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The Business Platinum Card® from American Express has long stood at the top of the travel rewards business card market, with the only significant competition coming from the Capital One Venture X Business — until recently.
Chase finally entered the premium business card market and is providing Amex with some stiff competition with the introduction of the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (see rates and fees).
These cards share many similarities and a few key differences. Let’s see how these two powerhouse business cards stack up against each other and which one you should add to your wallet.
Amex Business Platinum vs. Sapphire Reserve for Business comparison
| Amex Business Platinum | Sapphire Reserve for Business | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $695 (see rates and fees) | $795 |
| Welcome offer | Earn 150,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership. | Earn 200,000 bonus points after spending $30,000 on purchases in the first six months from account opening. |
| Earning rates |
|
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| Statement credits |
Enrollment is required for select benefits, and terms apply. |
|
| Lounge access |
|
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| Other benefits |
Enrollment is required for select benefits, and terms apply. |
|
| Travel and purchase protections |
|
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*Eligibility and benefit level vary by card. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered, and geographic restrictions apply. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
**Eligibility and benefit level vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. If approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline, emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost. In any other circumstance, cardmembers are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.
***Eligibility and benefit level vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
****Eligibility and benefit level vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
Amex Business Platinum vs. Sapphire Reserve for Business welcome offer
Both cards’ welcome offer value well surpasses the annual fee cost by at least four times.
With the Amex Business Platinum, you’ll earn 150,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 on purchases within the first three months of card membership.
This offer is worth $3,000 based on TPG’s July 2025 valuations, as Membership Rewards points are worth 2 cents apiece.
Meanwhile, new applicants for the Sapphire Reserve for Business can earn 200,000 bonus points after spending $30,000 on purchases in the first six months of account opening.
This offer is worth $4,100 based on TPG’s July 2025 valuations, as Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth 2.05 cents apiece.
Winner: Sapphire Reserve for Business. Its welcome offer is worth over $1,000 more than the Amex Business Platinum’s.
Related: Best welcome offers of the month
Amex Business Platinum vs. Sapphire Reserve for Business benefits
At first glance, here is how these two cards’ benefits stack up:
| Amex Business Platinum | Sapphire Reserve for Business | |
|---|---|---|
| Statement credits |
Enrollment is required for select benefits, and terms apply. |
|
| Lounge access |
|
|
| Other benefits |
Enrollment is required for select benefits, and terms apply. |
|
| Travel and purchase protections |
|
|
*Eligibility and benefit level vary by card. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered, and geographic restrictions apply. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
**Eligibility and benefit level vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. If approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline, emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost. In any other circumstance, cardmembers are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.
***Eligibility and benefit level vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
****Eligibility and benefit level vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
Lounge access
Both cards’ standout benefit is lounge access. With the Amex Business Platinum, you’ll have access to the Global Lounge collection, which includes:
- Centurion Lounges
- Priority Pass lounges (restaurants not included)
- Aspire lounges
- Escape Lounges
- Plaza Premium lounges
- Delta Sky Clubs (when traveling on same-day Delta Air Lines flights on a non-basic economy ticket; eligible Platinum Card members will receive 10 visits per eligible Platinum Card, per year to the Delta Sky Club or to a grab-and-go location when traveling on a same-day Delta-operated flight, unless you spend $75,000 or more per calendar year to unlock unlimited visits).
However, with Amex’s flagship lounges, the Centurion Lounges, guest access is not included. You will need to spend $75,000 or more each calendar year to gain access for two complimentary guests.
Meanwhile, with the Sapphire Reserve for Business, you’re allowed two complimentary guests at Chase’s flagship Sapphire lounges. There are currently 25 open Centurion lounges with four more on the way, whereas there are eight Sapphire lounges with plans for three more.
Statement credits and other benefits
Additionally, both cards come with an array of annual statement credits to provide you with extra value. The most notable credit on the Amex Business Platinum is the up to $200 in annual airline incidental credit on a designated airline of your choice, which covers things like baggage fees, seat selection, upgrades, and inflight food and beverage purchases.
It doesn’t cover ticket purchases, though some online forum users have reported being able to buy select flights and have the credit trigger.
