The Business Platinum® card from American Express is a travel-focused card built for high-spending frequent business travelers. Benefits include:
- No interest charges (the balance is paid in full each month)
- Membership reward points that can be redeemed for:
- Travel (flights and hotels)
- Extra points from flights and hotels
- More points for large purchases
- $200 airline fee credit per year (for purchases like baggage)
- 35% ‘points back’ on flights (like cash back, but for points)
- Access to American Express global airport lounges
Is there an annual fee?
This card comes with an annual fee of $450 but Amex has said that this may increase to $595.
What is the APR?
The Business Platinum® Card from American Express doesn’t have an APR rate because the balance is paid each month.
Check out our roundup of the Best Small Business Credit Cards
Who is the Business Platinum® Card right for?
Small businesses with conventional everyday spending patterns needing to carry balances between months won’t find this card useful; the balance must be paid each month and the 1-1 reward point to dollar ratio (1:1) on common small business purchases isn’t great.
Small businesses without frequent high spending needs (multiple $5,000+ individual purchases) and low travel expenses should consider the SimplyCash® Plus Business Credit Card, also from American Express.
It features favorable cashback terms on common small business purchases like office supplies and telecoms services, while also letting cardholders carry their balance from month to month.
The Business Platinum® Card is better for businesses with:
- High monthly expenses but with enough cash flow to pay off the balance each month
- Frequent and high business travel expenses
Businesses with professional coaches traveling domestically or internationally to meet with clients and deliver highly-priced one-to-one consulting might find this card useful because:
- Employees would use the extensive travel perks
- The business would benefit from the incentives for high-ticket purchases and travel expenditure, offsetting the costs of frequent business travel
- Stays abroad are more affordable with no foreign transaction fees
- The revenue from their highly-priced services would allow them to pay the monthly balance as required and easily afford the $450 annual fee
Be sure to check the small print and compare with other cards before making a final decision. You can check our rundown of popular business credit cards here.
Are there introductory rates and rewards?
The Business Platinum® card offers 75,000 bonus membership reward points for high spending cardholders during the first three months in two stages:
- 50,000 points after spending $10,000
- An extra 25,000 points after the next $10,000 also within the first three months
How many points do I get?
After the expiry of the three-month introductory period, cardholders continue to enjoy reward points at different rates for the following kinds of spending:
- 5X points per dollar on prepaid flights and hotels on amextravel.com
- 1.5X points per dollar on purchases of $5,000 or higher (capped at 1,000,000 points per annum)
- 1 point per dollar on other eligible purchases
As with virtually all credit cards, terms and limitations apply and businesses considering applying should check the small print to make sure their spending plans match the rewards scheme.
What travel rewards come with the Business Platinum® card?
The Business Platinum® card is designed for business travelers, so it comes with an impressive array of travel rewards. Apart from the 5X points on flights and hotels, cardholders can get:
- Access to 1,200 airline lounges across over 130 countries
- 35% Points Back on flights (up to 500,000 per calendar year)
- $200 Airline Fee Credit per year for incidental purchases, including baggage
- Zero foreign transaction fees
- Fee Credit for Global Entry ($100) or TSA Pre✔™ ($85) making faster boarding less costly
- Upgrade to Starwood Gold Elite Status, even if you don’t meet stay requirements
- Access to the Business Platinum Travel Service, for custom itineraries and tailored recommendations
- Access to the Boingo American Express Preferred Plan, for free Wi-Fi across over 1,000,000 hotspots worldwide
- A baggage insurance plan
- Access to the Premium Global Assist® Hotline
- Travel accident insurance up to $500,000
What are the cash back terms like?
The Business Platinum® Card does not currently offer cash back.
What other benefits come with this card?
Cardholders also receive:
- Multiple complimentary benefits when booking through Fine Hotels & Resorts, like guaranteed late checkout until 4 pm, a free room upgrade if available, and daily breakfast for two
- Hilton Honors Gold status to enjoy various benefits within the Hilton Portfolio during your stay and earn reward stays faster with Hilton Honors bonus points.
- The preferred seating program gives access to premium seats for select cultural and sporting events
- Car rental loss and damage insurance
- Access to the Global Dining Selection to enjoy a range of fascinating culinary events
- Premium Roadside Assistance
- Premium Car Rental Privileges
- A suite of expense management tools and reports
- Free employee cards
