Earn rates
The Business Platinum earns at a single flat rate: 1.25x Membership Rewards on all eligible purchases. There are no bonus categories and no spend caps. The value of that earn depends entirely on how you redeem — the Fixed Points Travel Program sets a floor of 1.25 cents per point, but transfers to airline and hotel partners can push the effective rate considerably higher.
| Spending category | Earn rate |
|---|---|
| All eligible purchases | 1.25x Membership Rewards |
Fixed Points Travel Program
The Fixed Points Travel Program lets you book any eligible flight through American Express Travel and pay with Membership Rewards points. The floor rate is 1.25 cents per point — meaning a $1,000 flight costs 80,000 points. Taxes and carrier surcharges may be charged separately.
This makes the earn-to-redeem cycle predictable: 1.25x earn at 1.25 cents per point = 1.5625% back in travel on all spending. For cardholders who do not want to manage airline program transfers, Fixed Points Travel provides a simple, consistent redemption floor that is competitive with most cashback cards at that fee tier.
What your monthly spend earns
| Category | Monthly spend | Rate | Monthly pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| All eligible purchases | $2,500 | 1.25x | 3,125 |
37,500 Membership Rewards points per year. At 1.25 cents per point via Fixed Points Travel, that is approximately $469 in travel value. Net of the $799 annual fee without other benefits factored in: −$330 — the fee is justified by lounge access and premium perks, not the earn rate alone.
Lounge access
The card provides two types of lounge access. Centurion Lounges — Amex’s own branded lounges in major airports — offer food, drinks, showers, and workspaces. Priority Pass membership opens access to 1,200+ independent and partner lounges worldwide. Both apply to the primary cardholder; access for guests and supplementary cardholders varies by location and may carry a per-visit fee.
| Lounge type | Details |
|---|---|
| Centurion Lounge | Complimentary access for primary cardholder at Amex Centurion Lounge locations. Guest fees may apply; verify current terms with Amex. |
| Priority Pass | Membership included. Unlimited visits for primary cardholder at 1,200+ Priority Pass lounges worldwide. |
Travel benefits
| Benefit | Details |
|---|---|
| Fixed Points Travel Program | Book any eligible flight through Amex Travel using Membership Rewards points at a minimum of 1.25 cents per point. |
| International Airline Program | Access to discounted business class and first class fares on partner airlines. Book through Amex Travel; savings vary by route and carrier. |
| Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts | Guaranteed 4pm late checkout, daily breakfast for two, noon check-in where available, and a unique property amenity (typically a $100 hotel credit) at participating properties. |
| Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status | Complimentary Gold Elite status at Marriott Bonvoy properties: 25% bonus points, enhanced room upgrades, welcome gift, and late checkout subject to availability. |
| Hilton Honors Gold status | Complimentary Gold status at Hilton properties: 80% bonus points, room upgrades, free breakfast at select brands, and 5th night free on award stays. |
| Hertz #1 Club Gold Five Star | Complimentary Five Star status with Hertz. Skip the counter at select locations, upgrade eligibility, and priority service. |
Membership Rewards transfers
Membership Rewards points transfer to a broad selection of frequent flyer and hotel programs. In Canada, notable airline transfer partners include Aeroplan, British Airways Executive Club, and others. Hotel programs include Marriott Bonvoy. Transfer ratios and partner lists change; verify current partners and ratios at americanexpress.com before planning a transfer redemption.
At strong transfer rates — Aeroplan business class redemptions are a common example — the effective value of 1.25x MR points can far exceed the 1.25 cents per point Fixed Points floor. The card earns the same on every dollar; the upside comes from how skillfully points are deployed.
Travel insurance on the American Express Business Platinum Card
The American Express Business Platinum Card scores 84 of 100 on the figures its certificate publishes, joint 12th of the 59 Canadian cards compared. Emergency medical is capped at $5,000,000 for trips up to 15 days.
| Emergency medical | $5,000,000 · age 0–64: 15 days · 90-day stability window |
|---|---|
| Trip cancellation | $1,500 per person · $3,000 per account |
| Trip interruption | $1,500 per person · $6,000 per account |
| Flight or trip delay | $1,000 per person · after 4 hours · $1,000 per trip |
| Baggage delay | $1,000 per person · after 6 hours |
| Rental car collision or damage | Pays first · rentals to 48 days · vehicles to $85,000 |
You must charge 100% of the trip cost to the card for the coverage to apply. A booking made with points still qualifies. You have 90 days from the incident to report a claim. Dependent children are covered to age 21.
