Two different tiers of business travel card. Amex Business Platinum is premium — Centurion lounge access and 5X on flights — and only pays off above heavy annual travel spend that justifies its high fee. Chase Ink Preferred ($95) earns 3X on travel, advertising, shipping, and internet/cable/phone with strong transfer-points value — the better all-rounder at a low fee. Pick Business Platinum for frequent travel + premium perks, Ink Preferred for broad mid-spend value.
American Express
Centurion lounges + 5X on flights — premium tier only above $30K/yr.
Pros
Chase
3X on travel, ads, shipping, telecom — best $95 transfer-points card.
Pros
Pick American Express Business Platinum Card if: Established SMBs with $30K+/year in business flight spend and frequent international travel.
Pick Chase Ink Business Preferred if: SMBs with $30K–$150K/year in travel + advertising + shipping + telecom. Best first premium card for most SMBs.
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Amex Business Platinum carries a $695 annual fee; Chase Ink Business Preferred carries a $95 annual fee — a $600 difference (per each issuer's published card terms as of 2026; verify at americanexpress.com and chase.com). The Business Platinum fee is offset by extensive credits: up to $400 in Dell statement credits, up to $360 in Indeed statement credits, up to $150 in Adobe subscription credits, and others — but you must actively use these benefits for the fee to make financial sense.
Yes. Amex Business Platinum includes access to Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass Select lounges (enrollment required), Delta Sky Clubs when flying Delta same-day, Escape Lounges, and Plaza Premium Lounges — per the American Express published benefits guide. Chase Ink Business Preferred does not include lounge access. For frequent business travelers who value premium airport lounges, Business Platinum's lounge network is a primary differentiator.
Amex Business Platinum earns 5X Membership Rewards points on flights and prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com, and 1.5X on purchases of $5,000 or more (up to 1 million extra points per year). Chase Ink Business Preferred earns 3X Ultimate Rewards points on travel (airlines, hotels, car rentals), the first $150,000 per year in combined travel/ads/shipping/phone, then 1X. For high-volume flight bookers using AmexTravel.com, Business Platinum's 5X wins; for broader travel spend not concentrated on Amex's portal, Ink Preferred's 3X is more flexible.
Chase Ink Business Preferred includes cell phone protection for phones listed on your monthly phone bill — up to $1,000 per claim (3 claims per 12 months, $100 deductible per claim) when you pay your monthly cell phone bill with the Ink Preferred. Amex Business Platinum does not include a comparable cell phone protection benefit as a standard feature — verify at americanexpress.com, as Amex periodically updates card benefits. For business owners covering employee phone bills on the card, Chase Ink Preferred has a structural advantage on this specific benefit. Source: Chase published Ink Preferred benefits guide at chase.com.
Amex Business Platinum typically offers 100,000–150,000 Membership Rewards points after meeting a spending threshold (often $15,000+ in the first 3 months — verify the current offer at americanexpress.com). Chase Ink Business Preferred typically offers 90,000 Ultimate Rewards points after $8,000 in spend in the first 3 months — verify at chase.com. Both bonuses are substantial: 90,000 UR points are worth approximately $1,125 in Chase Travel portal value or more via partner transfers (Hyatt, Air Canada Aeroplan). Welcome bonus offers change frequently and are subject to eligibility restrictions; verify before applying.
Yes — Chase Ink Business Preferred is subject to Chase's 5/24 rule, which automatically declines most Chase card applications if you have opened 5 or more personal credit cards (from any issuer) in the past 24 months. Business cards from Amex, Citi, and most other issuers typically do not count toward your 5/24 count unless they appear on your personal credit report. Amex Business Platinum is not subject to a 5/24-style restriction. If you are at or near 5/24, applying for Amex Business Platinum first preserves Chase eligibility for later. Source: CFPB credit card application guidance at consumerfinance.gov.
Chase Ink Business Preferred wins for advertising and shipping. It earns 3X Ultimate Rewards points on online advertising purchases (Google, Meta, LinkedIn) and shipping purchases — for the first $150,000 combined with travel and telecom per year, then 1X. Amex Business Platinum earns 1X on advertising and shipping (not a bonus category), and 1.5X only on single purchases of $5,000+. For businesses where Google/Meta ad spend and shipping are significant line items, Ink Preferred's 3X on those categories is a substantial advantage over Business Platinum's 1X. Source: Chase and American Express published card benefits.
Amex Business Platinum generally provides more extensive travel insurance. It includes trip cancellation/interruption up to $10,000 per trip, trip delay insurance up to $500 per trip (6-hour delay threshold), baggage insurance up to $3,000 for checked bags, and the Premium Car Rental Protection program. Chase Ink Business Preferred includes trip cancellation/interruption up to $5,000 per trip and trip delay reimbursement up to $500 (12-hour threshold). For frequent international travelers, Business Platinum's higher limits and shorter delay threshold are meaningful. Verify exact benefit terms in each card's current benefits guide, as insurance terms may change. Source: americanexpress.com; chase.com.
Both Chase Ink Business Preferred and Amex Business Platinum require a personal guarantee and a personal credit inquiry on application. However, ongoing account activity (balances, payment history) is reported differently from personal credit: Chase Ink Business Preferred reports to business credit bureaus (Dun & Bradstreet) and typically does not appear on your personal credit report beyond the initial inquiry. Amex business cards also generally do not report ongoing activity to personal credit reports. This means both cards' payment history builds business credit (PAYDEX for Chase) rather than affecting your personal credit utilization. Source: CFPB business credit guidance at consumerfinance.gov; Dun & Bradstreet at dnb.com.
There is meaningful overlap. Both programs transfer to Air Canada Aeroplan (1:1), which redeems on Star Alliance flights including United. Amex MR transfers to 20+ partners including Delta SkyMiles (1:1), British Airways Avios (1:1), and Singapore KrisFlyer (1:1). Chase UR includes United MileagePlus (1:1), Southwest Rapid Rewards (1:1), and British Airways Avios (1:1), but not Delta. For Delta redemptions, Amex is the only path. For Star Alliance-heavy travel via Aeroplan (United, Lufthansa, Singapore), both programs work. Hotel partners also differ: Amex covers Marriott, Hilton, and Choice; Chase covers Hyatt, Marriott, and IHG. Verify current transfer partner lists at americanexpress.com and chase.com.
Independent editorial comparison. ClearValue Lending is not the issuer of any product compared here; affiliate links may pay a referral commission at no cost to you — selection is independent of compensation.