Amex Business Platinum vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business: Which premium business card takes the crown?
Editor's Note
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 stiff competition with the introduction of the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (see rates and fees) earlier this year.
There are many differences that separate the two, and it's important to know the distinctions so you can make a decision for your wallet.
Let's see how these two powerhouse business cards stack up against each other and which one you should add for your business expenses.
Amex Business Platinum vs. Sapphire Reserve for Business comparison
| Amex Business Platinum | Sapphire Reserve for Business | |
|---|---|---|
Annual fee | $895 (see rates and fees) | $795 |
Welcome offer | Earn 200,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 on purchases in the first three months of card membership. | Earn 150,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. |
Earning rates |
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Statement credits |
Enrollment is required for select benefits |
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Lounge access |
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Other benefits |
Enrollment is required for select benefits |
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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 200,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 on purchases within the first three months of card membership.
This offer is worth $4,000 based on TPG's October 2025 valuations, as Membership Rewards points are worth 2 cents apiece.
Meanwhile, new applicants for the Sapphire Reserve for Business can earn 150,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
This offer is worth $3,075 based on TPG's valuations, as Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth 2.05 cents apiece.
Winner: Amex Business Platinum. Its welcome offer is higher with the same spending requirement.
Amex Business Platinum vs. Sapphire Reserve for Business benefits
Both cards' standout benefit is lounge access. With the Amex Business Platinum, you'll have access to the Global Lounge collection, which includes:
- Aspire lounges
- Centurion Lounges
- Delta Sky Clubs (when traveling on same-day Delta flights; eligible cardmembers will receive 10 visits per eligible card, per year to the Delta Sky Club or to Grab and Go locations when traveling on a same-day Delta-operated flight, unless they spend $75,000 or more on their card to unlock unlimited visits)
- Escape Lounges
- Plaza Premium lounges
- Priority Pass lounges (restaurants not included)
However, guest access is not automatically included in Amex's flagship lounges, the Centurion Lounges. You must 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
Both cards come with an array of annual statement credits to provide extra value.
The Amex Business Platinum offers up to $200 in annual airline incidental credit on an eligible airline of your choice, which covers 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 value.
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, along with Leaders Club Sterling status from The Leading Hotels of the World. Plus, you'll receive an up-to-$200 (up to $50 per quarter) Hilton statement credit each calendar year for eligible purchases.
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 three 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 latest refresh of the Business Platinum, you now have up to $600 per calendar year in statement credits (up to $300 biannually) on prepaid American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings with Amex Travel when you pay with your Amex Platinum (Hotel Collection stays require a two-night minimum).
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 valuations)
- 2 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 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 2 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.
Redeeming points on the Amex Business Platinum vs. Sapphire Reserve for Business
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 flights through Amex Travel with your selected qualifying airline.
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.
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. Note, Chase will drop to 10 airlines as of Oct. 16 with the loss of Emirates Skywards.
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.
Should I get the Amex Business Platinum or Sapphire Reserve for Business?
The recent refresh of the Amex Business Platinum brings even more value to high-spending business owners who can take advantage of expanded credits. The addition of the hotel statement credit is also a welcomed addition. If you want premium travel perks, best lounge access for the primary cardholder and elevated status with major hotel and rental car brands, the Amex Business Platinum may be the right card for you.
If you prefer a more straightforward rewards structure, easier-to-use travel credits, better earning rates across everyday categories, industry-leading travel protections and complimentary lounge access for guests, the Sapphire Reserve for Business remains the more flexible and user-friendly option.
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: Business Platinum Card from American Express
Apply here: Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum, click here.
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| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees