My Favorite (And Least Favorite) Amex Business Platinum Credits

You don’t have to use every card benefit to find value in holding it. The key is finding enough value from the card’s practical benefits to justify any applicable annual fee.

That’s especially true for cards with high annual fees, such as The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express. The card has an eye-popping list of benefits and statement credits, but I don’t find all of them useful.

Here are the statement credits I love on the Amex Business Platinum card — and those I don’t care about.

Amex Business Platinum Card Overview

The Amex Business Platinum card has a hefty $695 annual fee (rates & fees).

To compensate, the card offers an impressively long list of benefits. This includes airport lounge access, a 35% Pay With Points rebate feature, travel and purchase protections, and more. The card also offers numerous annual credits, available as statement credits to reimburse you for eligible purchases. (Some benefits require prior enrollment.)

BEST LOUNGE ACCESS

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

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

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 Offer Valuation*:

Up to $3,300

Annual Fee

$695

APR

18.49% - 29.24% 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

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 eligible travel purchases like flights, prepaid hotels, and prepaid short-term rentals booked through AmexTravel.com
• Access to over 1,400 worldwide airport lounges as part of the American Express Global Lounge Collection (as of 10/2024).
• 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 (on up to $2 million per calendar year)

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.
• 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 10/2024.
• Unlock over $2,000 in statement credits with business and travel benefits annually* on the Business Platinum Card. Terms apply. Learn more. *After meeting qualifying spend thresholds
• New! 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.
• New! 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.
• 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.
• 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. Benefit enrollment required.
• 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com
• 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on purchases at US 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.
• 1X points on other eligible purchases
• Use the Business Platinum Card^® and get up to $209 back per calendar year on your CLEAR^® Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal).
• $695 Annual Fee.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 18.49% - 29.24% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 250,000 points with the Amex Business Platinum card. The current public offer is 150,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)

Amex Business Platinum Card Credits

Credits on the Amex Business Platinum card operate in a few different ways. Some require enrollment, while others only require you to make a qualifying purchase to receive the credit. Some benefits are available annually, every few years, quarterly, or monthly — we’ll discuss these nuances below.

• Adobe credit: Enroll to receive $250 in annual credits after making $600 or more on U.S. Adobe purchases.
• Airline incidental fee credit: Choose one qualifying airline from a list of U.S. carriers and receive up to $200 in credits annually, valid on incidental fees with your preferred airline.
• CLEAR Plus credit: Pay for a CLEAR Plus membership with your card and receive up to $209 as a statement credit to cover the annual membership fee (subject to auto-renewal).
• Dell credit: Enroll to receive up to $150 back on U.S. purchases with Dell, plus another $1,000 back after making $5,000 qualifying purchases every year.
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit: Pay your application fee to Global Entry or TSA PreCheck and receive up to $120 as a statement credit to cover the cost. The credit is available every 4 years for Global Entry ($120 credit) or 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck (up to $85 credit).
• Hilton credit: Enroll to receive up to $200 in annual credits, available as up to $50 quarterly on purchases made directly with Hilton properties. Hilton for Business membership required.
• Indeed credit: Enroll to receive up to $360 annually on purchases with Indeed, available as up to $90 per quarter.
• Wireless credit: Enroll to receive up to $120 annually on wireless services purchases with a U.S. wireless provider, for up to $10 monthly.

The Amex Business Platinum card functions somewhat like a coupon book and can require considerable effort and is challenging to accomplish without spending over the credit amounts. Plus, you may need to spend with merchants you don’t otherwise care about.

However, using even a third of these credits will cover the card’s $695 annual fee.

How I Use the Amex Business Platinum Card

I use the Amex Business Platinum card to enroll in Hilton Honors Gold status, since I don’t get it any other way, and I love the card’s earning structure.

I especially love earning 5x Membership Rewards points on flights and prepaid hotels booked at AmexTravel.com and earning 1.5x points on purchases 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.)

I also highly value some of the card’s benefits, including access to Centurion Lounges, the Global Lounge Network, and the Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required).

