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The Business Platinum Card® from American Express Review [2025]: Travel in Style and Earn Along the Way

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express card has a high annual fee, but more than enough perks to pay for itself.

Updated Sept. 22, 2025
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The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
4.7
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OUR VIEW

At first glance, the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express’s $895 annual fee seems astronomical, and that’s because it is. In fact, it’s even higher than it used to be, but frequent business travelers could easily recoup that cost when they take advantage of the slew of travel benefits and luxury perks offered to cardholders. If you don’t travel frequently, though, we don’t recommend this card, as its most valuable perks are built around travel.

If you travel frequently, though, we encourage you to take full advantage of the many premium perks including airport lounge access, elite status at various hotel chains, a large number of travel credits, preferred access at certain events, and no preset spending limit1.

Pros

Option to pay a portion of eligible charges over time, rather than in full monthly
Seamlessly connects to QuickBooks® for easy reporting
Includes cell phone insurance up to $800 per claim for damage or theft2

Cons

High annual fee that isn’t worth it if you don’t travel frequently
High spend requirement to earn the welcome bonus
How we evaluate products

Card basics

Card type Business
Star rating
4.7
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FinanceBuzz value calculation3 Year one earnings: $2,338

Year two earnings: $338

Annual fee $895
Welcome bonus Earn 200,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Business Platinum Card® within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
Reward rate 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com; 2X points on purchases at U.S. suppliers of construction materials and hardware, U.S. retailers of electronic goods, U.S. providers of shipping, software and cloud systems, and on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more (up to $2 million per year, then 1X), and 1X points per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases (purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus)
Recommended credit score Excellent, Good
Foreign transaction fee None

Who should get The Business Platinum Card® from American Express?

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express card has a distinct audience: business owners who travel frequently. If you own a business but don't travel, I don't think you'll get enough out of this card to make it worth it.

But, if you travel for business frequently and your business has a lot of expenses, you can quickly make back the annual fee and enjoy plenty of luxury perks, like complimentary access to the Global Lounge Collection® and instant Marriott® Bonvoy Gold Elite status.

Top Amex Business Platinum benefits

In September 2025, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express's annual fee increased significantly, from $695 to $895. Accompanying that change was the addition of a few new statement credit benefits that, on top of existing credits and valuable perks, can make The Business Platinum Card® from American Express worth the cost.

Carefully consider whether you'd be able to use enough of the benefits to justify the card's high annual fee before committing.

  • Generous welcome offer: Earn 200,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Business Platinum Card® within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
  • Global Lounge Collection® access: Eligible cardmembers enjoy exclusive and complimentary access to over 1,550 airport lounges across 140 countries.
  • $600 hotel credit: Get up to $600 back in statement credits each year (up to $300 semi-annually) on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel when you pay with your card. The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
  • $200 airline fee credit: Receive up to $200 per year in statement reimbursements of fees paid to a qualifying airline of your choice. The Amex airline credit covers checked bags and in-flight refreshments charged to your card. You must select an airline to enroll in this benefit.
  • $200 Hilton statement credit: Hilton For Business members get up to $200 back per calendar year for eligible purchase at Hilton properties. This benefit requires enrollment.
  • Credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck: After you apply for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck and pay the fee using your The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, you'll receive a statement credit to cover the cost. You'll regularly receive these credits when you renew. This benefit requires activation.
  • CLEAR® Plus membership credit: In addition to its Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, cardholders can also get up to a $209 annual credit for an eligible CLEAR® Plus membership. To access this credit, you need to use your Business Platinum Card to pay for CLEAR Plus. Activation is required for this benefit. Subject to auto-renewal.
  • Trip cancellation and interruption insurance: If you use your The Business Platinum Card® from American Express card to pay for a trip and it's canceled for a covered reason, you may receive reimbursement. 4
  • Trip delay and baggage insurance: If your flight is delayed more than 6 hours, or your baggage is lost, damaged, or stolen, you may be reimbursed for your losses. 5
  • Exclusive perks at Fine Hotels + Resorts®: Business Platinum cardholders get special perks at properties in the Fine Hotels & Resorts® portfolio. Perks may include early check-in, late check-out, room upgrades, and free Wi-Fi.
  • Marriott Bonvoy® and Hilton Honors™ elite status: Cardholders automatically get upgraded status with Marriott Bonvoy® and Hilton Honors™ without meeting the stay requirement, which provides access to exclusive benefits at each hotel.
  • Rental car insurance and premium car rental privileges: If you pay for a rental car with your American Express card, you are covered for damage or theft. You can also receive upgraded status with various rental car programs. Benefits include upgrades, discounts, and priority service.6
  • Up to $1,880 in business credits: Cardholders can get back up to $1,880 in statement credits for certain business purchases. Specifically, cardholders get up to $1,150 in credit for purchases with Dell (up to $150 in statement credits on U.S purchases directly with Dell Technologies and an additional $1,000 statement credit after you spend $5,000 or more on that same card per calendar year), $250 for Adobe (after you spend $600 or more on U.S. purchases directly with Adobe per calendar year), up to $360 for Indeed (up to $90 in statement credits quarterly), and up to $120 for U.S. wireless telephone service purchases.
  • Business tools: Receive employee cards to stay on top of expenses and earn rewards on employee purchases, receive year-end summaries, and access Vendor Pay by Bill.com free for one user.

What's more, cardholders who spend $250,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year can unlock additional credits that they'll get to take advantage of in the following calendar year:

  • $1,200 Amex flight credit: Cardholders receive up to $1,200 in credit for flights booked through American Express Travel when paying with their cards.
  • $2,400 American Express One AP credit: Cardholders receive up to $2,400 in credit for spending with Express One AP, Amex's digital accounts payable automation platform (enrollment required).

