18 Benefits of Adding Additional Cardholders to the Amex Business Platinum Card

We frequently discuss the benefits of top premium travel rewards cards such as the Platinum Card^® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express.

These cards are known for earning valuable Membership Rewards points and for the associated flexible redemption options. The cards also come with the best airport lounge access available, statement credits that offer savings or bonus earnings, and a nice selection of travel and shopping benefits.

It often makes sense to have some of these valuable card benefits extended to key employees within your business or even to members of your family.

Fortunately, American Express makes it easy to do just that.

We previously covered the benefits of adding additional users to the Amex Platinum card, so today we’re building on that information as we discuss the benefits of adding cardholders to the Amex Business Platinum card.

Amex Business Platinum Card

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!

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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.

150,000 200,000 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 card application.

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

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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.)

Before we proceed, check out the key attributes of the Amex Business Platinum card in the snapshot above. Before applying for any card, you’ll want to investigate the current welcome bonus offer, fees, rates, and any additional terms and conditions. Follow the links above to do just that.

What Is an Additional Cardholder?

Colloquially, additional cardholders are called “authorized users” and is someone you add to your Amex Business Platinum card account and give permission to make purchases on your account. Additional cardholders do not have a separate card account with American Express, just the ability to make purchases using a card on your account.

Here is some additional useful information regarding the addition of an authorized user:

• You are responsible for paying the authorized users’ charges.
• Authorized users have access to their own online accounts through a separate username and password, as will you. Charges on your statement are separated based on which person made each specific purchase.
• Authorized users do not have access to your account unless you designate them as an account manager
• Once authorized users turn 18, their transactions are reported to the credit bureaus
• You agree that purchases made by the authorized user are for “the company’s commercial or business purposes.”

For the Amex Business card, you have 2 options to add people to your account and each of these options has a different name and associated annual fee.

• Employee Card: $400 (rates & fees)
• Expense Card: $0 (rates & fees)

Now that we know the basics of adding an authorized user, what these additional users are called for the Amex Business Platinum, let’s talk about the benefits and differences between the 2 types.

Select the Level of Authorized User Cards

The first benefit of adding additional users to your Amex Business Platinum card is that you can select the level of the card you want to be issued to the user. Having options is important, as the benefits and cost of each additional card vary widely.

1. Select Amex Business Platinum Cards for Extended Benefits

Adding an Employee Card to your Amex Business Platinum card extends many of the benefits that the primary cardholder receives to the additional user. You pay dearly for the privilege, though, as each additional user will incur a fee of $400 each year (rates & fees).

This option may be desirable for a key employee or spouse for the purpose of extending airport lounge access, utilizing Global Entry and TSA credits, or for the additional user to take advantage of travel benefits and protections.

This option can be of great value if the leading benefits are utilized.

2. Select Business Expense Card for Employee Expense Management

Additional user cards issued as an Expense Card do not receive the extended benefits or level of earnings of Amex Business Platinum card additional users; however, there’s no annual fee for an employee Expense Card (rates & fees).

One of the key benefits of adding these authorized additional cards is to be able to manage and track their purchases. This feature also offers the convenience of having the employee make necessary purchases directly.

Earn Membership Rewards Points and Statement Credits Faster

Purchases made by both the primary cardholder and any additional cardholders count toward the initial welcome bonus offer, earn Membership Rewards points, and can trigger promotional offers.

3. Purchases Count Toward Minimum Spending Requirements

Once you’ve added an additional user, their purchases count toward the minimum spending requirement to earn the initial welcome bonus.

4. Ongoing Employee and Expense Purchases Earn Membership Rewards Points

Every purchase your additional users make earns valuable Membership Rewards points, which varies by the type of card they hold. Authorized cardholders of an Amex Business Platinum card will earn 5x points on flights, prepaid hotels, and short-term rentals booked at AmexTravel.com. Additionally, they earn 2x points on eligible purchases in key business categories, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else (up to $2 million in purchases per calendar year).

5. Authorized Cardholder Purchases Trigger Statement Credits

While the Employee cards and Expense cardholders do not receive statement credits, their purchases do trigger any statement credit offers on the primary cardmember’s account.

You can earn these statement credits for qualifying purchases on the Amex Business Platinum card (upon enrollment):

• Up to $200 airline incidentals per calendar year
• Up to $1,150 Dell Technologies credits (up to $150 in credits annually and an additional $1,000 when you spend $5,000 or more on U.S. Dell purchases)
• Up to $200 Hilton statement credits (up to $50 per quarter)
• Up to $360 Indeed credit (up to $90 per quarter)
• $250 Adobe credit (when you spend $600 or more on U.S. Adobe purchases)
• Up to $120 wireless credit (up to $10 per month)
• Up to $600 prepaid hotel credit (up to $300 semi-annually) on eligible bookings through Fine Hotels & Resorts and The Hotel Collection
• Up to $209 CLEAR^® Plus membership fee credit

Additional cardholder purchases earn the same as the primary cardholder earnings categories, but points and statement credits are only accumulated in the primary cardholder Membership Rewards account.