On the other hand, the Sapphire Reserve for Business has a very flexible annual $300 travel credit. It will cover anything Chase defines as travel, such as parking, taxis and tolls, and doesn’t require booking through a travel portal.
Furthermore, each card has other travel- and business-centric credits that can provide well over $1,200 in value annually.
Both cards also shine with hotel benefits, including statement credits and elite status. The Amex Business Platinum confers automatic Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy Gold elite status. Plus, you’ll receive an up-to-$200 (up to $50 per quarter) Hilton credit each calendar year.
The Sapphire Reserve for Business offers automatic IHG Platinum Elite status (through Dec. 31, 2027). Which hotel status is more valuable for you depends on which hotel chain you prefer to stay with, but if you’re brand agnostic, the Business Platinum may be a better choice because it offers elite status at two separate brands.
You’ll also receive an up-to-$500 annual (up to $250 biannually) credit for The Edit by Chase Travel, Chase’s luxury hotel booking platform (minimum two-night stay required). When booking through The Edit, you will still receive any hotel loyalty elite benefits and earnings despite booking through an online travel agency.
With the Business Platinum, you’ll also have access to American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection (minimum two-night stay for THC).
Lastly, both cards provide excellent travel and purchase protections, but the Sapphire Reserve for Business takes the slight edge as it provides complimentary primary rental car insurance.
Winner: Sapphire Reserve for Business. It includes complimentary guest access to Sapphire lounges, its annual travel credit is easier to use and it provides slightly better travel protections.
Related: Chase Sapphire Reserve statement credits: What they are and how to use them
Earning points on the Amex Business Platinum vs. Sapphire Reserve for Business
Both cards earn valuable transferable points that allow for extreme flexibility when it comes time to redeem your points.
With the Amex Business Platinum you’ll earn:
- 5 points per dollar spent on flights and prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel (a 10% return based on TPG’s July 2025 valuations)
- 1.5 points per dollar spent on purchases of $5,000 or more and in select business categories in the U.S. — construction material and hardware suppliers, electronics goods retailers, software and cloud system providers, and shipping providers — on up to $2 million of purchases in a calendar year, then 1 point per dollar (3% return)
- 1 point per dollar spent on other purchases (1% return)
Meanwhile, with the Sapphire Reserve for Business you’ll earn:
- 8 points per dollar spent on Chase Travel purchases (a 16.4% return based on TPG’s July 2025 valuations)
- 5 points per dollar spent on eligible Lyft rides through Sept. 30, 2027 (a 10.25% return)
- 4 points per dollar spent on flights and hotels booked directly (an 8.2% return)
- 3 points per dollar spent on advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines (a 6.15% return)
- 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases (a 2.05% return)
The Sapphire Reserve for Business takes the cake as it has almost double the bonus categories of the Amex Business Platinum. Regarding travel, the Sapphire Reserve for Business earns 4 points per dollar spent on flights and hotels booked directly, whereas with the Business Platinum, you’ll earn 5 points per dollar spent, but you have to book through the Amex Travel portal for flights and prepaid hotels.
I prefer the flexibility of not having to book through a travel portal, so I would happily sacrifice the 1 point. Additionally, the Sapphire Reserve for Business offers higher earning rates than the Amex Business Platinum on travel booked through each issuer’s respective travel portal.
Additionally, business owners with high advertising spending will appreciate the 3 points per dollar spent the Sapphire Reserve for Business offers on advertising. This bonus category has no spending cap, unlike most other cards with this bonus category.
The Amex Business Platinum does come out ahead on purchases in select business categories and on large purchases of $5,000 or more, as you’ll earn 1.5 points per dollar spent on up to $2 million of purchases each calendar year (then 1 point per dollar spent).
Winner: Sapphire Reserve for Business. It offers more bonus categories and the ability to earn bonus rewards on flights and hotels booked directly, and uncapped bonus earnings on advertising spending.
Related: Business cards vs. personal cards: Key differences
Redeeming points on the Amex Business Platinum vs. Sapphire Reserve for Business
Both the Amex Business Platinum and Sapphire Reserve for Business offer multiple ways to redeem your points, including for a statement credit, gift cards and to book travel through each issuer’s respective travel portal.
