Amex Business Platinum Strategy: When To Apply for a New Card vs. Add a $400 Employee Card

The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express is one of the most feature-packed business cards available. Even with its $895 annual fee (rates & fees), this premium business card can easily provide its weight with rewards, statement credits, travel perks, and protections, though many perks require prior enrollment.

If you’re considering getting another Amex Business Platinum card for a spouse, business partner, or key employee, there are 2 main options. They can apply for their own Amex Business Platinum card, or you can add them as an additional Amex Business Platinum cardholder to your existing account for a lower $400 annual fee (rates & fees).

There’s also a third option: a $0-annual-fee expense card (rates & fees), which allows spending but doesn’t include any benefits.

The best choice comes down to how you (and your employee) intends to use the card. Let’s compare what you can get with a separate Amex Business Platinum card against the benefits of an employee card and talk about when it makes sense to choose either.

Amex Business Platinum Card Overview

ELEVATED WELCOME 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 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

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.

150,000 200,000 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 card application.

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

The Amex Business Platinum card offers a long list of benefits for the primary cardholder:

• Up to $1,150 Dell credit with up to $150 back on Dell purchases annually, and then receive an additional $1,000 statement credit after you spend $5,000 or more per calendar year. Enrollment required.
• Up to $600 in prepaid hotel credit with up to $300 between January and June and $300 between July and December, on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings through AmexTravel.com. (The Hotel Collection requires at least 2 nights.)
• Up to $360 Indeed credit with up to $90 in statement credits quarterly for Indeed purchases. Enrollment required.
• $250 Adobe credit after spending $600 or more on U.S. purchases directly with Adobe per calendar year. Enrollment required.
• Up to $209 in CLEAR Plus credit annually, subject to auto-renewal
• Up to $200 in airline incidental fee credit, good toward expenses such as baggage and seat selection fees for your preselected airline. Enrollment required.
• Up to $200 annual Hilton credit with up to $50 in statement credits quarterly for eligible Hilton purchases. Hilton for Business membership and enrollment required.
• Up to $120 wireless phone service credit with up to $10 in statement credits per month for purchases made directly with a U.S. wireless provider. Enrollment required.
• TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee credit
• Access to the Amex Global Lounge Collection, including Centurion Lounges, Escape Lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, and Priority Pass Select (enrollment required)
• Hotel and rental car elite status with Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, Leaders Club, Avis Preferred, Hertz, and National. Enrollment required.
• Travel and shopping protections, including trip delay insurance, trip cancellation and interruption, car rental loss and damage coverage, cell phone protection, extended warranty, purchase protection, and return protection

Additional employee cards come with a $400 annual fee and offer access to airport lounges, a separate Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, and status with hotels and rental car companies upon enrollment. Their eligible purchases can trigger statement credits tied to the primary cardholder’s benefits — but they don’t receive separate or additional credits of their own.

When To Apply for Another Amex Business Platinum Card

Adding a $400 employee card is a good way to extend some of the perks of the Amex Business Platinum card, but the benefits are limited. On the other hand, applying for an entirely new account can give you the full power of the Amex Business Platinum card:

• Welcome bonus offer: Employee cards don’t qualify for earning welcome offers, though they can help the primary cardholder reach the spending requirement. If you get a second card, you have the opportunity to earn another lucrative welcome offer, typically worth thousands of dollars in travel redemptions.
• Double the statement credits: On a second Amex Business Platinum card, you get a second set of statement credits to work with.
• Spending-based perks: The Amex Business Platinum card unlocks additional perks when you spend $250,000 or more per year, including $1,200 in AmexTravel.com credits and up to $2,400 in statement credits toward American Express One AP monthly fees. If your business spends $500,000 or more each year, you could unlock those credits twice with 2 cards.

Why Adding an Additional Employee Card Makes Sense

If you won’t make the most of a second welcome offer and another set of statement credits, adding a $400 employee card could be a good compromise that costs less than a separate Amex Business Platinum card.

As the primary cardholder, you’re ultimately responsible for all charges made on the employee card — something that can either simplify or complicate expense tracking, depending on how you manage your business spending. With a $400, employee cards get:

• Access to the Amex Global Lounge Collection
• Hotel and rental car elite status with Hilton, Marriott, Leaders Club, Avis, Hertz, and National upon enrollment
• TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fee credit
• Travel and shopping protections

Purchases on employee cards earn Membership Rewards points and trigger statement credits for the primary cardholder, but again, additional cards don’t get a separate set of statement credits to use.

Employee cards offer some of the most valuable benefits of the Amex Business Platinum card but lack almost all of the statement credits that help make the card worth it year after year. Still, if your spouse, business partner, or employee takes at least a few trips a year, lounge access alone could be worth more than the additional annual fee.

Is a Separate Card or an Employee Card Better?

Here’s a comparison so you can see how the benefits stack up to make your decision:

Final Thoughts

Would a second Amex Business Platinum card be helpful or too much of a good thing? It really depends on whether your business can use another set of statement credits and spend enough to make a second card worth it.

Otherwise, an employee card can deliver key travel perks — airport lounge access, hotel and rental car status, and travel protections — for less than half the cost.

For the trip delay insurance benefit of The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, 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.

For the trip cancellation and interruption insurance benefit of The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, 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.

For the car rental loss and damage insurance benefit of The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

For the cell phone protection benefit of The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, 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.

For the extended warranty benefit of The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.