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American Express® Platinum Business Card
The American Express Platinum Business Card is one of Australia’s most rewarding business cards. Earn up to 2.25 Amex Membership Rewards Points per dollar, receive airport lounge access and hotel status, and issue up to 99 Employee Cards.
- Signup bonus
- 350,000 bonus Membership Rewards points, when you spend a minimum of $12,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months of approval date. T&Cs apply. New American Express Card Members only.
- Points Earned
- Earn to 2.25 Membership Rewards points per $1 on all eligible business purchases, except for spend with government bodies, for which you will earn 1 point per $1 spent
- Annual fee
- $1,750 p.a. and up to 99 Employee Cards at no additional cost
The owner of Australian Frequent Flyer may receive a commission from the card issuer for each applicant of this card.
Why we like the American Express Platinum Business Card
The American Express Platinum Business Card is one of the most rewarding business cards in Australia. Card Members receive unlimited access to over 1,400 airport lounges worldwide, elite status with multiple hotel loyalty programs, Accor Plus membership, premium travel insurance and lots more.
This card is available to Australian business owners, directors or controllers where the business is registered for GST and has an annual turnover of at least $75,000. As it’s a charge card, there is no pre-set spending limit or interest payable and your business can benefit from up to 55 days of cash flow – but you must pay off the balance in full after each month.
It’s possible to add up to 99 Employee Cards for no additional fee. All employee Card Members can also access the complimentary travel insurance benefits.
You’ll earn 2.25 Amex Membership Rewards Points per $1 spent on this card (excluding government payments), with no cap on the number of points you can earn. You’ll then have the flexibility to transfer those points to 10 different frequent flyer programs or 2 hotel loyalty programs, as needed. The conversion rate to airlines like Qantas, Virgin Australia and Cathay Pacific is 2:1, so you’re effectively earning 1.125 Qantas points or Velocity points or Asia Miles per dollar spent.
Key Information & How to Apply
Key facts about this card
- Card type
- American Express
- Signup bonus
- 350,000 bonus Membership Rewards points, when you spend a minimum of $12,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months of approval date. T&Cs apply. New American Express Card Members only.
- Annual fee
- $1,750 p.a. and up to 99 Employee Cards at no additional cost
- Interest-free days
- Up to 55 days
- Minimum monthly repayment
- 100% of outstanding balance
- Minimum credit limit
- This is a charge card, meaning there is no pre-set spending limit but you must pay off the balance in full each month
- Minimum income requirement
- Personal gross (pre-tax) annual income of $75,000 or more with a valid ABN registered for GST
- International transaction fee
- 3%
To apply for this card, you will need
- To be an Australian citizen or permanent resident aged 18 or over and a Director or controller of the business
- Personal gross (pre-tax) annual income of $75,000 or more with a valid ABN registered for GST
- No history of bad debt or payment default
- Your Australian driver’s licence number and proof of income
- 10-15 minutes to complete your application
The owner of Australian Frequent Flyer may receive a commission from the card issuer for each applicant of this card.
Contents
Sign-up bonus
Apply for an American Express Platinum Business Card by 25 June 2024 to earn 350,000 Amex Membership Rewards Points! That’s equal to 175,000 Qantas points, Velocity points, Asia Miles or Etihad Guest miles.
To receive the bonus points, you would need to spend at least $12,000 on eligible transactions on your card within the first 3 months.
In total, your Amex Membership Rewards Bonus Points can be transferred to 12 different frequent flyer programs or 2 hotel loyalty programs, generally at a 2:1 conversion rate. You’re then free to spend those points however you like, including for reward flights and upgrades with an airline of your choice.
To learn more about which loyalty programs you can convert Amex Membership Rewards Bonus Points into, see our Credit Card Points Transfer Assistant.
Alternatively, you could redeem 350,000 Amex Membership Rewards Bonus Points for a gift card or account credit worth around $1,750.
This offer is not available to existing Amex Card Members, or if you have been the primary Card Member of an Australian Amex card in the past 18 months.
Travel benefits
The American Express Platinum Business Card offers a wide range of travel benefits including complimentary airport lounge access, hotel status, travel insurance and more! Here’s an overview of the travel benefits you can expect…
Airport lounge access
With an Amex Platinum Business Card, you’ll get unlimited access to Centurion Lounges for yourself and up to two guests with each visit. This includes the Amex Centurion Lounges in Sydney and Melbourne.
You and one complimentary guest can also access any Virgin Australia Lounge when flying on a same-day Virgin Australia domestic flight.
You can also access Delta Sky Club lounges when flying the same day on Delta, and Lufthansa Business Lounges when flying with Lufthansa Group airlines.
In addition, receive unlimited access to Priority Pass lounges for yourself and one nominated employee with an Employee Card.
You and your nominated employee can access Priority Pass lounges when flying with any airline, but there is no complimentary guest allowance with this card. Additional guests at Priority Pass lounges will attract a USD35 fee. The Priority Pass benefit does not extend to accessing food & beverage credits at airport restaurants.
Within Australia, there are around 22 airport lounges accessible to American Express Platinum Business Card Members. This list was accurate to the best of our knowledge as of July 2023 and is subject to change:
| Airport | Lounge | Complimentary Guest Allowance |
|---|---|---|
| Adelaide | Virgin Australia Lounge Rex Lounge Plaza Premium Lounge (international) | 1 guest – – |
| Brisbane | Virgin Australia Lounge (domestic) Plaza Premium Lounge (international) Aspire Airport Lounge (international) | 1 guest – – |
| Canberra | Virgin Australia Lounge | 1 guest |
| Gold Coast | Virgin Australia Lounge | 1 guest |
| Melbourne | Virgin Australia Lounge (Terminal 3) The House (international) Marhaba Lounge (international) Amex Centurion Lounge (international) Plaza Premium Lounge (international) Rex Lounge (Terminal 4) | 1 guest – – 2 guests – – |
| Perth | Virgin Australia Lounge (Terminal 1) Aspire Lounge (international) Aspire Lounge (Terminal 2) | 1 guest – – |
| Sydney | Virgin Australia Lounge (Terminal 2) The House (international) Amex Centurion Lounge (international) Plaza Premium Lounge (international) Rex Lounge (Terminal 2) | 1 guest – 2 guests – – |
Hotel benefits
As an American Express Platinum Card Member, you’ll automatically be eligible for elite status in multiple hotel loyalty programs – without needing to complete any hotel stays. You’ll then be able to use the benefits of that status tier whenever you stay at a hotel that participates in that loyalty program and book direct.
| Hotel program | Status level | Key benefits of this status level |
|---|---|---|
| Hilton Honors | Gold | • Every fifth night free on standard room awards of 5+ nights • Complimentary gym access and two bottles of water • 80% tier bonus points • My Way Gold benefits, including free breakfast at most brands • Complimentary room upgrade at Conrad, Hilton & Doubletree hotels (subject to availability) |
| Marriott Bonvoy | Gold | • Late checkout • 25% bonus points • Welcome gift • Room upgrades (subject to availability) |
| Radisson Rewards | Premium | • Free room upgrades (subject to availability) • Early check-in & late check-out • “My Favorite Hotel” benefits at a specific hotel of your choice |
| Accor ALL | Silver (via Accor Plus membership) | • Late checkout • Welcome drink • Higher points earn rate |
| Fine Hotels + Resorts | Receive exclusive benefits | • Guaranteed 4pm late checkout • 12pm checkin, when available • Room upgrades (subject to availability) • Daily breakfast for two • Complimentary amenity valued at US $100 more • Complimentary Wi-Fi |
The Accor Silver membership is a benefit of Accor Plus Explorer membership, valued at $399 per year if bought individually. You can enrol in Accor Plus for free as an Amex Platinum Card Member.
In addition to Accor ALL Silver status, Accor Plus gets you the following benefits at participating Accor hotel brands in the Asia-Pacific region:
- One “Stay Plus complimentary night” per year (subject to room availability, which can be limited at peak times)
- 10% off room bookings
- 25-50% off dining at Accor hotels
- 15% off drinks bills at Accor hotels in Asia
Complimentary travel insurance
This card comes with complimentary domestic and international travel insurance. This insurance is underwritten by Chubb. This insurance is also available to anyone with an Employee Card, subject to the terms & conditions.
The Platinum Business Card insurance policy also includes Card Purchase Cover, Card Refund Cover, Buyer’s Advantage Cover and roadside assistance.
Before using this insurance, we’d encourage you to read the PDS here.
Hertz & Avis car rental benefits
Enrol in Hertz Gold Plus Rewards and Avis Preferred, and use your American Express Platinum Business Card to pay for Hertz or Avis car hire bookings, to enjoy extra benefits. These include access to savings, upgrades and other benefits which vary depending on the location of your rental.
Earning points
With the American Express Platinum Card, you’ll earn 2.25 American Express Membership Rewards Points per $1 spent on eligible transactions (excluding government payments). That’s effectively 1.125 airline points or miles per dollar with most airlines once the conversion rate is considered.
There is no monthly or annual point-earning cap. You can earn an unlimited number of points at the full rate.
Amex Membership Rewards Points do not expire as long as your account remains active. Therefore, it would be a good idea to keep them in your Amex Membership Rewards account until you’re ready to use them (or wait for a good bonus offer before transferring them to an airline)!
Earning points for ATO & government payments
Payments made directly to the Australian Tax Office (ATO) or other government bodies in Australia with your Amex Platinum Business Card will earn points at a reduced rate of 1 Amex Membership Rewards Point per $1 (effectively 0.5 or 0.33 airline points or miles).
