Who is eligible for the American Express Business Platinum Card?

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express currently features a welcome offer of 150,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $20,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership. You can also earn a $500 statement credit after spending $2,500 on eligible flights booked directly with an airline or through American Express Travel with your Business Platinum Card within the first three months. You can earn one or both of these offers and the offer ends on June 30.

Those points are worth $3,000 per TPG’s April 2024 valuations, which offers a compelling reason to consider applying. And if you include the $500 statement credit offer, you’re looking at a $3,500 welcome bonus in total.

But before you start filling out your application, you might wonder if you’re even eligible to take advantage of this offer. This is a small-business card, so there are different requirements than when you apply for a personal card. However, you might qualify for the Amex Business Platinum Card and that fantastic welcome offer without even realizing it.

Here are some of the ways to determine if you are eligible to apply for the Amex Business Platinum card and whether it makes sense to do so.

Amex Business Platinum Card details

As a quick reminder, here are the current offer details and a roundup of the card’s key perks:

Current welcome offer

The Amex Business Platinum is offering a cardholders to earn 150,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $20,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership plus a $500 statement credit after spending $2,500 on eligible flights booked directly with an airline or through American Express Travel with your Business Platinum Card within the first three months. You can earn one or both of these offers and the offer ends on June 30.

Related: Review of the Business Platinum Card from American Express

Annual fee

The Amex Business Platinum card comes with a $695 annual fee (see rates and fees), and while this fee is large, it is possible to offset this cost by maximizing the credits and benefits that come with the card.

Related: Is the Amex Business Platinum worth the annual fee?

Earning

The Amex Business Platinum earns points at the following rates:

• Earn 5 points per dollar spent on flights and prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel (including Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts).
• Earn 1.5 points per dollar on each eligible purchase at U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers, U.S. electronic goods retailers, U.S. software and cloud system providers and U.S. shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more (up to $2 million per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar).
• Earn 1 point per dollar spent on other purchases.

Related: 9 things to do when you get the American Express Business Platinum card

Key benefits

• 35% bonus when you use Pay with Points for a first-class or business-class ticket on any carrier, or in any class on a selected qualifying airline booked through Amex Travel, up to 1 million points back per calendar year.
• An annual up-to-$200 annual airline fee statement credit on one selected airline.
• Up to $400 in annual statement credits on all U.S. Dell purchases — up to $200 semiannually from January-June and July-December. This benefit will be changing on July 1.*
• Up to $360 in annual statement credits on all Indeed hiring and recruiting products and services to post open positions and find talent (up to $90 per quarter).*
• Up to $150 in annual statement credit on select Adobe purchases, including Adobe Creative Cloud and Acrobat Pro DC (subject to auto-renewal). This benefit will be changing on July 1.*
• Up to $120 in annual statement credits for purchases made directly from any U.S. wireless telephone provider (up to $10 per month).*
• Up to $199 in statement credits toward an annual Clear Plus membership for expedited airport security (subject to auto-renewal).
• Access to Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs (when flying Delta)**, Priority Pass lounges* (for you and two guests), and Airspace lounges.
• Up to $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application credit ($120 for Global Entry every four years; up to $85 for TSA PreCheck every 4½ years).
• Cardmembers can book hotels and enjoy value-added benefits through the Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts program.
• Complimentary Gold elite status in Hilton Honors* and Gold elite status with Marriott Bonvoy.*

*Enrollment required.

**Eligible Platinum Card Members will receive 10 Visits per Eligible Platinum Card per year to the Delta Sky Club or to Grab and Go when traveling on a same-day Delta-operated flight.

Thanks to all these perks, the Amex Business Platinum regularly ranks among the best business rewards cards.

Related: Lesser-known benefits of the Amex Business Platinum card

Are you eligible to apply for the Amex Business Platinum?

You can be eligible for the Business Platinum Card, including its welcome offer, if you’re a first-time applicant and hold four or fewer cards from American Express. You’re also eligible to apply for the Amex Business Platinum even if you’re a freelancer or independent contractor or have a side hustle (producing some income).

Let’s look at the terms and conditions of the card itself, and then we’ll delve into some of the more specific application rules Amex has in place.

Amex Business Platinum application terms

Like many other American Express cards, the Amex Business Platinum has strict eligibility rules when it comes to earning its welcome offer — especially for current or former cardholders.

