Why We’re Not Renewing the Amex Business Platinum After the $895 Fee Increase

The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express increased its annual fee from $695 to $895 (rates & fees) in 2025, but existing cardholders didn’t see the higher price point until their first renewal date on or after January 2, 2026.

With my husband’s renewal quickly approaching this year, we took another look at the card’s benefits and ultimately decided it wasn’t worth renewing.

Without the Amex Business Platinum card, we want another way for him to access airport lounges and cover the cost of CLEAR+, while retaining his Membership Rewards balance. Here are the other options we’re considering in its place.

Why We’re Canceling the Amex Business Platinum Card

We always considered the Amex Business Platinum card a bit of a stretch, but the value still made sense for us — until the card’s 2025 refresh. Sure, the new benefits added an increased up to $600 annual hotel credit, but we effectively lost value when the Dell credit changed.

Before the refresh, the Dell credit offered up to $400 annually ($200 semiannually). Now, it’s $150 and an additional $1,000 statement credit after you spend $5,000 or more in the same year on U.S. purchases with Dell. We’re not likely to spend $5,000 annually with Dell, so that slashed the credit by $250 for our use.

To be fair, we still get more than $895 worth of value from the Amex Business Platinum card each year, but not enough to keep it. Here’s a look at the benefits we use on the Amex Business Platinum card and how much each is worth (note that some of these require prior enrollment):

• Global Lounge Collection access
• CLEAR+ credit (up to $219 annually)
• Airline incidental fee credit (up to $200 annually with his selected airline)
• Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection credit (up to $600 annually, split into up to $300 semiannually)
• Hilton credit (up to $200 annually)
• Dell credit (up to $150, then an additional $1,000 after spending $5,000 in a calendar year (U.S. purchases only))

He’s also used the TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit (up to $120 every 4 years), but has a few years before it’s time to renew.

That works out to $1,369 in annual statement credits we use — still clearing the value bar, but no longer as much as we’d like. It was a lot easier to justify at the lower annual fee, and we could live without most of these because they duplicate benefits we already have with other cards.

The Benefits That Matter Most

We consider the lounge access and CLEAR+ credit the most valuable benefits of the Amex Business Platinum card. I have the Platinum Card^® from American Express, which also includes lounge access and CLEAR+ credit, and it’s helpful when my husband has those benefits, too.

We need 2 lounge memberships to cover the 5 of us because Priority Pass lounges typically allow only the cardholder and 2 guests (enrollment required). The airport lounge access doesn’t have a specific dollar value, but we use it often to save significantly on airport food and have an easy place to recharge before flights.

Since we both have CLEAR+ membership and TSA PreCheck, all 5 of us (including our minor children) get through security quickly.

How We’re Replacing These Benefits

Only a few cards offer a full credit for CLEAR+. Since I have a CLEAR+ membership with my Amex Platinum card, I can add my husband to my CLEAR+ account as Friends & Family for $125. His membership fee would be billed to my Amex Platinum card, but he can use CLEAR+ benefits independently, whether we’re traveling together or not. He’s only a month into his latest CLEAR+ renewal, so we’d get almost 11 months before we need to pay for his account.

On the other hand, numerous cards offer lounge access as a benefit. We’d prefer the Global Lounge Collection, which offers access to over 1,550 lounges worldwide, including the Centurion Lounge at our home airport of George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). We usually visit the Centurion Lounge together on trips we take without our kids.

He can only get the Global Lounge Collection with the Amex Platinum card or the Amex Business Platinum card. Or, I can give him an Additional Platinum Card from my Amex Platinum card, which costs $195 per card (rates & fees).

Centurion Lounge guest access typically costs $50 for adults and $30 for children unless we spend $75,000 on the card annually, so 4 visits per year pays for the additional cardmember fee alone.

That said, Priority Pass access, available with most other lounge cards, is what we really need to save on family travel.

