The Business Platinum Card® from American Express currently features the highest welcome bonus it’s ever offered publicly: Earn 200,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership.
Those points are worth $4,000, per TPG’s October 2025 valuations, which offer a compelling reason to consider applying.
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’re 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
New Amex Business Platinum cardmembers can earn 200,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership.
This is the highest welcome bonus we’ve ever seen publicly offered on this card.
Annual fee
The Amex Business Platinum card comes with a $895 annual fee (see rates and fees). While this fee is large, it is possible to offset this cost by maximizing the statement credits and benefits that come with the card.
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Earning
The Amex Business Platinum earns points at the following rates:
- 5 points per dollar spent on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com
- 2 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases 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 spent)
- 1 point per dollar spent on other purchases
Key benefits
The Amex Business Platinum includes numerous statement credits, including:
- Dell statement credit: Up to $150 in statement credits on U.S. purchases made directly at Dell and an additional up to $1,000 statement credit after spending $5,000 or more with Dell each calendar year*
- Hotel statement credit: Up to $600 hotel statement credit per calendar year (up to $300 in semi-annual credits), on prepaid Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings through Amex Travel when you pay with your Amex Business Platinum (Hotel Collection stays require a two-night minimum)
- Indeed statement credit: Up to $360 in annual statement credits on Indeed (up to $90 per quarter)*
- Adobe statement credit: Up to $250 statement credit after spending $600 or more on U.S. purchases made directly at Adobe each calendar year (subject to auto-renewal)*
- Clear Plus statement credit: Up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year toward an annual Clear Plus membership for expedited airport security (subject to auto-renewal)*
- Airline fee credits: Up to $200 each year in statement credits per calendar year for charges by the qualified airline you select
- Hilton statement credit: Up to $200 statement credit per calendar year (up to $50 quarterly) on eligible purchases made directly with a property in the Hilton portfolio (Hilton for Business program membership is required)
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck: Up to $120 in statement credits for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck applications ($120 for Global Entry every four years or up to $85 for TSA PreCheck every 4½ years)
- Wireless telephone service statement credits: Up to $120 in annual statement credits for purchases made directly from any U.S. wireless telephone provider (up to $10 per month)*
- Amex Travel flights and One AP: Up to $1,200 in Amex Travel flight statement credits and up to $2,400 in One AP statement credits (valid from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 of the calendar year after meeting the requirement), both after spending $250,000 or more on eligible purchases in a calendar year
Other benefits include a 35% airline bonus when you use Pay with Points for airfare booked through Amex Travel (up to 1,000,000 points back each calendar year) on the airline that you select for your annual up to $200 airline fee statement credit, regardless of fare class, and complimentary Gold elite status in Hilton Honors*, Gold elite status with Marriott Bonvoy* and Leaders Club Sterling status from Leading Hotels of the World.*
Plus, eligible cardmembers receive access to Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs (when flying Delta)**, Priority Pass™ lounges* (for you and two guests) and Airspace lounges.
Thanks to all these perks, the Amex Business Platinum regularly ranks among the best business rewards cards.
*Enrollment is 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.
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 Amex Business Platinum, including its welcome offer, if you’re a first-time applicant.
Even if you’re a freelancer, independent contractor or have a side hustle, you can still get approved for the Business Platinum. You don’t need to make seven figures (or even five figures) from your small business each year to have a small-business card.
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 cardmembers.
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 American Express Platinum Card® 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, they are likely not subject to Amex’s five-credit-card limit. That doesn’t guarantee approval, however.
Amex also considers your overall profile, including creditworthiness and recent application history, when deciding whether to approve you.
Amex also 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 not be willing to extend any further debt to you.
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 there’s 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.
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 cardmembers being targeted with offers to apply for a second Amex Business Platinum with another 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
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum, click here.