Double Down on Points: Why I Pair the Amex Business Platinum and Blue Business Plus

The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express is chock-full of benefits upon enrollment, from airport lounge access to credits that can save your business money. However, the card isn’t usually your best bet for everyday business spending.

It has a handful of bonus categories that earn 1.5x points per dollar (on up to $2 million per account and per calendar year), but these don’t cover some of my most common spending areas. As a result, I opened another card that helps me earn even more American Express Membership Rewards points on business purchases: The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express.

This business credit card is light on benefits but heavy on earning. Over the years, it has earned me tens of thousands of Membership Rewards points. The Amex Blue Business Plus card is my favorite business card to pair with the Amex Business Platinum card — here’s a closer look at why.

Amex Business Platinum Card Overview

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

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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

The Amex Business Platinum card is one of the most premium business cards out there. Sure, it has a hefty $695 annual fee (rates & fees) but that’s largely offset by credits like up-to-$400 in annual Dell credits, up-to-$200 airline incidental fee credit and other business-friendly statement credits (enrollment required).

But the card’s real power lies in its travel perks. The Amex Business Platinum card gives you access to a ton of airport lounges, including Amex Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs (when flying same day Delta), and others, upon enrollment. Plus, you can book luxury hotels via Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts and access other high-end travel perks.

But as mentioned, the card falls short for earning Amex Membership Rewards points beyond the welcome bonus offer. It earns 1.5x points at U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more, up to $2 million in purchases per calendar year. The Amex Business Platinum card also earns 5x points on flights and prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com.

Other than the above categories, the card earns 1x points per dollar on all other purchases. Since I rarely spend in its 1.5x bonus categories — or make purchases larger than $5,000 — I knew I was leaving points on the table for my business spending. Enter the Amex Blue Business Plus card.

Amex Blue Business Plus Card Overview

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

The Blue Business^® Plus Credit 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.

Earn Membership Rewards for your business spending the easy way: get 2x points for the first $50,000 in purchases per year.

Apply Now(at Amex's secure site)

The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express

Earn Membership Rewards for your business spending the easy way: get 2x points for the first $50,000 in purchases per year.

Welcome Offer

Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership.

15,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$330

Annual Fee

No annual fee

APR

17.49% - 25.49% Variable,0% on purchases for 12 months from date of account opening

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 (670-840)

Why We Like This Card

As a business owner, getting a credit card that maximizes each dollar you spend does not have to be complicated or expensive. Especially when you opt for The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express.

With the Amex Blue Business Plus card, you’ll earn 2x Membership Rewards points on everyday business purchases throughout the year (up to $50,000; 1x thereafter) and receive purchase protections and no-additional-charge employee cards all for no annual fee (see rates and fees).

The simple and straightforward earning structure makes it a great fit for those looking to earn flexible rewards, without having to fixate on which purchases earn the most points.

Let’s take look at all that the Amex Blue Business Plus card has to offer.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 2x Membership Rewards points per $1 on everyday business purchases (up to $50,000; 1x thereafter)
• Purchase protection and extended warranty protection
• No annual fee and employee cards at no additional cost

Cons

• No unique bonus categories and 2x earnings are capped at $50,000 in annual spend
• No elite travel benefits like lounge access or elite status

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership.
• 0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 17.49% - 25.49%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors at account opening. APR will not exceed 29.99%
• Earn 2X points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter. Terms and limitations apply.
• You’ve got the power to spend beyond your credit limit* with Expanded Buying Power. *The amount you can spend above your credit limit is flexible, so it adapts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to us, and other factors. Just remember, the amount you can spend with Expanded Buying Power is not unlimited.
• No Annual Fee
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 17.49% - 25.49% Variable,0% on purchases for 12 months from date of account opening
• Foreign Transaction Fees: 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

The Amex Blue Business Plus card doesn’t have any flashy travel features, but that’s expected with a $0 annual fee (rates & fees).

