Review of the Business Platinum Card (r) by American Express
Advertiser Disclosure
American Express offers and benefits are subject to terms. Select American Express offers and benefits may require enrollment. Learn more at americanexpress.com.
In the nineteen years I have been a business owner, i’ve used many business cards. Some cards have elevated my travels and business. Others have been…well, lackluster.
One of the best? Business Platinum Card (r) by American Express. It comes with a lot of world-class perks and benefits, quality customer care, and a solid rewards structure (especially on large purchases).
While the annual fee is pretty high ($695, pay over time available. For me, it’s the travel credits and benefits that make this card worthwhile. I think it’s a great choice for business owners who travel frequently.
In this breakdown, I’ll detail the card, what you get, and why I like it.
What is the Business Platinum Card(r) from American Express?
The Business Platinum Card(r) from American Express is a travel rewards card geared towards business owners. Even side hustles or freelancing counts as a business, so you can still get this card without an LLC. Let’s start with the benefits you receive when you sign-up, making it a no-brainer to get the card for the first time:
Limited Offer: Earn 150.000 Membership Rewards(r), after spending $20,000 on eligible purchases using your Business Platinum Card (r) in Earn a $500 statement credits after spending $2,500 on flights that are booked directly through American Express Travel or with the Business Platinum Card(r). This must be done within the first three months of card membership. These offers can be earned either one way or the other. Earn 5X Membership Reward(r) points on flights, short-term rental, and prepaid hotel bookings at AmexTravel.com. 1x points on other eligible purchases.
- 1.5x points per dollar on each eligible purchase at US construction material, hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more, on up to $2 million per Card Account per calendar year. Purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus.
- Complimentary access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection(r), featuring more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries. Access is limited to eligible Card Members.
- Up to $120 in statement credits for Global Entry or TSA Pre-check every 4 years.
- Up to $199 yearly CLEAR(r) Plus credit (subject to auto-renewal)
- Up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year for incidental fees charged by your one selected, qualifying airline.
- Up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when you make an eligible purchase at Hilton properties. Up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year for incidental fees charged by your one selected, qualifying airline.
- Up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when you make an eligible purchase at Hilton properties. Hilton for Business membership is required. )
- $150 credit with Adobe on eligible annual prepaid business plan purchases of Adobe Creative Cloud for teams or Adobe Acrobat Pro for teams on the Business Platinum Card through 6/30/25.
- Up to $120 per calendar year in statement credits for purchases made directly from any U.S. wireless telephone provider (up to $10 back per month).
- Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy(r) Gold Elite status (enrollment required)
- Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status (enrollment required)
- No foreign transaction fees
- Using Your Membership Rewards Points
You’ll earn Membership Rewards points with The Business Platinum Card(r) from American Express. Since Amex has a well-rounded suite of travel partners, Membership Rewards points are some of the most valuable points out there.
These are Amex’s current travel partners:
Aer Lingus AerClub (1:1 ratio)
- Aeromexico Rewards (1:1.6 ratio)
- Air Canada Aeroplan (1:1 ratio)
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue (1:1 ratio)
- ANA Mileage Club (1:1 ratio)
- Avianca LifeMiles (1:1 ratio)
- British Airways Club (1:1 ratio)
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles (1:1 ratio)
- Choice Privileges (1:1 ratio)
- Delta SkyMiles (1:1 ratio)
- Emirates Skywards (1:1 ratio)
- Etihad Guest (1:1 ratio)
- HawaiianMiles (1:1 ratio)
- Hilton Honors (1:2 ratio)
- Iberia Plus (1:1 ratio)
- JetBlue TrueBlue (250:200 ratio)
- Marriott Bonvoy (1:1 ratio)
- Qantas Frequent Flyer (1:1 ratio)
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club (1:1 ratio)
- Singapore KrisFlyer (1:1 ratio)
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (1:1 ratio)
- Most transfers are instant, though some can take up to 48 hours.
You can also use your Membership Rewards points to book flights and hotels in the Amex Travel portal. It’s generally not a good use of points. You should always transfer your points to one of the partners. However, you can get 35% points back when you do book via their portal so just compare the points costs between both before making a decision.
