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Amex Platinum vs. Amex Business Platinum at a glance
Annual Fee
Both the Amex Platinum and Amex Business Platinum charge a substantial annual fee of $695. This high fee reflects the ultra-premium benefits and services offered by both cards.
Winner: Tie.
Rewards
Both cards offer valuable Membership Rewards points, but with different earning structures:
Amex Platinum:
- 5x Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year)
- 5x Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel
- 1x points on other eligible purchases
Amex Business Platinum:
- 5x points on flights and prepaid hotel stays booked through amextravel.com
- 1.5x points on qualifying purchases of $5,000 or more (on up to $2 million per card account per calendar year. Purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus)
- 1x points on all other eligible purchases
Winner: The Amex Business Platinum edges the personal Platinum card out thanks to its 1.5x bonus categories, which can be particularly valuable for business owners with high expenses.
Redeeming Rewards
Both cards allow you to redeem points through Amex Travel or transfer to travel partners. Both cards have access to an identical lineup of transfer partners, which you can learn more about in our complete guide to Membership Rewards. Transferring points to partners is by far the most lucrative way to use your points, with one possible exception.
Here’s the key difference: The Amex Business Platinum offers a 35% points rebate when you use Pay with Points for first or business class flights on any airline, or economy flights on your selected qualifying airline (up to 1 million points back per calendar year).Winner: The Amex Business Platinum wins for its 35% points rebate, which can significantly boost the value of your points for certain flight redemptions.
Welcome Offer
The Amex Platinum currently offers 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of card membership.
The Amex Business Platinum offers 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases within the first 3 months of card membership.
Winner: The Amex Business Platinum offers a higher welcome bonus, but it also requires significantly more spending in a shorter time frame. For businesses that can meet the higher spending requirement, it’s the clear winner. But it’s important to mention that Amex frequently has targeted offers so you may see different welcome bonuses even if you use a different browser or an incognito window.
Perks
Both the Amex Platinum and Amex Business Platinum offer a wide array of premium benefits, many of which come in the form of statement credits. It’s important to note that these credits are often distributed in monthly or semi-annual increments and are typically use-or-lose, meaning unused credits don’t roll over.
Before I list them, I want to really stress how exasperating it can be to have either version of the Amex Platinum when it comes to using these credits. Even as someone who has been writing about credit cards for over a decade, I lose value on my Platinum card unless I remember to order UberEats by the last day of the month. So keep the breakage in mind when you consider the credits.
The Platinum Card® from American Express:
- up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your card
- up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash is available to Basic Card Member only (Terms Apply)
- up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay
- Up to $240 digital entertainment credit ($20/month for select streaming services)
- Up to $155 Walmart+ credit ($12.95/month)
- Up to $100 Saks Fifth Avenue credit (given in $50 increments semi-annually. $50 Jan-June, $50 July-Dec)
- Up to $300 Equinox credit ($25/month)
- $199 CLEAR® credit
- $120 Global Entry or $85 TSA PreCheck® credit (every 4 years)
- Airport lounge access (including Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs when flying Delta, and Priority Pass Select)
- Hilton Honors Gold status
- Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status
- Rental car elite status with Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, Avis Preferred, and National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive
- Travel and purchase protections
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express:
- Up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to the card (select one qualifying airline)
- Up to $400 Dell technologies credit ($200 Jan-June, $200 July-Dec) until December 31, 2024
- Up to $360 Indeed credit ($90 per quarter)
- Up to $150 Adobe credit ($150 annual)
- Up to $120 wireless credit ($10/month on U.S. wireless telephone services)
- $199 in statement credits per calendar year on your CLEAR® Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal)
- $120 Global Entry or $85 TSA PreCheck® credit (every 4 years)
- Airport lounge access (including Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs when flying Delta, and Priority Pass Select)
- 35% Airline Bonus when using Pay with Points for flights (up to 1 million points back per calendar year)
- Hilton Honors Gold status
- Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status
- Rental car elite status with Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, Avis Preferred, and National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive
- Travel and purchase protections
Winner: I’m giving this one to the consumer Amex Platinum, especially with the business card’s Dell credit expiring at the end of the year.
To view rates and fees of the The Platinum Card® from American Express, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the , see this page.
The Takeaway
Choose the Amex Platinum if:
- You value luxury travel perks and lifestyle benefits for personal use
- You frequently book flights directly with airlines
- You can maximize the card’s various statement credits
Choose the Amex Business Platinum if:
- You’re a business owner with high annual expenses
- You frequently book business travel through Amex Travel
- You can take advantage of the business-oriented statement credits
Both the Amex Platinum and Amex Business Platinum are worth holding for different reasons, but I ended up closing my Business Platinum and keeping the Platinum open because the credits on the Platinum better matched my spending. If Amex re-ups the Dell credit on the Business Platinum, I might reconsider.
Your choice ultimately depends on whether you’re looking for a personal or business card, your spending patterns, and which set of benefits align better with your needs. Remember, the Amex Business Platinum requires you to have a business to be eligible, while the personal Platinum is open to all qualified applicants.
Learn more: See our comparison of the Amex Platinum vs. the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
Please note that card details are accurate as of the publish date, but are subject to change at any time at the discretion of the issuer. Please contact the card issuer to verify rates, fees, and benefits before applying.
Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefits guide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
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