Amex Business Platinum Credit Card Review
Key Takeaways
The standard welcome offer for this card is 50,000 (current special 150,000) points after spending $15,000 in purchases. Public offers have occasionally reached as high as 150,000 points. Due to American Express's once-per-lifetime rule, the substantial spending requirement, and the high $695 annual fee, we recommend waiting to apply until the welcome offer meets your personal threshold for value. The annual fee is justified in the first year because of the welcome bonus, even at the lower amount. The long-term value depends on how much you utilize the various credits and benefits detailed below. American Express offers 18 airline transfer partners and 3 hotel partners, giving you excellent flexibility when redeeming your Membership Rewards points.
Why This Card Could Be Right For You
This card has several unique perks. Cardmembers can receive $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees (such as checked bags, seat selections, or in-flight refreshments) are charged by the selected airline. Be aware that you must choose one qualifying airline each year (you can change it every January). Another notable perk is a 35% rebate on points when you use Amex’s Pay with Points feature. The 35% rebate applies to first- or business-class flights on any airline; if you book economy, it must be with the same airline you selected for the $200 statement credit.
If you’ve been in the points game for a while, you may already have Priority Pass benefits through another card, but that’s included here as well. Amex Business Platinum also provides access to The American Express Global Lounge Collection, which includes Centurion Lounge, Delta Sky Club, Escape Lounge, and Lufthansa Lounge. You can offset the annual fee if you take advantage of various statement credits, such as:
- $400 for Dell purchases ($200 semi-annually)
- $360 ($90 per quarter) with Indeed
- $150 for eligible annual prepaid business plan purchases of select Adobe products
- $120 ($10 back per month) for wireless service purchases
When The Usual Advice Doesn't Apply
Consider avoiding this card if:
- You can’t meet the $15,000 spend requirement in the first 3 months to earn the sign-up bonus
- You don’t travel often enough to use the airfare credit and points rebate
- The statement credits for Dell, Indeed, and Adobe won’t apply to your spending
- The personal Amex Platinum card’s perks (Uber Cash, digital entertainment credits, Walmart+ membership, and more) suit your lifestyle better
What to Know About Amex Member Rewards
Amex points are great in theory. We just find them harder to collect and more expensive to hold than Chase points.
- If you’re in the points game long enough, you’ll dabble in both main systems (Chase & Amex).
- Amex has a one card bonus per lifetime rule, so ultimately, there will be more of a limit to how many you can collect via sign-up bonuses.
- You’ll need to keep a “fee” card to hold your points.
- Delta and Hilton are solid transfer values and having Amex points gives you top-off flexibility if you are invested in either of those systems.
- We do find Amex travel a higher quality of service over the Chase travel portal.
How The Amex Business Platinum Credit Card Fits In The Amex Member Rewards Ecosystem
The American Express Business Platinum card occupies a premium position in the Membership Rewards ecosystem, particularly for business owners who want to avoid affecting their Chase 5/24 status. Here's how it compares to other American Express options:
- Business Gold alternative: If the $695 annual fee seems steep, consider the American Express Business Gold card with its lower $375 annual fee
- Standard welcome bonus: 70,000 (current special 100,000) points after $15,000 spend
- Historical high offers have reached 100,000 points
- Better for businesses with variable spending categories
The Business Green card isn't recommended due to its poor value proposition compared to other options.
For personal cards, the American Express Platinum carries the same high annual fee with a typical welcome bonus of 60,000 points (historical high: 100,000). However, its benefits are tailored toward individual rather than business needs.
Strategic application tip: If you're planning a long-term relationship with American Express and determine the personal Platinum better suits your needs, follow this application sequence:
- Start with the personal American Express Green
- Progress to Gold
- Finally apply for Platinum
This sequential approach preserves your eligibility for welcome bonuses on all three cards. If you obtain the Platinum first, you'll forfeit welcome bonus eligibility for the Green and Gold cards due to American Express's lifetime bonus restrictions.
My Experience, No Filter
My wife and I had been focused on Chase cards for 18 months until we both got rejected, so we needed a new strategy. I jumped on the Amex Business Platinum card after finding a 250,000-point sign-up bonus through a targeted incognito offer. My biggest concern was meeting the $20,000 spending requirement in 3 months, but we had several large purchases coming up. We even had the opportunity to charge a family vacation house to the card, so it made sense.
