I Rarely Use Centurion Lounges — Here’s Why My Amex Business Platinum Is Still Worth It

Last week, I had just enough time to stop by the Centurion Lounge at Miami International Airport (MIA) before my flight. But when I got there and saw a line, I walked away and headed to my gate instead.

This happens more often than I’d like at one of my home airports, and even when there isn’t a line, I’m rarely there early enough to enjoy the lounge.

I still use airport lounges, especially Priority Pass lounges, when I’m traveling abroad. But Centurion Lounge access is no longer a benefit I count on — and it isn’t enough on its own to justify the $895 (rates & fees) on The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express.

Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be. Several other benefits fit naturally into how I travel and run my business, making the card worth keeping even if I never visit another Centurion Lounge.

Amex Business Platinum Card Overview

The Amex Business Platinum card offers a long list of travel and business benefits that can help justify its $895 annual fee (rates & fees).

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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

Your Offer Could Be As High As 300,000 points. Apply And Find Out Your Offer. You may be eligible to earn 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.

Your Offer Could Be As High As 300,000 Points. Apply And Find Out Your Offer.

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $6,600

Annual Fee

$895

APR

17.99% - 28.74% 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 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)

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. Learn more.
• 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 01/2026.
• 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 $219 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: 17.99% - 28.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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American Express Membership Rewards

The card also offers one of the largest welcome offers on the market, worth up to $6,600, depending on the bonus offer you’re targeted for and how you redeem American Express Membership Rewards points.

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.

Lounge Access Is a Bonus, But Not a Reason To Keep the Card

One of the biggest travel perks of being an Amex Business Platinum cardholder is access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, including Centurion Lounges (enrollment required).

I used to view that access as one of the primary reasons to carry the Platinum Card^® from American Express or the Amex Business Platinum card. Now, I see it as more of a nice bonus when I can actually use it.

I still visit lounges when I travel internationally at least a dozen times per year. I frequently use Priority Pass lounges abroad (enrollment required). They’re available in so many airports that they are useful when I need somewhere to eat, relax, or recharge before flying home.

My domestic travel habits are different. I usually time my arrival so I can clear security and head toward the gate without sitting around for hours. Add in the likelihood of a Centurion Lounge waitlist or a line out the door, and the perk becomes difficult to rely on.

If I can walk into a Centurion Lounge without waiting, I’m always happy to stop in. But I no longer place hundreds of dollars in value on the benefit. Lounge access alone wouldn’t convince me to pay a $895 annual fee.

No Preset Spending Limit Gives Me Flexibility With Large Payments

One of the benefits I appreciate most about the Amex Business Platinum card doesn’t get much attention: It has no preset spending limit*.

That doesn’t mean I can spend an unlimited amount. My purchasing power adjusts based on factors such as my payment history, credit profile, and previous spending patterns. However, it gives me more flexibility than a traditional credit card with a fixed limit. This is a big deal when I pay tax bills.

Most of my other credit cards have fixed credit limits. Even when the available credit appeared high enough to cover a tax payment, I’ve had large charges declined. That’s created an unnecessary headache for me.

I’ve been an Amex customer for years, so I’m fairly confident that my larger transactions will go through. I don’t use the card for everyday spending, but having it available for a hefty tax bill gives it an important role in my wallet.

Of course, paying taxes by credit card comes with a 2.89% processing fee when paying with my Amex Business Platinum card through Pay1040.com, an IRS-approved payment processor (Source: IRS). I factor in that fee before making a payment and only use the card when the rewards or added flexibility make it worthwhile.

The Hotel Credit Is My Most Valuable Perk

Of all the Amex Business Platinum card’s benefits, the hotel credit is easily the one I value most. The card offers an up to $600 prepaid hotel credit split into 2 semiannual credits: one of up to $300 from January to June and an additional credit of up to $300 from July to December. 

I can use the credit to book stays through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection on AmexTravel.com. Fine Hotels + Resorts bookings can be for just 1 night, and The Hotel Collection requires a minimum stay of 2 nights.

When I book through Fine Hotels + Resorts, I also receive:

• A room upgrade upon arrival, when available
• Daily breakfast for 2
• Guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout
• Noon check-in, when available
• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• On-property credit worth at least $100, typically a spa or food and beverage credit

Since I stay at hotels almost every month, this credit is easy for me to use without having to go out of my way. I also look forward to having up to $300 available every 6 months because it gives me a good excuse to book a nicer hotel than I might otherwise.

I recently used my second-half credit for a 1-night stay at the Mandarin Oriental, Taipei, booked through Fine Hotels + Resorts. The hotel normally would have been a splurge, but the $300 statement credit covered nearly the entire cost of my stay.

The booking also included complimentary breakfast, a $100 property credit, and late checkout. Those extra benefits made a quick 1-night stay feel much more comfortable.

Because I can realistically use both credits each year, I value this perk close to its full $600 face value. That offsets a significant portion of the card’s $895 annual fee.

Other Credits Add Even More Value to Justify the Annual Fee

Beyond the hotel credit, several other Amex Business Platinum card benefits fit naturally into my spending.

I selected JetBlue for the card’s up to $200 annual airline fee credit since Fort Lauderdale (FLL) is a major base for the airline, and it’s my preferred home airport. The credit is intended for incidental charges such as baggage fees and seat assignments.

As a business owner who regularly uses AI for research, I also get real value from the up to $300 annual ChatGPT Business credit. It lowers the cost of a subscription I already pay for. Enrollment is required.

The up to $219 annual CLEAR+ credit covers my membership, and my 3 daughters can accompany me through the CLEAR+ lane for free because they’re under 18. I pay an additional $125 per year to add my wife, giving our family of 5 access at a fraction of the usual cost.

Together, the $600 hotel credit and these 3 benefits provide up to $1,319 in annual value. That’s already more than the card’s $895 annual fee, without factoring in Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors Gold elite status (enrollment required), lounge access, points, or any of its other bonus perks.

Final Thoughts

Centurion Lounge access alone isn’t enough to convince me to pay the $895 annual fee on the Amex Business Platinum card anymore, especially when I can’t always count on getting inside without a wait.

But that doesn’t mean I’m canceling the card. The hotel, airline, ChatGPT Business, and CLEAR+ credits more than offset the annual fee, given how I use them. The card also gives me added flexibility for large tax payments. If I get to enjoy a lounge along the way, I see that as an added bonus.