👍 The Good Stuff
- ✅ Lounge Access: The best domestic lounges (Centurion), period.
- ✅ 35% Rebate: Pay with points for flights and get 35% back.
- ✅ Dell Credit: $400 annual credit for office tech.
👎 The Bad Stuff
- ❌ Annual Fee: It hurts to pay $695 upfront.
- ❌ Annoying Credits: You must manually "enroll" in benefits.
- ❌ Weak Earnings: 1x points on non-travel purchases is terrible.
The Deep Dive
The Amex Business Platinum is a status symbol that actually works hard for you—if you know how to use it. The $695 fee is scary, but the $1,000+ in potential value is undeniable.
The Math (Does the fee make sense?)
This card only works if you use the credits. Here is the breakdown:
- Annual Fee: $695
- Dell Credit: -$400 ($200 twice a year)
- Airline Credit: -$200 (Incidentals only)
- Wireless Credit: -$120 ($10/month)
- Net Cost: -$25 (Profit)
The Verdict: If your business buys electronics from Dell, pays a phone bill, and flies on airplanes, Amex is paying you to hold this card. If you don’t use those credits, you’re just lighting $695 on fire.
The Secret Weapon: 35% Rebate
This feature separates the Business Platinum from the Personal Platinum. If you use Membership Rewards points to book a flight on your selected airline (or ANY business/first class flight) through Amex Travel, you get 35% of those points back.
Why this matters: Normally, 100,000 points gets you $1,000 of travel. With this rebate, 100,000 points gets you roughly $1,540 of travel.
Who Should Get This Card?
- You travel for business at least 4-5 times a year.
- You buy computers/electronics from Dell.
- You want elite status at Hilton and Marriott.