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The Chase Sapphire Reserve for BusinessSM (see rates and fees) and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express are two of the best premium business cards on the market. While both have higher annual fees, each card offers thousands in benefits each year. As long as you can take full advantage of what these cards offer, either one could make sense for you.
Below, we share the details for both of these travel business cards, so you can decide which one is a better option for you.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business brings over $2,500 in value to business owners who value travel and premium experiences
- $400 in annual statement credits on purchases made directly with ZipRecruiter.
- $300 annual travel credit each anniversary year
- $120 Global Entry, TSA Precheck or Nexus fee credit every four years
- Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide with your complimentary Priority PassTM Select membership, including Sapphire Lounge by The Club locations with two complimentary guests
- Can transfer rewards to all of Chase’s 14 travel partners
- IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status through 12/31/27
- Comprehensive suite of travel and purchase protections
- High annual fee
- Significant value tied to statement credits
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select’s editorial staff.
- Earn 200,000 bonus points after you spend $30,000 on purchases in your first 6 months from account opening and with more than $2,500 in annual value, there’s no competition.
- Earn 8x points on Chase TravelSM for airline tickets, hotels, including The EditSM, car rentals, cruises, activities and tours.
- Earn 5x total points on Lyft rides through 9/30/27.
- Earn 4x points on flights & hotels booked direct.
- Earn 3x points on social media & search engine advertising.
- Get the most flexible travel credit compared to any other card, with up to $300 in statement credits each anniversary year on travel purchases.
- Enjoy complimentary access to the Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club network and Priority PassTM Select membership. Two guests may accompany the Primary Cardmember to the lounges free of charge.
- Member FDIC
The Business Platinum Card from American Express is a premium business card loaded with statement credit offers for business services and travel that help justify its steep annual fee.
- Access to 1,550 airport lounges, including Priority Pass (Enrollment required) and Amex Centurion lounges
- Hotel and rental car elite status perks
- Earns flexible rewards you can transfer to 20+ airline and hotel loyalty programs (Enrollment required for select benefits mentioned; Benefits may be subject to auto-renewal)
- High annual fee
- Limited bonus spending categories
- Some statement credit offers are earned in small increments or only apply to purchases from a single brand
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select’s editorial staff.
- Elevated Welcome Offer: Earn 200,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Business Platinum Card® within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,550 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card company on the market as of 07/2025.
- See how you can unlock over $3,500 in business and travel value annually after meeting qualifying spend thresholds on the Business Platinum Card. Terms apply.
- New! Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually for up to a total of $600 in statement credits per calendar year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using the Business Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- No Preset Spending Limit: The spending limit on the Business Platinum Card is flexible, so unlike a traditional credit card with a set limit, the amount you can spend adapts based on factors such as your purchase, payment and credit history.
- Make the Business Platinum Card® work even harder for you. Hilton For Business members get up to $200 back per calendar year when you make an eligible purchase at Hilton properties across the globe. Benefit enrollment required.
- Fly like a pro with a $200 Airline Fee Credit. Select one qualifying airline to receive up to $200 back per year on baggage fees and other incidentals.
- Use the Business Platinum Card and get up to $209 back per calendar year on your CLEAR® Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal).
- Maximize your time away with Fine Hotels + Resorts through Amex Travel™.
- New! Enroll and get up to $150 in statement credits on U.S purchases directly with Dell Technologies on the Business Platinum Card and an additional $1,000 statement credit after you spend $5,000 or more on that same Card per calendar year.
- New! Enroll and get a $250 statement credit after you spend $600 or more on U.S. purchases directly with Adobe per calendar year on the Business Platinum Card.
- Get up to $90 in statement credits quarterly for purchases with Indeed on the Business Platinum Card. That’s up to $360 back per year. Enrollment required.
- Get up to $10 in statement credits per month for wireless telephone service purchases made directly with a wireless provider in the U.S. on the Business Platinum Card. That’s up to $120 back per year. Enrollment required.
- Enhanced! 2X points on purchases at U.S. construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more, up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year. Purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus.
- 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com
- 1X points on other eligible purchases
- $895 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Amex Business Platinum vs Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business
Annual fee
Premium cards have higher annual fees. While both cards offer more than the annual cost in value, you’re committing a large amount of money. So it’s important to make use of the card’s perks to get your money’s worth. We’ll discuss more about how to do this below.
Winner: Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business
Welcome bonus
Both of these cards earn valuable transferable rewards, and both cards offer the same size bonus. The difference comes down to how much you need to spend to qualify for the bonus.
Winner: Tie. The Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business has a smaller average monthly spending requirement ($5,000) because you have six months to earn the bonus. However, the Amex Business Platinum has a smaller total spending requirement. Even though you have a shorter timeframe to earn the bonus, it may be easier to earn if you have a big one-time business expense.