Using Amex Membership Rewards Points
Amex Membership Rewards Points earned with a Platinum Card can be converted to 12 airlines and 2 hotel loyalty programs, generally at a 2:1 conversion rate. Here’s the full list:
| Transfer partners | 1 Amex Point equals… |
|---|---|
| Air New Zealand Airpoints | 0.005 Airpoints Dollars |
| Cathay (Asia Miles) | 0.5 miles |
| Emirates Skywards | 0.33 miles |
| Etihad Guest | 0.5 miles |
| Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles | 0.5 miles |
| Hilton Honors | 0.5 miles |
| Malaysia Airlines Enrich | 0.5 points |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 0.67 points |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer (exclusively available with Amex Platinum cards) | 0.5 points |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club | 0.5 Avios |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 0.33 miles |
| THAI Royal Orchid Plus | 0.5 miles |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 0.5 points |
| Velocity Frequent Flyer | 0.5 points |
See our Overview of Amex Membership Rewards Transfer Partners for more information.
Note that the option to transfer Amex Points to Qantas Frequent Flyer is an exclusive benefit for American Express Platinum and Centurion Card Members. It is not possible to transfer points earned from most other Amex credit cards – nor from other Australian bank-operated rewards programs – to Qantas Frequent Flyer.
Alternatively, you could redeem your points through the Amex Membership Rewards program for rewards including:
- Gift cards
- David Jones shop with Points
- Amex Travel Online
- Helloworld travel gift cards
- Cash back
Digital news subscriptions
Amex Platinum Business Card Members receive complimentary subscriptions to two digital newspapers: The Australian (worth $364/year) and Wall Street Journal (worth around $166/year).
Access to the Amex Experiences App
The Amex Experiences App makes it easier for you to access the Premium Concierge service, and check out the latest information on Platinum benefits, travel offers, events and recommended merchants.
The App is available for download on Google Play or the App Store. This is not a replacement for the Amex App but can be used alongside it.
Summary
Pros
- High points earn rate with no monthly or annual cap
- Transfer points to your choice of a large selection of airlines and hotels as needed
- Great travel benefits including access to many airport lounges and various hotel status benefits
- Issue up to 99 Employee Cards, with real-time spend data available
- Complimentary Priority Pass membership for the card member and one employee Card Member on enrolment
- Up to 55 days cash flow
- Complimentary 12-month digital subscription to The Australian Premium and Accor Plus membership
- Discounts and upgrades with Hertz & Avis
- Complimentary international travel insurance, including for employee Card Members
- Compatible with Apple Pay, Google Pay & Samsung Pay
- No pre-defined credit limit as this is a charge card
Cons
- High annual fee
- There is no complimentary guest allowance with Priority Pass
- International transaction fees apply
- Points are earned at a reduced rate when spending with government bodies
- Signup bonus
- 350,000 bonus Membership Rewards points, when you spend a minimum of $12,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months of approval date. T&Cs apply. New American Express Card Members only.
- Points Earned
- Earn to 2.25 Membership Rewards points per $1 on all eligible business purchases, except for spend with government bodies, for which you will earn 1 point per $1 spent
- Annual fee
- $1,750 p.a. and up to 99 Employee Cards at no additional cost
The owner of Australian Frequent Flyer may receive a commission from the card issuer for each applicant of this card.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
To apply for an Amex Platinum Business Card in Australia, you would need to be an Australian citizen or resident and be a director or controller of a GST-registered business with a valid ABN. Other criteria may apply.
There is no defined credit limit on the Amex Platinum Business Card because it is a charge card. However, this does not mean you can spend an unlimited amount as Amex will adjust the amount it allows you to spend based each month on a range of factors.
No, the American Express Platinum Business Card is a charge card. This means you will need to pay off the card balance in full each month. (There are flexible payment options if needed, but interest applies if your business needs to use this.)
Yes, but payments to government bodies including the Australian Tax Office (ATO) will earn points at a reduced rate of 1 Amex Point per dollar (instead of the usual 2.25 points per dollar).
Amex Membership Rewards Points do not expire, as long as your account remains open and in good standing. This can be useful as it means you can keep the points in your Amex Membership Rewards account until you need to use them, then transfer the points to a frequent flyer program of your choice – preventing them from expiring in the airline’s program.
The primary Card Member receives access to Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges and Virgin Australia Lounges when flying the same day on a Virgin Australia domestic flight. Additionally, one Employee Card member can be nominated to receive unlimited Priority Pass lounge access.
Australian Amex Platinum Business Card members receive Hilton Honors Gold status, Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite, Radisson Rewards Premium status and Accor ALL Silver status via Accor Plus.
The American Express Platinum Business Card offers many of the same benefits as the personal American Express Platinum Card, but there are a few differences. For example, the personal Amex Platinum Card has a lower annual fee, access to more airport lounges, annual travel, dining and fashion credits. On the other hand, while the Amex Platinum Business Card has a slightly higher annual fee, it offers the ability to add up to 99 Employee Cards, a higher number of cash flow days and car rental benefits such as discounts and upgrades with Hertz and Avis upon enrolment.
Yes, Amex Platinum Business Card Members can issue up to 99 Employee Cards at no extra cost.