Why I Always Pay My Cell Phone Bill With the Amex Business Platinum Card

There are few premium cards with as many benefits as The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express. Despite its $695 annual fee (rates & fees), the card provides exceptional value for business owners who travel frequently. Cardholders enjoy many benefits upon enrollment, such as airport lounge access, hotel elite status, travel insurance, and numerous annual statement credits.

Some perks don’t make headlines, such as cell phone protection, which is useful if my cell phone were to get damaged or stolen. The Amex Business Platinum card also comes with an annual “wireless phone services” statement credit that helps lower my monthly cell phone bill. Let’s take a closer look at these 2 noteworthy benefits and how I maximize them.

Amex Business Platinum Card Overview

The Amex Business Platinum card is made for business owners who travel frequently enough to take advantage of the card’s numerous luxury travel benefits. Once you factor in all the perks and benefits the card provides, it’s easy to see why it’s a top pick for many business owners.

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!

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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 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

18.74% - 27.74% 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: 18.74% - 27.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

The card also earns highly valuable American Express Membership Rewards points. With the Amex Business Platinum card, you’ll earn:

• 5x points on flights and prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com
• 1.5x points on eligible purchases in certain business categories and purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else (up to $2 million in these purchases every calendar year)
• 1x points on other purchases

These points can also go quite far. We value Amex points at an astounding 2.2 cents each, among the highest valuations for any points currency. 

Cell Phone Protection

Phones are becoming more expensive, so it’s important to ensure they’re properly protected. Luckily, there are cards that offer cell phone protection benefits.

By paying my monthly cell phone bill on the Amex Business Platinum card, the issuer will reimburse me for the replacement value of a stolen phone or the cost of repairing damage to their cell phone, minus the deductible.

The cell phone protection coverage is complimentary (no enrollment required) and extends to all cell phones on a plan. However, there is a deductible and some limitations worth noting:

• Maximum reimbursement up to $800 per claim
• Each claim is subject to a $50 deductible
• Cardmembers are limited to 2 claims per 12-month period

It is also worth noting that coverage is activated the calendar month after you first pay your bill with the Amex Business Platinum card. This means you cannot just switch your cell phone bill over to the card and expect instant coverage.

Up to $120 Annual Wireless Phone Services Statement Credit

In addition to the comprehensive cell phone protection coverage, the Amex Business Platinum card provides an annual wireless phone services statement credit. With this perk, I get up to $10 in statement credits each month for wireless phone services purchased directly with a U.S. wireless provider — for a total of up to $120 in statement credits each year (enrollment required).

The easiest way for me to earn this statement credit is by setting my phone bill to autopay with the Amex Business Platinum card. This makes my account, along with any additional cardmembers, eligible for the monthly statement credit. However, the maximum credit I can receive each month is still capped at $10.

Bottom Line

The Amex Business Platinum card has been my go-to for saving on my cell phone bill with the wireless phone services statement credit. It also provides fantastic cell phone protection in case my phone gets damaged or stolen, which is easily one of the best perks of the card.

For the cell phone protection benefit of the Amex Business Platinum card, coverage for a stolen or damaged eligible cellular wireless telephone is subject to the terms, conditions, exclusions and limits of liability of this benefit. The maximum liability is $800, per claim, per eligible card account. Each claim is subject to a $50 deductible. Coverage is limited to two (2) claims per eligible card account per 12 month period. Eligibility and benefit level varies by Card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.