The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on American Express Travel; Earn 1.5X points on eligible purchases at U.S. construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year. Earn 1X points on other eligible purchases
Welcome Bonus
Earn 150,000 points
Annual Fee
$695
Credit Score
Good,Excellent
Regular APR
19.49% - 28.49% Variable
American Express® Business Gold Card
American Express® Business Gold Card
Earn 4X points in the 2 select categories where you spend the most each month (4X points applies to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year, then earn 1 point per dollar); Earn 3X points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on Amex Travel; Earn 1X points on all other purchases
Welcome Bonus
Earn 70,000 points
Annual Fee
$375
Credit Score
Good,Excellent
Regular APR
19.49% - 28.49% Variable
If you are a small business owner looking for additional purchasing power, American Express should be on your short list of credit providers. Terms apply to American Express offers. See the application for complete details.
Two cards worth consideration are the American Express® Business Gold Card (terms apply, see rates & fees) and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (terms apply, see rates & fees). As a holder of a premium credit card from American Express, you can expect excellent service and a robust suite of benefits, including no foreign transaction fees, strong insurance offerings like car rental loss and damage insurance¹, extended warranty² and purchase protection².
But these cards are two very different products designed for two different types of small business customers. American Express also recently revamped the benefits, rewards structure and annual fee for the American Express® Business Gold Card. Which card is right for you today?
Amex Business Gold Vs. Amex Business Platinum Overview
| Feature | American Express® Business Gold Card | The Business Platinum Card® from American Express |
|---|---|---|
|
Welcome bonus
|
Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $10,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of opening an account
|
Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $20,000 in eligible purchases with the card within the first 3 months of card membership
|
|
Rewards rate
|
Earn 4 Membership Rewards® points per dollar on the 2 select categories where a business spends the most each month (up to $150,000 combined purchases per calendar year), 3 points per dollar on flights and prepaid hotels booked on Amex Travel and 1 point per dollar is earned for other purchases
|
Earn 5 Membership Rewards® points per dollar on flights and prepaid hotels through American Express Travel, 1.5 points per dollar on eligible purchases at U.S. construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software and cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year and 1 point per dollar on other eligible purchases
|
|
Perks & benefits
|
Up to $240 annually ($20 per month) for eligible purchases at FedEx, GrubHub and office supply stores. Enrollment required. |
Up to $200 airline fee credit |
|
Annual fee
|
$375
|
$695
|
Welcome Bonus
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express has a richer welcome bonus than the American Express® Business Gold Card, but it also requires more spending within the first three months of card ownership to earn.
New signups for the Business Platinum card can earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $20,000 in eligible purchases with the card within the first 3 months of card membership.
The Business Gold, meanwhile, is offering new card members 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $10,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of opening an account.
The Business Platinum is the winner here, if you have enough business expenses to meet its spending requirement. However, smaller businesses with fewer monthly costs that can be charged to a credit card may be better off choosing the Business Gold, thanks to its more attainable welcome bonus.
Annual Fee
The American Express® Business Gold Card’s annual fee of $375, is still a far cry from the $695 annual fee charged by The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. Cost-conscious small business owners may balk at paying the difference. If this is you, you might prefer the American Express® Business Gold Card’s lower annual fee. However, the higher annual fee of the Business Platinum card can be offset by many of its additional perks.
Best for Automatically Enhanced Earnings
American Express® Business Gold Card
A business with significant spending can justify the annual fee and earn massive rewards through the 4x points rate on eligible purchases.
- Flexible redemption and points transfer options
- Robust travel benefits
- Automatic 4 points per dollar on the two categories where you spend the most each billing period on up to $150,000 in annual spending
- Very high annual fee relative to benefits
- 4 points per dollar rate capped at $150,000 in annual spending
- Welcome Offer: Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.*
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points on the 2 categories where your business spends the most each billing cycle from 6 eligible categories. While your top 2 categories may change, you will earn 4X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year (then 1X thereafter). Only the top 2 categories each billing cycle will count towards the $150,000 cap.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com using your Business Gold Card.
- Earn up to $20 in statement credits monthly after you use the Business Gold Card for eligible U.S. purchases at FedEx, Grubhub, and Office Supply Stores. This can be an annual savings of up to $240. Enrollment required.
- Get up to a $12.951 statement credit back each month after you pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with your Business Gold Card. **Up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes on one membership fee.
- Your Card – Your Choice. Choose from Gold or Rose Gold.
