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

💳 This card earns American Express Membership Rewards points. American Express often runs transfer bonuses where you can get even more points when you transfer to airline or hotel partners at designated times. Transfer bonuses are awesome. Get 20%, 30%, 40% or more bonus miles when you transfer points at the right times. But they are easy to miss!

You can see all past Transfer Bonuses from American Express Membership Rewards here.

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The Amex Business Platinum is the one of the most expensive travel rewards cards on the market today. However, while its annual fee might be a bit on the higher side, the perks that come along with it are second to none, both from the business perspective as well as the travel angle.

For small business owners that hit the road (or skies) regularly, there really isn’t another card quite like this one.

On the travel perks side of things, the Amex Business Platinum has a laundry list of embedded extras from hotel status (Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold, Leaders Club Sterling) and rental car elite statuses to complimentary access to airport lounges through the Global Lounge Collection, including the popular Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass, and limited access to Delta SkyClubs when flying Delta. (See the key features and benefits above for details.)

There is also a $600 Hotel Credit where you can get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually for up to a total of $600 each calendar year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through Amex Travel™ using the Business Platinum Card (two-night minimum stay with The Hotel Collection) at more than 3,100 handpicked hotels. Fine Hotels + Resorts® include not just potential upgrades, on-property credit, and complimentary breakfast, but is also the only major issuer hotel program that offers a guaranteed 4pm late check out. That can come in very handy when you have a flight later in the day!

However, this is a business card, after all, and where this card shines is in its business statement credits.

If you have business expenses that are with specific merchants, such as Dell, Adobe, and Indeed, the Business Platinum can tangibly help cut reduce costs.

In addition, card holders get an extra point per dollar (2X) on eligible purchases at U.S. construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, and purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year. 2X can be huge, spanning a wide variety of business categories (capped at $2 million).

The perk of $50 in quarterly statement credits (enrollment required) at Hilton properties – up to $200 a year – adds real additional value as well.

When you want to redeem points, you can take advantage of the ability to transfer to any of the American Express Membership Rewards airline or hotel partner programs. If you want to keep it simple, the Business Platinum card has a very unique feature to get 35% points back after using Pay with Points for flights booked through Amex Travel with one of nine selected qualifying airlines, up to 1,000,000 points back per calendar year.

(Note: You choose your airline once per year for your $200 airline fee credit and then you can additionally get the 35% rebate on flights booked through Amex Travel using points on that one chosen airline in any class of service.)

The Amex Business Platinum isn’t a card for everyone — that’s for sure. But for high-spending business owners who travel often (either for business or pleasure), this just might be the card for you.

We recommend that you also consider pairing this card with the American Express® Business Gold Card, which has a wide array of bonus categories that complement what you receive on the Business Platinum.

Rates and fees for The Business 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.