I’ve held The Business Platinum Card® from American Express for four years; it’s been a cornerstone in my travel rewards strategy, thanks to perks like airport lounge access. The Amex Business Platinum is one of the best business rewards cards available, which is why it’s a mainstay in my wallet. The benefits of membership are substantial, with savings of hundreds or even thousands of dollars per year. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Amex Business Platinum: The basics
The Amex Business Platinum is a premium business travel rewards card. It earns highly valuable, flexible Amex Membership Rewards points, which I frequently use to book business-class flights with the issuer’s travel partners.
This card has a hefty $895 annual fee (see rates and fees), but it does offer benefits I use frequently, like airport lounge access and automatic hotel elite status with Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors and Leaders Club, in addition to expedited airport security programs. Enrollment is required for select benefits.
However, the Amex Business Platinum is not a simple one-size-fits-all product. To fully maximize the benefits and extract value from this card, you’ll need to put in some effort.
This card isn’t suitable for every small business — especially those that don’t frequently send employees on travel or those whose primary spending categories don’t align with the ones featured on the Amex Business Platinum.
Let’s dive into the card’s details so you can decide if it’s a good fit for your business.
Related: How to get a business credit card
Amex Business Platinum pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
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Enrollment is required for select benefits.
Amex Business Platinum benefits
The Amex Business Platinum has several statement credits easily totaling over $3,500 in annual value. These can help cardmembers potentially offset the high annual fee.
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Here’s a close look at all of them. Enrollment is required for select benefits; I’ve designated each of those with an asterisk so you can easily track them.
Statement credits
| Statement credit | Annual amount | How it works |
|---|---|---|
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Up to $600 per calendar year |
A statement credit of up to $300 biannually on prepaid American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings with Amex Travel when you pay with your Amex Business Platinum (Hotel Collection stays require a two-night minimum) |
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Up to $150 per calendar year, plus an additional $1,000 in statement credits after meeting a spending requirement per calendar year |
Up to $150 in statement credits on U.S. purchases made directly with Dell and an additional $1,000 statement credit after spending $5,000 or more with Dell each calendar year |
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Up to $360 per calendar year |
Up to $90 per quarter in statement credits |
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Up to $250 per calendar year |
A $250 statement credit after spending $600 or more on U.S. purchases made directly with Adobe each calendar year (subject to auto-renewal) |
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Up to $200 per calendar year |
A statement credit of up to $50 per quarter on eligible purchases made directly with a property in the Hilton portfolio (Hilton for Business program membership is required)
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Wireless telephone services*
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Up to $120 per calendar year |
Statement credits for purchases made directly from U.S. wireless telephone providers (up to $10 per month) |
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Up to $209 per calendar year |
A statement credit toward an annual Clear Plus membership for expedited airport security (subject to auto-renewal) |
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Up to $200 per calendar year |
An annual airline fee credit of up to $200 for charges by the airline you select each calendar year |
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Global Entry or TSA PreCheck*
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Up to $120 |
A statement credit for Global Entry ($120) every four years or TSA PreCheck (up to $85) every 4 1/2 years |
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Amex Travel flights and One AP*
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Up to $1,200 in flight statement credits and up to $2,400 in One AP statement credits |
Up to $1,200 in Amex Travel flight statement credits and up to $2,400 in One AP statement credits (valid from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 of the calendar year after meeting the requirement), both after spending $250,000 or more on eligible purchases in a calendar year (spending on your card this year counts toward the requirement) |
Lounge access
Along with the plethora of statement credits you may (or may not) be able to use, the Amex Business Platinum shines through with its other travel perks. This is my go-to card for lounge access.