Every figure from the certificate, with its own wording
| Emergency medical | limit: $5,000,000 (per insured person, per trip) age 0–64: $5,000,000, 15 days pre existing stability days: 90 days (measured before the departure date; for Trip Cancellation the 90 days run before the effective date) |
|---|---|
| Trip cancellation | per person: $1,500 (per insured person for each trip) per account: $3,000 (for all insured persons combined, for each trip) covered reasons: Your medical condition or admission to a hospital following an emergency, The admission to a hospital following an emergency of a member of your immediate family (who is not at your destination), your business partner, key employee or caregiver (first two entries of the certificate’s 24-row covered-reason chart; the complete enumeration exceeds 40 words) |
| Trip interruption | per person: $1,500 (per insured person for each trip; covers trip interruption and trip delay) per account: $6,000 (for all insured persons combined, for each trip) |
| Flight or trip delay | per person: $1,000 (the certificate states this as an aggregate for any one occurrence for all insured persons combined, shared with missed connection and baggage delay, and prorated where claims exceed it) trigger hours: 4 hours (also applies to denied boarding where no alternative transportation is made available within four hours, and to a missed connection) per trip cap: $1,000 (per occurrence, for Coverage A missed connection, Coverage B delayed flight departure or denied boarding, and Coverage C emergency baggage delay combined) |
| Baggage delay | per person: $1,000 (the certificate states this as an aggregate for any one occurrence for all insured persons combined, shared with missed connection and flight delay) trigger hours: 6 hours (expenses must be incurred within four days of arrival at the outbound scheduled destination point and before the baggage is returned) |
| Lost, stolen or damaged baggage | per person: $1,000 (the certificate states this as a maximum for any one occurrence for all insured persons combined) per item sublimit: $300 (jewellery sublimit; golf clubs including golf bags capped at $250 per occurrence) |
| Travel accident | limit: $500,000 (loss of life or two-limb dismemberment; loss of one hand, one foot or the sight of one eye pays $250,000; underwritten by Chubb Life Insurance Company of Canada) common carrier only: Yes (an Alternate Transportation Benefit extends to a conveyance arranged by a Scheduled Airline for a delayed or rerouted flight) covers 24h: No (the certificate enumerates only the Common Carrier Benefit and the Alternate Transportation Benefit, both tied to a Covered Trip) |
| Hotel or motel burglary | $1,000 (per burglary occurrence, for all insured persons combined; the full fare of the accommodation must be charged to the Card) |
| Emergency travel assistance | offered: Yes (provided by Global Excel Management Inc. for the Belair-underwritten travel certificates) hotline url: https://info.client.insure (insurer site printed in the summary booklet; the 24/7 assistance line is 1 800 243-0198 or collect 905 475-4822) |
| Rental car collision or damage | is primary: Yes (the Cardmember must decline the rental agency’s CDW and charge the full cost of the rental to the Card) limit basis: the actual cash value of the rental auto and valid rental agency loss of use charges (the certificate states there is no deductible for this coverage) vehicle value cap: $85,000 (MSRP in the vehicle’s model year, excluding all taxes, at the place the rental agreement is signed or the rental auto is picked up) max rental days: 48 days (consecutive days; a rental period beyond 48 days voids coverage from the first day, and a full calendar day between rentals is needed to break the cycle) excluded classes: Automobiles or other vehicles which are not rental autos (first entry only; the certificate lists 13 excluded vehicle classes and the complete enumeration exceeds 40 words) territory: The rental auto may be driven across provincial and state boundaries in Canada and the U.S. and between Canada and the U.S. (quoted from the exception to the exclusion for operating the rental auto in violation of the rental agreement; the certificate names no excluded countries) |
| Purchase protection | days: 90 days (from the date of purchase, anywhere in the world; at least a portion of the purchase price must be charged to the Card) limit per item: $1,000 (per Cardmember per occurrence, even where the occurrence involves more than one insured item) |
| Extended warranty | cap: $10,000 (per insured item, capped at $25,000 per Cardmember per policy year for all occurrences and all insured items combined) |
| Mobile device | limit: $1,500 (per occurrence and per insured person; one claim in any 12 consecutive months and two claims in any 48 consecutive months across all Amex cards) requires full charge: Yes (or any required up-front payment charged to the Card with the balance financed through a provider’s payment plan and all bill payments charged to the Card) eligible events: Mobile Device Insurance provides coverage in the event your mobile device is lost, stolen or accidentally damaged, anywhere in the world. (coverage applies to mobile devices purchased for business use only) |
Figures above are from the Certificates of Insurance, Business Platinum Card from American Express, effective 2025-07-01, underwritten by Belair Insurance Company Inc.; Travel Accident underwritten by Chubb Life Insurance Company of Canada. Checked against the certificate for 13 coverage types. Terms change without notice; verify with the issuer before relying on any figure.
Good fit if
- Your team travels frequently and uses airports with Centurion or Priority Pass lounge coverage — the lounge access alone covers a significant portion of the fee for regular travellers.
- You book premium cabin fares and want the International Airline Program discount applied to already-expensive tickets.
- You want a single flat earn rate with no category management and a predictable minimum redemption value via Fixed Points Travel.
If that describes you, apply for the American Express Business Platinum Card. Not sure yet? Book a free conversation and we will walk through it together.
Less useful if
- Your team flies primarily Air Canada and wants the highest Aeroplan earn rate — the Amex Aeroplan Business Reserve earns 3x on Air Canada at $599.
- Business spending is moderate — the fee requires heavy lounge use or premium travel bookings to justify; earn rate alone does not offset $799.
- You want bonus categories on everyday business spend — the flat 1.25x structure rewards high-volume uniform spend more than it rewards specific category concentration.