Breaking Down the Business Platinum’s Credits and Benefits
Amex cards are well-known for their plethora of perks and benefits. These perks and benefits are a major reason why I like their cards. If you take full advantage of the Business Platinum’s features, it is worth over $1700. With so many categories, and fine print, it’s hard to know if a benefit will be useful for you. So, to help you decide if the card is right for you, I want to break down some of the major categories of benefits:
Airport Experience Credits (Lounge Access, CLEAR Plus, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck)
One of the best things about this card — and what makes it a standout for frequent travelers — is the unbeatable airport lounge access. You can access some of the best lounges in the world, such as the Delta Sky Clubs or the Centurion Lounges, if you fly Delta. This card is great if you want a quiet place to work, relax, or grab a drink when you’re traveling. The card offers up to $199 per year in statement credits for CLEAR(r), which allows you to bypass security lines. Global Entry is the one I recommend. You have to go through an interview, but you get TSA PreCheck as well. It’ll save you a ton of time if you travel internationally.
Airline and Hotel Credits
Another travel-related benefit is the up to $200 airline credit. This credit is a bit difficult to use due to the restrictions. You can only use this credit on one airline (pre-selected), and only for incidentals. It can be useful if you do not have an airline card that provides free baggage. The credit can be used for other airline expenses, such as paid seat selection and on-board meals. You can get up to $200 worth of statement credits when you book directly with Hilton. If you travel a lot, this can be easy to do. But if you’re on the road a lot, that can be easy to do.
Second, the Business Platinum offers complimentary Hilton Honors(tm) Gold Status (as well as Marriott Bonvoy(r) Gold Elite status), which offer extra perks and benefits when staying at these properties.
Business-Related Statement Credits
The Business Platinum card comes with some great perks to help lighten the financial load of running a business. The Business Platinum card can help offset the costs of running a business when you are traveling. You can also get up to $360 per year back on Indeed ads, which is great for growing businesses. You can get up to $100 a year back for wireless purchases with U.S. providers, which is $10 per month. The deals are updated regularly and personalized so you may see something different than another cardholder. Amex Offers is usually a straightforward setup, such as “spend X and get Y”; I check it before every purchase. The personal card also offers this. The Business Platinum comes with a great travel insurance. This card has a lot of built-in benefits, including trip delay, trip cancelation, emergency evacuation and medical transport. I still recommend purchasing a separate policy for medical coverage, but this card also includes incredibly strong built in benefits like trip cancellation, trip delay, emergency evacuation, as well as medical transportation. This card also offers cell phone coverage for theft or damage, which is a valuable but rare perk. If your cell phone number is listed on the wireless bill, and the previous month’s bill was paid with an eligible card account, you can make up to $800 in claims, but only two per year. Each approved claim will be subject to a $50 deductible. It’s still better than many!
Should this card be yours?
The Business Platinum Card is perfect for frequent travelers that can take advantage of benefits like smoother airport experiences, hotel elite status and more. The statement credits are worth the annual fee if you use them to get some business-related benefits. The statement credits are a great way to get value out of the card. They make it worth carrying it after the first year.
Sign up and learn more by clicking here!
Stop paying full price for travel!
Download my free guide to points and miles and learn how to use points and miles for free travel! This is how the pros travel! This guide will show you how to:
How To Pick A Credit Card
How To Earn Up To 10x Miles On Your Spending
How To Redeem Your Points
And Tons of Other Money-Saving Tips!
Book your Trip: Logistical Tricks and Tips
Book your Flight
Find Cheap Flights By Using Skyscanner. This is my favorite search engine, because it searches all websites and airlines in the world.
Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. Booking.com is the best option if you don’t want to stay in a hostel. It consistently offers the lowest rates for hotels and guesthouses.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. This is comprehensive coverage in the event of an accident. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:
Want to Travel for Free?
Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Want to Travel for Free
Travel Credit Cards allow you to earn rewards that can be used to redeem for free flights or accommodation. Discover Cars offers affordable international car rentals. They’ll find you the best — and most affordable — rental car for your trip, no matter where you are going!
- Need help finding activities for your vacation?
- GetYourGuide is a large online marketplace where it’s possible to find cool walking tours and fun excursions as well as skip-the line tickets, private guides and more. Ready to book your trip?
- Check my resource page to find the best companies for you to use. Here are all the companies I use to travel. You can’t go far wrong with them. They are top-of-the-line and the best you can get.
