AMEX Platinum Business Review 2026: Is the €850 Card Worth It?
Honest AMEX Platinum Business review: 200,000 MR welcome bonus, lounge access, hotel status, and whether the €850 annual fee really pays off.
By David Lesnik Status:
Quick answer: The highest welcome bonus in Germany: 200,000 MR points. The AMEX Platinum Business (€850/year) pays off in the very first year with ~€3,200 in value. Priority Pass (Lufthansa Lounge access ended on 1 October 2026) + hotel status (Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and more). €1,440 in annual credits (including €200 travel, €200 SIXT ride, €200 Dell). Tax-deductible. Combo tip: Business Platinum + Gold Personal = 250,000 MR.
Which credit cards available in Germany offer lounge access at all is compared here: Credit cards with lounge access 2026
200,000 Membership Rewards points welcome bonus. That’s not a typo. The AMEX Platinum Business offers the highest welcome bonus of any credit card in Germany - and by a wide margin.
But is an €850 annual fee worth it? In this review I’ll show you what the card can do, who it pays off for - and why the welcome bonus alone justifies applying.
AMEX Platinum Business at a glance
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual fee | €850 |
| Welcome bonus | 200,000 MR points |
| Spend requirement | €15,000 in 6 months |
| Earn rate | 1 MR per euro (1.5 MR with Turbo for €15/year) |
| Priority Pass | Prestige tier (value: €459) |
| Lufthansa Lounges | No longer – access ended on 1 October 2026 |
| Lounge on the Go | 6 × €20 credit at Frankfurt T1 / Munich T2 (1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027) |
| Centurion Lounges | Yes |
| Hotel status | Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium |
| Online travel credit (American Express Travel) | €200 per year |
| SIXT ride credit | €200 per year (8 × €25) |
| Sixt+ car subscription credit | €240 per year |
| Dell Technologies credit | €200 per year |
| ebuero credit (phone service) | €300 per year (€25/month) |
| Office Club credit (flexible workspace) | €300 per year (€25/month) |
| Total annual credits | €1,440 |
| Travel insurance | Up to €10 million |
| Fine Hotels & Resorts | Yes |
| Personal Platinum Card | Included (primary + supplementary card for personal spending) |
| Additional Business cards | 1 Business Platinum supplementary card + up to 98 Business Gold supplementary cards included |
| Platinum Plus (personal supplementary card, metal) | €350 per year |
| Requirement | Self-employment or company |
Important: The AMEX Platinum comes in personal and business versions. This article covers the Business card (€850). The personal version* costs €720, but has “only” an 85,000 MR welcome bonus.
What you get: The AMEX Platinum Business arrives as a metal card by courier. The complete package also includes two personal Platinum Cards (primary and supplementary card) that let you cleanly separate business and personal spending. An additional Platinum Plus (personal supplementary card made of metal) costs €350 per year.
The welcome bonus: 200,000 MR points
200,000 Membership Rewards points are the main reason this card exists. What can you do with them?
| Redemption option | Value |
|---|---|
| Transfer to British Airways (Avios) | 160,000 Avios = Business Class USA round trip |
| Transfer to Singapore Airlines | 160,000 KrisFlyer = Business Class Singapore round trip |
| Transfer to Flying Blue | 160,000 miles = Business Class Asia (promo) |
| First Class one-way | Enough for LH First Class NYC one-way (via partner) |
| Hotels (Hilton) | 200,000 Hilton points = 3-5 nights |
The best value lies in airline transfers: 200,000 MR are enough for a Business Class flight to New York and back or even First Class one-way to Asia. These are tickets that cost €4,000-8,000 in cash.
All redemption options in detail: AMEX redeem points: The complete guide
How to hit the €15,000 spend requirement
€15,000 in 6 months sounds like a lot. But as a self-employed person it’s often easier than you’d think (€2,500/month):
- Business expenses: Software subscriptions, advertising, office supplies, travel costs
- Reroute recurring expenses: Rent, insurance, electricity, internet, phone
- Planned investments: Put hardware, furniture, training into the first 6 months
- Advance tax payments: If possible by credit card
- Everyday spending: Supermarket, gas station, online shopping
Tip: As a self-employed person with business expenses, you’ll often hit the €15,000 faster than expected. Add up your monthly business spending - many people are surprised.
Pro tip: How to pay rent, insurance and practically all recurring expenses by credit card - and earn points doing it - is something we walk you through step by step in the Premium Handbook.
AMEX Platinum Business costs: Is the €850 annual fee worth it?
€850 is the highest annual fee of any German credit card. But the math is clear.
