7 Checklist Items for When Your New AMEX Business Platinum Card Arrives in the Mail

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The 100,000 AMEX Membership Rewards point bonus on The Business Platinum® Card from American Express is disappearing August 8, 2018!  You can earn the full bonus after meeting tiered minimum spending requirements.

When you get this card, you’ll have a to-do list in order to make the most of its benefits.  We’ll help you stay on top of things with this easy-to-follow checklist!

Take Advantage of This Limited-Time AMEX Business Platinum 100,000-Point Offer (Ends August 8, 2018)!

Link:   The Business Platinum® Card from American Express

Link:   Our Review of the AMEX Business Platinum Card

Until August 8, 2018, the AMEX Business Platinum card has an increased welcome bonus when you meet the tiered minimum spending requirements.

You’ll earn:

• 50,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points after you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening
• 50,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points after you spend an additional $15,000 on qualifying purchases within the same time frame

The card also comes with perks like:

• 1.5X AMEX Membership Rewards points on single purchases of $5,000+
• 5X AMEX Membership Rewards points when you book airfare and hotels through the AMEX travel portal
• 35% of your points back for ALL First Class or Business Class flights booked through the AMEX travel portal using Pay With Points
• 35% of your points back for all flights, including coach tickets, booked with your selected airline through the AMEX travel portal using Pay With Points
• Up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year for airline incidentals with your selected airline (luggage fees, in-flight food & drink, etc.)
• Ability to book hotel stays through AMEX Fine Hotels & Resorts
• AMEX Premium Roadside Assistance
• Access to airport lounges (Delta, Priority Pass, Airspace, and American Express Centurion Lounges)
• Bonus points or statement credits when taking advantage of an AMEX Offer
• Elite car rental status with Avis, Executive status with National Car Rental, and Gold Plus Rewards with Hertz
• Free Hilton HHonors Gold elite status (free breakfast and upgrades when available)
• Free Starwood Gold elite status, which you can use to instantly match to Marriott Gold elite status
• 10 free Gogo in-flight Wi-Fi passes each calendar year
• Statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
• Terms & limitations apply

There are so many great benefits that come with this card!  Let’s walk through each one so you don’t miss out!

7 Checklist Items to Follow

Step 1.   Mark Your Calendars!

Generally, the $450 annual fee for the AMEX Business Platinum will hit your account at the end of your first statement cycle.  So if you applied and were approved on June 25, 2018, then your annual fee will likely post around July 25, 2018.  You also have 3 months from the opening of your account to make the tiered minimum spending requirements.

Step 2.   Sign-Up for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck and Priority Pass

You’re eligible for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck statement credit every 4 years, and the credit should apply automatically when you pay using your new card!  Each of these programs last for 5 years so no matter what, you’ll always be part of one of the programs.  Just remember to mark this on your calendar too!  If you already have Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, you can use your card to pay for a family member or friend’s application and still get the credit!

Global Entry is generally preferred over than TSA PreCheck because with Global Entry, you’ll typically get TSA PreCheck anyway.  Plus Global Entry gets you shorter lines and faster screening when you return to the US on an international trip.

Priority Pass is a saving grace and enrollment is automatic.  Your card should arrive in 10 to 14 business days.  If not, call customer service on the back of your card or visit this website for help.  Priority Pass gives you access to over 1,200 lounges both domestically and internationally.  These lounges have simple complimentary food options in addition to an intimate space to relax before your flight.

Some airports even have restaurants that partner with Priority Pass to offer discounts up to $28!  Team member Keith recently enjoyed a free meal in Portland (PDX) due to his Priority Pass.

Step 3.   Activate Your Complimentary Elite Status Matches

The AMEX Business Platinum card gives you complimentary status matches to 6 hotel and rental car programs!  You’ll want to head over to Hilton for Honors Gold status, Starwood for Gold elite status, and Marriott for Gold status.  Late checkout, free breakfast and upgrades when available, and a welcome gift are just some of the benefits you can enjoy!

