American Express Business Platinum is not really a card you choose for its basic points rate. The standard earning rate is only 1 Membership Rewards point per £1 of eligible spend. The case for paying the £650 annual fee is the wider package: flexible Membership Rewards points, up to £600 of Amex Travel credits, airport lounge access, hotel status, Fine Hotels + Resorts, travel insurance, employee cards and a range of business statement-credit benefits.
I use American Express Business Platinum as part of my own business-spending setup, alongside Capital on Tap. The two products solve different problems: Amex gives me the broader Membership Rewards ecosystem and premium travel benefits, while Capital on Tap gives me Visa acceptance, no FX fee and useful options where Amex is not accepted.
This article contains my American Express referral link. If you apply through it and are approved, I may receive a referral reward. Check the current offer, eligibility and terms on the application page before applying.
See the current American Express Business Platinum offer and apply via my referral link →
American Express Business Platinum at a glance
| Feature | Current UK Business Platinum position |
|---|---|
| Annual fee | £650 |
| Normal earning | 1 Membership Rewards point per £1 of eligible spend |
| Eligible Amex Travel earning | 2 Membership Rewards points per £1 |
| Annual Travel Credit | £200 |
| Additional spend-based Travel Credits | £200 at £60,000 annual spend + another £200 at £120,000 |
| Total possible Amex Travel Credits | Up to £600 per Cardmembership year |
| Airport lounges | Global Lounge Collection, including Priority Pass and participating Amex lounges |
| Hotel status | Hilton Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite, Radisson Rewards Premium, MeliáRewards Gold and ALL Accor Gold, subject to enrolment/terms |
| Fine Hotels + Resorts | Breakfast for two, US$100 property credit, guaranteed 4pm checkout and other benefits |
| Foreign-currency fee | 2.99% |
| Employee cards | 1 Business Platinum Employee Card + up to 19 Business Gold Employee Cards at no extra charge |
| Travel insurance | Worldwide cover for eligible Cardmembers/family/Employee Cardmembers, subject to policy terms |
How Membership Rewards earning works
Business Platinum earns 1 Membership Rewards point for every eligible £1 spent.
Eligible prepaid flights, hotels, car hire and experiences booked through American Express Travel Online earn an additional point, taking the total to 2 Membership Rewards points per £1. Fine Hotels + Resorts, The Hotel Collection and certain non-prepaid bookings are excluded from the extra-point structure under the current terms.
There is no published cap on how many Membership Rewards points can be earned, and points do not expire while the account remains eligible and enrolled in the programme.
The strength of Membership Rewards is not the headline earn rate. It is the fact that the points can remain with Amex until you know where you want to use them.
Membership Rewards transfer partners
American Express has one of the broadest UK transferable-points ecosystems. That is a major advantage over a card such as Capital on Tap, which has a much smaller partner list.
Airline partners
| Partner | Current transfer rate |
|---|---|
| British Airways Club | 1 Membership Rewards point = 1 Avios |
| Cathay | 1 = 1 Asia Mile |
| Delta SkyMiles | 1 = 1 SkyMile |
| Emirates Skywards | 2 = 1 Skywards Mile |
| Flying Blue | 1 = 1 Flying Blue mile |
| Iberia Club | 1 = 1 Avios |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 1 = 1 Qantas Point |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club | 1 = 1 Avios |
| SAS EuroBonus | 1 = 1 EuroBonus point |
| Singapore KrisFlyer | 3 = 2 KrisFlyer miles |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1 = 1 Virgin Point |
Hotel and other partners
| Partner | Current transfer rate |
|---|---|
| ALL – Accor Live Limitless | 3 Membership Rewards points = 1 ALL Reward point |
| Hilton Honors | 1 = 2 Hilton Honors points |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 2 = 3 Marriott Bonvoy points |
| Radisson Rewards | 1 = 3 Radisson Rewards points |
| Club Eurostar | 1,500 = 100 Club Eurostar points |
| Nectar | 1 = 1 Nectar point |
This flexibility is one of the main reasons I do not automatically transfer Membership Rewards as soon as I earn them. A future redemption may need Avios, Virgin Points, Flying Blue miles, Hilton points or Marriott points instead.
I also watch for transfer bonuses. I previously used a 30% Amex-to-Virgin Points transfer bonus rather than moving the points at the standard rate. See How I Use Points Transfer Bonuses.
