Why I’m Keeping My Amex Business Platinum Card Despite the Increased Annual Fee

The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express just announced some big changes — and an increased annual fee to go with them. However, I am delightedly surprised by the changes to the Amex Business Platinum card.

Sure, I’m not pumped about the new $895 annual fee (rates & fees), but I actually think the benefits that were added to the card make the $200 increase worthwhile. In fact, I think they have added positive value to the card, and I’m pretty happy about them.

Here are 3 reasons I’m keeping the Amex Business Platinum card — even with the higher $895 annual fee.

Amex Business Platinum Card’s 2025 Changes

The Amex Business Platinum card recently announced several changes, accompanied by an increased annual fee — going up $200 from $695 to $895 (rates & fees).

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The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express

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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 150,000 200,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.

200,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $4,400

Annual Fee

$895

APR

18.24% - 28.99% 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 1,550 lounges, along with tons of 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

• Elevated Welcome Offer: Earn 200,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Business Platinum 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 1,550 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card company on the market as of 07/2025.
• See how you can unlock over $3,500 in business and travel value annually after meeting qualifying spend thresholds on the Business Platinum Card. Terms apply.
• New! 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. 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 $209 back per calendar year on your CLEAR^® Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal).
• Maximize your time away with Fine Hotels + Resorts through Amex Travel™.
• 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.
• 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.
• Enhanced! 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
• $895 Annual Fee.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 18.24% - 28.99% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

Key changes to the card include:

• Increasing 1.5x earning categories to 2x points on select purchases: U.S. construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on eligible purchases 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.
• Addition of up to $600 in annual prepaid hotel credits, available as up to $300 in each half of the year with Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection (the latter requires a minimum 2-night stay)
• Addition of up to $1,200 in AmexTravel.com online flight statement credits and up to $2,400 in American Express One AP statement credits after spending $250,000 on annual card purchases

Earlier this year, Amex announced changes to the Dell and Adobe benefits and the 35% Pay With Points rebate:

• The Adobe benefit provides up to $250 in statement credits annually and applies to a wider range of purchases than before, though you must spend at least $600 with Adobe to receive this benefit. (Enrollment required)
• The Dell credit offers up to $150 in statement credits on U.S. purchases made directly with Dell each year. After spending $5,000 or more on Dell purchases in a calendar year, you can earn an additional $1,000 Dell statement credit. (Enrollment required)
• Starting September 18, 2025, the Pay With Points rebate will no longer apply to first and business class tickets on any airline booked through AmexTravel.com. Only flights booked with your designated qualifying airline (valid in any cabin) will be eligible for the 35% rebate.

Why I’m Keeping the Amex Business Platinum Card

I don’t have the capacity to spend $250,000 on the Amex Business Platinum card in a year. For high-spending businesses that do, you’ll have more perks to analyze than what I’ll discuss here.

These are the reasons I’m keeping the Amex Business Platinum card for the long run.

1. No Benefits Went Away or Devalued (This Time)

The first thing I’m excited about is that none of the benefits on the Amex Business Platinum card went away. None of them were devalued, either.

I’m excited that this overhaul didn’t cut any benefits into smaller pieces, drop or limit earning rates, or make other negative changes to the card. The improved earning rates on this card make it ideal for business owners, helping them earn more Membership Rewards points than ever before.

2. I’ll Maximize the New Benefits

Sure, the card’s annual fee went up by $200. Meanwhile, the card gained up to $600 in prepaid hotel credits with luxury hotels and increased earnings from 1.5x to 2x points on some valuable earning categories. Those 2 new benefits alone make the Amex Business Platinum card a solid keeper for me as a frequent business traveler.

The Amex Business Platinum card has added a couple of new perks I’ll use less frequently, but they’re still nice to have:

• Platinum Nights by Resy: Get special access to reservations on select nights at participating in-demand Resy restaurants. Add your Amex Business Platinum card to your Resy profile to discover and book Platinum Nights reservations.
• Leaders Club Sterling Status from The Leading Hotels of the World: With the Amex Business Platinum card, you can receive complimentary Leaders Club Sterling Status from Leading Hotels of the World^®. Enjoy exclusive benefits such as a 5% Leader Club points bonus on qualifying stays, and 5 pre-arrival upgrades annually (subject to availability). Enrollment required.

3. Other Perks Have Stayed the Same

Beyond the card’s tangible benefits and credits, the Amex Business Platinum card provides access to the largest number of airport lounges worldwide upon enrollment. I frequently use the Amex Centurion lounge perk and 10 visits annually to Delta Sky Clubs (must carry a same-day Delta boarding pass).

The Amex Business Platinum card remains the most powerful premium business card, largely due to its robust existing benefits. I have no problem utilizing the up to $120 in annual wireless credits, up to $200 in Hilton for Business credits, up to $200 in airline incidental fee credits, and up to $209 Clear Plus credit, as they help me save money on business and travel expenses (enrollment required for some benefits).

Final Thoughts

When I heard the Amex Business Platinum card would get a refresh this year, I didn’t know what to expect. Luckily, Amex added awesome value to the card with the latest update. I’m especially happy about the $600 in prepaid hotel credits, but improving the card’s earning rates also makes me smile.