Compare the Features and Benefits of IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card and
The Platinum Card® from American Express

The IHG Rewards Premier Business Credit Card is IHG’s small business credit card. And, for small business owners who even occasionally travel, it’s easily worth its annual fee. That’s because the free night certificate earned each account anniversary year should easily save you more than the $99 annual fee.

Other card perks just add to the card’s value: bonus points on wide-ranging purchases, Platinum Elite status, and the fourth night free on rewards stays.

Purchases made using the IHG Rewards Premier Business Credit Card earn 10 IHG points per dollar at hotels participating in the IHG Rewards program, 5x IHG points per dollar on travel, dining, social media and search engine advertising, office supply stores, and gas stations. All other purchases charged to the IHG Rewards Premier Business Credit Card earn 3 points per dollar.

IHG point earnings are further boosted by the IHG Platinum Elite status that comes as a perk of the IHG Rewards Premier Business Credit Card. Platinum Elite members earn 60% bonus points on top of the base earning rate of 10 points per dollar. That nets a total of 26 IHG points per dollar at IHG hotels.

Big spenders can rack up additional rewards on the IHG Rewards Premier Business Credit Card. Receive a $100 statement credit plus 10,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 in a calendar year. Then, upgrade to Diamond Elite status after spending $40,000 in purchase in a calendar year. Finally, earn another free night award by spending $60,000 in purchases (plus one additional purchase) in one calendar year using your IHG Rewards Premier Business Card.

Small business owners can also earn points on employee spending. There’s no additional annual fee to add employee cards.

IHG Rewards members can redeem points for a reward night at any hotels participating in the IHG portfolio. That spans everything from luxury InterContinental Hotels to practical Holiday Inn hotels.

Even better, when you redeem IHG Rewards points for a stay of at least four consecutive nights, you’ll get a free night through the IHG Rewards Premier Business Credit Card’s fourth reward night free benefit.

IHG Rewards Premier Business Card cardholders get a free night award each year. This certificate can be redeemed for an IHG hotel night stay costing up to 40,000 IHG Rewards points. Sure, that’s not going to get you an overwater villa in Bora Bora, but that free night will cover a stay at many IHG hotels.

In many ways, the American Express Platinum card is the crème de la crème of premium travel rewards credit cards. There are not only a laundry list of embedded perks — from hotel and rental car elite statuses to complimentary access to airport lounges through the Global Lounge Collection — but this card also can provide serious value in the form of statement credits with partner merchants. You can see the full list of benefits above.

Truth be told, it may require some work to fully maximize the card’s many perks but it shouldn’t be difficult to recoup at least some, if not all, of the card’s $695 annual fee (Rates and Fees).

An overhaul of the Platinum in 2021 showed Amex wanted to expand this card well beyond travel. While it’s unlikely the Platinum will ever fully shed its decades-long roots in the travel sphere, Amex also hopes to play a role at the top of your wallet whether you are at home or away.

Of course, on the travel front, the card still earns 5X on airfare purchased directly with the airlines or through the Amex Travel portal (on up to $500,000 of airfare purchases per calendar year), 5X on prepaid hotels, provides the most access to lounges of any card issuer, and has built-in travel protections and elite-status perks. This is on top of all the other relatively-recent lifestyle benefit additions — from Uber credits, Equinox credits, preferred restaurant reservations with Resy, and much, much more.

A few notes you need to know:

Amex now has language restricting you from getting the bonus on this Card if you have or have had this card OR have had this Card, the Platinum Card^® from American Express Exclusively for Charles Schwab, the Platinum Card^® from American Express Exclusively for Morgan Stanley or previous versions of these Cards.

Additional Platinum cards are $195 each.

If you want an Authorized User card with none of the benefits, that is still available as the “Companion Platinum Card.” They will simply be able to make charges that post to your account.

Bottom Line:

While the Platinum is a solid choice for most cardholders looking to level up their travel experience, consider other options from both Chase and Capital One including the $550-per-year Chase Sapphire Reserve and $395-per-year Capital One Venture X credit card.

Rates and Fees for the The Platinum Card® from American Express