With a 75,000 bonus and many perks, your American Express dream begins here.
Notice: The American Express Business Platinum recently went through some major changes. View changes here.
Let’s cut to the chase; you MUST get referred for this card. The American Express Business Platinum comes with a 75,000 bonus points with $5,000 spend in the first three months with a referral. The welcome bonus drops by 35,000 to a mere 40,000 points without a referral.
The earn rate on this card is 1.25 American Express Membership Reward (MR) points per dollar spent; very low if you consider the rates that other American Express card provides. Nonetheless, if you have tons and tons of money to spend, then the earn rate shouldn’t be an issue; this is a luxury card after all.
The annual fee of this card is $399, and it is worth every penny if you can meet the $5,000 spend requirement. The bonus alone justifies the card fee, as transferring those 75,000 points to Aeroplan will net you a flight from Canada to Asia. Click here if you’d like to apply through my referral; it would be greatly appreciated if you do!
But wait, why does my Amex dream begin here?
The answer: the American Express Refer a Friend program.
With the American Express Business Platinum Card, users will be able to refer themselves onto most of the Membership Reward cards that are offered by Amex. This includes: The Personal Gold, Business Gold and Personal Platinum Cards. Now here’s the exciting bit; You will earn BOTH the referrer and referee’s bonus points. As long as you meet the minimum spend of each card, all of the bonus points will transfer to your account.
What else makes this card a ‘Platinum’ card?
In terms of benefits, the Business Platinum card comes with access to both the American Express and Centurion lounge collections, as well as a membership to Priority Pass. Cardholders are allowed to bring themselves and one guest to each American Express lounge they visit at no charge. However, the Priority Pass subscription does not include any lounge passes; a $27 USD charge per guest will be applied to your card.
The Business Platinum Card Concierge that comes with your card is second to none in service. The concierge team is highly professional and can help you take care of travel planning from flights to restaurants to almost anything else you can think of.
Are there things I need to do once I get the card? (SPG & Marriott Gold Status)
You’ll need to call in through the American Express hotline in order to activate several statuses that are complimentary with the card. For individuals that frequent hotels, these are invaluable. With them, you’ll be able to earn additional points, as well as take advantage of complimentary internet, room upgrades (when available) among many other perks.
- SPG Gold Preferred Guest & Marriott Gold Status : Currently, the American Express Platinum Card offers an immediate upgrade to the SPG Gold Status when you call in.
- Marriott Gold Elite Status: Since Marriott and SPG are merging in 2018, the two companies are offering a status match for members on both platforms. Once you obtain the SPG Gold Status, call Marriott in order to upgrade your Marriott account to Gold Elite Status.
To sum it all up…
For most, this card only holds significant value when the user can meet the $5,000 minimum spend to capitalize on the 75,000 bonus points. Once that spend has been fulfilled, other cards offer a much better earn rate. The lounge benefits, hotel statuses and concierge make this card a must-bring any time you are flying. However, without the 75,000 bonus, I don’t think the perks alone would justify the $399 price tag.
Here’s a summary of what the card has to offer:
- 75,000 bonus points once you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months
- 1.25 American Express MR per dollar spent
- Access to the American Express lounge collection (unlimited passes) and the priority pass lounge collection (Each lounge pass is $27USD).
- SPG Gold Preferred Guest Status and Marriott Gold Elite Status
- American Express Platinum Concierge Service
- $399 annual fee
Click here for more details on the American Express Business Platinum Card.
Points Smart 