Amex Business Platinum vs. Chase Ink: Which Business Card Wins?
One card is a premium travel play with a six-figure welcome offer. The other is three no-fee-or-low-fee cards built around everyday business categories. Most small businesses actually want both, in a specific order.
These aren’t really competing for the same job. The Business Platinum ($895/yr) is worth it mainly for its outsized welcome offer and travel perks — it’s not an everyday-spend card. The Chase Ink cards (Cash and Unlimited are $0/year, Preferred is $95/year) are built for day-to-day business spending on office supplies, shipping, internet, and advertising. Most sole proprietors are better served starting with an Ink card and adding Business Platinum later if travel perks matter.
Amex Business Platinum
- Up to 300,000 points after $20,000 spend in 3 months
- 5x points on flights & prepaid hotels via Amex Travel
- Centurion Lounge + Priority Pass access
- Up to $200/yr airline fee credit, $400/yr Dell credit
- 1.5x points on purchases over $5,000 (up to 1M pts/yr)
Chase Ink (Unlimited / Cash / Preferred)
- $750 cash back after $6,000 spend in 3 months (Unlimited & Cash) or 100,000 points (Preferred) after $8,000 spend
- 5% at office supply stores & on internet/cable/phone (Cash, up to $25k/yr)
- 3x on shipping, internet, travel, advertising (Preferred, up to $150k/yr)
- 1.5% flat on everything (Unlimited)
- No annual fee on two of the three cards
Side-by-side
| Amex Business Platinum | Chase Ink (Unlimited / Cash / Preferred) | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $895 | $0 (Unlimited/Cash) / $95 (Preferred) |
| Welcome offer | Up to 300,000 pts / $20,000 / 3 mo | $750 cash or 100,000 pts / $6,000–$8,000 / 3 mo |
| Best everyday category | 1.5x on $5,000+ purchases | 5% office supplies & phone/internet (Cash) |
| Travel earning | 5x flights/hotels via Amex Travel | 3x shipping/travel/advertising (Preferred) |
| Lounge access | Centurion + Priority Pass | None |
| Point/cash transfer | Membership Rewards airline partners | Ultimate Rewards travel partners (Preferred only) |
| Can you hold more than one? | Yes, with Amex’s 2/90 application rule | Yes — most people can hold multiple Ink cards |
Why people pick Business Platinum
The appeal here is almost entirely the welcome offer and travel perks, not everyday earning — 1.5x points on purchases over $5,000 is a narrow, specific bonus, not a broad spending category. What makes this card worth the $895 fee for the right business owner is the combination of an outsized welcome bonus (up to 300,000 points, historically one of the highest offers Amex has run on this card), lounge access, and travel credits. It’s a card you get for the signup bonus and the travel perks, then keep for the lounge access if you travel for business.
Why people pick Chase Ink
The Ink lineup is built for the opposite use case: actual day-to-day business spending. Ink Business Cash’s 5% at office supply stores and on internet/cable/phone bills (capped at $25,000/year combined) is one of the highest flat bonus categories available on any business card, and it costs nothing to hold. Ink Business Preferred adds a stronger points-based welcome offer and 3x on shipping, advertising, and travel for a modest $95/year. For a lot of small businesses, Ink is simply the better everyday card, full stop — the question is just which of the three Ink cards fits your spending.
Can you get both?
Yes, and many business owners do, in sequence: grab an Ink card’s welcome offer first (you can hold several Ink cards at once, though Chase’s 5/24 rule still applies to every new application), then apply for Business Platinum later for its welcome offer and travel perks once you have a real reason to use the Centurion Lounges and airline credits. Application rules vary by issuer and change over time — see our breakdown of business card application rules by issuer for specifics on spacing and eligibility.
Bottom line
- You want the single highest-value welcome offer available on a business card
- You travel for business and will use the lounge access
- You can direct $20,000 of spend to the card in 3 months
- You want an everyday business card with no (or low) annual fee
- Your spend concentrates in office supplies, shipping, internet, or advertising
- You want a lower-commitment card to start with