For four years I’ve been with The Business Platinum Card® from American Express for the past 4 years; it has helped me to define my travel rewards strategy, thanks to perks such as airport lounge access. Amex Business Platinum is one of the best business rewards cards I can buy. Why do I keep it as a staple in my wallet? Members have significant advantages hundreds or thousands of dollars savings annually, and even thousands. **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

A high-end business travel rewards card is the Amex Business Platinum, a premium business gift card for s. This makes very valuable, flexible Amex Membership Rewards points that I often book business-class flights with the issuer’s travel partners.

A large $895 annual fee (see rates and fees) card is also a good deal for me, but it does offer benefits I use frequently such as airport lounge access and automatic hotel elite status with Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors and Leaders Club in addition to the speedier airport security programs. For select benefits, enrollment is required for enrollment.

Yet, the Amex Business Platinum is not a single-size fit-all product that has no simple formula. You’ll have to work hard a bit for this card to get the most out of it and extract value from that card.

For every small business, this card doesn’t fit with the one that does not often send employees on a trip or those who have primary spending categories aren’T align with what they appear on 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 |
| — | — |
| * Earns valuable Membership Rewards points * Features several transfer partners * Unparalleled lounge access * Hotel elite status * Access to elite hotel bookings * Offers travel credits | * Expensive $895 annual fee * Limited bonus categories * Statement credits require effort and can be hard to maximize |

Enrollment is required for select benefits.

Amex Business Platinum benefits

A number of statement credits are readily available, including more than $3,500 in annual value for the Amex Business Platinum. These can also help cardmembers to offset the high annual fee.

Here’s a closer look at all of them, . A person must be enrolled for select benefits; I’ve named each of those with an asterisk so that you can track them easily.

Statement credits

| Statement credit | Annual amount | How it works |
| — | — | — |
| Hotel | 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) |
| Dell* | 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 |
| Indeed* | Up to $360 per calendar year | Up to $90 per quarter in statement credits |
| Adobe* | 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) |
| Hilton* | 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) |
| Wireless telephone services* | Up to $120 per calendar year | Statement credits for purchases made directly from U.S. wireless telephone providers (up to $10 per month) |
| Clear Plus* | Up to $209 per calendar year | A statement credit toward an annual Clear Plus membership for expedited airport security (subject to auto-renewal) |
| Airline fee* | 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 |
| Global Entry or TSA PreCheck* | Up to $120 | A statement credit for Global Entry ($120) every four years or TSA PreCheck (up to $85) every 4 1/2 years |
| Amex Travel flights and One AP* | 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

In addition to the plethora of statement credits you may (or may not) have been used, the Amex Business Platinum shines through with its other travel benefits. My lounge access is this card for s.

Aside from providing access to Amex’s Centurion Lounges, your card will open the door to the vast American Express Global Lounge Collection (access is limited to eligible cardmembers). It is made up of over 1,700 lounges around the world, 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

But you’re only allowed to visit 10 Delta Sky Clubs a year, so it’s worth noting that the money is $75,000 in yearly for unlocking unlimited access.

ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

Centurion Lounges $50 per person for guest access; if you spend $75,000 or more in a calendar year, you’ll also get free access to up to two guests.

You can add authorized users for $400 each (see rates and fees), plus they will have the same lounge access as the main cardmember.

Hotel and car rental status

It allows you to register for free Gold status with Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy as a means of earning and higher benefits during stays with these two brands as long as they are available on your destination, as well as the benefit that comes in handy.

Similarly, you can sign up for Leaders Club Sterling status from The Leading Hotels of the World. LHW is a group of independent hotels around the world, underphraser. status, you’ll get things like upgrades and points.

CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY

Cardmembers also enjoy free top-tier rental car elite status with several programs, including Avis President’s Club, Hertz President’s Circle and National Emerald Club Executive. It may require enrollment in . Plus if you rent frequently with Enterprise, Budget or Sixt and want a status match to get their top-tier status.

I often rent with Hertz and really like to be able pick any car in the President’s Circle aisle at airport locations. Then I get in and go, skip the rental counter. Just like that it saves me a lot of time because I just got in to see what is going on my ‘s head.” cardmembers get a four-hour grace period, plus, when they are with the Business Platinum.