Up to £600 in Amex Travel Credits
Business Platinum currently includes a £200 Annual Travel Credit each Cardmembership year.
That credit is used against eligible prepaid bookings made through American Express Travel Online.
There are then two additional spend-triggered credits:
- £200 Travel Credit after £60,000 of qualifying spend in the Cardmembership year; and
- another £200 after £120,000 of qualifying spend.
That means a high-spending business can potentially receive £600 of Amex Travel Credits in one Cardmembership year.
I would not value all £600 at face value unless I expected to use the credits naturally. Travel booked through Amex Travel should still be compared with the direct hotel, airline or car-hire price before treating a credit as genuine savings.
How I used the £200 Annual Travel Credit
A real example from my own travel was a Hertz rental for our August 2024 Ibiza stay.
The rental cost €304.84 through American Express Travel. My Business Platinum £200 Annual Travel Credit then reduced the effective cost by £200.
That was genuine value because I needed the hire car for the trip. I was not creating a purchase merely to use a card benefit.
This is the way I prefer to assess premium-card benefits: compare the statement credit with something I would actually have bought anyway, rather than assigning the full advertised value to every perk.
Airport lounge access
Business Platinum includes the American Express Global Lounge Collection, covering more than 1,550 participating lounges worldwide.
That includes participating Priority Pass lounges, Centurion Lounges, Plaza Premium lounges and other partner lounges, subject to each network’s access rules.
The primary Business Platinum Cardmember and the complimentary Business Platinum Employee Cardmember can each access the lounge programme, with guest access subject to the applicable lounge rules.
Amex has also introduced complimentary Priority Pass lounge pre-book entitlements for eligible UK Platinum cardholders. Under the current terms, there are eight complimentary pre-book entitlements per calendar year from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027.
This can matter in busy UK airports where Priority Pass lounges sometimes reach capacity.
Hotel status included with Business Platinum
Business Platinum provides access to several hotel loyalty tiers after enrolment.
| Hotel programme | Status available through Business Platinum |
|---|---|
| Hilton Honors | Gold |
| Marriott Bonvoy | Gold Elite |
| Radisson Rewards | Premium |
| MeliáRewards | Gold |
| ALL – Accor Live Limitless | Gold |
These are useful because they remove the need to complete the normal hotel-night requirements simply to reach the tier.
Hilton Gold is particularly valuable for many travellers because it can include complimentary breakfast outside the United States, additional points and space-available upgrades depending on brand and region.
Marriott Gold Elite brings a 25% points bonus, possible enhanced-room upgrades and late checkout up to 2pm where available.
Radisson Rewards Premium provides enhanced earning, room-upgrade eligibility, early check-in/late checkout subject to availability and other programme benefits.
These statuses should still be judged against the programmes you genuinely stay with. Receiving five hotel statuses is not worth five separate annual fees if you only ever use one of them.
For a broader comparison of hotel-status shortcuts, see How to Get Hotel Elite Status Without Staying 50 Nights.
Fine Hotels + Resorts
Business Platinum also unlocks Fine Hotels + Resorts, Amex’s premium hotel-booking programme.
Current benefits include:
- daily breakfast for two;
- a property-specific credit worth at least US$100;
- guaranteed 4pm checkout;
- 12pm check-in when available;
- room upgrade on arrival when available; and
- complimentary Wi-Fi.
The guaranteed 4pm checkout can be especially valuable on a late-flight day because it removes the uncertainty attached to elite-status late checkout at many hotel programmes.
However, FHR rates should still be compared with direct flexible rates, member rates and other booking channels. A US$100 hotel credit is not automatically a saving if the underlying rate is significantly more expensive.
The Hotel Collection
The Hotel Collection covers more than 1,000 participating properties.
On eligible prepaid stays of at least two nights booked through Amex Travel, current benefits can include a US$100 property credit, room upgrade when available, early check-in and late checkout when available.
Eligible prepaid bookings can also earn 2 Membership Rewards points per £1 under the current Amex Travel earning rules.
International Airline Program
Business Platinum also gives access to the American Express International Airline Program.
It can provide lower fares on selected First and Business Class tickets booked through American Express Travel, including for the Cardmember and up to seven accompanying travellers under the current programme description.
