Amex Business Platinum Benefits

American Express has one of the best lines of credit cards, including business cards, available for small businesses. One such card is the Business Platinum Card from American Express, which offers one-of-a-kind benefits, especially for small businesses. The Amex Business Platinum Card is a rewards card that offers American Express Membership Rewards points.

The more the cardholder spends on eligible purchases, the more Membership Rewards points they can earn. Cardholders will redeem Membership Rewards points in various ways, including paying using flights.

Although the Amex Business Platinum Card carries a $695 annual fee, the card comes with benefits best for frequent travelers. Many of the benefits are tied to travel, which allows the cardholder to maximize the card and reduce costs related to travel. Cardholders receive benefits such as statement credits related to travel and other business categories.

The Business Platinum Card from American Express is a premium card available to all types of businesses. Thus, the Amex Business Platinum Card is the best option for small businesses whose business owners frequently travel for business.

Key Takeaways

·         The Business Platinum Card from American Express offers several benefits and rewards, including 120,000 Membership Rewards points as a welcome bonus

·         Cardholders will receive benefits, including statement credits worth over $1,000 for key business categories and travel

·         Cardholders of the Amex Business Platinum can earn Membership Rewards points through spending on eligible purchases and redeem them through various means

Welcome Offer

The Amex Business Platinum Card offers one of the best welcome bonus offers of other competing premium cards. The cardholder will receive a 120,000 Membership Rewards points welcome bonus worth over $2,400 in value when redeemed. The cardholder must spend $15,000 on eligible purchases before the first three months of card membership elapse.

However, the cardholder must meet some conditions to be legible for the welcome bonus since it is a one-time offer. American Express will notify the cardholder whether or not they are legible to receive the welcome offer.

Small businesses may find spending $5,000 a month for three months to receive the welcome bonus an uphill task. Therefore, they may strategize and opt to make huge payments and business spending within the given time, such as paying for business supplies. Also, American Express includes a policy that benefits business owners who order goods from outside the country.

Thus, they will receive the 120,000 Membership Rewards points welcome bonus even if there is a supply delay. That way, cardholders will achieve the set conditions and receive the welcome bonus within the stipulated time.

Benefits and Perks

benefits

The Amex Business Platinum benefits are one of the most exclusive, cost-saving, and luxurious benefits offered by a high-value card. The benefits make the card’s annual fee worth it since cardholders receive rewards with almost double the annual fee in statement credits alone. Therefore, the cardholder will enjoy benefits and perks few cards in the same card category can offer, an advantage to the cardholder.

If you are looking for a business card with maximum benefits for travel, then the Amex Business Platinum Card is the best choice.

The main Amex Benefits Platinum benefits fit for the cardholder include:

Statement Credits

A statement credit is a type of reward used by rewards credit cards that help offset the cardholder’s credit balance. For example, an eligible purchase with $100 statement credits ensures the cardholder pays $100 less for their eligible purchase in their card balance. Only eligible purchases, as dictated by American Express, will have a statement credit after purchase.

Amex Business Platinum Card carries over $1,000 in statement credits every calendar year for eligible purchases. Therefore, the cardholder will pay less for their credit balance monthly, giving financial relief to the cardholder.

Some of the statement credits offered by the Amex Business Platinum Card each calendar year include the following:

·         Cardholders receive an annual airline fee credit worth $200 for incidental fees occurring during the flight. The airline fee credit applies to only one qualifying airline, covering incidental fees but not airfare. Thus, the airline fee credit applies to baggage fees and snacks offered during the flight.

·         Cardholders will also receive statement credits on traveler programs, including CLEAR, Global Entry, or TSA PreCheck, with prior enrollment required. Usually, cardholders receive up to $189 worth of statement credits for CLEAR membership every calendar year. The cardholder receives an $85 statement credit for the TSA PreCheck application fee every 4.5 years and $100 for Global Entry every four years.

·         Cardholders will receive $100 statement credits, considered experience credits, for prepaid hotels booked through The Hotel Collection. However, the cardholder must book a minimum two-night stay to receive the benefit, which is only available to Business Platinum Card users. The cardholder will receive more welcome gifts, including complimentary Wi-Fi, a room upgrade, and late check-outs.

·         Cardholders receive $150 worth of statement credits every calendar year towards eligible purchases made towards Adobe, with prior enrollment required. The statement credit applies when cardholders make purchases such as Adobe Creative Cloud and Acrobat Pro DC.