Despite the many options for redeeming points, these methods don’t yield the highest return and should be avoided. The highest return comes from transferring points to travel partners.
On the Amex Business Platinum, you can redeem points to cover purchases at a poor rate of 0.6 cents per point or use them to book prepaid hotel and flights via Amex Travel at a lackluster rate of 0.7 cents per point for hotels and 1 cent per point for flights.
However, you can get more value for your points using the Pay with Points feature that gives you 35% of your points back (up to 1 million points per year) when you book economy-class flights on your designated airline or business-class and first-class flights on any airline via Amex Travel.
This Pay with Points feature will be modified starting Sept. 18, with a major devaluation, as you’ll only be able to get points back on designated airlines in any cabin class.
With the Sapphire Reserve for Business, you can redeem your points to book through Chase Travel at an elevated value of up to 2 cents per point, depending on the specific redemption, with the new Points Boost feature. Points Boost offers cardholders elevated redemption rates higher than 1 cent per point on select Chase Travel redemptions, including select flight and hotel redemptions.
The Edit stays can be booked at a rate of 2 cents per point, and select flight redemptions can be booked at a rate between 1.5 and 2 cents per point. Additionally, you can redeem points at a rate of 1 cent per point for cash back and gift cards (Chase sometimes has offers where you can get higher than 1 cent per point on gift card redemptions).
Winner: Sapphire Reserve for Business. Both cards offer elevated redemption rates when booking select travel through their respective travel portals; however, the Sapphire Reserve for Business takes the slight edge as you can generally redeem points for greater value.
Related: Who should get the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business card?
Transferring points on the Amex Business Platinum vs. Sapphire Reserve for Business
The best redemption option for either card is transferring rewards to partners. Each issuer has its own extensive network of transfer partners that can provide outsize value.
The points earned on the Amex Business Platinum can be transferred to 17 airlines and 3 hotel partners, most of which transfer at a 1:1 ratio. Some notable partners include Avianca LifeMiles, Delta SkyMiles and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.
I like to transfer my points earned on the Amex Business Platinum to Avianca LifeMiles to book business-class flights on partner Star Alliance airlines to Europe.
The points earned on the Sapphire Reserve for Business can be transferred to 11 airlines and 3 hotel partners, all at a 1:1 ratio. Some notable partners are Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue and United Airlines MileagePlus.
Both cards have access to partners in each of the three major airline alliances: Oneworld, SkyTeam and Star Alliance, which can help get you to pretty much any corner of the globe.
Despite Amex having over 30% more partners than Chase, that doesn’t give Amex a clear edge here, as Chase has World of Hyatt as a partner. World of Hyatt is my go-to Chase transfer partner and offers outstanding hotel redemptions due to a fixed award chart.
With both cards, you can take advantage of transfer bonuses, which can make your points worth even more.
Winner: Sapphire Reserve for Business. It has access to World of Hyatt for hotel redemptions, which can provide excellent value, and all partners transfer at a 1:1 ratio.
Related: From international business class to domestic travel: Chase Ultimate Rewards sweet spots
Should I get the Amex Business Platinum or Sapphire Reserve for Business?
Both cards are excellent options for business owners looking for premium travel rewards cards. If you want the best lounge access for the primary cardmember, useful business-centered statement credits, great travel protections and a slightly lower annual fee, opt for the Amex Business Platinum.
However, if you want complimentary guest access to lounges, better earning rates across the board, higher-value statement credits and industry-leading travel protections, and you’re willing to pay the higher annual fee, add the Sapphire Reserve for Business to your wallet.
Bottom line
The Amex Business Platinum and Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business are two top business cards. If you are looking for a card with great lounge access, valuable statement credits, automatic elite status, and excellent travel and purchase protections, either would make a great addition to your wallet.
And if you can’t decide which is best for you, consider adding both to your wallet, as it’s not a bad idea to diversify your transferable currencies.
To learn more, read our full reviews of the Amex Business Platinum and Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business.
Apply here: Amex Business Platinum
Apply here: Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum, click here.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
