American Express Business Platinum Card Benefits & Review for 2024

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The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is one of the most expensive business credit cards, yet it has many exclusive travel benefits. Frequent flyers will get the most value from this card as you can enjoy airport lounge access, travel statement credits, and several luxury travel perks.

Here is a closer look at whether the American Express Business Platinum is worth the $695 annual fee. See Rates & Fees.

Who is the American Express Business Platinum Card For?

Business travelers that fly frequently are the best fit for the Amex Business Platinum. Most of the perks help you maximize your credit card points for airfare redemptions, get statement credits for airline fees, and complimentary airport lounge access.

You might also consider this card if you prefer luxury travel. For example, you can get accelerated loyalty status with Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors. It’s also possible to get on-property statement credits for qualifying Fine Hotels and Resorts purchases.

Also, consider this card if you want to redeem your points for award flights. Other redemptions can have an inferior redemption value.

This card can also be worth a look if you don’t want a preset spending limit. This card type can have a minimal negative impact on your personal credit history if you’re going to apply for consumer credit cards soon.

Featured American Express Business Platinum Card Benefits

These are the best travel and business perks for the American Express Business Platinum.

120,000 Membership Rewards Signup Bonus

The current welcome offer is 120,000 Membership Rewards after spending $15,000 in the first 3 months. This bonus can be worth $1,620 in award flights after the 35% redemption bonus or $1,200 in gift cards.

Earn Up to 5x Membership Rewards on Purchases

You can earn up to 5x Membership Rewards on purchases: 

• 5x when you book flights and prepaid hotels through AmexTravel.com 
• 2x on other Amex Travel bookings
• 1.5x on purchases of $5,000 or more and select business categories on up to $2 million per year.
• 1x points on all remaining purchases 

Being able to earn 5 points per $1 on travel purchases is one of the higher rewards rates for business credit cards. If flights and hotels are a substantial business expense, this card can help you quickly rack up the points.

Here are the business categories earning 1.5x points on the first $2 million per year.

• US Construction material and hardware suppliers
• Electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers
• Shipping providers

35% Airline Bonus

You can get 35% of the points back that you redeem for award flights on one airline of choice. First class and business class redemptions for any airline also qualify. The annual redemption limit is 500,000 points.

This redemption bonus makes each point worth 1.35 cents each and 1 cent each for non-bonus bookings.

1:1 Point Transfers

Award flights through Amex Travel and select gift cards are the most valuable ways to redeem Membership Rewards. 

Another option is to transfer your points at a 1:1 ratio to participating airlines and hotels to use a swath of existing travel miles or get a better redemption value.

Annual $200 Airline Fee Credit

Like the consumer version, The Platinum Card® from American Express, you receive an annual $200 credit for incidental fees like checked bags and in-flight purchases for one airline of your choice.

Airport Lounge Access

You will receive complimentary access to several airport lounge networks. This benefit alone can be worth having this card if you fly frequently and have time to work or relax in a lounge.

The lounge network partners include:

• Centurion Lounge
• International American Express
• Priority Pass
• Delta Sky Club
• Lufthansa
• Escape Lounges
• Plaza Premium
• Air Space

Most travel credit cards only offer Priority Pass access but you can also access several airline-specific lounges when your itinerary involves that carrier.

Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Fee Credit

You will receive a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit worth up to $100 for expedited airport security.

CLEAR Credit

In addition to getting free Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, you can also get complimentary CLEAR credentials. This service can help you get to the TSA PreCheck lines sooner at busy airports.

An increasing number of stadiums and entertainment venues are also partnering with this service for event attendees to present their vaccination and negative COVID-19 test results to enter the building. The credit is worth up to $189 per year.

Up to $1,000 in Statement Credits from Dell, Indeed, Adobe, and Wireless Telephone Purchases

The American Express Business Platinum card now earns over $1,000 in statement credits when making purchases from the following four businesses. Here are the details on each credit.

Dell: You will receive up to $400 in annual Dell Technologies statement credits. You get a $200 semi-annual statement credit to spend in the first six months and the last six months of each calendar year.

