Amex Business Gold vs. Platinum: what is the biggest difference?

When it comes to Amex Business Gold vs. Platinum, the biggest difference is between their annual fees: Amex Business Platinum costs $450 a year, and Amex Business Gold has a $175 fee that’s waived the first year. That’s a $450 advantage for Amex Business Gold the first year and $275 every year after. However, the Platinum Card offers some extra perks, including a $200 annual airline fee credit and 3x points on flights and hotels at the Amex travel site. Plus, you get 35% of your points back when you redeem them for Amex travel. 

Here’s what to consider with Amex Business Platinum vs. Gold:

• Annual fee: $450 for Amex Business Platinum, $175 for Amex Business Gold.
• Initial bonus: Platinum offers 50,000 points for spending $10,000 in your first three months, and an extra 25,000 points for spending another $10,000 within the same timeframe. With Gold, you get 50,000 points for spending $5,000 in the first three months.
• Bonus category rewards earning: Platinum gives you 5 points per $1 spent on flights and prepaid hotels booked on the Amex travel site. With Gold, you get 2-3 points per $1 spent in 5 bonus categories. Specifically, you’ll earn 3 points per $1 in a category of your choosing, up to $100,000 spent each year. And you’ll get 2 points per $1 on your first $100,000 spent in each of the other 4 categories.  
  Gold’s 5 bonus categories are: flights booked directly with the airline; advertising; gas station spending; shipping; and computer hardware, software, and cloud computing.
• Big purchase bonus: Platinum offers 1.5 points per $1 spent on eligible purchases of $5,000 or more, up to 1 million points per year. Gold does not offer extra points for large purchases.
• Everyday rewards earning: Both cards offer 1 point per $1 spent on all purchases outside the bonus categories.
• Redemption bonus: Platinum refunds 35% of your points when you redeem them for flights on the Amex Travel site. You only get this benefit with one airline, and you can only pick your airline once a year, in January. Gold does not offer this perk.
• $200 airline fee credit: Platinum offers up to $200 in statement credits for incidental airline fees, like baggage charges. You can only get credits with one airline, and you can only change that airline every January. By the way, you have to pick the same airline for this and the 35% redemption bonus. Gold does not offer this type of credit.
• Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check credit: If you apply for one of the two airport security pre-screening programs, Amex Business Platinum will reimburse the application fee every four years. You’ll get an $85 statement credit for TSA Pre-Check or a $100 credit for Global Entry (you can’t get both). Gold doesn’t have this perk.
• Airport lounge access: Platinum gives you access to over 1,000 lounges in 120 countries through membership in the Amex Global Lounge Collection. Gold does not.

In Amex Business Platinum vs. Gold, the $275 per year difference between their fees makes for a compelling argument in favor of the Gold Card. But if you’re a frequent traveler who will take full advantage of the Platinum card’s airline statement credit and lounge access, it might be the card for you.

There are a few differences. The sign-up bonus is 50,000 points for the Gold card, which you get after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months. The Platinum gives you 50,000 points after spending $10,000 in the first 3 months, and another 25,000 points if you spend an additional $10,000, also in the first 3 months. The benefits are different for each card, and so are the annual fees. The Gold has an annual fee of $175 which is waived in the first year, whereas the Platinum has a $450 annual fee.