Bottom Line:

Purchases made by additional card users earn Membership Rewards points at the same rate as the primary cardmember. Purchases also count toward minimum spending requirements for the card’s initial welcome bonus. 

6. Employee and Expense Purchases Help Toward Spending-Based Benefits

Amex Business Platinum card accounts can qualify for 2 additional benefits each calendar year when they spend $250,000 or more on eligible purchases:

• Up to $1,200 in statement credits on flights booked online through AmexTravel.com
• Up to $2,400 in statement credits on American Express One AP monthly fees

These benefits are available for the calendar year following the year in which the spending threshold is met. Additional cardholder spending helps you reach this $250,000 goal.

Extended Travel Protections and Benefits

7. Redeem Points for Employee Travel

The Amex Business Platinum card offers several flexible redemption options, including the ability to redeem points for travel via AmexTravel.com, using the Amex transfer partners, and more.

One of the best options is to redeem points for flights using the Pay with Points feature and receive a rebate. The Amex Business Platinum card issues a flight credit bonus rebate of 35% of the points redeemed when you use this option. Qualifying flights include any flight with your preselected airline (the same airline as for incidental fee statement credit) booked through Amex Travel.

Though Employee and Expense cardholders do not have access to rewards redemptions, they do have this capability if designated as an account manager. Also, Amex cardholders can only transfer points to frequent flyer accounts in the primary cardholder’s name and employees who have been explicitly added as additional cardholders.

So, if you need to transfer points to book a flight for an employee, it’ll be much easier to transfer points to a frequent flyer account in the employee’s name.

8. Complimentary Worldwide Lounge Access

This may be one of the most valuable benefits of adding an additional cardholder if your business involves traveling. Worldwide lounge access membership can cost hundreds, even thousands, of dollars each year.

An Amex Business Platinum card’s additional cardholder receives the same worldwide lounge access as the primary cardholder and is able, in most cases, to bring in 2 additional guests (upon enrollment).

This means your employees can enjoy worldwide lounge access at the following properties:

• The Centurion Lounge Network
• 10 visits a year to Delta Sky Club when flying Delta the same day (plus, you’ll have the ability to unlock unlimited visits)
• Escape Lounges — The Centurion Studio Partner
• International American Express Centurion Lounges
• Select Lufthansa Lounges
• Plaza Premium Lounges
• Priority Pass Select (upon enrollment)
• Select Virgin Clubhouse Lounges

Access requirements and the number of guests allowed can vary. Check each individual lounge network requirement prior to traveling.

9. Complimentary Hotel Program Status and Benefits

Employee cardholders enjoy complimentary hotel program elite status and benefits:

• Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status: Get upgraded rooms, late checkout, fifth night free on award stays, and more (upon enrollment).
• Leaders Club Sterling status: Get room upgrade priority, 5% bonus rewards, and 5 prearrival upgrade awards (upon enrollment).
• Hilton Honors Gold elite status: Receive benefits such as complimentary breakfast, preferred room upgrades, late checkout, bonus points, fifth-night free on award stays, and more (upon enrollment).
• Fine Hotels + Resort benefits: On eligible stays, receive complimentary breakfast for 2, upgraded room when available, late checkout and early check-in when available, a unique-to-the-property amenity worth at least $100, and more.
• The Hotel Collection benefits: On eligible stays of at least 2 nights, get a room upgrade when available and a $100 property credit.

10. Complimentary Car Rental Program Benefits

• National Emerald Club Executive status: Receive vehicle upgrades, no second driver fee, and a free rental after 6 car rentals (upon enrollment).
• Hertz Gold Plus Rewards President’s Circle status: Receive guaranteed upgrades, no second driver free, a 50% points bonus, a free additional driver, and a dedicated Hertz Rewards line (upon enrollment).
• Avis Preferred benefits: Receive discounted rates and vehicle upgrades (upon enrollment).

11. Global Entry and TSA PreCheck Fee Reimbursement

Employee cards on the Amex Business Platinum card receive an application fee statement credit of up to $120 for Global Entry or up to $85 for TSA PreCheck every 5 years.

12. Extended Travel Insurance Coverage

Additional cardholders have access to travel insurance coverage when using their card to make a qualifying purchase:

• Car rental insurance: Receive secondary car rental insurance with the option to purchase Premium Protection for 1 low fee between $12.25 and $24.95 that covers the entire rental period.
• Trip cancellation and trip interruption: Receive up to $10,000 per trip, $20,000 maximum per card each 12-month period.
• Trip delay: If your trip is delayed 6 hours or more, you could receive up to $500 in reimbursement for qualifying expenses.
• Baggage insurance: Receive up to $2,000 per checked bag, $3,000 per carry-on bag for lost, damaged, or stolen baggage.
• Premium Global Assist Hotline: Receive emergency transportation at no cost when utilizing the network; planning and emergency services are available 24/7 when traveling more than 100 miles from home.