Indeed: You can earn up to $90 in statement credits per quarter (up to $360 per year) on Indeed hiring and recruiting products.

Adobe: You can earn up to $150 in annual statement credits on select purchases.

Wireless Telephone Purchases: You can earn up to $10 in statement credits per month (up to $120 per year) for direct purchases from US wireless telephone providers.

Wheels Up Private Jet Discounts

Flying on private jets can be more advantageous for convenient flight times and additional privacy. As the basic cardholder, you can get discounts on Connect and Core membership with Wheels Up. 

No Preset Spending Limit

This card doesn’t have a preset spending limit as it’s a charge card. Your monthly spending power depends on your recent spending activity and payment history.

Other Amex Business Platinum Benefits

These additional benefits can also be helpful to enhance your business trips.

Hotel Loyalty Status

You will automatically get Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status and Hilton Honors Gold status. These benefits can help you get space-available room upgrades, accelerated point bonuses, complimentary breakfast.

Discounted Hotel Stays

There are two different luxury hotel discount programs available:

• Fine Hotels & Resorts
• The Hotel Collection

Booking requirements differ for each program to qualify for the savings for select on-property purchases. For example, you may have to book a minimum two-night stay.

No Foreign Transaction Fee

You won’t pay a transaction fee for international purchases. That is a huge plus if your company does a lot of business overseas.

Trip Delay Insurance

Trips incurring delays of at least 6 hours can be eligible for up to $500 in trip delay insurance. You can submit up to two claims in a 12-month period.

Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance

Trips are also eligible for trip cancellation and insurance for covered reasons like extreme weather and personal illness. The maximum coverage amounts are $10,000 per trip and $20,000 per 12-month period.

Baggage Insurance

Each traveler can receive up to $2,000 in checked baggage and $3,000 in carry-on baggage insurance plan benefits. 

New York State residents are eligible for up to $2,000 per bag and $10,000 per covered trip.

Rental Car Benefits

Most domestic and international car rentals qualify for secondary rental car collision and theft coverage. Like with other American Express cards, primary rental car insurance can be added for a fee.

You can also get premium membership perks like special upgrades and discounts for the following car rental agencies:

• Avis Preferred Club
• Hertz Rewards
• National Emerald Club

Extended Warranty

Purchases with an original manufacturer’s warranty of 5 years or less are eligible for a one-year extended warranty.

Purchase Protection

Covered purchases for the first 90 days are eligible for up to $10,000 in purchase protection due to accidental damage, loss, and theft.

The annual coverage limit is $50,000. Also, the natural disaster coverage limit is $500 per purchase.

Return Protection

New purchases are eligible for up to $300 in return protection for the first 90 days when the merchant won’t issue a refund. The annual coverage limit is $1,000 per calendar year.

Cell Phone Protection

Your covered cell phones are eligible for complimentary protection plans. After a $50 deductible, each claim can receive up to $800 in coverage for stolen or damaged phones.

You can submit up to two claims per year.

Bookkeeping Solutions

You can easily integrate your card activity with Intuit QuickBooks to track spending. The card also lets you designate an account manager to coordinate payments and monitor spending. 

Cardmembers also receive a free single-user basic plan for Vendor Pay by Bill.com. A second user can get complimentary access for the first six months and then costs $15 per month after the promotion period.

Redeeming Rewards

There are many ways to redeem your Membership Rewards with the Business Platinum Card.

Award Flights Through Amex Travel

The easiest and most valuable redemption option is booking award flights through Amex Travel. Each point has a face value of 1 cent for award flights. 

You will get 35% of your redeemed points back (up to 500,000 points per year) for any premium cabin flight and any flight with your preferred airline.

Redemptions for other award travel are worth less than 1 cent. Some examples include hotels, car rentals, and cruises.

1:1 Point Transfers

The Membership Rewards transfer program has one of the most extensive lineups of airline and hotel partners. You can transfer your points at a 1:1 ratio in 1,000-point increments. 

