100K AMEX Business Platinum Bonus Offer (Targeted)

100K AMEX Business Platinum Offer Details

• Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of card membership
• $200 airline fee credit: select a qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 per calendar year in statement credits when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged to your Business Platinum card
• Fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck: Receive one Global Entry ($100) statement credit or one TSA Precheck ($85) statement credit 
• $450 annual fee (not waived)

100,000 American Express Business Platinum Offer: A Very Good Offer

This is a very good offer, and I decided to apply for it. Is it the best possible offer for this card? No–that would be the targeted 150K AMEX Business Platinum, which some of my clients have received. Nevertheless, the public offer is for 40,000 points, and with AMEX personal card bonuses now once in a lifetime, this was a good offer and way to earn AMEX Membership Rewards points for an effective cost of a quarter of a cent per point (taking into account the $200 airline fee credit).

Who's Eligible for the 100K Bonus?

Even if you do receive the targeted offer, make sure you're eligible, otherwise you may complete the minimum spend yet not receive the bonus. Specifically, for the AMEX Business Platinum, the welcome bonus is not available if you currently have the card or have had this card within the last 12 months. That means you're still eligible if you have or have had the AMEX Business Gold card, or if you have or have had the personal version of the AMEX Platinum card.

 

 

  

 

With such a hefty $450 annual fee, not waived, the question is always whether the card is worth it. I'd say it's definitely worth it the first year, if you get a 100K or 150K signup bonus and are able to maximize the $200 airline fee credit twice, once in each calendary year (see Maximizing the AMEX Platinum Airline Fee Credit) and also take advantage of the $100 Global Entry fee credit (see American Express Platinum Card Global Entry Benefit Tips).

 

Beyond the first year, it becomes harder to justify the $450 cost, since unlike the AMEX Business Gold card, there are no category spend bonuses. I supposed if you're a frequent visitor to an AMEX Centurion Lounge, which now has locations in New York LGA, San Francisco SFO, Dallas DFW, Las Vegas LAS or the soon to open Miami MIA then that could remove some of the sting.

 

The Fine Hotels and Resorts Program in my view isn't a unique benefit worth keeping the card for, since at virtually all hotels and resorts (plus many others) you can receive virtually identical and sometimes better benefits by booking with Virtuoso benefits. And in the case of hotel preferred partner prosuch as Four Seasons Preferred Partner, you're better off booking with TravelSort or other luxury travel advisor affiliated with the preferred partner program, since you'll receive upgrade priority ahead of Fine Hotels and Resorts bookings.

 

My favorite AMEX Membership Rewards transfer partner is Singapore KrisFlyer, which fortunately also is partnered with Chase Ultimate Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest and Citi ThankYou Preferred. You need KrisFlyer miles to be able to book Singapore Suites and Singapore First Class, so a stash of AMEX Membership Rewards points is helpful.

 

With the coming new British Airways Avios Award Chart Devaluation Membership Rewards transfers to Avios will be less attractive for long haul first class and business class awards, although at least there are sometimes bonus transfers from AMEX to British Airways Avios. Avios and Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, which is also an AMEX transfer partner, can be helpful in locking in Cathay Pacific First Class award space in advance, if you're willing to pay a huge premium over the AAdvantage award chart price, given that Cathay and BA open their award calendars almost a month in advance of AAdvantage.

 

If you can find award availability at a reasonable rate, Delta SkyMiles can be used to book V Australia Business Class and Alitalia Business Class to Italy; in general, though, after the Delta SkyMiles Devaluation, it's gotten even harder to find great award values, and I personally have never found occasion to transfer AMEX points to Delta.

 

While not a favorite transfer partner due to its expensive award chart, Air France Flying Blue does have its occasional uses, for example when Delta SkyMiles has no SkyTeam award availability or even more expensive awards.