The math in the first year
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Welcome bonus (200,000 MR) | €2,000-4,000 (with Business/First Class redemption) |
| Priority Pass Prestige | €459 |
| Annual credits (travel, SIXT, Dell, ebuero etc.) | €1,440 |
| Hotel status (Marriott + Hilton Gold) | ~€350 |
| Travel insurance | ~€100-200 |
| Total (1st year) | €4,350-6,450 |
| Less annual fee | €3,500-5,600 profit |
In the first year the math is absurdly positive thanks to the welcome bonus. The €1,440 in credits alone already significantly exceeds the €850 annual fee.
From the second year on
Without the welcome bonus, what remains:
| Benefit | Value per year |
|---|---|
| Priority Pass Prestige | €459 |
| Annual credits (travel, SIXT, Dell, ebuero etc.) | €1,440 |
| Marriott Gold status | ~€200 (upgrades, breakfast) |
| Hilton Gold status | ~€150 (upgrades, breakfast) |
| Travel insurance | ~€100-200 |
| Total | ~€2,350-2,450 |
| Less annual fee | ~€1,500-1,600 profit |
Even from the second year on the card pays off clearly - if you actively use the credits. The €1,440 in credits alone cover the €850 annual fee. If you only fly 1-2 times a year and don’t need the business credits, consider the AMEX Platinum Personal* (€720) or AMEX Gold* (€240).
Lounge access: Priority Pass, Centurion and “Lounge on the Go”
Lounge access is identical to the personal Platinum:
Priority Pass Prestige
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Tier | Prestige (value: €459/year) |
| Lounges worldwide | over 1,550 (AMEX figure), 1,330 of them Priority Pass |
| Free visits | 50 per year |
| Guests | 1 guest free (counts as a visit) |
| Additional card | Own Priority Pass included |
Lufthansa Lounge access: history since October 2026
Until 30 September 2026 the Business Platinum opened all Lufthansa Business and Senator Lounges worldwide in addition to the Priority Pass - with any Economy ticket. On 1 October 2026, AMEX and Lufthansa ended this partnership; the benefit is gone completely for Platinum and Business Platinum.
The replacement is “Lounge on the Go”: 6 × €20 dining credit (1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027) for 37 restaurants, cafés and shops at Frankfurt Terminal 1 and Munich Terminal 2, redeemable via QR code in the Amex Experiences app, at most once per calendar day. Primary and supplementary card share the six credits; the Platinum Plus is excluded. What comes after 31 March 2027 is open.
Everything about lounges in Germany: The complete Lounge Guide 2026
Hotel status: Automatically Gold
The AMEX Platinum Business automatically brings Gold status at three major hotel chains:
Marriott Bonvoy Gold
| Benefit | Details |
|---|---|
| Room upgrade | To a better category (subject to availability) |
| Bonus points | 25% extra on hotel stays |
| Late check-out | Until 2:00 PM |
| Welcome Gift | 250-500 bonus points |
Hilton Honors Gold
| Benefit | Details |
|---|---|
| Room upgrade | To a better category (subject to availability) |
| Breakfast | Free at all Hilton brands |
| Bonus points | 80% extra on hotel stays |
| Late check-out | Guaranteed |
The Hilton Gold breakfast is especially valuable. At many Hilton hotels breakfast costs €25-35 per person per day. For 3 nights for two people you save €150-210 - through status alone.
Radisson Rewards Premium
| Benefit | Details |
|---|---|
| Room upgrade | Subject to availability |
| Bonus points | 20% extra |
| Late check-out | Until 2:00 PM |
Especially relevant for business travelers: Anyone who regularly stays in hotels recovers a large part of the annual fee through the hotel benefits alone.
Annual credits: Recover over €1,400
The AMEX Platinum Business offers considerably more credits than the personal version - and that’s the biggest difference:
| Credit | Amount per year |
|---|---|
| Online travel credit (American Express Travel) | €200 |
| SIXT ride (chauffeur service) | €200 |
| Sixt+ (car subscription) | €240 |
| Dell Technologies | €200 |
| ebuero (phone service) | €300 |
| Office Club (flexible workspace) | €300 |
| Total | €1,440 |
Travel credit (€200)
Online travel credit, redeemable with American Express Travel (booking flights, hotels and rental cars).
SIXT ride (€200)
Credit for SIXT’s chauffeur service. Especially handy for business airport transfers.
Additional business credits (€1,040)
The remaining credits are exclusive to the business version and don’t exist on the personal Platinum:
- Sixt+ (€240): Credit for SIXT’s car subscription
- Dell Technologies (€200): For hardware and tech purchases
- ebuero (€300): €25 per month for ebuero’s professional phone answering service
- Office Club (€300): €25 per month for flexible workspaces at Office Club
Together: €1,440 in credits significantly exceeds the €850 annual fee. The card finances itself through the credits alone - if you use them.