Earning & redeeming Membership Rewards points

Potential earnings in years one and two

Here's a look at how your earnings can add up with The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. To calculate these values, we used estimated spending by businesses in a variety of categories.

Remember, this is an estimation. The actual value will be determined by how much you spend and in which categories you spend.

Year one earnings: $2,338

Year two earnings: $338

These values are based on the FinanceBuzz Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model, which takes a look at points earned via spending, the welcome offer, and the annual fee.

Best ways to earn

Spending category Earn rate
Flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com 5X
Purchases at U.S. suppliers of construction materials and hardware, U.S. retailers of electronic goods, U.S. providers of shipping, software and cloud systems, and on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more (up to $2 million per year, then 1X) 2X
Use points to book flights 35% points return
All other eligible purchases 1X

To maximize your earnings with The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, you should book your travel purchases through AmexTravel.com. You'll earn 5X Membership Rewards points for each dollar spent on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com. However, you must book through the American Express travel portal to earn those points on airfare and hotel stays.

You can also get 35% of your points back when you use points to book eligible flights through American Express travel. Up to 1,000,000 points back per calendar year.

All other eligible purchases net you 1X points. However, on purchases at U.S. suppliers of construction materials and hardware, U.S. retailers of electronic goods, U.S. providers of shipping, software and cloud systems, and on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more (up to $2 million per year, then 1X), you earn 2X points.

I know it can get a little confusing, but if you focus this card on your travel purchases and spending in key business categories, you can maximize your earnings. If you choose to use it for any other purchases, you'll still earn 1x points, but you may find a better offer on other business credit cards for those categories.

Maximizing your redemptions

Booking flights through American Express travel is the best way to get the most out of your rewards redemptions because you can get 35% of your points back when you use points to book eligible flights through American Express travel, up to 1,000,000 points back per calendar year. However, Membership Rewards points are also flexible as there are many Amex travel partners. These flexible rewards make it easy to earn points through your spending and then use them for what works best for you whether you redeem through AmexTravel.com or go through a travel partner.

You can also use Membership Rewards points to redeem gift cards and make Amazon.com purchases, but the redemption value isn't as high. I suggest using your rewards for travel as it will give you the best bang for your buck.

American Express transfer partners

If you enjoy the flexibility of booking through another rewards program, Amex Membership Rewards has several hotel and airline transfer partners. Most partners will allow you to transfer your Membership Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio, with some exceptions.

Amex transfer partners

Airline partners

  • Aer Lingus
  • Aeromexico
  • Air Canada
  • Air France-KLM
  • ANA
  • Avianca
  • British Airways
  • Cathay Pacific
  • Delta
  • Emirates
  • Etihad
  • Hawaiian Airlines
  • Iberia
  • JetBlue
  • Qantas
  • Qatar Airways
  • Singapore Airlines
  • Virgin Atlantic

Hotel partners

  • Hilton (1:2 transfer ratio)
  • Marriott
  • Choice

FAQs

How do you qualify for The Business Platinum Card® from American Express?

In general, you'll likely need to have good to excellent credit to qualify for The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. 

Is The Business Platinum Card® from American Express worth it?

Whether this card is worth it to you depends on your situation. For small business owners who have a lot of expenses and who travel a lot, the hefty annual fee can be worth it. There are a lot of travel-related perks that can easily make up for the fee, especially if you do a lot of business travel and book through AmexTravel.com.

However, if you don't travel much or make many business-related purchases, this card might not be the best choice for you.

What is the credit limit on The Business Platinum Card® from American Express?

If you're approved for The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, the credit limit you receive will likely vary based on a variety of factors, including your creditworthiness and business financials. This is up to Amex's discretion.

Other cards to consider

While The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is jam-packed with benefits, you may want to compare it to the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card or Capital One Spark Cash Plus before finalizing your decision. Both offer valuable rewards for business owners with a lower annual fee.

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

If you prefer a travel rewards card, the Ink Business Preferred is a decent option. You can earn 3X points on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year; and 1X points per $1 on all other purchases. Plus, its annual fee is just $95. Like with Amex, if you book through the Chase Travel portal, you get more in redemption value than if you booked elsewhere. The card also has a 1:1 points value with 14+ travel partners. You can compare the Ink Preferred vs. Amex Platinum Business cards directly to determine which is the best fit for you and your business.

Learn more in our Ink Business Preferred review

Capital One Spark Cash Plus

If your goal is to earn cash back for your business, the Capital One Spark Cash Plus Card may be a better option. It offers unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase, every day; plus unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One's travel booking site and a $150 annual fee. This can be a good choice if you don't travel frequently and won't take full advantage of the travel benefits the Amex card offers for its hefty annual fee.

Learn more in our Capital One Spark Cash Plus review

Bottom line

It's expensive to run a business. You may as well get something back for all the money you're putting in.

If your line of work involves frequent travel, then you'll struggle to do better than The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. It's an expensive card to carry, but if you can use all the card's perks, it more than pays for itself, while hopefully making all that travel a little more enjoyable.

For other options, including some cards that aren't quite so focused on travel, give our list of best business credit cards a look to find one that's best suited to your spending.

Premium Business Rewards
4.7
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The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

Current Offer

Elevated Welcome Offer: Earn 200,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Business Platinum Card® within the first 3 months of Card Membership.

Annual Fee

$895

Rewards Rate

5X points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com; 2X points on purchases at U.S. suppliers of construction materials and hardware, U.S. retailers of electronic goods, U.S. providers of shipping, software and cloud systems, and on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more (up to $2 million per year, then 1X), and 1X points per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases (purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus)

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