Shopping and travel protections

As you might imagine, the Amex Business Platinum Card is also a good buy for businesses related purchases. It also has extended warranty protection that extends eligible U.S. eligibility. S, meanwhile. A product they buy has a problem with business owners time and money, which saves manufacturers warranties of five years or less by an additional year.

Moreover, 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 calendar year) so it’ll be a good option for expensive items.

HISPANOLISTIC/GETTY IMAGES

The Business Platinum also offers a comprehensive suite of travel protections. These include:

For example, if your trip is more than six hours late due to a covered reason, you can be reimbursed up to $500 per covered trip for reasonable additional costs. *- ***,’ .

• Trip cancelling/inrruption insurance if you have to cancel or interrupt your trip because of a covered reason, you can get reimbursements of up to $10,000 per covered trip. * * -.

Other notable benefits

The card’s other standout perks include:

• Cellphone protection, for a maximum of $800 per claim, with a limit of two approved claims per 12-month period§
• Access to the Cruise Privileges Program and the International Airline Program
  Pay with Points (the same airline incidental statement credit, up to 1 million points back per calendar year) * A 35% airline bonus when you pay for point coverage of flights in any cabin class on your designated airline (pay withpoint), which is the one you choose for your airline’s airline emergency statement card.
• Access to Platinum Nights by Resy in Los Angeles, Miami and New York City

Card card levels vary depending on eligibility and benefit level. s are terms, conditions and limitations. Visit americanexpress for . More details com/benefitsguide for . Underwritten by AMEX assurance company, paraphrasing “.

• *Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card, as well as from one level of to the other. Conditions and limitations apply to terms, conditions & restrictions on . Visit americanexpress for . For details, see com/benefitsguide for . The New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company underwriting policies is a policy writer and writes policies.

Cards differ from card to card, Eligibility and benefit level. There are terms, conditions and limitations on . See americanexpress Please visit american expresspress for . For more information, see com/benefitsguide . AIG Company underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance company is a , an AIT Company.

Related: Is the Amex Business Platinum worth the annual fee?

How to earn and use your rewards

It’s important to know how its points are earned and redeemed for your Amex Business Platinum, so you can get the most out of it.

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
  For example, in the following categories eligible purchases of $5,000 or more, U.S. dollars (then 1 point per dollar thereafter) * 2 points per cent on up to $2 million in eligible purchase for calendar year (the maximum is $ 2). A , S. U. Sight service providers, cloud service companies, U.S. A , S. U U, Construction materials and hardware supplies. A , S. U.K – Electronic goods retailers, . S. U.S. and shipping companies, as well as the ‘s shipping providers. S. software paraphrasingr.
• 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases

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It’s not a card that I don’t spend much on because my other cards are more expensive. I’d rather be able to choose how I book, especially when cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve for BusinessSM (see rates and fees) offer high earnings on hotels and flights booked directly.

My income for this card year after year, even with all the statement credits (I essentially use it as a coupon book and for lounge access) is hard to justify keeping this one.

Related: Amex Business Platinum vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business: Which premium business card takes the crown?

Redeeming points on the Amex Business Platinum

There are several ways to redeem your points. Yet, many give a value of 1 cent per point or less to s. Amex Travel’s Pay with Points feature and transferring your Membership Rewards points to any of AmEx’.’ Hotel and airline partners are the two most valuable redemption options available, as well as being used for maximum value.

If you use points toward a flight in any cabin on your designated airline’s assigned air, the Pay with Points feature allows you to earn 35% bonus. This gives you more redemption value for such purchases, from 1 cent to 1 per cent. Per cent, 54 cents per point. When booking a , just make sure you have the full number of points for the standard redemption in your account.

Any points you’re returning with this benefit will be within two billing cycles (up to 1 million points back per calendar year) of your order.

ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

But if you transfer points to any of Amex’s 20 airline and hotel partners, some of your favorite being.