Option #1: Additional Platinum Card

I can give my husband an Additional Platinum Card from my Amex Platinum card account, which costs $195 annually and includes benefits we value:

• Global Lounge Collection access
• Hotel and rental car elite status (enrollment required)
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck statement credit

The $195 annual fee is $700 less than keeping the Amex Business Platinum card and solves a major piece of the replacement by giving him independent access to the Global Lounge Collection. He can use that when he travels without me, and we can combine our Priority Pass benefits to get our family into lounges, too. But it doesn’t give him a CLEAR+ credit.

Option #2: Hilton Aspire Card

The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has a $550 annual fee (rates & fees) but offers a CLEAR+ credit and numerous other benefits we would use:

• Annual free night reward
• Up to $400 in Hilton resort credits (up to $200 semiannually)
• Up to $200 in flight credits (up to $50 per quarter)
• Hilton Honors Diamond status

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

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.

Automatic Hilton Diamond status, an annual free night, and a travel and resort credit make this the perfect card for those who stay in Hilton hotels.

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.

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

Automatic Hilton Diamond status, an annual free night, and a travel and resort credit make this the perfect card for those who stay in Hilton hotels.

Welcome Offer

Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership.

150,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $750

Annual Fee

$550

APR

19.49%-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

Paying hundreds of dollars for an annual fee on a co-branded hotel card might seem ridiculous, but you should know that the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is much more than your run-of-the-mill hotel credit card.

The Hilton Aspire card is not only a phenomenal card for Hilton Honors loyalists, but even those who visit Hilton hotels just a few times a year can still get excellent value out of all the benefits that are packed into this card.

So let’s have a look at what makes the card so valuable to travelers.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 14x points per $1 on Hilton purchases
• 7x points per $1 on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel, car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies, and at U.S. restaurants
• 3x points per $1 on all other eligible purchases

Cons

• High annual fee of $550 (rates & fees)

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Card Highlights

• Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Enjoy an Annual Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors in your first year of Card Membership and every year upon Card renewal.
• Earn 14X Hilton Honors Bonus Points when you make eligible purchases on your Card at participating hotels or resorts within the Hilton Portfolio.
• Card Members can earn 7X Points on purchases of flights booked directly with airlines or flights booked through American Express Travel, car rentals purchased directly from select car rental companies, and purchases at U.S. Restaurants.
• Card Members can earn 3X Points on all other eligible purchases.
• $400 Hilton Resort Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits semi-annually for eligible purchases made directly with participating Hilton Resorts on your Hilton Honors Aspire Card. That's up to $400 back annually.
• $200 Flight Credit: Get up to $50 in statement credits each quarter, for a total of up to $200 back each year, on flight purchases made directly with an airline, through AmexTravel.com, or through the Amex Travel App™ using your Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.
• CLEAR+ helps get you to your gate faster at 55+ airports nationwide. Receive up to $219 per calendar year in statement credits when you pay for your membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the Hilton Honors Aspire Card.
• Earn a Free Night Reward from Hilton after you spend $30,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
• $100 Property Credit: Receive up to a $100 credit for qualifying charges at Waldorf Astoria^® Hotels & Resorts and Conrad^® Hotels & Resorts properties when you book a 2 night minimum stay with your Card at HiltonHonorsAspireCard.com and select the Aspire Card Benefit rate option on the booking page, or call Hilton Honors at 855-292-5757 with the proper booking reference.
• Hilton Honors Aspire Card Members can enjoy complimentary National Car Rental^® Emerald Club Executive^® status, including perks like Executive Area Access (for full-size reservations and above) in the USA and Canada. Card Members must enroll in the National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status through their American Express online account using their Card. Terms apply.
• Whenever you travel more than 100 miles from home, Premium Global Assist^® Hotline is available for 24/7 emergency assistance and coordination services, including medical, legal, and financial referrals. Emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost only if approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline. Card Members may be responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.
• $550 annual fee.
• Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.49%-28.49% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

I already have the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card, and we often stay at Hilton properties, so we’d use the Hilton resort credit and the annual free night. We can pool points in our household, combining his Hilton Aspire card earnings with my Hilton Surpass card balance. The Hilton Gold status we have with my Hilton Surpass card is good enough, but Diamond status from the Hilton Aspire card could add value.

