Amex Business Platinum vs. Amex Business Gold Card – Which is Better in 2024?

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The Business Platinum Card® from American Express and the American Express® Business Gold Card are the “crown jewels” of the bank’s small business credit card lineup. Both cards earn bonus Membership Rewards and have a redemption bonus for award flights.

This Amex Business Platinum vs. Amex Business Gold comparison will help you choose the better rewards card for your small business.

Benefits At A Glance

Here is an overview of each card’s main benefits and fees.

	American Express Business Platinum Card	American Express Business Gold Card
Annual Fee	$695	$295
Authorized User Fee	$300 per card (until 5/31/2022 and then $350)	$0 for the first year, then $50 each
Signup Bonus	120,000 Membership Rewards after spending $15,000 in 3 months ($1,200 value)	70,000 Membership Rewards after spending $10,000 in 3 months ($700 value)
Purchase Rewards	5x on flights and prepaid hotels through American Express Travel 2x on remaining American Express Travel purchases 1.5x on select transactions exceeding $5,000 1x on remaining purchases	4x on select business categories 2x on American Express Travel purchases 1x on remaining purchases
Award Flight Redemption Bonus	35%	25%
Airport Lounge Benefits	Amex Global Lounge Collection	None
Notable Benefits	Up to $1,000 in business statement credits $200 airline fee credit Airport security application fee credits Travel loyalty perks 1:1 point transfers	$100 experience credit at The Hotel Collection with American Express Travel Travel insurance benefits 1:1 point transfers

Read our American Express Business Platinum Card and American Express Business Gold Card guides to dig deeper.

Annual Fee

There is a distinct difference between the annual fees of each card.

Business Platinum

The Amex Business Platinum annual fee is $695.

Additional employee cards cost $300 each through June 30, 2022. That fee increases to $350 beginning on July 1, 2022.

Business Gold

The Amex Business Gold annual fee is $295 for the basic card. Additional employee cards are complimentary for the first year and then $50 each.

Welcome Offer

Both cards have relatively high spending requirements, even for small business credit cards. You can earn bonus Membership Rewards points with either card.

Business Platinum

You will receive 120,000 bonus points after making $15,000 in purchases during the first 3 months. This bonus is worth up to $1,200 in award flights and select gift cards.

This card also offers an introductory 0% APR during the first 12 months on purchases you enroll in Pay Over Time. 

Business Gold

The Business Gold signup bonus is 70,000 Membership Rewards after spending $10,000 within 3 months. This spending offer is worth up to $700 in flights and gift cards.

Earning Membership Rewards

Both cards can help you earn bonus points on travel and participating business categories.

Business Platinum

This card earns up to 5x Membership Rewards on purchases.

You will earn unlimited 5x on flights and prepaid hotels through AmexTravel.com. 

These select categories earn 1.5x on transactions exceeding $5,000 (up to $2 million in combined purchases):

• Construction material and hardware suppliers
• Electronic goods retailers
• Software and cloud system providers
• Shipping providers

American Express Travel purchases earn 2 points per $1.

Your remaining non-bonus purchases earn 1 point per $1.

Business Gold

The Business Gold Card lets you earn 4x Membership Rewards on two categories of choice:

• Airfare purchased directly from airlines
• Online, TV, and radio advertising (U.S. only)
• Select technology providers (U.S. only)
• Gas stations (U.S. only)
• Restaurants, delivery, and takeout (U.S. only)
• Shipping (U.S. only)

The 4x multiplier only applies to the first $150,000 in combined annual purchases (then 1x).

Your remaining travel purchases through American Express Travel earn 2 points per $1.

All non-bonus spending earns 1 point per $1.

Redeeming Membership Rewards

Your redemption options are the same for both cards with a maximum redemption value of 1 cent.

Here is an example of how much your Membership Rewards can be worth:

Redemption Option	Point Value
Flights	1.0 cents
Hotels, Rental Cars, Cruises, Vacations	0.7 cents
Point Transfers	Varies
Gift Cards	1.0 cents
Online Shopping	0.7 cents
Cash Statement Credits	0.6 cents

1:1 Transfer Partners

You can also transfer your points to 20 airline and hotel loyalty programs, usually at a 1:1 ratio in 1,000-point increments.

• Aer Lingus
• AeroMexico
• Air Canada (Aeroplan)
• Air France-KLM (Flying Blue)
• ANA
• Asia Miles
• Avianca
• British Airways
• Choice Privileges
• Delta Air Lines
• Emirates
• Etihad
• Hawaiian Airlines
• Hilton Honors
• Iberia
• JetBlue
• Marriott Bonvoy
• Qantas
• Singapore Airlines
• Virgin Atlantic

American Express Airline Bonus

Both cards offer a redemption bonus when using your Membership Rewards to book reward flights. You receive up to 35% of your redeemed points back on qualifying First or Business class flights on one airline of choice.

• Amex Business Platinum: 35% back (up to 1 million points back per year)
• Amex Business Gold: 25% back (up to 250,000 points back per year)

Few business credit cards offer a redemption bonus that makes your points more valuable. 

Tip: If you’re considering cards with a travel bonus, you may also consider the Chase Ink Business Preferred. Your points are worth 25% more on all travel redemptions and you realize the bonus as soon as you redeem them instead of getting them back for a repeat redemption.