Rewards
While both of these cards earn the highest rate of rewards through their respective travel portals, they still offer a generous return in other categories.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business earns rewards at the following rates:
- 8X points on Chase Travel℠ purchases
- 5X points on Lyft rides through Sep. 30, 2027
- 4X points on flights and hotels booked directly
- 3X points on social media and search engine advertising
- 1X points on all other purchases
The Sapphire Reserve for Business could be a good fit for business owners who frequently travel, as it offers up to 4X for flights and hotels booked directly, and up to 8X if using Chase’s travel portal. The rewards offered on social media and search engine spending can help reward businesses expanding their digital footprint.
The Amex Business Platinum card offers:
- 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com
- 2X points on eligible travel purchased through AmexTravel.com
- 2X points on purchases in key business categories and on eligible purchases of $5,000 or more (on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year)
- 1X points on other eligible purchases
It’s worth noting, you’ll only earn the additional 2X Membership Rewards ® points on up to two million dollars in eligible purchases. The eligible categories are:
- U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers
- U.S. electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers
- U.S. shipping providers
- Eligible purchases of $5,000+
The Amex Business Platinum, on average, offers a lower rewards rate, but it covers more unique categories, including one that is based on your total spend, not a specific product. That makes this card valuable for businesses that frequently make larger purchases of $5,000+.
Winner: The Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business. It has a higher return in its bonus categories with uncapped rewards.
Redemption options
Transfer Partners
| Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business | The Business Platinum Card from American Express |
|---|---|
| Aer Lingus AerClub | Aer Lingus AerClub (1:1) |
| The British Airways Club | Aeromexico Rewards (1:1.6) |
| Emirates Skywards | Air Canada Aeroplan (1:1) |
| Air France KLM – Flying Blue | Air France/KLM Flying Blue (1:1) |
| Club Iberia Plus | ANA Mileage Club (1:1) |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | Avianca LifeMiles (1:1) |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | The British Airways Club (1:1) |
| Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards | Cathay Pacific Cathy (1:1) |
| United MileagePlus | Delta SkyMiles(1:1) |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | Emirates Skywards (1:0.8) |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Etihad Guest (1:1) |
| IHG One Rewards | Iberia Plus (1:1) |
| Marriott Bonvoy | JetBlue TrueBlue (5:4) |
| World of Hyatt | Qantas Frequent Flyer (1:1) |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club (1:1) | |
| Singapore Airline KrisFlyer (1:1) | |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (1:1) | |
| Choice Privileges (1:1) | |
| Hilton Honors (1:2) | |
| Marriott Bonvoy (1:1) |
Source: Chase & Amex
Both of these cards allow you to use your points to directly pay for travel through the respective travel portal. Chase has Points Boost, which can increase the value of your points for these redemptions, and Amex has a Pay with Points feature. These are nice options to have because you can book any available flight or hotel and aren’t subject to award restrictions.
With the Chase Sapphire Reserve Business card, the Points Boost feature may increase the value you receive when you use Chase points to pay for Chase Travel bookings. You’ll receive two cents per point when you book hotels that are part of The Edit℠ collection, and up to two cents per point for other select hotels and flights.
The Amex Business Platinum has a special feature when you use Pay with Points to book a flight with your selected airline. For these bookings, you’ll receive a 35% points rebate (up to one million points back per calendar year).
Winner: Tie. The Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business has several key transfer partners at a 1:1 ratio (including Hyatt), and Points Boost can increase the value of your points for certain Chase Travel℠ reservations. However, the Amex Business Platinum provides access to a larger number of transfer partners.
Benefits
With both of these cards carrying substantial annual fees, it’s not surprising that both come loaded with additional perks, from sought-after airport lounge access to statement credits geared toward growing your business.
Lounge access
The Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business and Amex Business Platinum both offer in-depth lounge access, and while Amex might offer more options, the Chase card allows you to bring guests for no additional charge.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business offers access to all Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club locations and a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership; the card allows for up to two complimentary guests, with each additional guest past the first two requiring a $27 fee.
The Amex Business Platinum offers access to a larger number of lounges that fall under the American Express Global Lounge Collection, including The Centurion® Lounge, 10 Delta Sky Club visits each year (when flying on an eligible Delta flight), Escape Lounges, and more. The card offers expanded lounge access, but you’ll need to spend $75,000 in a calendar year to qualify.
Statement credits
Both of these cards offer a wide range of statement credit offers.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business provides over $2,000 in value each year through a variety of credits and other offers. You can receive:
- $500 The Edit℠ hotel credit: Earn up to $250 in statement credits for prepaid The Edit bookings you make from January to June and up to $250 for prepaid bookings from July to December. Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, you can receive up to $250 in credit for each prepaid The Edit booking (up to $500), instead of earning the credits semi-annually. There’s a two-night minimum stay requirement to qualify for these credits.
- $300 annual travel credit: Receive up to $300 in annual statement credits, automatically applied to eligible travel purchases made with your card.
- $200 Google Workspace Credit: Get your hands on business tools like Google AI in Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Meet, NotebookLM and up to $200 in annual statement credits on purchases through Google Workspace.