Insurance: Comprehensive travel protection
| Insurance | Coverage |
|---|---|
| Trip cancellation insurance | Up to €10,000 per trip |
| International health insurance | Up to €10 million |
| Baggage insurance | For loss or damage |
| Flight delay insurance | From 4 hours delay |
| Rental car insurance | Full coverage with no deductible |
| Smartphone insurance | For theft or damage |
For business travelers: International health insurance with coverage up to €10 million saves you a separate policy. Especially relevant if you frequently travel outside the EU.
Business features: What the personal card doesn’t have
Besides the higher welcome bonus, the business version offers real advantages for everyday business:
Personal Platinum Card included
Besides the metal Business primary card, the AMEX Platinum Business complete package includes two personal Platinum Cards (one primary and one supplementary card) for the primary cardholder. With them you cleanly separate business and personal spending. A further personal supplementary card, the metal Platinum Plus, costs €350 per year.
getmyinvoice: Automatic receipt capture
The AMEX Platinum Business is compatible with getmyinvoice - a service that automatically collects, digitizes and transfers invoices and receipts into your accounting system. For self-employed people who would otherwise laboriously type out their receipts by hand, an enormous time-saver.
Fully tax-deductible
The entire €850 annual fee is deductible as a business expense. At a marginal tax rate of 42% you save €357 - the effective fee drops to ~€493 before credits.
Separate business billing
All transactions run through a separate business account. This simplifies bookkeeping and cleanly separates business from personal spending.
Additional employee cards
The complete package includes up to 99 free supplementary cards (1 Business Platinum supplementary card + up to 98 Business Gold supplementary cards); each further Business Platinum supplementary card costs €250 per year. The transactions run through your account and earn MR points - perfect for teams with travel expenses.
Earning points in everyday business
| Variant | MR per euro |
|---|---|
| Without Turbo | 1 MR |
| With Turbo (€15/year) | 1.5 MR |
As a self-employed person, you often have higher monthly expenses than private individuals. That shows when earning:
| Monthly business spend | MR per year | Value |
|---|---|---|
| €2,000 | 24,000 MR | ~€240-480 |
| €3,000 | 36,000 MR | ~€360-720 |
| €5,000 | 60,000 MR | ~€600-1,200 |
| €10,000 | 120,000 MR | ~€1,200-2,400 |
At €5,000 in monthly business spending you earn 60,000 MR per year from card spending alone. Together with the welcome bonus, that’s 260,000 MR in the first year - enough for a First Class to Asia.
AMEX Platinum Business vs. Personal
| Feature | Platinum Business (€850) | Platinum Personal (€720) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | €850 | €720 |
| Welcome bonus | 200,000 MR | 85,000 MR |
| Spend requirement | €15,000 in 6 mo. | €10,000 in 6 mo. |
| MR earn rate | 1x (1.5x with Turbo) | 1x (1.5x with Turbo) |
| Punkteturbo | €15/year (optional) | €15/year (optional) |
| Annual credits | €1,440 | €550 |
| Personal Platinum Card (primary + supplementary) | Included | – |
| Requirement | Self-employment | Private individual |
| Lounges | Identical | Identical |
| Hotel status | Identical | Identical |
| Insurance | Identical | Identical |
Why Business instead of Personal?
The differences go far beyond the welcome bonus:
- 200,000 vs. 85,000 MR welcome bonus - 115,000 MR more (value €1,150-2,300)
- €1,440 vs. €550 credits - Almost €900 more per year (Sixt+, Dell, ebuero, Office Club; the personal Platinum has a €150 restaurant credit instead)
- Personal Platinum Card - Personal primary and supplementary card included in the complete package
- getmyinvoice - Automatic receipt capture for accounting
- Fully tax-deductible - €850 as a business expense (effectively ~€493 at a 42% marginal tax rate)
- Employee cards - Up to 99 free supplementary cards for your team
For €130 more in annual fee you get around €2,000 more in value plus real business tools. The math is clear: if you meet the requirement (self-employment), take the business version.
More on the personal card: AMEX Platinum Review 2026
Drawbacks of the AMEX Platinum Business
1. Highest annual fee
€850 is a statement. Anyone who doesn’t use the benefits ends up losing money.
2. High spend requirement
You first have to manage €15,000 in 6 months. Without business expenses that’s difficult.
3. Self-employment required
The card is only open to the self-employed, freelancers and business owners. Employees need the personal version*.
4. Charge card
Like all AMEX cards: the entire balance is debited at the end of the month. No installment payments.
5. Limited AMEX acceptance
Not every merchant accepts AMEX. A Visa/Mastercard as backup is a must. The Miles & More credit card (Mastercard) is ideal for this.
Who is the AMEX Platinum Business worth it for?