We used those 250,000 sign-up bonus points to book round-trip flights for our family of five to Calgary (a $3,975 cash value) for summer 2025. We also got some points back with the 35% rebate (we booked two one-way flights with different airlines, so not all costs were eligible, but we still got 58,000 miles back!). We used the $200 credit for seat selection and checked baggage fees. It was well worth the $695 annual fee for the first year — we’ll likely cancel before the next fee is due.
Card Information
| Bonus Points | Minimum Spend | Point Value | Annual Value | Annual Fee |
1st Year Value
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 150,000 | $20,000 | 1.6 ¢ | $230 | $695 |
$2255
|
| Best Value | Differentiating Perks | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Airline partner transfers | Premier Airport Lounges, Hilton & Marriott Gold Status, $200 Hilton credit | No CR , No 2nd Biz , No 5/24 , Amex 1/10 , Amex Popup Jail |
Award System
Offer Prior To Current Speical
$10,000 spend ended May 2024
Spend Categories
5X points
8¢ Per Dollar Spent
1X points
1.6¢ Per Dollar Spent
1.5X points
2.4¢ Per Dollar Spent
5X points
8¢ Per Dollar Spent
1.5X points
2.4¢ Per Dollar Spent
5X points
8¢ Per Dollar Spent
Card Benefits
Get statement credits of up to $200 per calendar year toward incidental air travel fees (lounges, checked bags, seat upgrades, wi-fi, etc.) on ONE U.S. airline you select.
Get unlimited access to the Centurion® Lounge, Delta Sky Club & Priority Pass Select lounges.
Your cell phone will be covered against damage or theft up to $800 — with a $50 deductible — up to $1,000 per 12-month period.
Get up to $100 statement credit for Global Entry, or an $85 fee credit for TSA PreCheck.
Get statement credits of up to $200 per calendar year toward incidental air travel fees (lounges, checked bags, seat upgrades, wi-fi, etc.) on ONE U.S. airline you select
Using this card gives you secondary car rental insurance coverage up to $75,000 in collision damage and theft per incident. Excludes Australia, Italy and New Zealand.
Lost luggage insurance up to $3,000 per person; trip delay protection up to $500; and trip cancellation protection up to $10,000 per trip.
You will pay no foreign transaction fees when you use your card for purchases made outside the United States.
Call 1-800-525-3355 to get complimentary assistance making dinner reservations, buying theater tickets, getting travel guides and sending gifts/flowers.
Get $200 every six months on purchases directly from Dell (must enroll),also get up to $179 annually toward CLEAR and up to $10 per month in statement credits toward purchases made from any US wireless telephone provider(enroll)
Automatic Hilton Gold status includes: free breakfast, late checkout, free WiFi, bottled water, room upgrades (in same category) & 5th night free on reward stays. Amex Hotel Collection credits and upgrades also included.
You can file up to $10,000 per claim ($50,000 max per year) in the event of damage or theft in the first 90 days.
Enjoy up to 1 additional year on the original manufacturer’s warranties of 5 years or less.
Point Transfer Options
Transfer To Spouse/Partner No
Transfer To Friends No
Travel Partner Transfers
Amex Member Rewards Outside Point System
Transfers Out To
1:1.6 80% value retained
1:1 88% value retained
1:1 88% value retained
1:1 81% value retained
1:1 69% value retained
1:1 63% value retained
1:1 75% value retained
1:1 75% value retained
1:1 75% value retained
1:1 81% value retained
1:2 63% value retained
1:1 75% value retained
2.5:2 65% value retained
1:1 44% value retained
1:1 75% value retained
1:1 75% value retained
1:1 81% value retained
1:1 88% value retained
Amex Business Platinum Application Rules
This business card will not show on your personal credit report, so it won't count against your 5/24 status
You might not be allowed to get a second card for a separate business (EIN)
Card approval not subject to 5-personal-cards-in-24-months rule
Amex allows only 1 bonus per specific card per lifetime (yours or that version of the card)
After you apply, Amex may show a pop-up saying you're ineligible for the welcome bonus
Ranking of Cards Offering Amex Member Rewards
Best for Series
Below is a snapshot of where this card performs best compared to the other cards in our database: