The Business Platinum® Card from American Express
Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com. Get 50% more Membership Rewards® points. That’s an extra half point per dollar, on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more. You can get up to 1 million additional points per year.
- Intro bonus: 100,000 points
- Annual fee: $595
- Regular APR: 14.24% – 22.24% Variable
- Recommended credit score: 670-850 (Good to Excellent)
The Business Platinum Card from American Express is a premium travel credit card for business owners with big budgets and a busy travel calendar, and it ranks among our picks for the best business credit cards. For a $595 annual fee, you can score a great welcome bonus, earn ongoing rewards on travel, and enjoy benefits designed to upgrade your travel experiences.
At a Glance
- Earn 100,000 bonus Membership Rewards points when you spend $15,000 within three months of account opening
- 5X points on eligible U.S. shipping, wireless telephone services, advertising in select media, office supplies, and gas station purchases for the first three months (up to 80,000 bonus points per category)
- 5x points on flights and prepaid hotels through AmexTravel.com
- 1.5x points on any eligible purchase of $5,000 or more
- 1x points on other purchases
- Up to $200 annual credit for Dell Technologies purchases
- Elite status, 35% airline bonus, lounge access, and more premium travel benefits
- 14.24%-24.24% variable APR on Pay Over Time balances
- $595 annual fee
Pros
Points bonus and 5x welcome rewards bonus on business spending
Many premium perks and benefits
Metal card
Cons
$595 annual fee
Rewards and benefits primarily travel-based
High APR
Additional Card Details
In exchange for its high fee, the Business Platinum card offers a laundry list of added benefits for business owners. These are some of the perks you can enjoy, in addition to the welcome bonus and points rewards:
- 35% airline bonus when you pay for all or part of eligible fare using Membership Rewards points (up to 500,000 points back per year)
- Access to American Express Global Lounge Collection
- Fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
- Access to Fine Hotels + Resorts Program
- Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status
- Hilton Honors Gold status
- Business Platinum Card Concierge access
- Trip delay insurance, trip cancellation and interruption insurance
- Car rental loss and damage insurance
- Baggage plan insurance
- Extended warranty and purchase protection
- No foreign transaction fees
In addition, this card also offers some business-specific benefits, including year-end summaries for expense tracking, employee card options, and the ability to assign a business account manager.
Should You Get this Card?
Thanks to its sky-high fee and travel-based benefits, this card makes most sense for people whose business requires them to spend a significant amount of time in the air, and who value comfort and convenience while traveling.
If an upcoming return to safe travel means your business will soon require non-local client meetings or visits to other corporate offices, this could be a great option for saving on flights, hotels, and all the incidental expenses associated with frequent travel.
But if you don’t dedicate a large portion of your monthly budget to travel, or the Business Platinum’s premium perks don’t entice you, there are plenty of other high-value business card options.
The Capital One Spark Miles for Business* or Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, for example, both offer travel rewards and great welcome bonus offers, but charge just $95 annually. And a card like the American Express® Business Gold Card can help you earn rewards on more frequent everyday business expenses (like shipping or advertising) to later redeem for travel.
How to Use the Business Platinum Card
Start maximizing your Business Platinum Card by scoring the 100,000 Membership Rewards points welcome bonus after approval. You’ll need to spend a steep $15,000 within three months of account opening, so it can help to plan your application around a quarter in which you anticipate normal expenses that can help you get the bonus.
Pro Tip
This card offers a premium rewards value, but it’s not for everyone. Evaluate your past business spending and anticipated upcoming expenses to determine whether the Business Platinum Card’s travel-focused benefits align with your regular spending before you apply.
Also for the first three months, take advantage of the boosted 5x rewards in select business spending categories. You can earn up to 80,000 per category across eligible U.S. shipping, wireless telephone services, advertising in select media, office supplies, and gas station purchases, for a potential 400,000 additional points within those three months.
Then, you can continue to get the most long-term value by making this your go-to card for any business travel expenses. Not only will you earn 5x points on flights and prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com, but you’ll also get access to this card’s numerous added benefits — from airport lounge access to the 35% airline bonus when booking, and elite status with both Marriott and Hilton.
Combined with the fee credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry and up to $200 in annual credits for purchases with Dell, these benefits can help negate the annual fee cost.
Just make sure the Business Platinum Card’s benefits and rewards are in line with purchases you would have made anyway. Practicing good credit habits, like spending only what you can afford to pay off each month and making payments in full and on time, is even more important with a card at this price.
Business Platinum Card Compared to Other Credit Cards
The Business Platinum® Card from American Express
- Intro bonus:100,000 points
- Annual fee:$595
- Regular APR:14.24% – 22.24% Variable
- Recommended credit:670-850 (Good to Excellent)
- Learn more at our partner’s secure site
American Express® Business Gold Card
- Intro bonus:70,000 points
- Annual fee:$295
- Regular APR:14.24% – 22.24% Variable
- Recommended credit:670-850 (Good to Excellent)
- Learn more at our partner’s secure site
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
- Intro bonus:100,000 points
- Annual fee:$95
- Regular APR:15.99% to 20.99% Variable
- Recommended credit:670-850 (Good to Excellent)
- Learn more at our partner’s secure site
Bottom Line
EDITORIAL INDEPENDENCE
As with all of our credit card reviews, our analysis is not influenced by any partnerships or advertising relationships.
For the business traveler who is frequently on-the-go, the Business Platinum Card from American Express can make a great investment. Its value lies not only in bonus rewards on travel but in the benefits that can help make your travel more efficient and enjoyable.
But if your business doesn’t require significant time away from the office, or you simply can’t justify the high price, there are plenty of great business credit card options available. Our list of the best business credit cards can help you find the right card for your business spending and goals.
*All information about the Capital One Spark Miles for Business Credit Card has been collected independently by NextAdvisor and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you qualify for the Business Platinum Card from American Express?
You’ll need to have some type of business — whether a traditional brick-and-mortar business, a sole proprietorship, or even a freelance gig — to apply for the Business Platinum Card. For the best chances of approval, you should have a credit score of at least 670 before applying.
Is the Business Platinum Card from American Express metal?
Yes, the Business Platinum Card is a metal card.
Is the Business Platinum Card worth it?
The Business Platinum Card’s $595 annual fee is a steep price for most cardholders. But if you have a large business budget which can benefit from this card’s bonus categories, and your work requires a considerable amount of travel, you can quickly recoup the cost. Evaluate your business expenses and ongoing travel needs to determine whether this card is worth it for you.
