Amex Business Platinum Card Changes

Today, American Express launched a new American Express Business Platinum Card in the U.S. with new benefits, more earning and yes, a higher annual fee. The new benefits include an extra $200 credit for dell purchases, up to $120 annual statement credits for wireless service, and new 1.5X categories. There’s also an increased welcome bonus of 120,000 Membership Rewards Points.

“We are continuing to see strong demand and spending on our Business Card products as our Card Members invest in areas like technology, recruitment, and software to adapt and grow their businesses,” said Anna Marrs, Group President, American Express. “Our new Business Platinum Card is built to help fuel their success with benefits across categories where they are engaging the most, in addition to the best-in-class rewards, travel benefits and premium servicing they enjoy.” 

Let take a look at the new additions, the new bonus and when you can expect to pay the higher annual fee.

Welcome Bonus

Before we get into the changes, let’s look at the new public offer.

If you don’t have the Amex Business Platinum Card yet, new cardholders can now earn 120,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $15,000 in the first three months of card membership. That’s an increase of 20,000 points over the previous offer. 

But as you’re aware, we have seen better offers recently through targeted links for up to 150,000 Membership Rewards points and the same spending requirement.

As part of the welcome offer, you also get 0% Intro APR for 12 months from the date of account opening on purchases eligible for Pay Over Time.

New B2B Rewards Where Businesses Are Spending

Card Members can now get even more value on on categories such as on key business services like wireless, technology, software, shipping, and recruitment with enhanced rewards points. This includes:

• New 1.5x Membership Rewards points earned on purchases for up to $2 million per calendar year across new categories that include:
  • Electronics goods, retailers, software, and cloud service providers
  • Construction materials and hardware supplies
  • Shipping providers
  • All in addition to 1.5x points earned on large purchases over $5,000
• Dell Credit: Up to $400 annual statement credit on all Dell purchases, up to $200 semi-annually. This is a $200 increase from the existing Dell benefit for Business Platinum Card Members.
• Indeed: Up to $360 annual statement credit on all Indeed hiring and recruiting products and services to post open positions and find quality talent, up to $90 per quarter.
• Adobe: $150 annual statement credit on select purchases, including Adobe Creative Cloud, the world’s best collection of creative apps and services, and Acrobat Pro DC with e-sign, which makes it easy to send, track and collect trusted e-signatures.
• Wireless Credit: Up to $120 annual statement credits for purchases made directly from any US wireless telephone provider, up to $10 per month.

Enhanced Premium Travel & Dining Benefits

In addition to the new business spending perks, American Express also recently added even more travel benefits for U.S. Business Platinum Card Members, including:

• Expedited Security Screening: An annual $179 statement credit for a CLEAR membership.
• Premium Airport Lounge Access in More Cities: Complimentary access to the recently expanded American Express Global Lounge Collection®, which offers access to more lounge location options than any other credit card on the market, with more than 1,300 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting. Card Members planning future international travels will now also be able to visit the brand new Centurion Lounge at London Heathrow Airport, the third Centurion Lounge to open this year, and first-ever in Europe. 
• Premium Private Jet Program: Access to a 20% discount on Wheels Up Connect and a 40% discount on Wheels Up Core memberships. Plus, a $500 or $2,000 credit added to Wheels Up account to use toward an initial flight within the first year depending on selected Wheels Up membership.
• Global Dining Access by Resy: The new Global Dining Access program by Resy gives Business Platinum Card Members exclusive reservations at some of the world’s top restaurants, access to premium events, and other perks like priority notify and VIP status.

Annual Fee

The U.S. Business Platinum Card fee will go up by $100.

You will have to pay the new annual fee of $695 starting on or after January 13, 2022. This applies to both new and existing Card Members. Until then, you will continue to pay the current $595 annual fee, while taking advantage of the added benefits.

Continue to Enjoy Existing Platinum Benefits

U.S. Business Platinum Card Members can continue to enjoy these existing benefits and more:

• 5X points on flights and pre-paid hotels booked in advance through AmexTravel.com
• $200 Airline Fee Credit annually for up to $200 back in statement credits each year on incidental fees at one Card Member-selected qualifying airline.
• 35% points back when Card Members pay with points to purchase all or part of an airline fare (up to 500,000 points back per calendar year)
• Cell Phone Protection for repair or replacement costs following damage or theft up to $800 per claim, with a limit of two approved claims per 12 month period, when the cell phone line is listed on a wireless bill and the prior month’s wireless bill was paid by an Eligible Card Account. A $50 deductible will apply to each approved claim.
• Up to $100 credit on a Global Entry or TSA Pre✓® application fee.
• Payment flexibility with features like Pay Over Time, giving business owners the option to either carry a balance with interest on eligible purchases of $100 or more, or to pay the balance in full each month. Through April 14, 2022, new Business Platinum Card Members can receive an introductory APR of 0% for 12 months.

Guru’s Wrap-up

The new American Express Business Platinum Card will have a $695 annual fee starting January 13, 2022. This matches the annual fee on the personal Platinum credit cards.

But the fee increase also comes with some added benefits. The Dell credit for example is quite popular. The additional $200 that you get annually can easily justify the higher annual fee which is going up by $100. You also get up to $120 annual statement credits for wireless services, but that comes uin the form of a $10 monthly credit. There are also credits for Indeed and Adobe, which could have some value. Then there are new 1.5X categories, but that will not be very enticing to those who try to always maximize credit card rewards.

If you don’t have the card, this is a great time to apply with the increased bonus as well. But before you apply for the 120K offer, make sure you check the links for the better offers that can get you up to 150K points.