According to the application terms:

“You may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer if you have or have had this Card or previous versions of this Card. You also may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer based on various factors, such as your history with credit card balance transfers, your history as an American Express Card Member, the number of credit cards that you have opened and closed and other factors. If you are not eligible for a welcome offer, we will notify you prior to processing your application so you have the option to withdraw your application”

In other words, you may be disqualified not only for having had the card before, but also if you’ve opened and close multiple Amex cards or carried out a lot of balance transfers.

Not sure if you’ve had the card in the past? Amex has a handy tool during the application process that will let you know if you’re eligible for the welcome offer before your application is processed.

That said, welcome offer eligibility with Amex isn’t always so cut and dry — it’s based on a range of internal factors, so your mileage may vary.

Amex application restrictions

American Express typically limits most people to holding a maximum of five Amex credit cards at once — including both personal and business cards.

However, certain products, like The Platinum Card® from American Express and the Amex Business Platinum, are a little different from traditional credit cards in that they have no preset spending limit — which means that your spending limit is flexible, unlike a traditional card with a set limit. The amount you can spend adapts based on factors such as your purchase, payment and credit history.

Because these cards fall into a separate category, you could potentially hold up to 10 Amex cards in total. While that might sound like a lot, avid points and miles enthusiasts who’ve taken advantage of Amex’s generous welcome offers over the past year could be nearing that limit.

Keep in mind that these caps aren’t guarantees; just because you’re under the card limit doesn’t mean you’ll automatically get approved — especially if you already hold multiple Amex cards.

The issuer still considers your overall profile, including creditworthiness and recent application history.

Also, Amex typically limits approvals to two cards within a 90-day period, so if you’ve recently applied for another Amex card, you may need to wait before applying again.

If you already have several Amex cards with high credit limits, the issuer may consider your total credit line maxed out and deny your application.

Speaking of issuer application restrictions, if you’re eyeing a Chase card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees), you might be worried about Chase’s 5/24 rule — but good news: Amex business cards don’t count toward that limit. So you can apply for the Amex Business Platinum without affecting your chances of getting a Chase card down the line.

Related: The ultimate guide to credit card application restrictions

Does it matter if you already have a personal Amex Platinum card?

Not at all. The personal and business versions of the Amex Platinum are considered separate products, so already holding the personal card won’t disqualify you from applying for the Business Platinum — or from earning its welcome offer.

Related: Card showdown: Amex Platinum vs. Amex Business Platinum

Do you need a business to apply?

Not necessarily. While the Amex Business Platinum is technically a small-business card, you don’t need a formal business to qualify. Amex — and other issuers — recognize that freelancers, independent contractors and side hustlers often need business credit cards to separate personal and work expenses.

That said, the Business Platinum is a premium product, so approval isn’t guaranteed for just any side gig. You may need to provide proof of business income or supporting details like a “doing business as” (DBA) name, depending on your application.

Can you get the card twice?

In some cases, yes — especially if you operate multiple businesses. There are reports of cardholders being targeted with offers to apply for a second Amex Business Platinum and still be eligible for the welcome offer.

Amex understands that separate businesses may require separate cards for accounting and expense tracking. So if you run more than one venture — or work for multiple companies —you could be prequalified for an additional Business Platinum.

These instances are relatively rare, though. If you do receive one, it’s a good idea to contact Amex directly to confirm your eligibility for the welcome offer before applying.

Call the reconsideration line

If your application for the Amex Business Platinum is declined, don’t give up just yet — calling the Amex reconsideration line can give you a second shot at approval. By calling them, you can ask if there were specific issues with your application that you can address over the phone or by providing further information.

During the call, you can ask if there were specific concerns with your application and offer to provide additional information. Be prepared to explain why you’re interested in the card — beyond just the welcome offer — such as specific features or benefits that align with your business needs. You may also need to supply details about your business, including income verification and business address.

If you’re still denied, don’t be discouraged. You may be eligible to apply again in the future, especially if Amex rolls out an elevated welcome offer. Consider it a platinum lining.

Bottom line

The Amex Business Platinum remains one of the top small-business rewards cards on the market — especially with its current elevated welcome offer. If you’re thinking about applying, take a moment to read the eligibility requirements to give yourself the best chance of approval.

Apply here: The Business Platinum Card from American Express with 150,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership, plus a $500 statement credit after spending $2,500 on eligible flights booked directly with an airline or through American Express Travel within the first three months. You can earn one or both of these offers and the offer ends on June 30.

For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card from American Express, click here.