Consider this option when your redemption value can be higher than 1 cent (or 1.35 cents if you factor in the redemption bonus).

Gift Cards

Each point can also be worth one cent for select retail and restaurant gift cards. This option is more valuable than cash rewards.

Cash and Shopping Rewards

Your points can be worth 0.7 cents each when shopping at select online stores, including Amazon.com.

Cash statement credits are another possibility but points are worth 0.6 cents each only.

Fees

These are the current Business Platinum Card fees:

• Annual Fee: $695
• Additional Cards: Platinum-$300, Gold-$45, Green-$0
• Foreign Transaction Fee: 0%
• Purchase APR: 0% Intro APR on purchases eligible for Pay Over Time for 12 months from the date of account opening. Then, 17.99% – 25.99% Variable APR.
• Late Payment: $39 or 2.99% (whichever is greater)
• Penalty APR: Maximum of 29.99% variable APR

You can have up to 99 additional employee cards. Secondary Business Platinum cards cost $300 each and are eligible for the add-on travel benefits like lounge access, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credits, and a CLEAR application credit.

Gold and Green cards are ineligible for the airport lounge and the expedited security benefits.

American Express Business Platinum Compared to Similar Cards

These Business Platinum Card alternatives can be better if you want a lower annual fee or different bonus categories.

American Express® Business Gold Card:

The American Express Business Gold has a more reasonable $295 annual fee and flexible rewards categories. You can earn up to 4x Membership Rewards on the most popular bonus categories each month. As your spending trends change, you can still earn bonus points on travel and daily business expenses.

Featured benefits include:

• 25% airline bonus
• 1:1 point transfers
• No preset spending limit

Consider this card if you primarily want to earn bonus points on business purchases that you can redeem for travel. The Business Platinum is still better if most of your spending is for travel and you can use the exclusive travel benefits.

See our Amex Business Platinum Card vs. Amex Business Gold Card comparison article for more details.

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card:

The Chase Ink Business Preferred has a $95 annual fee and a competitive rewards program. 

Your first $150,000 in combined annual spending for purchases like travel, shipping, and advertising earns 3x points. Base purchases earn 1 point per $1. 

Each point is worth 1.25 cents when booking any award travel through Ultimate Rewards. You can also transfer at a 1:1 ratio to airlines and hotels including Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, and World of Hyatt.

This card also offers several insurance benefits like primary rental car coverage, trip cancellation/interruption, and cell phone protection.

Capital One Spark Miles for Business:

The Capital One Spark Miles for Business earns unlimited 2 miles per $1 on purchases. You can redeem your points for travel statement credits on recent travel itineraries or book upcoming travel.

There are over a dozen 1:1 airline and hotel transfer partners as well.

One additional benefit of note is a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit.

The annual fee is $0 for the first year and then $95.

Brex Card:

The Brex Card doesn’t charge an annual fee but it offers unique ways to earn and redeem points that can rival the Business Platinum Card options.

Your purchases can earn up to 8 points per $1, including 5x on Brex travel reservations. It’s possible to redeem your points for award flights on several airlines.

You can get discounts on multiple business software services.

This card doesn’t check your personal credit and also doesn’t require a personal liability like most business credit cards.

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card:

The Chase Ink Business Unlimited earns 1.5% back on every purchase. Each point is worth 1 cent for award travel, cash back, and gift cards.

Unfortunately, this card doesn’t offer 1:1 point transfers like its cousin, the Ink Business Preferred.

This card doesn’t have an annual fee but charges a 3% foreign transaction fee.

The Vacationer’s Final Thoughts

Consider the Business Platinum Card from American Express if you want to earn bonus Membership Rewards on your business travel reservations and can utilize the luxury travel benefits.

Few business credit cards offer airline lounge access and luxury travel benefits. Unfortunately, this travel credit card isn’t the best fit for most benefits because of its steep annual fee and narrow bonus categories.

However, the card can be worth it instead of having several co-brand cards for the airlines you fly with most often to get unique benefits like lounge access and incidental fee credits. You can also easily redeem your points for almost any airline.

Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.