and the business version. They have different bonus categories and offer different perks. For an in-depth comparison, check out our head-to-head matchup: Amex Business Platinum card vs. Amex Platinum card.

About Jarrod West

Jarrod has been writing about the ins and outs of credit cards and loyalty programs, along with airlines and hotels, for over 6 years. He is regularly called upon to share his expertise on the latest news within the space, and has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, RetailMeNot, and Yahoo! Finance. Jarrod has over 20 credit cards in his wallet and has tested out dozens more in order to vet the very best card options for readers. As he is constantly sampling new cards, Jarrod also earns (and redeems) over 1 million points and miles each year. This allows him to book luxury travel experiences the world over, and save tens of thousands of dollars in the process.