What makes the card exciting, however, is its earning rate: it earns 2x points on all purchases (up to $50,000 per year; 1x points thereafter), regardless of what you charge to the card.

This makes it a good catch-all business credit card. You don’t need to think about what card to pull out of your wallet; just pay with the Amex Blue Business Plus card and rest assured that you’re earning 2x points.

Why These Cards Pair So Well Together

The Amex Business Platinum card and Amex Blue Business Plus card work together because they’re polar opposites. The Amex Business Platinum card offers premium travel benefits and a high annual fee but doesn’t have great bonus earning categories. I keep the card in my wallet for airport benefits but rarely use it for purchases.

Meanwhile, the Amex Blue Business Plus card has no perks and a $0 annual fee but has a great earning rate on everyday business purchases. I keep it in my wallet for the opposite reason: I charge my daily business purchases to the card and earn more Membership Rewards.

How I Use These Cards For Business Purchases

The majority of my business expenses go on the Amex Blue Business Plus card because of its elevated earning rate. For example, I put subscriptions, my coworking membership and various bills on this card. These are examples of purchases don’t typically earn bonus points with business or personal credit cards.

This translates to me earning an average of 20,000 Membership Rewards points per year with the Amex Blue Business Plus card. That’s not bad for a card with a $0 annual fee. And if my business had more expenses, I could earn up to 100,000 points per year if I maxed out the $50,000 annual cap on 2x earning.

But that’s not to say I don’t put any spending on my Amex Business Platinum card. I use it to pay for flights and hotels through Amex Travel. When doing this, I earn 5 points per dollar on airfare and prepaid hotel stays. Plus, I can leverage Insider Fares and the International Airline Program for cheaper flights and Amex FHR and the Hotel Collection for hotel perks.

I’m also a fan of the Amex Business Platinum card’s 35% Pay With Points rebate. This discount is valid on first and business-class airfare on all airlines and economy airfare on 1 airline of your choosing when you book with Amex Travel and pay with points.

For example, if you use 20,000 Membership Rewards points for a $200 business-class ticket, you’d get 7,000 points back. Therefore, earning more Membership Rewards points with the Amex Blue Business Plus card is important to me, as I can redeem those points with the exclusive airfare rebate on the Amex Business Platinum card.

I also put high-ticket business purchases on the Amex Business Platinum card since it has better purchase protection benefits than the Amex Blue Business Plus card.

The Amex Business Platinum card covers purchases from loss and theft for the first 90 days after you purchase, up to $10,000 per purchase and $50,000 per calendar year. Meanwhile, the Amex Blue Business Plus card protects purchases up to $1,000 per purchase and $50,000 per year.

While the card has enough coverage to protect smaller purchases, I buy phones, laptops and other high-ticket items with my Amex Business Platinum card. The card earns 1.5x on purchases at electronic goods retailers too, so I still earn some extra points on many of these purchases.

Final Thoughts

The Amex Business Platinum card is a great card on its own, but you can supercharge it when you pair it with the Amex Blue Business Plus card. This gives you the luxury travel and purchase protection benefits offered by the Amex Business Platinum card and the higher points earnings offered by the Amex Blue Business Plus card.

And since the Amex Blue Business Plus card has a $0 annual fee, you’re not adding extra expenses by adding it to your wallet — and that’s a win-win to me.

For the purchase protection benefit of The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express, purchase protection is an embedded benefit of your card membership and requires no enrollment. It can help protect covered purchases made on your eligible card when they’re accidentally damaged, stolen, or lost, for up to 90 days from the covered purchase date. The coverage is limited up to $10,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per card member account per calendar year. Coverage limits apply. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the purchase protection benefit of The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, when an American Express^® card member charges a covered purchase with their eligible card, purchase protection can help protect their covered purchases for up to 90 days from the covered purchase date if it is stolen or accidentally damaged. The coverage is limited up to $1,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per card member account per calendar year. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.