Aside from offering access to Amex’s Centurion Lounges, your card will open the door to the extensive American Express Global Lounge Collection (access is limited to eligible cardmembers). It is composed of more than 1,700 lounges worldwide, including:
- Aspire lounges
- Delta Sky Clubs, which you can enter when you have an eligible same-day flight (excluding basic economy tickets)
- Escape lounges
- Plaza Premium lounges
- Priority Pass locations (enrollment is required; restaurant locations are excluded)
- Lufthansa lounges when you have a same-day flight on a Lufthansa Group airline
- Other Global Lounge Collection partner lounges
However, it’s worth noting that you’re limited to 10 total Delta Sky Club visits per year — unless you spend $75,000 in a calendar year to unlock unlimited access.
Guest access to Centurion Lounges costs $50 per person; however, if you spend $75,000 or more in a calendar year, you’ll also unlock complimentary access for up to two guests.
Additionally, you can add authorized users for $400 each (see rates and fees), and they will receive the same lounge access as the primary cardmember.
Hotel and car rental status
As for benefits that come in handy once you reach your destination, this card allows you to register for complimentary Gold status with Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy, which provides higher earnings and elevated benefits during stays with these two brands.
You can also enroll for Leaders Club Sterling status from The Leading Hotels of the World. LHW is a collection of independent hotels worldwide. With status, you’ll receive benefits like upgrades and the ability to earn points.
Cardmembers also enjoy complimentary top-tier rental car elite status with multiple programs, including Avis President’s Club, Hertz President’s Circle and National Emerald Club Executive. Enrollment may be required. Plus, if you rent frequently with Enterprise, Budget or Sixt, you can request a status match to get their top-tier status.
I rent with Hertz frequently and really value being able to pick any car in the President’s Circle aisle at airport locations. I just get in and go, skipping the rental counter, which saves me a bunch of time. Plus, when paired with the Business Platinum, cardmembers receive a four-hour grace period.
Shopping and travel protections
As you might expect, the Amex Business Platinum Card is also ideal for business-related purchases. It features extended warranty protection‡ that prolongs eligible U.S. manufacturer warranties of five years or less by an additional year, saving business owners time and money if an item they purchase experiences a problem.
Additionally, the card’s purchase protection‡ covers accidental damage or theft for up to 90 days after purchase (up to $10,000 per covered purchase and $50,000 per cardmember account per calendar year), so it’s a great choice for expensive items.
The Business Platinum also offers a comprehensive suite of travel protections. These include:
- Trip delay insurance: If your trip is delayed by more than six hours due to a covered reason, you may be eligible to be reimbursed up to $500 per covered trip for reasonable additional expenses.**
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: If you need to cancel or interrupt your trip because of a covered reason, you may be eligible for reimbursement of up to $10,000 per covered trip.**
Other notable benefits
The card’s other standout perks include:
‡Eligibility and benefit level vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
**Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
§Eligibility and benefit level vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
Related: Is the Amex Business Platinum worth the annual fee?
How to earn and use your rewards
To get the most out of your Amex Business Platinum, it’s important to understand how its points are earned and redeemed.
Earning points on the Amex Business Platinum
Small-business owners will earn points in key business and travel categories, including:
- 5 points per dollar spent on airfare and prepaid hotel purchases booked on amextravel.com
- 2 points per dollar spent on up to $2 million in eligible purchases per calendar year (then 1 point per dollar thereafter) in the following categories: eligible purchases of $5,000 or more, U.S. cloud service providers, U.S. construction materials and hardware supplies, U.S. electronic goods retailers, U.S. shipping providers, and U.S. software
- 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases
I don’t put much spending on this card as my other cards offer higher earning rates. I’d prefer the option to choose how I book, especially when cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (see rates and fees) offer elevated earnings on hotels and flights booked directly.
For me, the earning rates make it tough to justify keeping this card year after year, even with all the statement credits, as I essentially just use it as a coupon book and for lounge access.
Redeeming points on the Amex Business Platinum
You have multiple options for redeeming your points. However, many yield a value of 1 cent per point or less. The two most valuable redemption options are using Amex Travel’s Pay with Points feature and transferring your Membership Rewards points to any of Amex’s hotel and airline partners for maximum value.