• Avianca LifeMiles
• Delta SkyMiles
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Most transfers occur at a ratio of 1:1 and are processed instantly.

While it may take some research to go this route, a little work can help significantly increase the value of your points above our valuations.

My outsize value is often shifted to Air Canada Aeroplan, where I can transfer points for booking lie-flat seats on Star Alliance partners like United Airlines Polaris business class flights to Europe. Also, I would like to transfer points to Air France-KLM Flying Blue for the program’s frequent Promo Rewards sales.

I also try to look for transfer bonuses to make my points even more valuable.

ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

However, not all redemptions have to be glamorous. Some are just practical and can save you a boatload of money.

Similarly, TPG director of content for credit cards and points (and miles) Carly Helfand had her Thanksgiving plans delayed by a pet emergency which required the cancellation of her ticket. The following day she shifted 16,000 points to British Airways Club for booking a new flight on American Airlines.

While her best redemption ever was a little short of the most memorable, it didn’t make her happy not to have an last-minute cash fare the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.

Related: Best ways to use Amex Membership Rewards points, from business-class flights to Europe to budget-friendly hotel stays

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.
  To extract maximum value, you have to manage multiple statement credits (including some of the most expensive niche ones).

But if you can use half of the statement credits and benefits that Business Platinum offers, then you could easily recover what it costs to pay for the annual fee and more. A second card may be a better option, but another card is more likely to be the best alternative for .

Amex Business Platinum vs. Sapphire Reserve for Business

It is the largest competitor of Amex Business Platinum, with its Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business. The premium business travel rewards cards are both high-end and earn valuable points, have large benefits and hefty annual fees.

This is a better value for money and free elite statuses, as well as travel benefits than the Sapphire Reserve for Business in its own right. But in contrast, the Sapphire Reserve for Business offers generous statement credits (many more straightforward and easier to use than the Business Platinum’s), industry-leading travel protections.

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Earning rates are higher than the Amex Business Platinum, which provides high earnings on direct flights and hotels; uncapped elevated earnings for advertising.

While the Business Platinum has the best airport lounge access on market, the Sapphire Reserve for Business also provides solid lounge facilities.

Related: Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business review: Is Chase’s new business card right for you?

When to apply for the Amex Business Platinum

Now is the right time to apply for this card, as it’s offering its highest-ever publicly available welcome offer for a short period of time.

With $20,000 on purchases in the first three months of card membership, new Amex Business Platinum applicants can earn 200,000 bonus points.

The Membership Rewards points this card earns at 2 cents apiece, according to TPG’S December 2025 valuations peg the membership rewards points. If you can handle this offer’s high spending requirement, then that is $4,000 in value.

DAMIRCUDIC/GETTY IMAGES

Note that Amex has application restrictions, such as a once-in-lifetime rule. In the case you’ve or have held this card in the past, you may not be eligible for this welcome offer if you do.

Related: The best credit card welcome bonuses of the month

Other cards to consider if you don’t want the Amex Business Platinum

But if you feel your business can’t get the full value out of the Business Platinum, you might want to think about other options.

************ Capital One Venture X Business A premium business card with lower annual fee, solid lounge access and flat rate earning structure. See our full review of .

• **American Express® Business Gold Card

The ‘** A business card with high earning rates in many of the most popular types of business-based categories and access to the same transfer partners has more than half less annual fee ($375 annual rate; see rates and fees), but does not have all that premium benefits of Business Platinum. See our full review of .

• **American Express Platinum Card®

Business Platinum** A premium nonbusiness card with many of the same benefits and protections as a business platinum? Please see our full review of paraphrasingr.

For additional options, check out our picks for the best business credit cards.

Read more: Amex Business Gold vs. Amex Business Platinum: Battle of the premium small-business cards from American Express

Bottom line

A good choice for business travelers who spend a large portion of its bonus categories is the Amex Business Platinum Card, which has merchants on its statement credits and with merchant customers covered by its credit options.

Its long list of transfer partners, unrivaled airport lounge access and robust suite of travel protections are just the logical reasons for this card to have a slot in my wallet.

It may be a good travel perks for all business owners, but its benefits are hard to win over 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.

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