I would still compare the Amex fare against the airline’s own website and other legitimate booking channels, particularly because ticket flexibility and servicing can matter as much as the headline fare.
Worldwide travel insurance
Business Platinum includes worldwide travel insurance, subject to enrolment, eligibility, exclusions and the full insurance policy.
Amex currently states that the primary Cardmember, family and eligible Employee Cardmembers can be covered on business and leisure trips of up to 120 days, including when travelling separately.
I would not treat this as a reason to stop reading insurance terms. Age limits, medical conditions, payment requirements, trip duration and exclusions still need checking for the specific trip and traveller.
One Business Platinum Employee Card and 19 Business Gold Employee Cards
This is one of the more useful benefits for a business with staff expenditure.
Amex currently allows the main account to add:
- one Business Platinum Employee Card; and
- up to 19 Business Gold Employee Cards
without an additional card fee under the current package.
Eligible employee-card spending earns Membership Rewards into the main Account, helping centralise rewards while still allowing individual card limits and expense visibility.
The complimentary Business Platinum Employee Card is particularly useful because it can carry premium travel benefits of its own, including lounge access and eligible hotel-status enrolment, subject to the individual benefit terms.
Cashflow: up to 54 days interest free
Business Platinum can provide up to 54 days to pay interest free on purchases when the balance is repaid in full under the relevant statement cycle.
For cards opened from 28 January 2026, Amex also introduced a Flexible Payment Option. This allows part of the balance to be carried with interest rather than requiring every purchase to be paid in full immediately.
The card currently shows a 29.1% variable purchase rate when the Flexible Payment Option is used.
For me, points are not a reason to pay interest. The value of Membership Rewards can be overwhelmed very quickly if a balance is carried unnecessarily.
Business statement-credit benefits
Business Platinum also includes a collection of business-focused benefits which can add real value where they match normal company expenditure.
Current published benefits include:
- up to £300 per year with Indeed, currently structured as up to £75 statement credit per quarter on eligible Sponsored Jobs;
- £150 per year with Dell Technologies on eligible enrolled purchases;
- 15% statement credit with Superscript on eligible business-insurance purchases once per year;
- up to £240 per year with Alamo and Enterprise, currently £20 back on an eligible £60+ prepaid online transaction once per calendar month; and
- a complimentary digital subscription to The Times and The Sunday Times, subject to enrolment and current terms.
I would not automatically add all of those headline values to justify the £650 fee. A benefit is only worth its face value if the business would otherwise make the qualifying purchase.
The major weakness: 2.99% foreign-currency fee
For a premium travel card, the biggest weakness is straightforward: American Express currently charges a 2.99% non-sterling transaction fee on foreign-currency purchases.
That can materially outweigh the Membership Rewards earned.
For example, £5,000-equivalent of overseas spend would incur approximately £149.50 in non-sterling fees before considering the value of the points.
This is why I use Capital on Tap alongside Amex Business Platinum. Capital on Tap currently has no FX fee and is a Visa, so it can also be used where Amex is not accepted.
See my Capital on Tap Business Credit Card guide for Daily Repay, Bill Pay, Avios/Virgin transfers and the no-FX proposition.
Amex acceptance is another reason to carry a second card
Amex acceptance is broad, but not universal.
Some smaller suppliers, restaurants, independent hotels and other merchants still do not take American Express.
That is another reason I do not rely on Business Platinum as my only business rewards card. Capital on Tap acts as a rewards-earning Visa fallback rather than forcing the transaction onto a non-rewards business debit card.
Business Platinum vs Capital on Tap Pro
| Amex Business Platinum | Capital on Tap Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | £650 | £299 |
| Network | American Express | Visa |
| Normal earning | 1 Membership Rewards point/£ | 1 Capital on Tap point/£ |
| Enhanced earning | 2 points/£ on eligible Amex Travel | 1.25 points/£ with qualifying Daily Repay/preloading |
| FX fee | 2.99% | None currently |
| Transfer partners | Much wider | BA/Qatar Avios, Virgin, Radisson |
| Airport lounges | Global Lounge Collection | Priority Pass |
| Hotel status | Several programmes | Radisson VIP |
| Fine Hotels + Resorts | Yes | No equivalent |
| Bill Pay to bank-transfer-only suppliers | No direct equivalent on standard Business Platinum | Yes, for eligible accounts |
| Employee cards | 1 Platinum + up to 19 Gold included | Employee cards available under CoT terms |
The comparison is why I prefer the two-card approach. Amex wins on transferable-points breadth and premium travel benefits. Capital on Tap can be stronger for overseas transactions, Visa acceptance, Daily Repay and Bill Pay.
