(I want to point out that there are different versions of the American Express Platinum card. Yesterday I reviewed the Personal Platinum Card which there are some co-branded versions, Charles Schwab being one of those. That may not have been clear. This article is the Business Platinum Card.)
Yesterday, I wrote about the personal American Express Platinum. Well, Amex just refreshed the Business Platinum Card, and it’s a big one. Higher fee? Yep. New perks? Absolutely. Let’s break down what changed, what stayed, and whether this makes sense for small business owners and tax professionals like us.
The Fee Jump Nobody Asked For
The elephant in the room: the annual fee just went from $695 to $895. That’s the same as the personal Platinum now. If you already have the card, you won’t see the higher fee until your renewal after December 2, 2025. New applicants? You’re paying $895 right away.
And if you hand out employee Platinum cards, those just got pricier too—$400 each per year. (The free “expense-only” employee cards are still an option if you don’t need them to have travel perks.)
On paper, Amex says the new benefits add up to “over $3,500 in annual value.” Do they really? Let’s walk through it.
What’s New in 2025
Here are the biggest new benefits from this refresh:
$600 Hotel Credit – Up to $300 back twice a year (Jan–Jun and Jul–Dec) on prepaid hotels through Amex Travel’s Fine Hotels + Resorts (1-night min) Plus, every FHR booking comes with a property-specific $100 credit for dining, spa, or other services.
$100 Hotel Credit - if you book a minimum of 2 nights on AmexTravel with The Hotel Collection.
Dell Credits Up to $1,150 – This one got supercharged. You now get $150 a year automatically, plus a $1,000 bonus if you spend $5,000 with Dell in a calendar year. If your office upgrades computers or servers regularly, this is basically a 20% rebate. Now, I’m not really fond of this and would have preferred Apple over Dell. However, Dell does sell a wide range of accessories and offers some high-quality monitors.
$250 Adobe Credit – Spend at least $600 with Adobe (think Acrobat, Creative Cloud, etc.), and you’ll get $250 back.
Big-Spender Bonus – If you put $250,000 a year on this card (Wow), you unlock $3,600 in credits the next year: $1,200 for flights through Amex Travel and $2,400 for Amex’s accounts payable platform. For some tax pros and firms with big expenses, that’s a real possibility.
Platinum Nights by Resy – Special access to hard-to-get restaurant reservations in NYC, LA, and Miami. Great if you entertain clients or just like nice meals out. This is not the credit that you get with the personal Platinum Card.
Leading Hotels of the World Status – Complimentary Sterling status, which means upgrades, breakfast, and late checkout at luxury properties worldwide.
Shiny New Card Design – They rolled out a limited-edition mirror-finish metal card. Purely cosmetic, but it looks sharp.
I received mine yesterday but we are using the stock photo from American Express.
Better Rewards on Business Spending
The Business Platinum used to give you 1.5x points on large purchases. Now it’s 2x points on:
Purchases of $5,000 or more
U.S. software and cloud services
U.S. hardware/construction suppliers
U.S. electronics retailers
U.S. shipping providers
Flights and prepaid hotels through Amex Travel still earn 5x points, and everything else is 1x. If your business drops big money on software, shipping, or equipment, those extra points add up quickly.
The Fine Print: A Quiet Downgrade
One thing Amex quietly took away: the Pay-with-Points rebate. You used to get 35% of your points back on any business or first-class ticket. Now, that rebate only applies to your chosen airline (any class). Still useful, just less flexible. This was my favorite feature of the business Platinum Card. Most of my travel is on American Airlines, but I did enjoy the ability to book a business/first class flight on another airline if it was cheaper.
Credits That Stuck Around
All the old perks are still here:
$200 airline fee credit (incidental charges)
$209 Clear credit
Global Entry / TSA PreCheck credit
$200 Hilton credit ($50 per quarter if you register through Hilton for Business)
$360 Indeed credit ($90 per quarter)
$120 wireless bill credit ($10/month + phone protection if you pay the bill with the card)
Airport lounge access (Centurion, Priority Pass, Delta Sky Clubs – 10 visits per year)
Hilton and Marriott Gold status
That’s in addition to all the usual travel and purchase protections that I covered with the personal Platinum Card.
If you’re interested, here is my referral link, and you can earn up to 200,000 Membership Rewards points. (Full Disclosure: I get $100 if you sign up.)
So… Is It Worth $895?
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