- *Terms Apply
Earning Rewards
The American Express® Business Gold Card’s headline feature is its generous offer of 4 Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on the two categories where your business spends the most each month. The high earning rate applies to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from the two eligible categories each calendar year, then earn 1 point per dollar. Eligible categories include:
- Transit purchases, including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking busses and subways
- U.S. purchases made from electronic goods retailers and software and cloud system providers
- Monthly wireless telephone service charges made directly from a wireless telephone service provider in the U.S.
- U.S. purchases at gas stations
- U.S. purchases at restaurants including takeout and delivery
- Purchases at U.S. media providers for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio)
American Express makes it easy to maximize your point earnings. You don’t need to commit to your two categories for the entire year, nor do you need to select which category you intend to spend the most in each month. You’ll automatically receive 4 Membership Rewards per dollar spent on the two categories where you spend the most each billing cycle.
The American Express® Business Gold Card now earns 3 points per dollar on flights, prepaid hotels, and prepaid flight and hotel packages booked through Amex Travel and 1 point per dollar on other select purchases.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express earns 5 Membership Rewards® points per dollar on flights and prepaid hotels through American Express Travel, 1.5 points per dollar on eligible purchases at U.S. construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software and cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year and 1 point per dollar on other eligible purchases. For businesses that spend a lot on airfare or make lots of large purchases of $5,000 or more in categories that don’t typically earn category bonuses, charging to the Business Platinum card is a great way to increase your rewards.
Travel Benefits
Travel Credits
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is the clear winner here. It offers three different travel fee reimbursement credits that are likely to attract frequent travelers.
- $200 airline fee credit. The card offers up to $200 in statement credits each year when you charge incidental fees, such as baggage charges and seat selection fees on your preferred airline, to the card account. Each time you charge an eligible purchase to your credit card, American Express will issue your credit within six to eight weeks after the qualifying charge posts to your account. Airline incidental fees must be charged by your airline and specifically exclude ticket charges, purchases of frequent flyer miles, duty-free purchases and Wi-Fi charges not charged by the airline. You can select your preferred airline when you receive the card and can change your preferred airline annually in January.
- Up to $100 Global Entry or up to $85 TSA PreCheck credit. For frequent travelers, enrollment in either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry is almost a necessity. PreCheck provides expedited screening at airport security, while Global Entry provides expedited entry into the U.S. through many ports of entry and includes membership in PreCheck. No matter whether you choose to enroll in Global Entry or PreCheck, your Business Platinum card will receive a credit for enrollment and renewal of Global Entry or PreCheck.
- $189 CLEAR® Plus credit. The Business Platinum Card also offers up to $189 in statement credits per calendar year when you use the card to pay for your annual CLEAR® Plus membership. CLEAR® Plus is a program that offers expedited ID verification at many U.S. airports and can get you through the airport security line faster. Note that CLEAR® Plus is different from PreCheck. CLEAR® Plus members who are not also members of PreCheck will be required to follow standard TSA procedures through airport security.
In contrast, the Amex Business Gold offers far fewer travel credits, but does offer these insurance benefits:
- Baggage insurance plan⁴. Up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage and up to $500 for checked baggage that is lost, damaged or stolen when the entire fare for a common carrier is purchased on the card.
- Car rental loss and damage insurance⁵. Coverage for damage or theft of a rental vehicle in a covered territory when the card is used to reserve and pay for the entire rental and the collision damage waiver (CDW) is waived at the counter. Coverage is secondary and does not include liability coverage.
- Trip delay insurance⁶. Up to $300 per covered trip when round-trip airfare is purchased on the card for delays of more than 12 hours.
Lounge Access
This is another area where the Business Platinum card shines. In contrast to the Amex Business Gold which doesn’t offer any lounge access, Business Platinum card members get access to the Global Lounge Collection, which includes over 1,400 airport lounges. Card members are eligible for lounge access when traveling on a flight departing from the airport in which the lounge is located.
For Delta Air Lines flyers, the lounge access deal gets even sweeter. Amex Business Platinum card members receive access to Delta Sky Clubs when traveling on a same-day Delta Air Lines flight. Access to the Delta Sky Club is granted only to the primary card member, but guest access may be granted for an additional charge at the discretion of Delta Air Lines. It should also be noted that Delta is planning to impose new Sky Club access limits for Business Platinum card members in 2025. Card members traveling on a basic economy Delta ticket do not have access to the Delta Sky Club.
Hotel Perks
If you stay at either Hilton or Marriott hotels and do not otherwise have hotel status, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express can provide a boost to your hotel stay experience. The card grants complimentary Hilton Honors™ Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status with enrollment, which offer perks such as space-available room upgrades, additional point earning on stays and various other perks when staying at their respective hotel brands. The Business Gold doesn’t provide hotel elite status.