This is a valuable card we’d get a lot of use out of, but it still has a missing piece: airport lounge access.

Option #3: Amex Platinum Card

The Amex Platinum card has the same $895 annual fee (rates & fees) as the Amex Business Platinum card we’re replacing, but it covers everything we want (and more). With this card, he would get Global Lounge Collection access and up to $219 in CLEAR+ credits. He could earn a welcome offer as a new cardholder, and we’d get another set of statement credits that work better for us than the credits on the Amex Business Platinum card.

BEST LOUNGE CARD

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

Welcome Offer

You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $12,000 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.

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 card application.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, the Platinum Card^® from American Express is a top choice.

The card offers premium perks like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and several annual card credits. The Amex Platinum card is easily worth the annual fee for frequent travelers who use the lounges and travel credits, and hard to justify for those who won’t.

Pros & Cons

Pros

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

Cons

• $895 annual fee (rates & 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 $12,000 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.
• 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 Delta Sky Club visits (subject to visit limitations) when flying on an eligible Delta flight, Priority Pass™ membership (enrollment required), and other select partner lounges. *As of 01/2026
• $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.
• $300 Digital Entertainment Credit: Experience the latest shows, news and recipes. Get up to $25 in statement credits each month when you use your Platinum Card^® for eligible purchases on Disney+, a Disney+ bundle, ESPN streaming services, Hulu, The New York Times, Paramount+, Peacock, The Wall Street Journal, YouTube Premium, and YouTube TV when you purchase directly from one or more of the providers. Enrollment required.
• $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.
• $400 Resy Credit + Platinum Nights™ by Resy: Get up to $100 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card^® to pay for eligible purchases with Resy, including dining purchases at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants. Enrollment required. As a Platinum Card^® Member you have special access to reservations on select nights at participating sought after Resy restaurants in select cities through Platinum Nights™ by Resy. Simply add your Platinum Card^® to your Resy profile to book your reservation.
• $219 CLEAR+ Credit: CLEAR+ helps get you to your gate faster by using your face to verify you are you at 55+ airports nationwide. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR+ Membership* with up to $219 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR+ with your 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, when available, and guaranteed 4pm late check-out.
• $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: Get up to a $12.95* statement credit back each month after you pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with your Platinum Card^®. *Up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes on one membership fee.
• 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

Even with my Amex Platinum card in our household, we’d score double the credits with another one. Plus, the Amex Platinum card offers more varied lifestyle credits than the Amex Business Platinum card (some of these require prior enrollment):

• Up to $219 CLEAR+ credit
• Up to $600 in hotel credits (up to $300 semiannually)
• Up to $200 in Uber Cash (up to $15 per month with a $20 bonus in December for U.S. rides and Eats orders, you must add your card to your Uber account and pay with an Amex card to use this benefit)
• Up to $400 in Resy credits (up to $100 per quarter)
• Up to $300 in digital entertainment credits (up to $25 per month)
• Up to $300 in lululemon credits (up to $75 per quarter)
• Up to $200 in airline incidental credits

That’s $2,219 in annual statement credit value we’d realistically use, which is $850 more than the $1,369 we used with the Amex Business Platinum card.

Final Thoughts

We haven’t made any changes yet, but we’re leaning toward getting him an Additional Platinum Card from my Amex Platinum card for lounge access, then adding him as Friends & Family to my CLEAR+ membership for $125 instead of getting a separate card. We’d still need to get him a Membership Rewards account so he doesn’t lose his points, but we can do that with an Amex Rewards Checking account.