Check the card’s guide to benefits for a complete list of travel insurance coverages and the terms and conditions for each one.

Bottom Line:

The value received for adding an authorized user is demonstrated most in the travel benefits and protection category. Worldwide lounge access alone can exceed $1,000 annually if you had to purchase memberships. 

Extended Shopping Protections and Benefits

13. Purchases Qualify for Protection Coverages

Qualifying purchases, made on employee cards, get extended coverage on items purchased with the card:

• Extended warranty: For manufacturer’s warranties of 5 years or less, a qualifying item purchased with your card may receive 1 extra year of warranty.
• Purchase protection: If a qualifying item is accidentally damaged or stolen within the first 90 days after the purchase date, you could receive up to $10,000 per item with a maximum of $50,000 per card account.
• Return protection: If the merchant will not accept a return within 90 days of the purchase date, you may receive up to $300 per qualifying item, up to $1,000 per cardmember per calendar year.
• Cell phone protection: Cardholders 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.

14. Save More and Earn More With Amex Offers

Amex Offers are an additional option for elevated earnings or statement credits. The authorized cardholder can log in to their online Amex account and select offers that will trigger these extra earnings or savings when applicable purchases are made.

Bottom Line:

Authorized purchases on Employee and Expense cards can qualify for additional protections and trigger Amex Offers savings and earnings. 

Business Management Tools

Manage your additional cardholder purchases, set up alerts that set spending boundaries, or utilize extended payment options on large purchases with these business management tools.

15. Keep Track of Authorized User Purchases

Adding an Employee or Expense user allows you to manage that person’s purchases. If you have a key person in your operation, for example, you could add them as an additional cardholder and manage their purchases.

Keep in mind that you can also set maximum spending limits and set alerts for unusual transactions. Utilize the Amex mobile app for additional account management.

16. Pay for Qualifying Purchases Over Time

Purchases of $100 or more, even those made by additional cardholders, qualify for the Pay Over Time feature, which allows you to repay that purchase over time with interest.

17. Employee and Expense Cardholders Can Access Online Accounts

Additional cardholders will receive their own physical Amex Business Platinum card and be able to log in to their accounts online to manage and track transactions.

Additional Benefits of Adding Employee and Expenses Users

18. Additional Benefits Extended to Additional Users

• American Express preferred seating and access: Enjoy presale access before the public and preferred seating for a variety of sports, concerts, and theatrical events.
• Access to Amex Business Platinum Card concierge: Receive help with planning business meetings, booking transportation, making travel arrangements, securing event tickets, and more.

Check the benefits guide for additional information and details on the terms and conditions.

Bottom Line:

Managing the purchases of employees is made easy with several available business management tools. You can set up spending limits, set alerts for unusual spending, and pay for authorized user purchases over time.

What Benefits Aren’t Available to Amex Business Platinum Card Additional Cardholders?

Even though the Amex Business Platinum card comes fully loaded with benefits, many of these benefits, especially statement credits, are only available once. For example, the Dell credits of up to $1,150 per year can only be used to get a cumulative benefit of $1,150, no matter how many employee cards you have.

Qualifying purchases from employee cards count toward the benefit, but employees do not receive their own benefit. Employees do not have their own statement credits except for the $120 Global Entry or $85 TSA PreCheck application fee credit benefit.

Other than that, if you decide to add an Amex Business Platinum card Employee or Expense cardholder, employees get almost all of the other benefits, including access to Fine Hotels + Resorts, Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status, and worldwide lounge access through the American Express Global Lounge Collection (upon enrollment).

How To Add an Additional User to the Amex Business Platinum Card

Adding an additional user to your card is a simple process. You need the person’s full name to initiate the process, then add their Social Security number and date of birth. The user will be removed if you do not add this information within the allotted time period.

To get started, log in to your Amex Business Platinum card account online and select Account Services at the top.

From here, click on Manage Other Users in the list of menu options on the left. Alternatively, you may see Get Additional Employee Cards on the right side. Both will take you to the same location.

From here, you’ll see a button for Add Employee Card. Click on that.

On the next page, choose which card type you want to add and provide the employee’s details. Your authorized user will receive their card within 7 to 10 business days.

Final Thoughts

While it’s easy to add an additional Employee or Expense card to your Amex Business Platinum card, the decision is a serious one. You and your business are taking on the responsibility of repaying debt incurred by another individual’s spending.

For this reason, select these cardholders wisely. There can be significant value added if your employee is traveling and can utilize worldwide lounge access, hotel and car rental benefits, and travel benefits and protections.

If none of these benefits are helpful but you have a need for employees to make purchases on a regular basis, you may want instead to get the Expense Card with no annual fee to make that happen.

If you’re in the process of making a decision between the personal consumer Amex Platinum card and the Amex Business Platinum card, our article comparing the two is a must-read.