Both cards get access to The Hotel Collection, which includes a variety of perks during two-night stays at eligible properties, including an experience credit of up to $100. But of the two cards, only the Business Platinum can take advantage of the Fine Hotels & Resorts program. Note that the FHR Program has about 1,500 more eligible properties and doesn’t require a two-night minimum stay to take advantage of card member perks.
Redemption Options
The redemption options for the Business Gold and Business Platinum are virtually identical, with one key exception. Only Business Platinum card members can use their points to book Fine Hotels & Resorts stays. Membership Rewards Points are worth 1 cent per point when redeemed in this way.
Other redemption options for both cards include booking flights and other hotels, shopping, redeeming for gift cards and covering card charges. Flight redemptions are worth 1 cent per point, as are some gift card redemptions. However, most other redemption methods are less valuable, getting anywhere from 0.5 to 0.7 cents per point. Membership Rewards Points are only worth 0.6 cents per point when redeemed for statement credits.
Business Platinum card members get 35% points back when they book eligible flights with points (up to 1,000,000 points back per calendar year). Unfortunately, the Amex Business Gold discontinued their bonus on flights booked with points.
Both cards enable card members to transfer their points to Amex’s airline and hotel travel partners. Many consider points transfers to be one of the most valuable uses of Membership Rewards, especially transfers to airlines.
Best for Lounge Access
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Up to 5X Reward Rate
Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on American Express Travel; Earn 1.5X points on eligible purchasesRead More
Welcome Bonus
Earn 150,000 points
Annual Fee
$695
Regular APR
19.49% - 28.49% Variable
Credit Score
Good,Excellent (700 - 749)
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is the quintessential status card for high-spending, frequent-flying business owners and their employees. If sufficiently leveraged, the card’s robust benefits are well worth the high annual fee.
The 35% points rebate is the quiet hero of this card. It makes essentially any first or business class redemption guaranteed to be worth 1.5 cents per point (along with all tickets on the airline of your choice). In an era where award availability can be hard to find, that’s a feature you’ll likely find yourself utilizing on a regular basis.
- Excellent welcome bonus
- A slew of potential statement credits
- Extensive airport lounge access
- Rich suite of travel perks
- High spending requirement to earn welcome bonus
- Annual fee and additional cardholder fees are very high
- Limited spending bonus categories
- Some credits are doled out in increments, making them harder to use
- Welcome Offer: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
- 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases.
- Earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on each eligible purchase at US construction material, hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
- Unlock over $1,000 in statement credits on select purchases, including tech, recruiting and wireless in the first year of membership with the Business Platinum Card®. Enrollment required. See how you can unlock over $1,000 annually in credits on select purchases with the Business Platinum Card®, here.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to the Card.
- $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Use your card and get up to $189 in statement credits per calendar year on your CLEAR® Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use the Business Platinum Card®.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market as of 03/2023.
- $695 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
Transfer Partners
With either of these cards, you’ll have full access to all of American Express’s travel partners. As of writing, Amex has 21 transfer partners—18 airlines and three hotels.
Points generally transfer at a 1:1 ratio with just a few exceptions. Here is the full list of Amex transfer partners and their transfer ratios:
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- Aeromexico Rewards (1:1.6)
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue
- ANA Mileage Club
- Avianca LifeMiles
- British Airways Executive Club
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Choice Privileges Rewards
- Delta Air Lines SkyMiles
- Emirates Skywards
- Etihad Guest
- HawaiianMiles
- Hilton Honors (1:2)
- Iberia Plus
- JetBlue TrueBlue (1:0.8)
- Marriott Bonvoy
- Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Qatar Airway Privilege Club
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Other Perks and Benefits
The Business Platinum Card offers several statement credits for spending at business-oriented vendors. If you are a small business owner, these credits may offset expenses you would otherwise charge to your Business Platinum card. Select statement credits are only available in the first year of membership.
- $400 Dell Technologies credit. Receive $200 in credits semi-annually on eligible Dell purchases through December 2024. Enrollment required.
- $360 Indeed credit. Be reimbursed up to $90 per quarter on eligible Indeed hiring and recruiting products and services through December 2024. Enrollment required.
- $150 Adobe credit. Earn a $150 annual statement credit on select Adobe purchases, including Adobe Creative Cloud and Acrobat Pro DC with e-sign through December 2024. Enrollment required.
