Introduction

The Amex Platinum Business Card is one of the most premium business credit cards available, with a $595 annual fee. To ensure you're getting your money's worth, here's how to maximize the card's many benefits.

Maximizing the Rewards

With the Amex Platinum Business Card, you earn:

• 5 points on flights and prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel.
• 1.5 points on credit card swipes totaling $5,000 or more.
• 1.5 points on purchases in the following categories:
  • Construction material and hardware suppliers
  • Electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers
  • Shipping providers
• 1 point everywhere else (up to $2M annually in spend).

While these rewards may not stand out unless your business frequently makes transactions of $5,000 or more, the card’s no preset credit limit provides additional spending power.

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Get 35% of Your Points Back When Booking Airfare

With the Amex Platinum Business Card, you get 35% of your points back when you book an eligible flight through Amex Travel using Membership Rewards points (up to 500,000 points back per calendar year).

How It Works:

• Preferred Airline: Choose one U.S. airline annually in January to qualify for the 35% rebate on flights booked with points.
  • Eligible airlines: American, Southwest, United, Delta, JetBlue, Alaska, Frontier, Hawaiian, Spirit.
• First or Business Class: Get 35% points back on first or business class tickets on any airline, regardless of your preferred airline.

Value: This rebate effectively gives you a 1.54 cents per point value.

More Ways of Redeeming Rewards

Transfer to Airlines: Amex Membership Rewards points can be transferred to various airline partners. Here’s a snapshot of transfer ratios and times:

AirlineTransfer RatioTransfer TimeAer Lingus, AerClub1:1InstantDelta, SkyMiles1:1InstantBritish Airways, Executive Club1:1InstantVirgin Atlantic, Flying Club1:1~24 hours

Transfer to Hotels: Amex points can also be transferred to hotel partners like:

Hotel PartnerTransfer RatioTransfer TimeHilton Honors1:2InstantMarriott Bonvoy1:1Instant

Other Redemption Options:

• Cashback: Points can cover charges on your Amex card at a low value (0.6 cents per point).
• Shopping with Points: Get 0.7 cents per point on Amazon.
• Gift Cards & Merchandise: Typically offers 0.5 cents per point—another low-value redemption.

Invest with Rewards:

• Morgan Stanley: Transfer points to your Morgan Stanley account at 1 cent per point.
• Charles Schwab: Transfer points to your Schwab account at 1.10 cents per point.

Note: The Charles Schwab Platinum card has a $695 annual fee, while the Morgan Stanley card does not. Ensure you have enough points to justify the higher fee.

Maximizing the Statement Credits

The Amex Platinum Business Card comes with several valuable statement credits:

• $200 Annual Airline Incidental Fee Credit: Covers baggage fees, seat upgrades, and more. Enrollment and airline selection required.
• $400 Dell Credit: $200 credit twice a year for Dell purchases.
• $179 CLEAR Credit: Covers the full membership fee for CLEAR.
• $360 Indeed Credit: $90 per quarter for Indeed purchases.
• $150 Adobe Credit: Annual credit for Adobe subscriptions.
• $120 Wireless Credit: $10 monthly credit for wireless bills.
• TSA Precheck and Global Entry: Up to $100 credit for these programs.

Hot Tip: Authorized users on the Platinum level also get their own TSA Precheck/Global Entry credit.

Maximizing Airport Lounge Access

The Amex Platinum Business Card offers access to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide through partnerships with major lounge networks.

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With the Platinum Business Card, you gain complimentary elite status with select hotel chains and car rental agencies:

• Marriott Gold Status: Upgrades, lounge access, late checkout.
• Hilton Gold Status: Upgrades, lounge access, late checkout.
• National Emerald Club Executive Status: Choose any car from the Emerald Club Executive line.
• Hertz President Circle: Complimentary upgrade, extended return time.

Pro Tip: Use your elite status to match with other hotel chains or car rentals for more benefits.

Maximizing Protections When Traveling

The Amex Platinum Business Card offers strong travel protections:

• No Foreign Transaction Fees: Shop abroad without extra fees.
• Trip Cancellation Insurance: Up to $10,000 per person per trip.
• Auto Rental Collision Insurance: Secondary coverage up to $75,000.
• Lost Luggage Reimbursement: Up to $2,000 per person.
• Trip Delay Reimbursement: Up to $500 for delays of 6+ hours.

Maximizing Protections When Shopping

Enjoy superior purchase protections:

• Return Protection: Refunds for up to 90 days, max $300 per claim.
• Extended Warranty: Adds one year to warranties, max $10,000 per claim.
• Purchase Protection: Covers damage, loss, or theft up to $10,000 per claim.
• Cell Phone Protection: Up to $800 per claim for damage or theft, with a $50 deductible.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: My Amex Platinum card includes TSA Precheck or Global Entry credit. Do I get both?
• A: TSA Precheck membership includes Global Entry.
• Q: Can I use two Platinum Business cards to get the $200 Dell credit on each?
• A: Yes, as long as the purchases meet the criteria.