The Pay with Points feature allows you to receive a 35% bonus when you use points toward a flight in any cabin on your designated airline. This boosts your redemption value for these purchases from 1 cent to 1.54 cents per point. Just note that you must have the full number of points for the standard redemption in your account at the time of booking.
Any points you’re getting back with this benefit will arrive within two billing cycles (up to 1 million points back per calendar year).
However, you can unlock the most value from your earnings by transferring points to any of Amex’s 20 airline and hotel partners, with some of my favorites being:
Most transfers occur at a ratio of 1:1 and are processed instantly.
Going this route may require some research, but a little effort can help significantly increase the value of your points above our valuations.
I frequently receive outsize value by transferring points to Air Canada Aeroplan to book lie-flat seats on Star Alliance partners, such as United Airlines Polaris business-class flights to Europe. I also like to transfer points to Air France-KLM Flying Blue to take advantage of the program’s frequent Promo Rewards sales.
I also try to look for transfer bonuses to make my points even more valuable.
However, not all redemptions have to be glamorous. Some are just practical and can save you a boatload of money.
For example, TPG director of content for credit cards and points and miles Carly Helfand had her Thanksgiving plans delayed by a pet emergency and had to cancel her ticket. She transferred 16,000 points to British Airways Club to book a new flight on American Airlines the next day.
It wasn’t her best redemption ever, but she was happy not to pay a last-minute cash fare the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
Downsides to consider about the Amex Business Platinum
While no card will be perfect, when you’re spending $800-plus on an annual fee, the cons can really weigh heavily.
- Most expensive publicly available business card on the market, with an $895 annual fee.
- You can get lounge access with much cheaper business cards on the market.
- You don’t earn bonus points for travel purchases not booked in a portal.
- You need to be willing to manage multiple statement credits (including some niche ones that require high spending) to extract maximum value.
If you can use even half of the statement credits and benefits the Business Platinum provides, you can easily recoup the cost of the annual fee and more. Otherwise, another card may be a better option.
Amex Business Platinum vs. Sapphire Reserve for Business
The Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business is the Amex Business Platinum’s biggest rival. Both are premium business travel rewards cards that earn valuable points, come with expansive benefits and have hefty annual fees.
The Business Platinum offers more complimentary elite statuses and travel perks than the Sapphire Reserve for Business. However, the Sapphire Reserve for Business offers generous statement credits, including many that are more straightforward and easier to use than the Business Platinum’s, and industry-leading travel protections.
In terms of earnings rates, it surpasses the Amex Business Platinum by providing elevated earnings on hotels and flights booked directly, as well as uncapped elevated earnings on advertising.
The Business Platinum offers the best airport lounge access on the market, but the Sapphire Reserve for Business also provides solid lounge access.
Related: Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business review: Is Chase’s new business card right for you?
When to apply for the Amex Business Platinum
Currently, now is the best time to apply for this card, as it’s offering its highest-ever publicly available welcome offer for a limited time.
New Amex Business Platinum applicants can earn 200,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 on purchases within the first three months of card membership.
TPG’s December 2025 valuations peg the Membership Rewards points this card earns at 2 cents apiece. So, if you can manage this offer’s high spending requirement, you’ll receive $4,000 in value.
It’s important to note that Amex has application restrictions, including a once-in-a-lifetime rule. If you have or have held this card in the past, you may not be eligible to receive this welcome offer.
Related: The best credit card welcome bonuses of the month
Other cards to consider if you don’t want the Amex Business Platinum
If you feel that your business might not be able to get the full value out of the Business Platinum, you might want to consider other options:
For additional options, check out our picks for the best business credit cards.
Bottom line
The Amex Business Platinum Card remains an excellent choice for business travelers who spend a significant amount in its bonus categories and with merchants covered by its statement credits.
Its solid roster of transfer partners, unrivaled airport lounge access and robust suite of travel protections are reasons enough for this card to have a slot in my wallet.
While it might not be worth it for all business owners, its travel perks are hard to beat for the right cardmember.
Apply here: The Business Platinum Card from American Express
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Gold, click here.
