The Business Platinum Card® from American Express 2024 Review: Premium Travel Perks
If you travel regularly for business, a premium rewards credit card can make every trip more comfortable.
offers both rewards on travel and luxury perks for business owners. This card is most rewarding when you charge flights and hotels, but you can earn points on every purchase.
Card benefits include an annual airline fee credit, airport lounge access and fee credit toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
The Business Platinum Card does have a $695 annual fee (see Rates & Fees; terms apply) to consider.
Learn more about what this card offers to help decide if it's right for you.
*See Rates & Fees. Terms apply.
American Express Business Platinum Card Pros & Cons
Generous Rewards for Business Travelers
The Business Platinum Card from American Express is a travel rewards card so it makes sense that you get the most points from travel.
There are three rewards tiers for earning points:
Membership Rewards points yield the most value when you use them to book travel. Every 10,000 points are worth $100 toward flights.
Or you could redeem them for gift cards, merchandise, statement credit or use them to pay at checkout with selected merchants. But the value for those redemption options falls below one cent.
You can also get rewarded with extra points when redeeming for flights. Flight redemptions give you 35% of your points back.
With the exception of the 1.5 points awarded to purchases of $5,000 or more, there's no cap on how many points you can earn.
If you wanted to earn enough points to offset the annual fee, you could do that by charging $12,000 in travel purchases each year.
Premium Travel Benefits
Aside from rewards, the Business Platinum Card from American Express comes packed with perks.
The list of travel benefits includes:
Those features make this card more attractive and take some of the sting out of the annual fee.
The $200 airline fee credit, for example, is applied toward incidental charges and in-flight purchases. The Fine Hotels & Resorts Collection offers a unique amenity typically valued at $100 on every stay.
Gold status in the Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors programs also add value. Either one can help you earn free nights faster, saving your business more money on travel.
What Else Do You Get With the Card?
The Business Platinum Card from American Express comes with a few other features that are worth noting, including:
The Business Platinum Card from American Express pulls out all the stops when it comes to benefits. If you travel often for business, this card has just about everything you need to do so in comfort.
Features like baggage insurance, concierge service and travel assistance can also give you peace of mind if something goes wrong.
Fees
The biggest fee to keep in mind is the sizable annual fee.
If you don't travel that often or you don't expect to use this card's travel benefits, it may not be worth it to you.
Another trait worth mentioning is that the card requires the balance to be paid in full every month.
The upside of that is you can avoid typical interest charges on credit cards. Not having to pay interest means you can save money. You do have to be mindful about what you're charging to make sure you can pay in full each month.
This card does offer the Pay Over Time feature, which allows you to spread out repayment for certain purchases. But paying over time means paying interest on purchases.
Compared to Other Business Credit Cards
The Business Platinum Card from American Express is one travel rewards option.
But here are a few other cards you may want to compare.
American Express Business Gold Card
offers a flexible rewards structure.
With this card, you can earn four Membership Rewards points per dollar on two categories your business spends the most in each month. Categories include airfare (ends 1/31/2024), gas stations, advertising and restaurants in the U.S..
The 4x points apply to the first $150,000 in combined purchases each year. After that, you earn one point per dollar. This card has a $295 annual fee ($375 if application is received on or after 2/1/24) (see Rates & Fees; terms apply).
*See Rates & Fees. Terms apply.
Read The Business Gold Card from American Express editor's review.
Chase Ink Business Preferred Card
The offers three points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent in these categories annually:
All other purchases earn unlimited one point per dollar, with a $95 annual fee.
What makes this card a standout is redemption valuation. When you redeem for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards, you get 25% more points value.
Read the Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card editor's review.
Capital One Spark Miles for Business
The offers a simplified rewards structure for business travelers.
With this card, you earn unlimited two miles per dollar on purchases. You can bump that to five miles per dollar for hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Miles can be redeemed at any time, in any amount, with no blackout dates or restrictions.
This card has a $0 introductory annual fee, then $95 after. You can also get up to $100 in credit toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the Business Platinum Card but it could be a good low-fee option for earning unlimited miles.
Read Capital One Spark Miles for Business Credit Card editor's review.
Business Credit Cards vs. Personal Credit Cards
Business and personal credit cards may seem similar but they're different in several ways.
First, business credit cards are meant to be used for business spending. You could charge business purchases to a personal card but that can complicate recordkeeping.
Second, business credit cards offer rewards and perks that appeal to businesses. Personal cards, on the other hand, offer incentives for everyday spenders.
In terms of credit score impact, a business credit card can show up on your business credit history. But it can still affect your personal credit score.
When you apply for a business credit, you may need to give the credit card company your social security number. That can result in a hard pull on your personal credit.
Defaulting on the card could also affect your personal credit. If it's tied to your social security number, the delinquency could be reported to the personal credit bureaus.
Applying for a business credit card
If you're ready to apply for a business credit card, you just need to give the credit card company some specific information.
That includes:
If you have a new business that isn't making money yet, you can still get a business credit card. Instead of looking at your business finances, the credit card company can approve you based on your personal financial situation.
Keep in mind:
If you're applying with your Social Security number, you may have to agree to a personal guarantee.
That means you're personally responsible for the debt on a business credit card.
Final Verdict
is designed for business travelers who want to earn generous rewards and take advantage of premium travel benefits.
This card could be a good fit if you travel often enough to earn back the annual fee in rewards value.
On the other hand, a more basic travel card might be better if you don't want to pay a steep annual fee.
And you might consider a regular business rewards credit card instead, especially if you'd like the flexibility of being able to carry a balance.
The Business Platinum Card from American Express is best for business owners who can always pay in full.
See the rates & fees for the mentioned American Express cards: The Business Platinum Card from American Express (Rates & Fees; terms apply) and American Express Business Gold Card (Rates & Fees; terms apply).