Yes, the card is worth it for you if:
- You are self-employed or a business owner
- You can spend €15,000 in 6 months through the business
- You want the 200,000 MR welcome bonus (the highest in Germany)
- You travel regularly (lounges, hotels, insurance)
- You bill business trips through the card
No, the card is NOT worth it if:
- You are an employee (take the personal version)
- You rarely travel (fewer than 2 flights per year)
- You won’t reach the €15,000 (better the AMEX Business Gold* with only a €10,000 requirement for 50,000 MR)
- You primarily want to earn points without travel extras (AMEX Gold is enough)
The alternative: AMEX Business Gold
For self-employed people with a smaller budget, the AMEX Business Gold* is a strong alternative:
| Feature | Platinum Business (€850) | Business Gold (€175) |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome bonus | 200,000 MR | 50,000 MR |
| Spend requirement | €15,000 | €10,000 |
| Priority Pass | 50 visits | No |
| Hotel status | Gold | No |
| Annual credits | €1,440 | €100 (Dell Technologies) |
More on this: AMEX Business Gold Review 2026
How to apply for the AMEX Platinum Business
- Apply online - Takes about 10-15 minutes, have your company details ready
- Confirm your identity - Via video ident or PostIdent
- Receive your cards - Business metal card + personal Platinum Card by courier in 5-7 business days
- Activate Priority Pass - In the AMEX app or online
- Link hotel status - In the AMEX app under “Benefits”
Tip: Apply for the card via a referral link to secure the full 200,000 MR welcome bonus.
Apply for the AMEX Platinum Business*
Tip: How many miles do you earn with the Platinum Business? Our earn calculator calculates, based on your monthly spending, how many miles and points you earn per year — personalized for 8 credit cards.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Is the AMEX Platinum Business worth it?
Yes, especially in the first year. The 200,000 MR welcome bonus is worth €2,000-4,000 with Business Class redemption - against an €850 annual fee. On top of that come annual credits of €1,440 (travel, SIXT, Dell, ebuero, Office Club), lounge access and hotel status.
What does the AMEX Platinum Business cost?
The AMEX Platinum Business costs €850 per year. However, it offers annual credits worth €1,440 (travel, SIXT ride, Sixt+, Dell, ebuero, Office Club). If you use all the credits, the card finances itself completely.
Do I need a business to get the AMEX Platinum Business?
You need self-employment, a trade or a company. Freelancers and small business owners are also eligible. Employees can apply for the personal version* (€720, 85,000 MR).
How do I reach the €15,000 spend requirement?
Through business expenses (software, advertising, travel), rerouted recurring expenses (rent, insurance) and planned investments in the first 6 months. €2,500 per month is achievable for many self-employed people through business expenses alone.
AMEX Platinum Business or Personal?
The Business card (€850, 200,000 MR) is worth it if you’re self-employed. The welcome bonus is more than double as on the personal card, the credits are €1,440 instead of €550, and you get a personal Platinum Card for personal spending included - for only €130 more in annual fee.
Which lounges can I visit?
Identical to the personal Platinum: according to AMEX over 1,550 lounges worldwide, 1,330 of them via Priority Pass (50 visits/year incl. a companion), plus the exclusive Centurion Lounges. Lufthansa lounges are no longer included since 1 October 2026; as a replacement there is “Lounge on the Go” until 31 March 2027 (6 × €20 in Frankfurt T1 and Munich T2).
Can I deduct the annual fee for tax purposes?
Yes, as a business expense. The €850 annual fee is fully deductible if the card is used for business. The transactions also run through the business account.
What happens if I give up my self-employment?
You can keep the card as long as you pay the annual fee. Alternatively, you switch to the personal version*. Transfer your MR points to an airline partner beforehand if you cancel.
Conclusion: The strongest credit card in Germany - for the self-employed
The AMEX Platinum Business is the credit card with the highest welcome bonus in Germany. 200,000 MR points, plus lounge access, hotel status, €1,440 in credits and the personal Platinum Card for personal spending - for the self-employed there’s nothing better.
My tip: Apply for the card for the welcome bonus and use the first year to get to know the benefits. In the first year the ROI is guaranteed positive thanks to the 200,000 MR points.
If you’re not self-employed: The AMEX Platinum Personal* offers the same benefits for €720 - with an 85,000 MR welcome bonus.
Apply for the AMEX Platinum Business*
Further reading:
- AMEX Platinum Personal Review 2026 - The version for employees
- AMEX redeem points: Transfer partners & value - How to get the most out of 200,000 MR
- Business Class with miles - Your first award flight
The AMEX Platinum Business is the centerpiece of any miles strategy for the self-employed. In the Premium Handbook you’ll find the complete 6-month plan: how to optimally combine the Platinum Business, a Miles & More card and the PAYBACK AMEX to earn over 500,000 points in the first year.
All strategies in the Premium Bundle
14 chapters + audiobook (2:06h) with the complete system for 500,000+ points in your first year.
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David Lesnik · Founder of MEILENKÖNIG
Expert for miles, points, and credit card strategies. Helps travelers fly business & first class for a fraction of the price.