Business Platinum Card® from American Express Review

Updated October 14, 20268 min read

This is Amex's top small business card, and at $799 a year it is a travel card first. The business-side earning is deliberately plain: 1.25 Membership Rewards points on every dollar, no categories, no caps. What you are paying for is the Global Lounge Collection, Marriott and Hilton Gold status, Fine Hotels + Resorts, a $200 travel credit and a set of business credits.

I'd point a business owner here when two things are true: you travel for work several times a year, and the business puts serious spend on a card. From what I can tell, the trade against the personal Platinum is earning style. The personal card pays 2x on dining and travel and 1x elsewhere; this one pays 1.25x on everything, which tends to favour a business whose biggest costs are not restaurants and flights.

The bonus

Welcome offer

The Business Platinum Card is advertising up to 120,000 Membership Rewards points, verified on the Amex page on October 13, 2026. The first 80,000 points arrive after $15,000 in net purchases in your first 3 months. The other 40,000 points need only one purchase of any amount charged between months 15 and 17 of membership, which means keeping the card into a second paid year.

Amex frames the full offer as up to $1,200 in statement credits, which is the floor value at 1 cent per point (cpp); transferring to airline partners can stretch it further. The eligibility rule is stricter than on many Amex cards: current or former American Express Small Business Cardmembers may be approved but will not get the bonus. No end date is published, so confirm the current terms on the issuer's page before applying.

Total welcome bonus120,000 Membership Rewards points

Up to $1,200 in statement credits (Amex's figure)

1First 3 months+80,000on $15,000 spend

2Months 15 to 17+40,000on Any purchase spend

Insider tip

Map the $15,000 before you apply. That is $5,000 a month for three months, which suits a business with real recurring costs (inventory, contractors, software, advertising) and is a stretch for a side business. If you already hold or have held any Amex small business card, read the eligibility line twice: the bonus is off the table even if the application is approved.

What it costs

Fees & eligibility

The card costs $799 a year, with no first-year waiver. Employee Business Platinum Cards are $250 each a year and come with their own lounge access, while Employee Business Gold Cards are free, up to 99 cards on the account. Supplementary cardholders must be the age of majority, and their spend earns points into the business owner's account.

This is a charge card with no pre-set spending limit, which is not the same as unlimited: Amex approves purchases based on your credit and account history and may ask for proof of resources. Due in Full balances must be paid every month (a 30% rate applies to delinquent Due in Full charges), and eligible purchases can be moved to the Flexible Payment Option at 21.99%. Foreign currency purchases carry a 2.5% conversion charge. Amex does not print a minimum income for this card.

Annual fee$799

Supplementary card$250 / yr (Employee Business Gold Cards: $0)

Points per dollar

Earning rewards

Earning is as simple as it gets: 1.25 Membership Rewards points per dollar on all purchases, with no categories to track and no cap. Employee card spend earns into the same points account, so a team's travel, software and supplier bills all build one balance.

The flat rate is the main difference from the personal Platinum, which earns 2x on dining, food delivery and travel, 3x on hotels and car rentals booked through American Express Travel Online, and 1x on everything else. If your business spend is mostly advertising, suppliers, software or equipment, 1.25x on all of it usually beats a 1x base rate. If it is mostly restaurants and flights, the personal card earns more per dollar.

All purchasesEvery eligible purchase, no categories and no annual cap1.25x

Points are earned by the Basic Cardmember on net purchases; interest, fees and cash-equivalent transactions do not earn. Only individuals, not companies, can hold a Membership Rewards points account. Points used for statement credits are worth 1 cpp (1,000 points for $10).

Getting value out

Redeeming rewards

Membership Rewards is the most flexible bank currency in Canada, and the Business Platinum gets full access. Points transfer to 8 partners, including Aeroplan, Air France KLM Flying Blue, British Airways Avios and Hilton Honors at 1:1, and Marriott Bonvoy at 1:1.2. That is where business owners usually find better than 1 cpp, especially on premium cabin flights.