·         Cardholders will receive up to $400 statement credit every calendar year towards Dell purchases, with prior enrollment required. The statement credit is divided into two, with the cardholder receiving $200 every six months.

·         Cardholders will receive an annual statement credit worth $360 every calendar year towards purchases made towards Indeed. All recruitment, hiring, and services towards posting open positions will be covered by the statement credit, divided into $90 monthly.

·         The cardholder receives $120 statement credits towards payments made using their card for US wireless telephone services every calendar year. Thus, the cardholder receives $10 monthly for the statement credit on their phone bills.

Airport Lounge Access

airport lounge

Cardholders will receive complimentary access to more than 1300 airport lounges in over 500 countries worldwide. The cardholder must show their same-day boarding pass and Amex Business Platinum Card to gain airport lounge access. Some airport lounges, like the Delta Sky Club, are only accessible when the cardholder is flying Delta Airlines.

The Priority Pass Lounges will require cardholders to have a Priority Pass membership card to access the lounge. However, most lounges only require a few conditions to gain access, with some offering complimentary guest access for free. Cardholders may visit the American Express Global Lounge Collection for more lounge location options.

Gold Elite Status at Hilton and Starwood Hotels

Gold elite status is the highest status accorded to frequent users of the hotel as a way of offering extra benefits. With the Amex Business Platinum Card, the cardholder does not require a co-branded card to achieve any level of elite status. Thus, cardholders will receive perks and benefits just for having the Amex Business Platinum Card.

However, they must meet some pre-set conditions to achieve gold elite status in these hotels, with prior enrollment required.

To get the Hilton Hotels Gold Status, cardholders must have a minimum 28-night stay at the hotel every calendar year. The cardholders will also receive 80% bonus points and other perks, including complimentary breakfast while abroad. The Marriott Bonvoy Hotels Gold Status, formerly known as Starwood Hotels Gold Status, also has some pre-set conditions for cardholders to meet.

Cardholders must stay a minimum of 25 nights every calendar year and receive 25% bonus points and other exclusive benefits, including room upgrades.

Complimentary Status Upgrades with Top Rental Car Companies

car rental programs

Having rental car elite status is a great benefit, especially on busy business days moving from one point to another. Also, the elite status ensures the cardholder has access to rental cars from car rental programs. Cardholders will receive upgrades to car rental companies, including Hertz Gold Plus, National Rental Car Emerald Club Executive, and Avis Preferred Plus.

Thus, the cardholder is guaranteed a rental car no matter where they may be, with prior enrollment required. Additionally, cardholders will receive complimentary Business Platinum concierge services available 24/7, especially during travel.

Boingo Hotspot and Go-Go Preferred Wi-Fi

The Wi-Fi benefit was one of the best benefits for business owners who needed to remain connected to the Internet on the go. However, this benefit was slashed and has been unavailable to cardholders since January 2020 due to major changes in American Express. Cardholders would connect to any of the thousands of Boingo Hotspots and Go-Go Preferred Wi-Fi hotspots.

Cardholders would create an account using their eligible card and the Boingo Wi-Fi Finder application to locate hotspots as they travel.

No Foreign Transaction Fees

Foreign transaction fees apply when a cardholder uses their card to transact outside the country. Most premium business cards carry a foreign transaction fee of up to 3% of their total transaction, which may become too expensive. The Amex Business Platinum Card does not charge foreign transaction fees, an advantage to the cardholder.

Therefore, the cardholder will not have any extra charges, especially for frequent business travelers who conduct business internationally.

Annual Airline Incidentals Credit

airline fee credit

Cardholders will receive a $200 annual statement credit for incidentals occurring during flights on one qualifying airline. Although the statement credit does not cover airfare, it covers all incidental fees, including baggage fees. Other items covered by the statement credit include complimentary refreshments and seat selection fees. The Amex International Airline Program allows cardholders to book a business-class flight at a lower price.

Therefore, the cardholder’s comfort is guaranteed during the flight without any extra charges or lesser charges than normal.

TSA PreCheck or Global Entry Credit

Cardholders will receive a fee credit for a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry when applying through an Authorized Enrollment Provider. The fee credit only applies if the cardholder receives a 5-year plan of either program. If the cardholder receives a Global Entry approval, they automatically receive a TSA PreCheck approval without extra charges. Therefore, if the Global Entry line is full during travel, they may use the TSA PreCheck line at no additional charge.