- $400 ZipRecruiter credit: A statement credit split into two chunks, up to $200 in statement credits from January through June and up to $200 from July through December.
- $420 in DoorDash value: Get a complimentary DoorDash Dash Pass membership (worth $120 a year) when you activate by Dec. 31, 2027. Receive up to $25 back on eligible DoorDash orders through Dec. 31, 2027. You’ll get up to $5 off one restaurant order per month and up to $10 off two non-restaurant orders per month.
- $120 Lyft credit: Receive up to $10 in monthly Lyft credit through Sept. 30, 2027.
- $100 Giftcards.com credit: Split into two credits, $50 available from January to June and another $50 from July to December.
- $120 Global Entry, NEXUS or TSA PreCheck application fee credit every four years.
You can receive over $3,000 in value every year with the Amex Business Platinum card. However, some of the credits have spending requirements. You can receive:
- Up to $600 hotel credit: Earn up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually for eligible Fine Hotels and Resorts or The Hotel Collection prepaid bookings (The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay).
- Up to $200 Hilton credit: Receive up to $50 back per quarter on eligible direct Hilton purchases. Must be a Hilton for Business member to qualify (enrollment required).
- Up to $1,150 Dell credit: Receive up to $150 in statement credits for Dell purchases and an additional $1,000 statement credit after spending $5,000+ at Dell in a calendar year (enrollment required).
- $250 Adobe credit: Earn a $250 statement credit per calendar year after you spend $600+ in eligible U.S. purchases with Adobe (enrollment required).
- $120 in wireless telephone statement credits: For purchases made directly with a wireless provider in the U.S. on your Amex Business card, earn up to $10 back per month (enrollment required).
- Up to $200 in airline fee credits: Receive up to $200 back each calendar year for incidental fees charged by your selected qualifying airline (enrollment required).
- Up to $360 Indeed.com credits: Receive up to $90 in credit per quarter for purchases made directly with Indeed (enrollment required).
- Up to $209 CLEAR Plus® credit: Receive up to $209 back per calendar year for an auto-renewing CLEAR Plus membership, excluding taxes and fees.
- $120 TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit: Receive either a statement credit every four years after you apply for Global Entry ($120) or a statement credit every 4.5 years after you apply for a five-year membership for TSA PreCheck® (up to $85 through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider).
Additional perks
While a good deal of both of these cards’ value is tied up in statement credits, they also offer additional benefits and added value you can unlock if you hit a high spending threshold.
With the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business, you’ll qualify for IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite Status, which offers perks like reward night discounts and complimentary upgrades when available. You’re also eligible for rental car benefits with Hertz, Avis and National.
If you want a card with travel insurance and other protections, this is a great option. It comes with:
- Trip delay reimbursement
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
- Purchase protection
- Return protection
- Extended warranty coverage
- Cell Phone protection
- Travel accident insurance
- Travel and emergency assistance
- Roadside assistance
- Primary rental car collision insurance
- Baggage delay insurance
- Emergency evacuation and transportation coverage
- Emergency medical and dental insurance
- Lost luggage reimbursemnt
After spending $120,000 in a calendar year on the card, you’ll receive:
- IHG One Rewards Diamond status
- Southwest Airlines A-List Status
- $500 in statement credits for Southwest Airlines flights booked through Chase Travel
- $500 Shops at Chase credit
The Amex Business Platinum offers complimentary hotel benefits, with Gold status for both Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy (enrollment required; terms and limitations apply) and rental car perks with Avis, Hertz and National.
It also includes a range of insurance protections, including:
- Cell phone protection
- Return protection
- Trip delay insurance
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
- Baggage insurance
- Extended warranty protection
- Purchase protection
- Rental car coverage (secondary)
Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
After spending $250,000 in a calendar year, you’ll unlock these credits to use in the following calendar year:
- Up to $1,200 in statement credits for flights booked through AmexTravel.com
- Up to $2,400 in statement credits for Amex One AP® monthly fees (Amex’s accounts payable service)
Winner: The Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business. While the Amex Business Platinum offers a higher total value, certain benefits are more complicated or you’ll have to hit higher spending thresholds to unlock them.
Which should you get?
Both of these cards tick all the boxes for a premium business card, offering high-level travel perks like hotel status and lounge access, plus hundreds of dollars worth of statement credits. Deciding between these two cards could easily come down to personal preferences; maybe you favor a specific transfer partner the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business offers, or spend heavily in a category the Amex Business Platinum earns bonus rewards in.
Both of these cards can more than earn back any annual fees, as long as you’re taking full advantage of the statement credits, complimentary upgrades, transfer partners and more that both of these business cards provide.
FAQs
Can I have both the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business?
Yes, it is possible to hold both versions of the Sapphire Reserve card at the same time.
Does the Amex Business Platinum offer airport lounge access?
Yes, the Amex Business Platinum card offers access to several airport lounges through its American Express Global Lounge Collection, including The Centurion® Lounge.
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For rates and fees of The Business Platinum® Card from American Express, click here.
Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.