Amex Business Platinum Benefits

This card offers many travel and business benefits that can be worth more than the annual fee. Many of the travel benefits are similar to the consumer Platinum Card from American Express — but for business travelers.

$200 Airline Fee Credit

The first $200 in incidental fees for one airline of your choice receive reimbursement as a statement credit. This airline is also the same one eligible for the 35% airline bonus.

Global Lounge Collection

The Global Lounge Collection provides complimentary access to several independent and airline-operated airport lounges:

• Centurion
• International American Express
• Priority Pass Select
• Delta Sky Club
• Airspace
• Escape
• Lufthansa
• Plaza Premium

Beginning in January 2023, additional Centurion guests cost up to $50 each. You can waive this fee by making at least $75,000 in calendar year purchases starting in 2022.

Other Amex Business Platinum Travel Benefits

Some of the other featured travel perks include:

• Global Dining Access by Resy: Exclusive reservations at elite restaurants across the world.
• Premium Private Jet Program: Discounts on Wheels Up Connect and Core memberships.
• Trusted Travel Program: Up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry and TSA PreCheck.
• Free CLEAR® membership: Up to $189 each year in CLEAR® application fee credits.
• Fine Hotels + Resorts: $100 on-property credit on qualifying stays through Fine Hotels + Resorts. 
• Hotel loyalty status: Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite
• Car rental privileges: Special perks with Avis, Hertz, and National.

Business Statement Credits

You can also receive over $1,000 in statement credits for select business services:

• Dell Technologies: $400 annually (two $200 semi-annual credits)
• Indeed: $360 annually ($90 per quarter)
• Adobe Creative Solutions: Up to $150 per year
• Wireless Credit: Up to $120 per year ($10 monthly) for U.S. wireless telephone service purchases

Amex Business Gold Benefits

The Business Gold Card offers a few additional benefits. However, the 25% airline bonus and the Membership Rewards program are the best reasons to have this card. 

Hotel Collection

Up to $100 experience credit on qualifying stays through The Hotel Collection with American Express Travel.

Expense Management Tools

You won’t receive business statement credits such as the Amex Business Platinum yet bookkeeping can be easier with these expense management benefits:

• Vendor Pay by Bill.com
• Auto-categorization with QuickBooks
• Relationship Care^® service
• Year-end summary

The Amex Business Platinum also offers these small business tools.

Travel and Purchase Protection

Both cards offer various travel insurance and purchase protection benefits. 

Here are the maximum coverage amounts:

	American Express Business Platinum	American Express Business Gold
Trip Cancellation and Interruption	$10,000 per trip and up to $20,000 per 12-month period	N/A
Trip Delay	$500 per covered trip after six hours	$300 per covered trip after 12 hours
Baggage Delay	N/A	N/A
Lost Luggage Reimbursement	$2,000 per checked bag and $3,000 per carryon (NY residents: $2,000 per bag and $10,000 per trip)	$1,250 per person ($10,000 per trip for New York State residents)
Car Rental Insurance (Collision and Theft)	Secondary coverage up to $75,000	Secondary coverage up to $50,000
Purchase Protection	$10,000 per purchases and $50,000 annually for purchases within 90 days	$1,000 per item and $50,000 annually for purchases within 90 days
Return Protection	Up to $300 per item and up to $1,000 per year for purchases within 90 days	N/A
Extended Warranty	One additional year for warranties of 5 years or less	One additional year for warranties of 5 years or less
Cell Phone Protection	$800 per claim after a $50 deductible	N/A

The Business Platinum Card has better coverage although you may consider buying a standalone travel insurance policy on pricier trips.

When to Apply for the Amex Business Platinum

The Business Platinum Card has a notably higher annual fee but can be the clear winner for multiple reasons:

• Luxury travel benefits: The frequent flyer, hotel, and car rental perks are easy to use if you regularly make business trips. 
• 35% Airline Bonus: The 35% award flight redemption bonus and being able to get up to 1 million points back can also be enticing.
• Airport lounge access: The Amex Business Platinum offers airport lounge access and the Business Gold doesn’t provide any lounge visits.
• Business statement credits: Approximately $1,000 in statement credits for qualifying business services offers additional value.
• More bonus categories: Cardholders have more opportunities to earn bonus Membership Rewards in various business categories.

When to Apply for the Amex Business Gold

You might choose the Business Gold Card for these advantages:

• Customizable rewards categories: You get to choose two purchase categories to earn up to 4 points per $1.
• 25% Airline Bonus: The 25% airline bonus makes each point worth 1.25 cents for reward flights. Most rewards credit cards have a maximum redemption value of 1 cent.
• Lower annual fee: The more affordable annual can make this card more attractive if you don’t want the luxury travel and business perks. The lower cost can also be more advantageous when you need multiple employee cards.

The Vacationer’s Final Thoughts

Business travel can be easier with American Express’s Business Platinum Card or Business Gold Card. The airline bonus benefit, 1:1 transfer partners, and earning Membership Rewards make either card an excellent option if you redeem your credit card points for award flights.

While pricier, you may consider the Amex Business Platinum first as you have access to more benefits. However, the Amex Business Gold is better if you want to maximize the 4x rewards categories and will struggle to use the business credits and luxury travel perks.

It can also be worth comparing both cards to the Chase Ink Business Preferred and the Capital One Spark Miles. Both cards offer competitive perks and a handsome $95 annual fee.

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.