Who should and shouldn’t get the Business Platinum Card from Amex

If you’re a small-business owner who is ready for a business credit card, it might be time to think about applying for The Business Platinum® Card from American Express. The Amex Business Platinum card is one of our best travel credit cards and a best business credit cards. It’s designed for big spenders willing to pay a $695 annual fee in exchange for an array of rewards, benefits and travel perks.

With that in mind, let’s dig into who should – and who shouldn’t – apply for the Amex Business Platinum card.

Benefits to know

The Business Platinum card offers a number of high-level benefits for small-business owners, including hundreds of dollars in annual credits, plenty of opportunities to earn and redeem Membership Rewards Points and one of the biggest welcome bonuses in the industry.

Let’s start with the Business Platinum card’s rewards structure:

• 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar on all flights and prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel
• 1.5 points per dollar on eligible purchases in key business categories as well as on qualifying purchases of $5,000 or more (on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year)
• 1 point per dollar on general purchases
• 120,000 points after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases in the first three months of card membership

As you can see, the Amex Business Platinum card rewards big spenders – and if you’re ready to pay the $695 annual fee to access the Amex Business Platinum, here are some of the benefits you can enjoy:

• Up to $200 airline fee statement credit per year at one qualifying airline
• Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fee credit
• Up to $179 Clear credit per year
• Up to $400 in the form of statement credits per year for U.S. Dell purchases by getting up to $200 semi-annually (terms apply, enrollment required)
• Up to $120 in statement credits per year for wireless telephone purchases
• Complimentary airport lounge access
• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
• Trip delay insurance
• Car rental loss and damage insurance
• Pay Over Time option on purchases of $100 or more

What do nearly all of these Amex Business Platinum benefits have in common? Travel.

If you take a lot of business trips as a small-business owner, the Amex Business Platinum could make your travel experience a lot more enjoyable and rewarding – whether you’re earning points on every flight you book through Amex Travel or using your complimentary American Express Global Lounge access to relax before your trip.

Who should get the Amex Business Platinum?

American Express’s Business Platinum card is designed for small-business owners who have an excellent credit history and a willingness to invest in their business’s credit card strategy.

Big spenders will find a lot to love about this card, starting with the extra points bonus you’ll earn on all qualifying purchases of $5,000 or more. If you’re ready to start booking all your business flights and hotels through American Express Travel, you’ll really start racking up those Membership Rewards points. Add in the 120,000-point welcome bonus (after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases in the first three months), and you could quickly end up with enough points to cover the cost of your next trip.

Of course, savvy cardholders will take the time to learn how to maximize their American Express Membership Rewards points, which means understanding how Amex Membership Rewards redemption options work and which options offer the most value per point. One of the best ways to redeem your Membership Rewards points, for example, is to use American Express Pay with Points to book travel on your designated qualifying airline ­– that is, the airline you’ve selected for your annual $200 airline fee credit.

To make this card’s rewards even better for business travelers, the Business Platinum boosts airline reward redemption value by offering a 35% bonus on your points when you use all or part of them to purchase a flight on a selected qualifying airline booked through amextravel.com.

If big spending and robust travel benefits sound like a fit for your small business, then the American Express Business Platinum card could be right for you.

Who shouldn’t get the Amex Business Platinum?

Since nearly all of the Amex Business Platinum benefits reward travel, small-business owners who don’t do a lot of traveling probably won’t benefit from this card. Not only do non-travelers not rack up points as quickly, but you’ll also miss out on the travel-related perks and 35% redemption boost on qualifying airline purchases that really make this card valuable for the right cardholder.

Luckily, you have plenty of other options if you’re looking for the best business credit card for your growing business. Start by asking yourself where your business does the most spending and where you’re hoping to grow. If you’re currently putting a lot of money into online advertising, for example, consider a business credit card that rewards advertising spending.

One last tip from a small-business owner with nearly a decade of experience: If your small business isn’t pulling in enough revenue to afford a $695 annual fee, the Amex Business Platinum card is probably not the best choice for you. If you’re still hoping to earn Membership Rewards points and take advantage of the high level of service and benefits that American Express offers, you might want to consider another American Express credit card, such as the no-annual-fee American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card.

Bottom line

The American Express Business Platinum Card is designed for small-business owners who want to use a premium card to take their business to the next level. Yes, the Amex Business Platinum charges a hefty annual fee – but the Amex Business Platinum benefits could help you earn back the cost of that fee and much more, as long as you know how to maximize the rewards and perks that come with your Business Platinum card.

Is the Amex Business Platinum right for you? Start by asking yourself if your business is ready to spend at the level that will get the most rewards out of this card. Then ask yourself if you’re planning on traveling often enough to take advantage of the Amex Business Platinum’s benefits. Once you have the answer to both of these questions, you should know whether it’s time to apply for this card or whether you should consider other options.