I rent cars often for work and for personal travel, so having elite status matches to programs like Hertz, National, and Avis really make that experience a lot better.  You can get Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, National Executive Club, and Avis Preferred benefits by enrolling directly through the AMEX benefits tab in your account. 

These statuses give you free upgrades, grace periods for late returns, discounts, and more!  I really love the Executive benefits from National because it lets me pick out my own car and drive off the lot.  It’s very streamlined!

Step 4.   Select Your Airline to Get Points Back and Statement Credits

In order to fully take advantage of the AMEX Business Platinum card’s benefits, you need to select 1 of 9 major domestic airlines from the AMEX online benefits page when logged into your account.  You’re eligible to receive up to $200 in statement credits each calendar year from purchases with your selected airline for incidentals (luggage fees, in-flight food & drink, etc.)

Some readers and team members report being able to get statement credits for smaller gift cards under $50 but according to the rules, gift cards do not count as incidentals.

Additionally, you will get 35% of your points back, up to 500,000 points per calendar year, for all flights booked with your selected airline through the AMEX travel portal using Pay With Points.  35% of your points spent will also be returned for ANY First Class or Business Class flight booked through the AMEX travel portal using Pay With Points.  If you don’t end up flying your selected airline as much as you had thought, you can change the airline in January of the next calendar year.

Step 5.   Boingo Wi-Fi, ShopRunner, and Gogo Internet

With all of the exciting benefits above, it can be easy to overlook some of these smaller perks like Boingo Internet, ShopRunner, and Gogo Internet.  You do have to enroll in each of these 3 benefits because enrollment is not automatic.

Boingo Wi-Fi has more than 1,000,000 hotspots worldwide and is free to access if you have the AMEX Business Platinum card.  Head over to the AMEX sponsored Boingo page to sign-up.

You’ll also get lifetime ShopRunner membership so long as you have your card.  ShopRunner gets you free 2-day shipping and free returns to over 100 retail stores!

Lastly, Gogo has a unique partnership with AMEX that gives holders of the AMEX Business Platinum card 10 free inflight internet passes each calendar year!

Step 6.   Save These Numbers in Your Phone

The American Express Platinum Service, otherwise known as the AMEX Concierge, can be a very valuable asset and is only a phone call away.  Call 800-525-3355 with your 15-digit card number and the concierge can help you with many tasks, including buying tickets, finding restaurants, booking travel reservations, finding a perfect gift, or for travel research.

The AMEX Global Dining Collection can help get you a reservation to some of the most acclaimed restaurants in the world, such as Per Se in New York.  There are sometimes even special tastings and exclusive kitchen tours available.  Call the number on the back of your card to explore these opportunities.

The Premium Global Assist® Hotline is a service that can help you when with general travel assistance and even a medical or legal emergency.  The number is 800-345-2639.

Step 7.   Set as Your Default Payment Type

Saving your default payment type as the AMEX Business Platinum card is our final recommendation on our checklist.  There are specific places where you may want to use this card as your default payment type such as with your selected airline and with rental car agencies.  You’ll want to make sure that your mobile apps, online accounts, etc. have your AMEX Business Platinum card as the default type so you automatically take advantage of the $200 in statement credits when purchasing incidentals through your selected airline.

You could also purchase primary rental insurance from $12 to $25 per with rental cars paid for with your AMEX.  Rental agencies typically charge $5-$15 per day for this same coverage!  This applies for all domestic rental agencies, not just the ones that match your elite status from above!

Remember, you don’t need to pay with your AMEX to get your elite perks.  But keep in mind, there are other cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, that offer primary rental insurance for free.  I just completed a reservation with National where I paid using my Chase Sapphire Preferred because I knew it provided free primary rental coverage!

Bottom Line

Receiving your AMEX Business Platinum card in the mail is very exciting!  But there is a lot to set up before you can fully utilize all of the benefits of this great card.

The 100,000 AMEX Membership Rewards point bonus on The Business Platinum® Card from American Express has returned for a limited time through August 8, 2018, and you can earn the full bonus after meeting the tiered minimum spending requirements.

We hope that you can use this checklist as a way to guide you through setting up all of the benefits of the AMEX Business Platinum card!