The Business Platinum Card from American Express is arguably the leading business travel rewards credit card in Canada. It's got it all: best-in-class travel perks, a high base earn rate in a transferable points currency, and the premium allure of a flashy metal finish. Despite the steep annual fee, the welcome bonus, annual $200 travel credit, and the ongoing benefits might even tempt you to keep it for years to come.
Bonuses & Fees
The Business Platinum Card from American Express is currently offering up to 150,000 Membership Rewards points as a welcome bonus, structured as follows:
- Earn 110,000 MR points upon spending $15,000 in the first three months
- Earn 40,000 MR points upon making a purchase in months 14–17 as a cardholder
The card has an annual fee of $799. You're able to add additional Business Platinum Cards for $250, or Business Gold Cards for free.
You can also earn 20,000 MR points for every successful referral you make to any eligible card in the Membership Rewards family, up to a maximum of 225,000 MR points per calendar year.
Earning Rewards
In terms of earning points on your everyday spending, the Business Platinum Card offers a straightforward 1.25 MR per dollar spent on all purchases – no need to worry about different rates for each category.
Redeeming Rewards
The Membership Rewards program offers outstanding redemption opportunities. This is primarily because it’s a flexible, transferable rewards currency.
You can transfer your MR points to these airline and hotel programs at the following rates:
- Aeroplan at a 1:1 ratio
- British Airways Executive Club at a 1:1 ratio
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Air France KLM Flying Blue) at a 1:0.75 ratio
- Delta SkyMiles at a 1:0.75 ratio
- Etihad Guest at a 1:0.75 ratio
- Marriott Bonvoy at a 1:1.2 ratio
- Hilton Honors at a 1:1 ratio
Lastly, you have the option of redeeming MR points directly against travel purchases at a rate of 1 cent per point (cpp), although this is typically not recommended, as the value pales in comparison to what you could get by booking flights through Aeroplan, Avios, or even the Fixed Points Travel chart.
Perks & Benefits
As with the Platinum Card, the Business Platinum Card also comes with similar outstanding travel-related benefits.
Chief among these is the complimentary airport lounge access at over 1,300 lounges worldwide through the American Express Global Lounge Collection.
The American Express Global Lounge Collection includes Plaza Premium Lounges, Delta Sky Club, Airspace Lounges, Escape Lounges - The Centurion Studio Partner, Executive Lounges by Swissport, and most notable American Express' own Centurion Lounges, plus Priority Pass membership.
Priority Pass membership grants you (and one guest) access to more than 600 Priority Pass airport lounges all over the world for free. Most major airports have a Priority Pass lounge, meaning that you'll rarely be without a relaxing space before your flight to grab a drink or a quick meal, away from the crowds at the gate.
American Express' Centurion Lounges are some of the more exclusive lounges available, in part because you can only access them by holding one of the few eligible American Express cards, alongside a boarding pass for the same day.
Centurion Lounges are some of the best lounges that your Business Platinum credit card can unlock, and you can expect top-quality food and drink inspired by regional tastes, plus comfortable interiors that showcase local design principles. Additionally, the Centurion Lounge benefit comes with a generous guest policy that allows you, as a Business Platinum Card holder, to bring in two guests for free!
Beyond airport lounge access, as a Platinum cardholder, you'll also be automatically bestowed with Marriott Gold Elite status and Hilton Gold status. These fast-tracked membership levels come with their own series of valuable benefits when staying at each chain.
Another outstanding benefit is access to American Express's Fine Hotels & Resorts program, which allows you to book special rates at select luxury hotels around the world. These rates include perks such as suite upgrades, daily breakfast for two, and benefits unique to each property (examples include a private airport transfer or a spa & dining credit). The FHR program often pops up with third-night-free or fourth-night-free offers as well, meaning that there's plenty of good deals to be had.
As a Business Platinum cardholder, you'll also have access to Amex's International Airline Program which offers discounted airfares on premium economy, business class, and first class tickets for you and your travel companions on a number of participating airlines.Every year, you'll also receive $200 travel credit that can be used towards any flight, hotel, car rental, or vacation booking made with Amex's Platinum Travel Service. This credit renews s with your card's anniversary date.
The Platinum Concierge is also worth a mention. They're a "global concierge" team that's able to help you out with any and all requests you may have, wherever you are. For example, they can help make difficult restaurant bookings or last-minute flower orders. They aren't miracle workers, so don't expect them to be able to snag a spot for you at the hottest restaurant in town for tomorrow evening, but they will proactively put you on the waitlist or look to confirm a spot for you on some future date.
If you enjoy watching concerts, theatre productions, or other special events, your Platinum card will give you access to presale and reserved tickets through Amex's Front Of The Line® program and with Amex Experiences.
You can also take advantage of specially-tailored Amex Offers for extra value when used at specific dining venues, shops, and more.
Lastly, for your peace of mind, the card includes round-the-clock customer service, emergency replacement if lost, and complete fraud protection.
Insurance Coverage
As a premium travel credit card, you can be sure that the Business Platinum card's insurance coverage is top-tier as well. Charge your travel purchases to your Business Platinum card, and you'll automatically enjoy the following coverages:
- Emergency medical insurance: Up to $5 million of coverage for the first 15 days of your out-of-province trip, for travellers under age 65.
- Trip cancellation: Up to $1,500 of coverage per insured person, to a maximum of $3,000 for all insured persons on the same covered trip.
- Trip interruption insurance: Up to $1,500 of coverage per insured person, to a maximum of $6,000 for all insured persons on the same covered trip.
- Flight delay insurance: Up to $1,000 (aggregate maximum with Baggage Delay insurance), for food, accommodation and items purchased within 48 hours when your flight is delayed 4+ hours.
- Baggage delay insurance: Up to $1,000 (aggregate maximum with Flight Delay insurance), for items purchased within 4 days of arrival when your baggage is delayed 6+ hours. (Note: this is different from lost and stolen baggage insurance, which doesn't cover delays)
- Lost or stolen baggage insurance: Up to $1,000 of coverage total for all insured persons.
- Hotel burglary insurance: Up to $1,000 coverage for stolen items (excluding cash).
- Travel accident insurance: Up to $500,000 of Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance.
- Car rental theft and damage insurance: Comprehensive coverage for up to 48 consecutive days for cars with an MSRP of up to $85,000.
Lastly, the card offers Purchase Protection® Plan and Buyer's Assurance® Protection Plan, covering most eligible items you’ve purchased with your card up to $1,000 should they be stolen or damaged within 120 days of purchase, as well as an extended one-year warranty period on the manufacturer’s warranty.