100,000 Membership Rewards Points

The Amex Business Platinum Card offers cardholders a whooping welcome bonus of 120,000 Membership Rewards points. The cardholder must spend $15,000 on eligible purchases before the first three months of card membership elapse. The Membership Rewards points are worth over $2,400 if redeemed through channels that offer the maximum value of the card.

Therefore, cardholders already have a boost in their Membership Rewards points which they can use in different ways.

5X Membership Rewards Points

Cardholders can receive up to five points per dollar spent on flights and prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel. Amex Travel allows American Express cardholders to book prepaid hotels through the Fine Hotels Resorts program easily. Cardholders will only receive the 5X Membership Rewards points from this category.

1.5X Membership Rewards Points

 Cardholders will receive a point and an extra half point on select business categories after spending $5,000 or more on combined purchases. However, the reward has a cap of up to $2 million per calendar year on eligible purchases. Some of these eligible purchases that receive the extra half-point reward for bonus categories include:

·         US construction materials and hardware suppliers

·         Software and cloud service providers, including the electronic goods retailers

·         Shipping providers

Other eligible purchases will receive only one point per dollar spent using an eligible card. Thus, the cardholder enjoys rewards on business expenses and travel purchases annually.

Points Transfer to 20 Airline and Hotel Partners

partnering hotels

Various options are available to redeem American Express Membership Rewards points, including transferring points. Twenty airline and hotel partners are available for cardholders to transfer their points to the loyalty programs. This method of redeeming points earns the cardholder the highest value of their points, at two cents per point.

Thus, the cardholder will enjoy business-class flights on some partnering airlines, such as the All-Nippon Airways Mileage Club.

Pay with Points Bonus

The Amex Business Platinum Card offers a Pay with Points feature that allows cardholders to pay for various items using Membership Rewards points. For example, the cardholder can rent a car, upgrade an airline ticket or have room upgrades using their points. That way, the cardholder saves on money spent to access these features since they use the Membership Rewards points instead.

However, the cardholder should check on the eligible purchases which allow users to access the Pay with Points bonus.

Amex Offers Discounts

Amex Offers is a bonus feature found on all American Express cards accessed through the Amex App that offers rewards on qualifying purchases. The Amex Offers usually change over time, but premium cards like the Amex Business Platinum Card receive such benefits often. Therefore, cardholders should check their Amex App often and select the benefits or rewards that best suit them.

Some rewards include discounts on travel and dining purchases or utility purchases such as cell phone offers.

Various Insurance and Protections

One of the greatest advantages of having an Amex Platinum Card includes the complimentary travel insurance plan. The insurance plan offers unbeatable coverage on incidents that may occur during travel, for example, car rental loss. The protection coverage in the plan includes trip cancellation and interruption insurance, trip delay insurance, baggage insurance plan, and rental car insurance.

Thus, the cardholder will receive reimbursements following incidences under covered reasons within the plan after paying the entire fare using the card. The New Hampshire Insurance Company underwriters the insurance plan, which oversees claims and reimbursements made to the cardholder.

travel insurance plan

Earnings

The Amex Business Platinum Card offers detailed categories that cardholders can earn from while using the card for travel and business expenses. Additionally, American Express allows employee cards to earn the same Membership Rewards points under the primary card. That way, the business owner will receive maximum rewards on the Business Platinum Card account for maximum benefit.

The cardholder can receive up to five points per dollar spent on eligible purchases using the Business Platinum Card.

Cardholders receive 5X Membership Rewards points for prepaid hotels and flights booked through American Express Travel. There is no cap to the amount spent during travel and prepaid hotels every calendar year, as seen in the Amex Platinum Card. Cardholders will also receive 1.5 points on key business categories for eligible purchases worth $5,000 up to $2 million per calendar year. Some business categories that receive the extra half point include US construction material, hardware supplies, cloud system providers, shipping providers, and electronic goods retailers.

All other eligible purchases will receive a point per dollar spent while using the Amex Business Platinum Card.

Redeeming

American Express has several redeeming options available for Business Platinum cardholders. They can redeem their points by paying for flights at one cent per point or prepaid hotel purchases at 0.7 cents per point. Alternatively, cardholders can use points to check out of partnering retail stores, such as Amazon and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Different stores value the points at different rates, ranging from 0.5 cents to one cent per point.

check out in retail stores

The cardholder can choose to redeem points through gift card redemption at partnering retailers that offer one cent per point. If you use a statement credit, the point’s value drops to 0.6 cents per point. The best option for redeeming Membership Rewards points is transferring them to partnering airlines and hotels. The value will stand up to two cents per point, offering the best redemption option for cardholders.

