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

The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express offers numerous benefits, not just for primary cardholders but for additional cardholders, too. It often makes sense to have some of these valuable card perks extended to key employees within your business.

However, the Amex Business Platinum card allows 2 types of additional cardholders: Employee Cards and Expense Cards, each coming with different fees and benefits. This guide covers the benefits available to each card type and how to add additional cardholders to your Amex Business Platinum card.

Quick Overview: Amex Business Platinum Authorized User Benefits

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The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express

U.P. Rating 

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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

As High As 300,000 points. Find Out Your Offer. You may be eligible for as high as 300,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after spending $20,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.  

As High As 300,000 Points. Find Out Your Offer.

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $6,600

Annual Fee

$895

APR

17.74% - 28.49% 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 card application.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

The Amex Business Platinum Card is a premium travel rewards card tailored for business owners who are frequent travelers with high 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 and numerous 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)
• Up to $200 annual airline fee credit on your selected qualifying airline
• Generous statement credits on select purchases with your card (including credits for airline incidentals, prepaid hotels, CLEAR, ChatGPT Business, Dell, and Hilton)
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
• Access to Amex’s Fine Hotels & Resorts program
• Hotel elite status with Hilton, Marriott, and Leading Hotels of the World upon enrollment

 

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

• As High As 300,000 points. Find Out Your Offer. You may be eligible for as high as 300,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after spending $20,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
• 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 $4,000 in business and travel value annually after meeting qualifying spend thresholds on the Business Platinum Card. Terms apply.
• 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. Gift cards are not an eligible purchase. 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+ Membership (subject to auto-renewal).
• Maximize your time away with Fine Hotels + Resorts through Amex Travel™.
• 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.
• Enroll and get up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year on U.S. purchases of ChatGPT Business* on the Business Platinum Card. *Subject to auto-renewal.
• 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.
• 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
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 17.74% - 28.49% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

 

For the Amex Business Platinum card, you have 2 options to add people to your account, and each of these has a different name and associated annual fee (which are in addition to the Amex Business Platinum card’s $895 annual fee (rates & fees)):

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

Employee Cards carry an annual fee but get perks such as lounge access, hotel elite status, travel insurance, purchase protections, and Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credits. Meanwhile, Expense Cards don’t have any benefits but do allow expense tracking at no additional cost.

Both cards earn Membership Reward points at the same rate as the primary cardholder and count toward the welcome offer spending threshold, but note that statement credits (beyond the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit) aren’t duplicated for any additional cardholder.

You can add up to 99 in total.

What Is an Additional Cardholder?

Additional cardholders are people you add to your Amex Business Platinum card account and give permission to make purchases. Additional cardholders don’t 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 additional cardholders:

• You are responsible for paying the charges any additional cardholders make on your account.
• Additional cardholders have access to their own online accounts through a separate username and password, as do you. Charges on your statement are separated by the person and card that made each purchase.
• Additional cardholders don’t have access to your account unless you designate them as an account manager.
• Once additional cardholders turn 18, their transactions are reported to the credit bureaus.
• You must agree that purchases made by the additional cardholders are for “the company’s commercial or business purposes.”

Select the Level of Additional Cardholders

The first benefit of adding users to your Amex Business Platinum card is that you can select the card level you want issued to each user.

1. Choose the Card Type

Adding an Employee Card to your Amex Business Platinum card (which includes additional benefits but carries an $400 annual fee) might be best for a key employee or spouse to extend airport lounge access, use Global Entry and TSA credits, or for the additional cardholder to take advantage of travel benefits and protections.

On the other hand, Expense Cards are available for no additional cost, and although they don’t offer benefits beyond expense tracking and management, they’re ideal for employees who need to make necessary business purchases.

Earn Membership Rewards Points and Statement Credits Faster

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

2. 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 offer bonus.

3. Ongoing Employee and Expense Purchases Earn Membership Rewards Points

Every purchase your additional users make earns valuable Membership Rewards points, which vary by the type of card they hold. Additional cardholders of an Amex Business Platinum card 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).

4. Additional Cardholder Purchases Trigger Statement Credits

Though holders of the Employee Card or Expense Card don’t receive statement credits, their purchases do trigger any statement credit offers on the primary cardmember’s account (Source: Amex).

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

• Up to $200 in credit for airline incidentals per calendar year
• Up to $1,150 in 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 in Hilton statement credits (up to $50 per quarter)
• Up to a $360 Indeed credit (up to $90 per quarter on U.S. purchases)
• $250 Adobe credit (when you spend $600 or more on U.S. Adobe purchases)
• Up to a $120 U.S. wireless credit (up to $10 per month)
• Up to a $600 prepaid hotel credit (up to $300 semiannually) on eligible bookings through Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection
• Up to a $209 CLEAR+ membership fee credit

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

5. 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.

