INTRODUCTION

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is one of the top credit cards on the market, with a large sign-up bonus and excellent benefits. No other card offers such extensive travel benefits – including global lounge access, travel scheme rebates, and hotel and car rental elite status. The card is designed for businesses– but this includes small businesses and sole proprietors.

Earnings rates with the card are excellent – especially for businesses and travelers. It features a market leading rate of five Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights and hotels, plus 1.5 or 1 points per dollar on all other spending. Common valuations of Membership Rewards® points are around two cents per dollar, making this better than most cashback rates on the market.

These benefits, however, come with a high fee. This is not a card for the casual user, but higher spending users or frequent travelers can certainly receive enough to justify this higher fee. 

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MAIN CARD BENEFITS

Earnings rate of five Membership Rewards® points per dollar spend on flights and hotels (when booked at AmexTravel.com).

All purchases over $5,000 earn 1.5 Membership Rewards® points per dollar.

All spending at US-based construction material and hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software / cloud system providers, and shipping providers earns 1.5  Membership Rewards® points per dollar. 

All other spending earns 1 point per dollar. 

A very high sign-up bonus of 150,000 Membership Rewards® points when spending $20,000 in three months. 

The sign-up bonus can be even higher with special offers, or if referred by an existing card holder. A bonus of up to 250,000 Membership Rewards® points is often available.

Global airport lounge access with multiple lounge operators. These include American Express Centurion lounges, Priority Pass, Delta Sky Clubs (10 visits per year), Escape lounges, Plaza Premium, Airspace lounges, and Lufthansa operated lounges. 

Rebates for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, and Clear Plus.

Complimentary hotel elite statuses – Gold with Marriott Bonvoy and Gold with Hilton Honors. 

Complimentary car rental program statuses – including Avis Preferred Plus, Hertz Gold Plus Rewards President's Circle, and National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive.

Annual statement credit of up to $200 for charges with one chosen airline (most major US airlines are included). It covers incidentals and purchases including seat and bag fees, lounge access, and onboard purchases. 

Business spending credits with several companies – including $150 with Dell Technologies, $360 with Indeed, $250 with Adobe, and $120 with US wireless providers. 

Insurance cover includes car rental loss and damage insurance, baggage insurance when travelling, and trip delay insurance.

The American Express business cards are charge cards, meaning that balances need to be paid in full each month. The card does also offer a Pay Over Time feature, allowing a balance to be carried and interest charged.

No foreign transaction fees on overseas purchases. 

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WHO IS THE CARD BEST FOR

This is a card for those that travel. It offers the highest rewards rate for flight bookings. And the extensive travel benefits can easily save more than the annual fee for frequent travelers. 

With such a high sign-up bonus however, it could also be a great choice for high spending individuals or businesses looking to make the most of it in the first year.

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PROS:

• Unbeatable premium travel benefits, including the widest range of lounge access benefits of any card.
• Total credits on offer exceed $1500 annually. This alone can make the card fee worthwhile. 
• High earning rates of five Membership Rewards points for travel, and at least one point on all other spending. 
• Membership Rewards offers plenty of airline and hotel transfer partners and ways to maximize value of points. 
• Complimentary hotel elite statuses are mid-tier and offer good benefits for regular users.

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CONS:

• High annual fee of $695 – you need to be sure of the benefits you will use. 
• The spending requirement for the sign-up bonus is a high $20,000 in just three months. This could be out of reach for some small businesses.  
• A high credit score is usually required for acceptance. 
• The points earning bonus categories (outside of travel) are limited. 
• No 0% APR introductory offer on purchases or balance transfers.

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