Is the Amex Business Platinum Card a Good Fit for Your Business?

The Amex Business Platinum Card is a premium card readily available even to small businesses, a rare feat for cards of its kind. Aside from its availability, the card has one of the best and most exclusive benefits awarded to its cardholders. However, the Business Platinum Card remains unattainable, mainly due to the many requirements needed to receive the card.

American Express must ensure that cardholders can afford the card since the card acts as a charge card. The card requires cardholders to pay the credit balance monthly, but cardholders can use the Pay Over Time payment plan for eligible purchases only.

business travel

The Amex Business Platinum Card is the best fit for small businesses that travel more for business. Most rewards are tied towards travel and other travel-related purchases, which earn the cardholder more Membership Rewards points. However, the business and business owner must have a good or excellent credit score to stand a chance of receiving the card.

Also, the business must have a positive credit history, avoiding incidents such as bankruptcy or penalties relating to failed payments. Therefore, the card has to maintain its exclusivity even as it provides the best benefits to the cardholder.

Alternatives to the Amex Business Platinum Card

A better alternative to the Amex Business Platinum Card is the Amex Business Gold Card, especially for small businesses. The Amex Business Gold Card has a lower annual fee of $295 with broader categories to earn Membership Rewards points. For example, cardholders will earn 4X Membership Rewards points on two main categories businesses spend most on.

The categories may change depending on what is spent more on every billing cycle seen monthly. However, the four-point per dollar reward only covers the first $150,000 spent every calendar year on eligible purchases.

Although the Amex Business Gold Card has more categories to choose from, the Business Platinum Card is the best for travel. The Business Platinum Card carries the most benefits and exclusive perks, making the card’s annual fee worth it. However, startups may use the Amex Business Gold Card for their business as they continue growing. That way, they will receive better benefits that suit their budget and spending capabilities.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a luxurious business card with prime benefits, then the Business Platinum Card from American Express is the best option. The Amex Business Platinum Card is one of the few high-value cards that offers exclusive perks, exquisite benefits, and amazing offers. Since the Business Platinum Card is a rewards card, the cardholder will earn Membership Rewards points as they use their card. Thus, the cardholder receives points on key business categories no other card can offer, making it the best choice for business travelers.

Although the Business Platinum Card carries a $695 annual fee, the benefits and zero foreign transaction fees make it worth it.

Most rewards and benefits of the Amex Business Platinum Card have tied toward travel purchases annually. For example, the cardholder enjoys statement credits for incidental fees and hotels, complimentary elite status on hotels, and other money-saving benefits. The Business Platinum Card is the best option for small businesses since only some premium cards are offered to small business owners.

Therefore, if you are a business owner who frequently travels for business, apply for the American Express Business Platinum Card. You will receive maximum benefits and rewards not found in many premium business cards available in the market.

FAQs

Is the Amex Business Platinum Card worth the annual fee?

The American Express Business Platinum Card is worth the $695 annual fee due to the huge benefits and rewards offered by the card. The Amex Business Platinum Card is a high-value premium card that carries cost-saving and exclusive benefits. Also, the card is readily available to small business owners, uncommon for many high-value cards.

Therefore, it is the best option for any business owner, especially those who frequently travel for business. Most rewards and benefits offered by the card are tied toward travel and other eligible purchases.

Does the Amex Business Platinum Card have airport lounge access?

Cardholders of the Amex Business Platinum Card have complimentary access to over 1300 airport lounges worldwide. Some airport lounges are exclusive, including the Centurion Lounge Network and Studio locations worldwide. The Delta Sky Clubs is also a partner airport lounge that allows complimentary entry only when the cardholder is flying Delta.

The cardholder must show their Amex Business Platinum Card and same-day boarding pass. Most airport lounges allow complimentary guest access for up to two guests accompanying the cardholder for free.

Is it hard to get the Amex Business Platinum Card?

The Business Platinum Card from American Express is a high-value and exclusive card, only easily available to some. American Express approves applicants who meet all the requirements to obtain the Business Platinum Card. Some requirements include having a high credit score, a positive credit report, and no prior bankruptcies or related incidents.

Therefore, the requirements may seem hard for many businesses, especially startups and smaller businesses. Thus, you have to prove that the business can handle the Business Platinum Card to stand a chance of a successful application.

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