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer as high as 300,000 points with the Amex Business Platinum card. Find out your offer. Terms Apply.

 

Extended Travel Protections and Benefits

Employee Cards, in particular, come with some top travel benefits.

6. 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 ways 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 (up to 1 million points rebated per year) when you use this option. Qualifying flights include any flight with your preselected airline (the same airline as for the incidental fee statement credit) booked through AmexTravel.com.

Though Employee Cards and Expense Cards don’t give their holders access to rewards redemptions, they do have this capability if the cardholders are designated as account managers. Also, Amex cardholders can transfer points only to frequent flyer accounts in the primary cardholder’s name or to employees who have been explicitly added as additional cardholders.

7. Worldwide Lounge Access

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

An Amex Business Platinum card’s additional cardholder with an Employee Card receives the same worldwide lounge access as the primary cardholder and, in most cases, can bring 2 additional guests (upon enrollment).

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

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

• The Centurion Lounge Network
• 10 visits a year to Delta Sky Club when flying Delta the same day (plus, you can unlock unlimited visits with spending)
• Escape Lounges – The Centurion Studio Partner
• International American Express Centurion Lounges
• Some Lufthansa Lounges
• Plaza Premium Lounges
• Priority Pass Lounges (upon enrollment)
• Some Virgin Clubhouse Lounges

8. Hotel Program Status and Benefits

Employee Cards enjoy hotel program elite status and benefits:

• Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status: Get upgraded rooms, late checkout, the 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, the fifth night free on award stays, and more (upon enrollment).
• Fine Hotels + Resort benefits: On eligible stays, receive complimentary breakfast for 2 guests, an upgraded room when available, late checkout and early check-in when available, a property-specific 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.

9. Car Rental Program Benefits

Additional cardholders with Employee Cards also get car rental elite status:

• 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 fee, 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).

10. 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.

11. Extended Travel Insurance Coverage

Additional cardholders with Employee Cards 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 for up to a $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 and $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.

Extended Shopping Protections and Benefits

Purchases are also protected.

12. Purchases Qualify for Protection Coverages

Qualifying purchases made on Employee Cards get extended coverage:

• 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 for 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.

13. Save Money and Earn More With Amex Offers

Amex Offers are an additional method of earning more rewards or receiving statement credits for both Employee Cards and Expense Cards. The additional cardholder can log in to their online Amex account and select offers that will trigger these extra earnings or savings when they make applicable purchases.

Business Management Tools

Manage your additional cardholder purchases, set spending alerts to enforce boundaries, or use extended payment options for large purchases with these business management tools.

14. Keep Track of Additional Cardholder Purchases

Adding an Employee Card or an Expense Card lets you manage that person’s 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.

15. Pay for Qualifying Purchases Over Time

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

16. Employee Cards and Expense Cards Can Access Online Accounts

Additional cardholders receive their own physical Amex Business Platinum cards and can log in to their accounts online to manage and track transactions.

Bottom Line:

Managing employee purchases is easy with several business management tools available from Amex. You can set up spending limits, set alerts for unusual spending, and pay for authorized user purchases over time.

Additional Benefits of Adding Employee and Expense Cards

Additional cardholders get a few more perks.

17. Events and Concierge Benefits

• American Express preferred seating and access: Receive presale access before the public and preferred seating for a variety of sports, concerts, and theatrical events.
• Access to Amex Business Platinum Card concierge: Get 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.

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

Even though the Amex Business Platinum card comes with numerous 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. The only exception is the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, which the Employee Card also gets.

Other than that, if you decide to add an Amex Business Platinum card Employee Card, 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). Expense Cards, on the other hand, don’t get any benefits.

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 don’t add this information within the allotted time period.

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

From here, click on “Manage Other Users” entry in the list of menu options on the left. Alternatively, you may see where it says “Get Additional Employee Card” 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 the card type you want to add, then provide the employee’s details. Your authorized user will receive their card within 7 to 10 business days.

Final Thoughts

If you’re going to add cardholders to your account, the first step is to decide which type of cardholder you want. Employee Cards cost $400 annually and have many of the same benefits as the primary cardholder. Meanwhile, Expense Cards cost $0 but have no benefits beyond expense tracking.

When deciding which type of additional cardholder to add, think about whether the additional user will actually use the travel benefits of the card. If so, the Employee Card is the right choice. If not, get an Expense Card. That said, any additional cardholder purchases earn points at the same rate as the primary cardholder and count toward the welcome offer bonus.