Running a business is no joke. Expenses pile up, meetings never end, and travel? I’m going to assume you’ve seen the inside of way too many airport security lines… yikes.
But what if I told you there’s a card that makes business travel feel less like a chore?
Enter: The Business Platinum Card® from American Express — the card that turns your business expenses into serious rewards.
With Membership Rewards points, you can transfer to over a dozen airline and hotel partners for next-level redemptions or use the 35% Pay With Points rebate to stretch your rewards even further.
And while the $895 (rates and fees) might look hefty, this card is packed with enough perks to make it more than worth it.
Here’s everything we’ll dive into:
Pros and Cons
Let’s get into it, shall we?
Pros:
- The current welcome offer: Apply to find out your offer. You may be eligible for as high as 300,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $20,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
- 5x points on flights and prepaid hotels booked at American Express Travel®
- 2x points on eligible purchases of $5,000+ and up to $2 million per calendar year at U.S. construction material, hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers
- Complimentary access to Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass (enrollment required), Delta Sky Clubs, and more
- Up to $600 in statement credits each year ($300 semi-annually) on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts (FHR) or The Hotel Collection (THC) bookings made through American Express Travel®.
- Up to $150 in statement credits on U.S. purchases directly with Dell Technologies (plus an additional $1,000 statement credit after you spend $5,000 or more per calendar year)
- Up to $200 annual airline fee credit
- Up to $209 Clear+ credit
- 35% rebate on Pay With Points flights
- Complimentary Hilton Gold & Marriott Gold status (enrollment required)
- Unlock up to $3,600 in additional travel and business benefits after spending $250,000 in a calendar year
Cons:
- The annual fee… but more on that later!
Why We Love the Business Platinum
If your business (or your tax write-offs) involves frequent travel, this card is basically a cheat code for making work trips more enjoyable.
Here’s why:
- Best airport lounge access of any business card — Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass, Delta Sky Clubs (when flying Delta), Plaza Premium… you name it.
- 35% points rebate — When booking flights through Amex Travel with points, you get 35% of those points back (up to 1 million points per year!).
- Elite hotel status — Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold, and Leading Hotels of the World Sterling Status just for having the card (with enrollment), which could mean perks like free breakfast and room upgrades.
- Flight perks galore — TSA PreCheck/Clear+ credit, priority boarding, and airline fee reimbursements.
- Dining Perks — Enjoy access to exclusive dining experiences and restaurant reservations through Global Dining Access by Resy and Resy Platinum Nights.
Let’s be clear about something — this is not a card for people who take one trip a year. This is for business owners who frequent airports and want to be rewarded handsomely for it.
And that annual fee? It’s practically a rounding error once you factor in the thousands in credits and perks.
Unlocking Elite Status Just for Holding This Card
You know what’s better than earning elite status? Getting it handed to you!
The Amex Business Platinum comes with built-in Hilton Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold status — no stays required, upon enrollment.
Translation?
- Room upgrades whenever available
- Bonus points on every stay
- Late checkout
- Free breakfast at Hilton hotels, saving you money over time
But it doesn’t stop there. Holding this card fast-tracks you toward airline elite status, too. How?
- Use the 5x points on flights to rack up rewards that can be transferred to over 20 airlines.
- Combine that with the 35% rebate on Pay With Points and suddenly, you’re booking business-class flights at a fraction of the usual cost.
- Pair it with Delta’s MQD Waiver (if you hold Delta status), and this card can help you maintain elite perks without spending a dime on airfare.
Bottom line? Elite status without effort is the best kind of elite status. Yay!
Bottom Line
If you run a business and travel frequently, the Amex Business Platinum is a no-brainer.
The lounge access alone is worth it. The airline, hotel, business, and other premium credits make the fee basically disappear. And the ability to earn and redeem Amex points for premium travel? That’s just the cherry on top.
Trust us on this one. You’ll be thanking us from the Centurion Lounge.
