Both target businesses that value travel, but at different tiers: Ink Business Preferred is a mid-annual-fee card built around Chase Ultimate Rewards and transfer partners, while Amex Business Platinum is a high-annual-fee premium travel card built around Membership Rewards, lounge access, and travel credits. Choose Ink Preferred for points value at a lower fee; choose Business Platinum if you'll use the premium travel benefits.
Chase
3X points on travel, shipping, telecom, and online advertising.
Pros
American Express
Centurion lounges + 5X on flights — premium tier only above $30K/yr.
Pros
| Spec | Chase Ink Business Preferred | American Express Business Platinum Card |
|---|---|---|
| Origination fee | $95 | Verify |
| Best for | E-commerce + ad-heavy SMBs with $50K+ combined spend across those four categories. | Established SMBs with $30K+/year in business flight spend and frequent international travel. |
◈ marks the stronger option for that row.
Pick Chase Ink Business Preferred if: E-commerce + ad-heavy SMBs with $50K+ combined spend across those four categories.
Pick American Express Business Platinum Card if: Established SMBs with $30K+/year in business flight spend and frequent international travel.
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Chase Ink Business Preferred has a $95 annual fee. American Express Business Platinum has a $695 annual fee. The $600 gap reflects Business Platinum's premium benefits package: Centurion and Priority Pass lounge access, up to $200 in airline fee credits, up to $189 in CLEAR credits, and various hotel/travel credits. If you won't regularly use those perks, the Ink Preferred's $95 fee is the more efficient entry point for transferable business travel rewards. (Source: Chase.com; AmericanExpress.com.)
Amex Business Platinum has significantly broader lounge access — Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs (when flying Delta same-day), and a Priority Pass Select membership covering 1,300+ lounges worldwide. Chase Ink Business Preferred has no lounge access benefit. Lounge access is one of the defining reasons businesses choose Business Platinum despite the much higher fee. (Source: AmericanExpress.com benefits guide.)
Chase Ultimate Rewards (Ink Preferred) transfers to 14 partners including United Airlines, Southwest, Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways, Hyatt, and Marriott Bonvoy, typically at 1:1. Amex Membership Rewards (Business Platinum) transfers to 20+ partners including Delta SkyMiles, Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Hilton Honors, and Marriott Bonvoy, mostly at 1:1. Both programs have strong transfer networks; the best program depends on which airlines and hotels you use most. (Source: Chase Ultimate Rewards and Amex Membership Rewards program pages.)
Yes. Chase Ink Business Preferred provides up to $600 per claim in cell phone protection against covered theft or damage when you pay your monthly wireless bill with the card (subject to a $100 deductible, up to 3 claims per 12-month period). Amex Business Platinum does not include a dedicated cell phone protection benefit. For businesses paying employee phone bills on the card, Ink Preferred has a meaningful edge in this specific protection. (Source: Chase Ink Preferred benefit guides.)
Amex Business Platinum is a charge card — the full statement balance is due each billing cycle by default, though Pay Over Time on eligible purchases is available at interest for enrolled cardmembers. Chase Ink Business Preferred is a traditional revolving credit card, meaning you can carry a balance month to month (with interest). If cash flow flexibility to carry a balance matters, Ink Preferred's credit card structure is more forgiving than Business Platinum's charge card model. (Source: AmericanExpress.com; Chase.com.)
Neither card charges foreign transaction fees. Chase Ink Business Preferred and Amex Business Platinum are both designed with international business travel in mind — all transactions made outside the U.S. are free of foreign transaction surcharges on both cards. This puts them in the same tier on international spend, unlike no-fee Ink Cash or Ink Unlimited cards, which charge 3% on foreign purchases. (Source: Chase.com; AmericanExpress.com.)
Yes. Chase Ultimate Rewards points from Ink Business Preferred can be combined with points from personal Chase cards that also earn Ultimate Rewards — such as Chase Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve. You can transfer points between linked Chase accounts and then redeem them together through the Sapphire Reserve's portal at 1.5 cents per point or transfer to airline and hotel partners. This pooling strategy is a major advantage of the Chase ecosystem for business owners who also hold personal Chase cards. (Source: Chase Ultimate Rewards program terms at chase.com.)
Yes. Chase Ink Business Preferred includes purchase protection (covers new purchases against damage or theft for 120 days, up to $10,000 per claim, $50,000 per account) and extended warranty protection (extends the U.S. manufacturer's warranty by one additional year on warranties of three years or less). Amex Business Platinum also offers purchase protection and extended warranty benefits, though the specific coverage terms differ — verify at chase.com and americanexpress.com respectively before relying on either benefit. (Source: Chase Ink Business Preferred guide to benefits.)
Chase Ink Business Preferred is the stronger choice for businesses that don't travel frequently. Its 3x earning on travel, shipping, advertising, and internet/cable applies to categories most businesses spend in regardless of travel habits, and the $95 annual fee is low enough to justify on spend alone. Amex Business Platinum's $695 annual fee is built around travel credits (airline fee credits, CLEAR, lounge access) — if you're not traveling regularly, those credits won't offset the fee and the card becomes expensive for its rewards. (Source: Chase.com; AmericanExpress.com.)
Both cards target business owners with good to excellent personal credit. Chase Ink Business Preferred typically requires a personal FICO score of 700+ for approval, though Chase evaluates overall credit profile including business revenue, time in business, and personal income. Amex Business Platinum similarly targets 700+ personal FICO; Amex may also perform a soft inquiry for pre-qualification at americanexpress.com. Neither issuer publishes a guaranteed minimum; actual approval depends on the full credit and business profile. (Source: Chase.com; AmericanExpress.com — check for pre-qualification before applying.)
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.