The simple floor is a statement credit against any eligible purchase on the card, at 1,000 points for $10. You can also book through American Express Travel with the Flexible Points Travel Program, pay for Air Canada flights with points, buy gift cards or pay at Amazon.ca. The Fixed Points Travel Program, which covers the base fare on eligible return flights for a set number of points, stays on this card after January 6, 2027, but only by phone.

Transfer to airline and hotel partnersAeroplan, Flying Blue, Avios and Hilton at 1:1, Marriott at 1:1.2, Asia Miles and Delta at 1:0.75, ALL Accor at 1:0.5.

Statement credits1,000 points = $10 against any eligible purchase charged to the card: the 1 cpp floor.

American Express TravelBook flights, hotels and cars with points through the Flexible Points Travel Program.

Fixed Points TravelSet points prices on eligible return flights; from January 6, 2027 available to this card by phone only.

Beyond the points

Perks & benefits

The headline is the American Express Global Lounge Collection: more than 1,550 lounges, including The Centurion Lounge, Plaza Premium and Priority Pass. Access is unlimited today, but from January 1, 2027 the basic cardholder gets 6 complimentary visits a year each at Plaza Premium and Priority Pass (2 each for employee Platinum cards), with guests drawing from the same count. Reaching $20,000 in eligible spend in a calendar year unlocks unlimited Plaza Premium and Priority Pass visits for the rest of that year and the next. Centurion and the other lounges stay unlimited, and Employee Business Gold Cards get no lounge access.

The rest of the travel package matches the personal Platinum: a $200 Annual Travel Credit on a single booking of $200 or more through American Express Travel, Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite and Hilton Honors Gold status, Fine Hotels + Resorts, The Hotel Collection, a NEXUS credit of up to $100 every 4 years, and Toronto Pearson perks. The business extras are up to $120 a year in wireless credits, Dell and Indeed credits (up to $200 and $300 a year) that end December 31, 2026, up to $240 a year with Instacart until December 31, 2027, quarterly and annual expense reports, and Employee Card Misuse Protection of up to $100,000.

Global Lounge Collection1,550+ lounges; from January 1, 2027, 6 Plaza Premium and 6 Priority Pass visits a year unless you spend $20,000 in a calendar year.

$200 Annual Travel CreditOnce per membership year on a single travel booking of $200 or more through American Express Travel.

Hotel statusMarriott Bonvoy Gold Elite and Hilton Honors Gold, plus Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection benefits.

Business creditsUp to $120 a year for wireless bills; Dell (up to $200) and Indeed (up to $300) credits until December 31, 2026.

Employee Card Misuse ProtectionUp to $100,000 per Cardmember for unauthorized employee charges if you cancel the card within 2 business days of terminating the employee.

Expense Management ReportsQuarterly and annual reports sortable by vendor or spend category, to separate business and personal costs.

Coverage included

Insurance

Travel coverage is underwritten by Belair Insurance and headed by $5 million of emergency medical for the first 15 days of a trip, for insured persons age 64 or under; there is no medical coverage at 65 or older. Trip cancellation pays up to $1,500 per person and $3,000 per trip, and trip interruption up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip, on travel charged to the card or booked with Membership Rewards points. Both cancellation limits are lower than on the personal Platinum ($2,500 and $5,000).

The rest is solid. Flight delay of 4 hours or more and baggage delay of 6 hours share a $1,000 limit, lost baggage and hotel burglary pay up to $1,000 each, and rental cars with an MSRP up to $85,000 are covered for theft and damage for up to 48 days with no deductible. Purchases are protected for 90 days, warranties are extended by a year, and Mobile Device Insurance covers business-use phones up to $1,500, which the personal Platinum does not include.

Emergency travel medicalUp to $5,000,000 for the first 15 days of a trip, age 64 or under on departure. No coverage at 65+.

