The Business Platinum Card American Express Review
Pros
- Comprehensive travel benefits, including access to airport lounges
- High reward point earning potential on eligible purchases
- Flexible point redemption options, including travel and statement credits
- Access to business management tools including expense tracking
- Premium customer service and assistance available 24/7
- No foreign transaction fees on international purchases
Cons
- High annual fee compared to other business credit cards
- American Express is not as widely accepted as Visa or Mastercard
- No introductory offer for new cardholders
- May not offer optimum benefits for businesses with low travel needs
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Performance test results
At DollarWise, for each credit card we test 7 different factors including the rewards, value for money, perks, insurance, strengths and weaknesses of the card.
You can see our full testing methodology here to learn why we’re the most trusted source for credit card reviews.
The The Business Platinum Card American Express has earned a 4.72 DollarWise Rating out of 5. This score is based on a weighted average of the two highest scoring factors (excluding acceptance and approval).
4.3
Rewards
0.4
Fees
4.9
Perks
1.5
Interest rates
4.3
Insurance
4.0
Acceptance
3.0
Approval
The highest scoring categories for the The Business Platinum Card American Express are perks and rewards.
These factors are weighted 70% to the highest scoring factor and 30% to the second highest score to get an overall review score.
This weighting allows us to judge cards on their merits and the customers they are designed for.
For the The Business Platinum Card American Express the most important factors for scoring this card are its perks and rewards.
Rewards
With the The Business Platinum Card American Express, here’s the rates at which you earn rewards for different spending categories per dollar you spend:
| Bills | 1.25 points |
| Pharmacy | 1.25 points |
| Gas | 1.25 points |
| Groceries | 1.25 points |
| Restaurants | 1.25 points |
| Specific Stores | 1.25 points |
| Travel | 1.25 points |
| All Other Spend | 1.25 points |
Calculating your annual rewards
We estimate that spending $2,000 per month with the The Business Platinum Card American Express would earn $600 in rewards over the year.
Our performance testing research uses an accurate estimation of the average Canadian households spending patterns to predict the rewards a card will earn.
We found that you’d earn this per category:
| All Other Spend | $600 |
Our study investigating the value found that each dollar spent on the The Business Platinum Card American Express is worth up to $0.02, depending on how you redeem.
This $600 in rewards value puts the The Business Platinum Card American Express in the top 20% of credit cards in Canada based on rewards earned.
The average credit card in our database earns $337 in rewards for the same spend that the The Business Platinum Card American Express earns $600 in rewards value.
We can compare this card to other options by looking at the earn rate by category.
This earn rate is the percentage return that you would get when you spend on this card, assuming you redeem at the predicted maximum value.
For example, if a card earned 5 points per dollar on gas and each point is worth up to $0.02, then the earn rate is 5 points multiplied by $0.02 each, divided by the dollar you spent.
In this example, that’s a 10% earn rate on gas.
| Spend | This Card | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Bills | 2.50% | 1.25% |
| Pharmacy | 2.50% | 1.17% |
| Gas | 2.50% | 1.48% |
| Groceries | 2.50% | 1.71% |
| Restaurant | 2.50% | 1.53% |
| Store | 2.50% | 1.94% |
| Travel | 2.50% | 1.19% |
| Other | 2.50% | 1.08% |
| Redemption method | Annual rewards |
|---|---|
| Transfer to partner airlines | $600 |
| Fixed points travel | $525 |
| Transfer to partner hotels | $348 |
| Redeem for travel | $300 |
| Apply to statement credit | $300 |
| Ticketmaster | $300 |
| Charity | $300 |
| Gift cards | $231 |
| Amazon.ca | $210 |
| Merchandise | $204 |
For an annual spend of $24,000, we estimated annual rewards value at up to $600.
That’s equivalent to a 2.50% return on spending.
The The Business Platinum Card American Express has an annual fee of $499. After deducting this, we predicted net annual rewards of $101.
This puts it in the bottom 30% of credit cards for net rewards after fees.
In comparison, the average card earns net annual rewards of $254.
Fees
The The Business Platinum Card American Express has a $499 annual fee.
The average card charges $85. So, the The Business Platinum Card American Express is in the top 10% of cards based on the cost of the annual fee.
Perks
We manually review the perks of each credit card to determine how they compare to other cards.
The The Business Platinum Card American Express scored a 4.9 out of 5 for perks, putting it in the top 10% of cards.
The average card scores 1.6 out of 5 for perks.
Interest Rates
| Purchase | N/A% |
| Cash Advance | N/A% |
| Balance Transfer | N/A% |
The average (median) credit card has a purchase interest rate of 19.99% and so the The Business Platinum Card American Express charges 19.99% less than the average.
For cash advances it costs N/A% compared to the average of 19.96%.
Testing the The Business Platinum Card American Express with a $2,000 starting balance, you can see in the graph how the 19.99% less in interest rates impacts the interest over a year, compared to the average card.