- $120 wireless credit. Receive up to $120 annual statement credits for purchases made directly from eligible U.S. wireless telephone providers, up to $10 per month. Enrollment required.
The American Express® Business Gold Card now comes with up to $395 in statement credits annually, including a $155 Walmart+ membership credit ($12.95 each month) and up to $240 in flexible business statement credits ($20 each month) for eligible purchases at FedEx, GrubHub and office supply stores (enrollment required). Despite the additions, it doesn’t compare to the massive haul of statement credits available with the Business Platinum card.
Both cards provide a variety of consumer protections including cellphone protection, which was added to the Business Gold’s list of benefits with its latest revamp. The Amex Business Gold is also available in two colors: standard gold or rose gold.
Fees and APR
The American Express® Business Gold Card and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express are both generally designed to be paid off in full each month. Both cards do offer a “Pay Over Time” option, which allows card members to finance eligible purchases similar to a traditional credit card.
The Pay Over Time APR for these cards is often similar. Right now, it’s 19.49% - 28.49% variable APR for the Business Gold and 19.49% - 28.49% Variable for the Business Platinum.
Neither card charges foreign transaction fees.
Consider Both the American Express® Business Gold Card and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express For
Earning Maximum Membership Rewards as a Frequent Traveler
If you are interested in earning maximum Membership Rewards for your business spending, you might be interested in having both cards. If you are a business owner who can purchase your airline and hotel bookings through American Express Travel and have a lot of other spending in categories eligible for the American Express® Business Gold Card’s increased earning categories, you could stand to accumulate a ton of American Express Membership Rewards points.
In addition to earning a mountain of Membership Rewards points from strategically spreading your spending across the two cards, as a frequent traveler, you would enjoy the travel benefits of the Platinum Card. Holders of The Business Platinum card enjoy hotel status, airline lounge access, plus the many other travel benefits offered by the card.
However, most small businesses are still wise to choose only one.
Consider Neither the American Express® Business Gold Card nor The Business Platinum Card® from American Express For
Maximizing Rewards With Specific Hotels or Airlines
If you are loyal to a single airline or hotel chain, often the best way to maximize your experience is to hold one of your preferred brand’s co-branded credit cards. Many airlines and hotel chains offer small business credit cards that grant additional points on spending at their specific brands, discounts, additional perks like free checked luggage and a fast track to elite status.
If you are looking to increase your rewards from your favorite airline or hotel, consider another top business travel card.
Everyday Business Rewards and No Annual Fee
If you are interested in everyday business rewards with no annual fee, either because you value simplicity, your spending doesn’t align with category bonuses or you don’t want to pay an annual fee, consider one of the other business credit cards that might be a better fit. Several business credit cards offer 1.5% or greater rewards on everyday business purchases, and there are a number of small business credit cards available for no annual fee.
Financing Purchases
The American Express® Business Gold Card and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express allow some purchases to be paid over time with interest, but neither has a 0% intro APR offer. Small business owners looking for a way to finance purchases would be better served by other cards or other financial products.
Cash Back
The strength of Membership Rewards is that it is a transferable points currency and many American Express card members can get substantial value out of transfers to airline partners. However, if you prefer your rewards as cash back, you might want to consider one of the best cash-back business credit cards instead.
Find the Best Business Credit Cards of 2024
Bottom Line
The American Express® Business Gold Card and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express are two different products meant for two different types of small business owners. Both cards provide the excellent service that American Express is known for, but the best card for you depends on your spending and travel patterns.
The Amex Business Gold Card is the best choice if you spend heavily in its bonus categories and want to maximize the rewards you earn from the card. The Business Platinum Card might be the better fit, if you travel heavily, value airline lounge access and can take advantage of the card’s myriad travel perks.
To view rates and fees for American Express® Business Gold Card please visit this page.
To view rates and fees for The Business Platinum Card® from American Express please visit this page.
¹Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
²Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
³Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
⁴Baggage Insurance Plan coverage can be in effect for Eligible Persons for eligible lost, damaged, or stolen Baggage during their travel on a Common Carrier (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus) when the entire fare for a Common Carrier Vehicle ticket for the trip (one-way or round-trip) is charged to an eligible Account. Coverage can be provided for up to $1,250 for carry-on Baggage and up to $500 for checked Baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the Common Carrier (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus). For New York State residents, there is a $10,000 aggregate maximum limit for all Covered Persons per Covered Trip. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
⁵Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $50,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
⁶Up to $300 per Covered Trip that is delayed for more than 12 hours; and 2 claims per Eligible Card per 12 consecutive month period. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