While the Amex Business Platinum card advertises over $2,500 worth of statement credits, I estimate that I get around $900 in annual value from the credits I use. That, plus the earning rates, redemption options, and lounge perks, makes the annual fee is worth it for me.

Amex Business Platinum Card Credits I Love

Wireless Credit

I love getting up to $120 in annual statement credits toward my U.S. cell phone bill, even if it’s only available up to $10 per month. It’s not much, but it lowers the monthly bill by $10 on something that’s a necessity.

Airline Credit

I also enjoy the up-to-$200 annual airline incidental fee credit. Yes, this fee has some restrictions that prevent me from truly loving it, but I’ve found it useful year after year. It offsets checked bag fees, seat selection fees, change fees, and more. It also covers inflight Wi-Fi purchases with some carriers.

CLEAR Plus Credit

Lastly, I love a benefit I originally scoffed at: the CLEAR Plus credit.

CLEAR is a biometric security program that uses your eyes and fingerprints to verify your identity, and you’ll find CLEAR kiosks at a growing number of airports and stadiums. Since I have TSA PreCheck, I figured I didn’t need CLEAR to get through airport security quickly.

However, I’ve learned that having options is fantastic, especially when you travel frequently. At airport security, I can choose whichever lane has the shortest line that day. I happily renew my CLEAR Plus membership annually.

Credits I Don’t Love but Still Use

I’m putting 2 credits into this category. Both of them are here because using them feels cumbersome in a way that decreases their value.

Dell Credit

Amex changed the Dell credit earlier this year. Previously, it offered up to up to $400 in credits annually, broken down as up to $200 each half of the year. It didn’t require any spending above that amount.

Now, cardholders only get up to $150 to cover the full purchase amount. Getting additional credits requires spending $5,000 to receive a $1,000 credit.

I don’t see myself using that secondary amount, and I often bought items just because I could, so I’ve effectively lost $250 in value here. I use this credit every year, but it’s not very valuable to me.

Hilton Credit

I wish Amex provided this credit as a full up to $200 annually rather than up to $50 quarterly. However, I’ve found ways to make this benefit work, even though I don’t stay at a Hilton every 3 months.

Using the credit requires spending directly with a hotel, and I was happy to learn that it doesn’t require booking a guest room. Results are mixed, but other spending with the hotel may work with this benefit, and that’s how I use it.

Credits I Haven’t Used Yet

To be fair, the sole benefit I’m putting in this category is very valuable. I just haven’t needed to use it yet.I have multiple credit cards that offset Global Entry and TSA PreCheck application fees, so I haven’t needed to pull out this card to cover the fee.

However, I like the fact that I can cover application fees for other people and may gift the benefit to a friend or a relative by paying for their application.

Credits I’ll Probably Never Use

I can’t think of a situation that would ever lead me to use these benefits. But just in case, I’ve enrolled in them.

Indeed Credit

Though I am technically a small business owner, I’m self-employed and don’t need to hire anyone. Therefore, I can’t see myself ever using Indeed to find job applicants. This up to $360 annual benefit (offered as up to $90 per quarter) does nothing for me.

Adobe Credit

I didn’t use this benefit under its old version, before it changed on July 1, 2025, as it only covered certain types of purchases — and they were things I didn’t need.

Now, the Adobe credit covers U.S. purchases of a broader list of Adobe services and software. I could be interested in some of those if it weren’t for how this credit is set up. Using the credit requires spending at least $600 to get a $250 credit.

If the credit covered the full cost of these programs, I would use it. However, I won’t invent a reason to purchase software if it will cost $350 out of pocket — not when I’m doing fine without it.

Final Thoughts

I don’t use all of the benefits on the Amex Business Platinum card, but I still find the card valuable and can justify the annual fee for keeping it each year. However, I truly value a few of the statement credits on the Amex Business Platinum card, and a combination of those plus earning, redeeming, and travel benefits earns this card an ongoing place in my wallet.