Insurance coverage
| Insurance | This Card | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Extended Warranty | 1 year | 1 year |
| Purchase Protection | 90 days | 90 days |
| Travel Accident | $500,000 | $500,000 |
| Emergency Medical Term | 15 days | 15 days |
| Trip Cancellation | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| Trip Interruption | $1,500 | $2,000 |
| Flight Delay | $1,000 | $500 |
| Baggage Delay | $1,000 | $500 |
| Lost or Stolen Baggage | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| Rental Car Theft & Damage | Yes | No |
| Hotel Burglary | $1,000 | $1,000 |
We scored it 4.3 out of 5 for insurance.
It offers 11 types of insurance, whereas the average card has 5 types of coverage.
Approval and qualifying
| Do I qualify? | |
|---|---|
| Estimated Credit Score | 660 – 724 |
| Personal Income | $0 |
| Household Income | $0 |
| Fees | |
|---|---|
| Annual Fee | $499 |
| Extra Card Fee | $0 |
| Card type | AMEX |
We scored it 3.0 out of 5 for approval.
We predict that you will require a credit score of at least 660 to qualify for the The Business Platinum Card American Express, while the average card requires 652 to qualify.
This puts it in the top bottom 50% of cards by approval difficulty.
The personal income requirements are $0, while the average card requires $23,896.
This puts it in the top 50% of cards by the income required to qualify.
The Business Platinum Card from American Express is a popular and powerful option for businesses looking for a premium credit card with robust rewards and benefits. In this review, we will examine the earning potential, the four key benefits, two drawbacks, and other relevant details surrounding this card.
Earning potential with the card
The Business Platinum Card offers Membership Rewards points as its rewards currency. Cardholders earn 1.25 points for every dollar spent on eligible purchases, with no limit to the amount of points that can be earned.
There are no category-specific bonuses, but the straightforward 1.25 points per dollar offer a consistent return across a wide range of business expenses.
Benefits
- Travel Benefits: One of the primary advantages of this card is the comprehensive travel benefits. Cardholders receive complimentary airport lounge access, which includes the prestigious global lounge collection and the American Express Global Lounge Collection™.
This benefit covers over 1,200 airport lounges across 130 countries, providing a prime travel experience for busy business professionals. - Travel Insurance: The Business Platinum Card also offers a generous suite of travel insurance. Coverage includes travel emergency medical insurance, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, car rental theft and damage insurance, lost or stolen baggage insurance, and more.
The overall travel coverage provided by this card enhances peace of mind for frequent business travelers. - Business Management Tools: The card’s business management tools are another significant advantage. They facilitate seamless expense tracking and allocation, simplifying the accounting process and enabling cardholders to easily categorize their transactions.
The additional support provided by the American Express customer service team further streamlines these processes, ensuring a stress-free business experience. - Rewards Redemption Options: Lastly, the card offers a compelling set of rewards redemption options.
With the Membership Rewards program, cardholders can redeem points for statement credits, book flights, hotels, and other travel arrangements using the fixed points travel rewards, or even transfer points to a selection of hotel and airline loyalty programs.
These options enhance the value proposition of the card’s rewards system.
Drawbacks
- Drawback: A significant drawback of the Business Platinum Card is the high annual fee. At $499, the fee might be off-putting for businesses with lower expenses or those who are not interested in premium travel benefits.
The value provided by the card’s rewards structure and various benefits should be carefully weighed against this cost. - Drawback: Another drawback of this card is that it’s a charge card, meaning cardholders are required to pay off their balance in full each month. While this can promote responsible spending habits, it may not be suitable for businesses looking for the option to carry an outstanding balance from month to month.
Additional information
Potential users interested in this card might consider pairing it with a complementary credit card that offers category-specific bonuses to enhance their overall rewards potential. Additionally, it’s important to remember that an excellent credit score is typically necessary to qualify for the Business Platinum Card from American Express.
In conclusion, The Business Platinum Card by American Express offers a comprehensive and premium package for businesses looking to maximize rewards and travel benefits.
While the card does have its drawbacks, such as a high annual fee and a balance that must be paid off in full each month, its overall benefits have a powerful appeal to the target market.
Not the right fit? You could consider the Visa Desjardins Business Card. Or, if you’re looking for other options check out the RBC Business Cash Back Mastercard, and the RBC Visa Business Card.
FAQ
Key benefits
- 50,000 Membership Rewards points bonus after spending $7,000 within first three months
- Earn 1.25 points per $1 spent on eligible purchases
- Enjoy complimentary access to over 1,200 international airport lounges in 130 countries
- Earn 1 point per $1 spent on purchases at airlines, hotels, car rental agencies, and more
- Complimentary access to American Express Global Lounge Collection
- Redeem points for travel, merchandise, gift cards or statement credits
- Invitations to exclusive Cardmember events and experiences
- Annual fee of $499
- Complimentary Boingo Wi-Fi hotspot access worldwide
- Purchase Assurance and Extended Warranty protection on eligible items
- Access to Amex Offers for discounts at participating merchants
- Travel Emergency Assistance and Car Rental Theft and Damage Insurance
