Chase Ink Business Preferred vs Amex Business Platinum: Which Is Better?
A $95 travel-and-ads workhorse against an $895 luxury travel card with 1,550+ lounges behind it. Six rounds. Real numbers. One honest scorecard.
The verdict
Chase Ink Business Preferred takes it, 4–2 on rounds.
Chase Ink Preferred is the safer default for most small businesses; Amex Business Platinum only earns its fee back for a business that travels hard and works every credit on the list.
Choose Chase Ink Business Preferred if…
- • You want a modest $95 fee with everyday travel-adjacent categories and no need for lounge access
- • You want a guaranteed welcome bonus at a spend level your business can realistically hit
Choose Amex Business Platinum if…
- • You or your team travel often enough to actually use 1,550+ lounges and the hotel/airline credits
- • You're disciplined enough to work the Dell, Fine Hotels, and airline credits to offset the $895 fee
Round by round
- Round 1Annual Fee vs ValueChase Ink Business Preferred winsChase Ink Business Preferred8/10
$95/yr
Primary rental insurance + cell phone protection, no enrollment needed
- Primary rental car insurance up to $60,000
- Cell phone protection up to $1,000 per claim
Source: Chase Ink Preferred perks data
Amex Business Platinum5/10$895/yr, coupon-style credits
- $600 hotel credit + $200 airline credit alone nearly cover the fee
- Credits require specific brand spend to realize full value
This round goes to Chase Ink Business Preferred.
- Round 2Welcome BonusChase Ink Business Preferred winsChase Ink Business Preferred8/10
100,000 pts / $8,000 spend
Public guaranteed offer, worth $1,250+ toward travel
- Realistic $8,000 spend requirement for a normal quarter
- Public offer — no targeting required
Source: Chase Ink Preferred offer terms
Amex Business Platinum5/10Up to 300,000 pts / $20,000 spend
Personalized/targeted offer; actual amount varies by applicant
- Ceiling as high as 300,000 points, 3x Chase's
- $20,000 spend requirement is 2.5x Chase's
Source: Amex Business Platinum offer terms
This round goes to Chase Ink Business Preferred.
- Round 3Everyday Rewards RateChase Ink Business Preferred winsChase Ink Business Preferred7/10
3x (capped $150K), 1x else
Travel, shipping, telecom, digital ads — no minimum purchase size
- 3x applies with no minimum purchase size
- Covers everyday categories: travel, shipping, telecom, ads
Source: Chase Ink Preferred rewards structure
Amex Business Platinum4/101.5x (capped $2M/yr), 1x else
Only on purchases of $5,000+ in eligible categories
- $5,000 minimum purchase to trigger the bonus rate
- Below $5,000, purchases earn just 1x — same as a no-fee card
Source: Amex Business Platinum rewards structure
So this round's Chase Ink Business Preferred's, hands down.
- Round 4Travel Perks & Lounge AccessAmex Business Platinum winsChase Ink Business Preferred3/10
No lounge access
Trip cancellation/interruption insurance only
- Not built as a premium travel card
- No dedicated travel-credit program
Source: Chase Ink Preferred keyPerks
Amex Business Platinum10/101,550+ lounges, 140+ countries
Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass Select, Delta Sky Clubs + $600 hotel + $200 airline credits
- Broadest lounge network of any business card
- Includes Marriott Bonvoy Gold & Hilton Honors Gold status
Source: Amex Business Platinum keyPerks
This round goes to Amex Business Platinum.
- Round 5Points Value & RedemptionAmex Business Platinum winsChase Ink Business Preferred6/10
1¢ baseline / ~2¢+ transfer
Baseline cut from 1.25¢ in June 2025; 14 transfer partners
- 14 transfer partners can reach ~2¢/point
- Lower redemption ceiling than Amex's transfer network
Source: Chase Ink Preferred points value data
Amex Business Platinum8/10~1.7-2¢ avg / 5-20¢+ premium
20+ transfer partners, paired with lounge access to use them
- Premium-cabin transfers can reach 5-20¢/point
- Points pair with lounge access to use premium tickets
Source: Amex Business Platinum points value data
This round goes to Amex Business Platinum, hands down.
- Round 6Credit Needed / Who It FitsChase Ink Business Preferred winsChase Ink Business Preferred8/10
690+ credit needed
Fits a wide range of growing small businesses
- Accessible to growing small businesses, not just established ones
- Doesn't require frequent travel to be a good fit
Source: Chase Ink Preferred creditNeeded
Amex Business Platinum5/10700-720+ credit needed
Built for high-spending, frequently-traveling businesses
- Built for a narrow high-spend, high-travel profile
- Coupon-like credits go unused by occasional travelers
Source: Amex Business Platinum creditNeeded / bestFor
So this round goes to Chase Ink Business Preferred for being easier to qualify for and more flexible.
Which one is for you?
Small business that rarely flies but spends on shipping/telecom/ads
→ Chase Ink Business Preferred · Chase's 3x categories fit everyday spend without needing travel volume
Business owner or team that travels frequently for work
→ Amex Business Platinum · 1,550+ lounges plus hotel and airline credits pay off fast for real travelers
Owner who wants a guaranteed bonus at a reachable spend level
→ Chase Ink Business Preferred · 100K points at $8K spend vs Amex's targeted offer at $20K spend
High-spending business ready to work every credit on the list
→ Amex Business Platinum · $3,300+ in credits, but only if Dell, hotel, and airline spend actually happens
Side by side
- Fee pays for itself fast for a business with meaningful 3x-category spend
- Same $8,000/3-month spend bar as Ink Unlimited, bigger payout
- Worth at least $1,250 toward travel booked through Chase Travel
- Double the rate on travel, shipping, telecom, and ad spend
- $3,300+ in credits if fully captured
- Highest headline offer of the two, up to 300,000 points
- 5x points on flights and prepaid hotels via Amex Travel
- 1,550+ lounges including Centurion Lounges
- A real annual cost, unlike Ink Unlimited
- Just 1x outside those 4 categories
- Baseline cash-out cut from 1.25¢ to 1¢ in June 2025
- No 0% intro APR offer at all
- Credits are narrow, brand-specific 'coupons'
- Real offer varies by applicant; $20K spend bar is steep
- No everyday bonus categories like dining or office supplies
- Most credits require enrollment and specific spend to unlock