Trip cancellationUp to $1,500 per person and $3,000 per trip; travel charged to the card or booked with Membership Rewards points.

Trip interruptionUp to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip, plus out-of-pocket expenses of $100 per day to $1,000.

Flight and baggage delayFlight delay of 4+ hours and baggage delay of 6+ hours share a $1,000 limit.

Lost baggage and hotel burglaryUp to $1,000 each per occurrence.

Car rental theft and damageMSRP up to $85,000, rentals up to 48 days, no deductible. Decline the agency's CDW.

Travel accidentUp to $500,000 when the full fare is charged to the card.

Purchase Protection and Buyer's Assurance90 days, $1,000 per occurrence; manufacturer warranty extended up to 1 extra year.

Mobile Device InsuranceUp to $1,500 per occurrence for business-use devices bought or financed on the card; depreciated value less a 10% deductible.

Opinion

My take

JasonRated 6.6 / 10

I'd get this card if my business travelled several times a year and ran more than $20,000 a year through one card; a business that rarely flies should skip it.

The $799 case rests on the airport and the hotel. Lounge access, Marriott and Hilton Gold, Fine Hotels + Resorts and the $200 travel credit carry most of the value, and the flat 1.25x rate turns ordinary business spend into transferable points without any category planning. The 2027 lounge change matters here: below $20,000 a year in spend, Plaza Premium and Priority Pass drop to 6 visits each.

I'd also go in clear-eyed about the welcome offer. 80,000 points for $15,000 in three months is a big hurdle, the last 40,000 means paying a second $799 fee, and any past Amex small business card rules you out. If your business mostly spends on dining and travel, I would look at the personal Platinum's 2x categories first.

The good

Flat 1.25x Membership Rewards on all business spend, no caps
Global Lounge Collection, Marriott and Hilton Gold, $200 travel credit
Free Employee Gold Cards and Employee Card Misuse Protection

The catch

$799 fee and 2.5% on foreign currency purchases
$15,000 in 3 months for the first 80,000 points
No medical cover at 65+; lounge visits capped from 2027 under $20,000

— Jason

Questions

Frequently asked

Can a sole proprietor apply for the Business Platinum Card?

Yes. Amex says you do not need to run a large corporation: sole proprietors, self-employed individuals and business owners may be eligible, subject to approval. You must be a Canadian resident with a Canadian credit file and the age of majority in your province or territory, and the application asks for business details and income information.

Is the $799 annual fee waived in the first year?

No. The fee is $799 from the first year. Employee Business Platinum Cards are $250 each a year, and Employee Business Gold Cards are free, up to 99 on the account.

Who is eligible for the welcome offer?

Only new Business Platinum Cardmembers. Current or former American Express Small Business Cardmembers may be approved but are not eligible for the bonus. The 80,000 points need $15,000 in net purchases in the first 3 months, and the 40,000 points need one purchase between months 15 and 17.

How is lounge access changing in 2027?

From January 1, 2027, the basic cardholder gets 6 complimentary visits a year each at Plaza Premium and Priority Pass lounges, and employee Business Platinum cardholders get 2 each. Spending $20,000 in eligible purchases on the account in a calendar year unlocks unlimited visits for the rest of that year and the next. The Centurion Lounge and other Global Lounge Collection lounges stay unlimited.

Does the card charge foreign transaction fees?

Yes. Purchases in a foreign currency are converted to Canadian dollars with a 2.5% conversion charge.

Is there a spending limit?

It is a charge card with no pre-set spending limit, which does not mean unlimited spending. Amex approves purchases based on your credit history, account history and resources, and Due in Full balances must be paid every month.

How does it differ from the personal Platinum Card?

Both cost $799 and share the lounge, hotel status and $200 travel credit benefits. The business card earns a flat 1.25x instead of 2x on dining and travel and 1x elsewhere, has lower trip cancellation limits ($1,500 per person vs $2,500), adds Mobile Device Insurance and business credits, and offers free Employee Gold Cards.