Business Platinum vs Business Gold
Business Gold costs substantially less: it is currently £0 in the first year and £195 per year thereafter.
Gold earns the same 1 Membership Rewards point per £1 on ordinary eligible spend and the same 2 points per £1 on eligible Amex Travel bookings.
So the reason to pay £650 for Platinum is not a better general earning rate. It is the premium package: lounges, hotel status, FHR, travel insurance, £200 annual Travel Credit, employee-card structure and the broader collection of statement-credit benefits.
If those are not things you would genuinely use, Business Gold deserves serious consideration.
My UK business cards and bank accounts for travel rewards guide compares Business Platinum, Gold, BA Accelerating Business, Capital on Tap and Revolut Business side by side.
Eligibility
American Express currently states that a Business Platinum applicant should meet criteria including:
- the business has a UK bank or building-society account;
- the applicant is at least 18;
- the applicant has a permanent UK home address;
- the applicant earns at least £35,000 per year;
- the business is a UK limited company or LLP; and
- the applicant is a director or member of that business.
Approval remains subject to status and Amex’s own checks.
Amex also states that a new-cardmember offer may not be available if you currently hold, or have held, an Amex Business Platinum Card within the previous 24 months.
Who is Business Platinum most likely to suit?
I would look most closely at Business Platinum if several of these apply:
- your business has substantial eligible card spend;
- you value flexible Membership Rewards rather than being locked into one airline;
- you travel regularly enough to use airport lounges;
- Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold or the other included hotel statuses are genuinely useful;
- you would naturally use the £200 Annual Travel Credit;
- your spend could trigger one or both additional £200 Travel Credits;
- you can use FHR benefits on hotels you would otherwise book;
- you need employee cards and want their spending to feed one rewards balance; or
- the insurance and business statement-credit benefits replace things you would otherwise pay for.
Who may be better with something else?
Business Platinum becomes harder to justify if:
- you rarely travel;
- you would not use lounges or hotel status;
- most business spending is in foreign currency;
- many of your suppliers do not accept Amex;
- you only want simple cashback; or
- you are paying £650 mainly for 1 Membership Rewards point per £1.
In those situations, Business Gold, Capital on Tap Free/Pro or the BA Accelerating Business Card may fit the spending pattern better.
Is Amex Business Platinum worth £650?
The £650 fee is not justified by the basic points rate alone.
The card makes sense when the premium benefits replace real costs: airport-lounge access you would otherwise pay for, hotel benefits you genuinely use, travel insurance you need, an annual Travel Credit applied to an actual trip, and statement-credit benefits aligned with genuine business expenditure.
For my own setup, Business Platinum remains useful because Membership Rewards flexibility and the premium travel package complement Capital on Tap’s different strengths.
I would therefore assess it as a bundle of business and travel benefits that happens to earn transferable points, rather than simply as a 1-point-per-£1 rewards card.
See the current American Express Business Platinum offer and apply via my referral link →
If you apply through the referral link above and are approved, I may receive a referral reward. Check the application page for the offer available to you; referral offers, welcome bonuses and eligibility can change.
Related guides
- UK Business Cards & Bank Accounts That Earn Travel Rewards
- Capital on Tap Business Credit Card UK Guide
- BA Amex Accelerating Business Card UK Guide
- Amex Business Gold UK Guide
- How I Use Points Transfer Bonuses
- Hotel Elite Status Shortcuts
- Personal Amex Platinum, Gold and BA Amex Compared
- How Much Is an Avios Worth?
- How Much Is a Virgin Point Worth?
Official American Express information
- American Express Business Platinum
- Business Platinum benefits
- Amex Travel Credit
- Membership Rewards transfer partners
Benefits, transfer rates, statement credits, insurance, hotel-status partnerships and eligibility can change. This guide was checked against American Express UK’s published information in September 2026. Business borrowing should only be used where repayments remain affordable; interest and fees can outweigh the value of rewards.
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